The PORTAL’s magical Luxury Safaris

Our experience in custom-designing private safaris began in the early 1990s in Kenya, where we were closely involved in shaping what was then a new and highly personal way of traveling through Africa. Working alongside pioneering private landowners, we helped develop intimate safari experiences—hosting a small number of guests in private homes and luxury tented camps, guided by individuals with deep local knowledge and longstanding ties to the land.

That early work in Kenya established the principles that continue to define our approach today: highly personalized journeys, exceptional guiding, and privileged access to some of Africa’s most remarkable places. While our expertise has since expanded across East and Southern Africa—including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia—Kenya remains the cornerstone of our story and, in our view, one of the finest introductions to safari travel for first-time visitors.

From this foundation, we design seamless, tailor-made safaris across the continent, each shaped by decades of experience, trusted relationships, and an uncompromising commitment to quality.

Why KENYA

Kenya is where our journey began—and where we believe many guests experience the essence of safari for the very first time. The diversity of landscapes, abundance of wildlife, exceptional guiding, and long-established conservation areas make Kenya uniquely well suited to first-time safari travelers.

Our decades-long relationships with private landowners, guides, and camp owners allow us to create experiences that go beyond the expected: flexible itineraries, exclusive wildlife encounters, and a level of comfort and care that sets the tone for a lifetime of travel in Africa. For many guests, Kenya is not only a first safari—it becomes the benchmark.

There’s MOre!

From our beginnings in Kenya in the early 1990s, we have built a reputation for designing highly individualized safaris defined by discretion, access, and depth of expertise. What started with close collaboration alongside private landowners and trusted guides has evolved into a portfolio of exceptional safari experiences across East and Southern Africa.

Today, we design tailor-made journeys in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia - each destination selected for its distinctive landscapes, wildlife, and sense of place. We also arrange expertly planned gorilla trekking experiences in Rwanda, seamlessly integrated into broader safari itineraries where appropriate. While our reach has grown, our approach remains unchanged: every safari is custom-designed, every detail considered, and every journey grounded in long-standing relationships on the ground.

Kenya remains central to our identity, but wherever you choose to travel, you benefit from the same thoughtful planning, local insight, and refined execution that has defined our work from the very beginning.

IT’s All custom!

We offer the best of sustainable conservation tourism along with accommodations ranging from luxury tents to bungalows to private homes. Whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, or have organized your own group of family and friends, your journey will be tailored to suit your specific needs and preferences. We select intimate and unique properties whose maximum capacities range from 6 to 26 travelers. Travel builds community and connection through memorable shared experiences. Enjoy your meals with your host and other travelers from around the world, all of whom have come together to share this personalized way of travel. You have the ability to customize your experience on a daily basis.

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Legendary wildlife up close and personal

These privately owned properties and wildlife conservancies allow many options of game viewing beyond the vehicle. You will have the opportunity to view the legendary wildlife on foot, horseback, or even camel since these properties are located outside of the national parks and reserves. Wake up for an early-morning game drive or bush breakfast, and commune with the animals while enjoying sundowners at dusk. See things from a different perspective during a night game drive, and enjoy sleeping under the stars in your sky beds at a few select properties. For many, these moments in the bush are powerful beyond words—an intimate, even primal, experience.

 

Sustainable conservation tourism

Sustainable conservation tourism benefits Kenya and our planet because it empowers local families and indigenous tribes by creating jobs, supporting education, and protecting the country’s extraordinary wildlife. Each destination receives a nightly conservation fee per traveler. This fee allows the local community to benefit from tourism and gives them a vital role in the critically important conservation efforts that protect and nurture their country’s wildlife. For the conscious-minded traveler, visiting these special safari destinations is both a privilege and an opportunity to observe modern conservation practices and all the game one could ever dream of seeing.

 

Off the charts property portfolio and hosts

We offer the best of sustainable conservation tourism along with accommodations ranging from luxury tents to bungalows to private homes. Whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, or have organized your own group of family and friends, your journey will be tailored to suit your specific needs and preferences. We select intimate and unique properties whose maximum capacities range from 6 to 26 travelers. Travel builds community and connection through memorable shared experiences. Enjoy your meals with your host and other travelers from around the world, all of whom have come together to share this personalized way of travel. You have the ability to customize your experience on a daily basis.

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A few captured moments

People on a safari vehicle watching elephants in a grassy plain.
A group of indigenous people walking outdoors in a rural area, some carrying sticks, with trees and shrubs in the background, and a child running ahead.
A safari setting with two foldable chairs, a table with drinks and snacks, a colorful rug, and cushions on the grass. In the background, four people are walking across a grassy plain with small trees, and hills are visible in the distance under a clo
Cozy living room with stone fireplace, surrounded by sofas and armchairs, decorated with framed nature artwork, books, plants, and warm lighting.
A cheetah sitting in a grassy plain with a few trees in the distance.
Giraffes near a large ivy-covered stone building during sunset with people on the patio
A man pouring coffee at an outdoor table in a savannah landscape with a large, sprawling tree and distant mountains.
A large outdoor tent set up with warm interior lighting, wooden furniture, and curtains, surrounded by lanterns on the deck at dusk.
A group of six Maasai men in traditional red and checkered shukas, jumping and celebrating on a grassy plain during sunset, with a dramatic orange sky and hills in the background.
Group of people on a safari vehicle observing elephants, giraffes, and a zebra in an open plain.
A group of three rhinoceroses walking in a grassy plain with sparse trees in the background, in a black-and-white photograph.
Interior of a rustic safari lodge room with a four-poster bed, thatched ceiling, and large windows showing trees outside. The room has a cozy, natural decor with warm lighting and a seating area by the window.