Accessible holiday activities

Although the safari world is not exactly shouting about the fact that they welcome everyone on game drives, many are making attempts to be more accessible. Ensuring that safari lodges are on one level, or have adapted bathrooms, and easy access to minibuses. We have specialist safaris on offer in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, which cater for wheelchair users, although facilities for people sensory or cognitive disabilities are not as high up there on the agenda. However, it is definitely a start. It is also worth speaking with our safari companies who are experts in tailor made itineraries. They know their destinations like the back of their hands, as well as their safari guides, accommodations and activity providers. So, they can find out if a balloon ride over the Masai Mara might work for you, if the bush is manageable in a wheelchair on a walking safari or if a one to one guide is available to lead you across the plains if you are visibly impaired. So perhaps an open canoe safari on the Zambezi is easily within your abilities but, until now, way beyond your dreams. Self-drive safaris are a great option for tourists with mobility issues, as long as the tour operator can guarantee an adaptable car, if needs be.

Large cruise ships have targeted the accessible tourism market for years, with convenient, culture-less commodities which cater for lots of people’s needs. The annual cruise was, therefore, an easy option for holiday makers with access issues. Less known are the facilities available on board small ship cruises, however, many of which also cater for a wide variety of needs. And unlike the giant cruises, they are all about immersion in natural and cultural heritage. Not just sitting on deck, watching the world go by.

They aren’t all shouting about their accessible holiday activities or facilities, but many of them offer adapted facilities and will support you on your journey, so don’t wait for them to catch up. Just ask. You’ll be surprised how many can help out, allowing you to leave the liner lounge lizards behind and take time to really enjoy the likes of the Galapagos, Greece or Greenland to name but a few.

Tourists the world over are becoming more adventurous and, thankfully, the world is waking up to the fact that there is not one generic type of traveller. Some countries just aren’t phased by special requests from guests. Such as our accessible ecolodge in The Gambia, a heritage hotel in Rajasthan, a guesthouse on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula or community run cottages on the coast of Donegal.

Again, Catalonia is leading the way in offering inclusive sailing holidays and outings in order to show that, with expert advice, guidance and safety procedures (the norm with any good sailing holiday anyway) the joys of sailing can be enjoyed by all, regardless of their mind or body. If the spirit is destined to sail, then let it sail.