The A-List is Travel + Leisure's annual selection of the world's best travel agents and destination specialists, as chosen by the editors. Rely on these industry experts to plan the perfect trip to Africa and the Middle East. For more about our methodology and how to apply, read How We Choose the Travel Agents for T+L’s A-List.
Africa
Sandy Cunningham
Raised in Zimbabwe and South Africa, Cunningham is passionate about African wildlife conservation. She ran safari camps in Kenya before settling in the U.S., so she understands needs and demands on both sides of the business.
Best for: multigenerational families, luxury seekers, couples/honeymooners
Extras: While most safari-goers think of Rwanda just for treks to see gorillas, Cunningham can also arrange bird-watching in Volcanoes National Park and mountain-biking excursions.
Minimum daily spend: $800
888-870-0903; sandy@outsidego.com; outsidego.com
Michael Lorentz
The Cape Town–based CEO of Passage to Africa is best known for his pathbreaking experiences: exploring little-known wildlife reserves in Madagascar and accessing previously unseen tribal ceremonies in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley.
Best for: multigenerational families, couples/honeymooners, adventurers
Extras: Lorentz has relationships with private safari reserve owners across the continent, so he can arrange one-of-a-kind mobile camps on their land. He’s also the cofounder of Safarious.com, a social networking site for eco-minded adventurers, and spends his free time working with organizations like African Parks (african-parks.org) on ongoing conservation efforts.
Minimum daily spend: $1,000
27-82-895-8527; ml@passagetoafrica.com; passagetoafrica.com
Dana Welch
A former lodge manager in Zambia and trekking guide in Nepal, Welch is a go-to advisor for adventure-minded travelers. She partners with a very select group of operators and guides who take travelers on out-of-the-ordinary walking or canoeing safaris.
Best for: adventure travel, couples/honeymooners, multigenerational families
Extras: When some of Welch’s clients recently had to transfer between two camps by bush plane on a Botswana safari, she surprised them with a scenic helicopter trip instead.
Other expertise: Adventure travel
Minimum daily spend: $800
303-563-6225; danaw@travelsociety.com; anothertripofalifetime.com
Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Craig Beal
Attention to detail is in Beal’s professional blood—he has worked in nuclear engineering and as an officer on a submarine—as is Africa. His firm, Travel Beyond, was founded by his South African mother, and he’s intimately familiar with animal migratory patterns and scores of camps.
Best for: luxury seekers, multigenerational families, couples/honeymooners
Extras: When Beal’s clients visit Cape Town, he makes a comprehensive dining plan—and all restaurant reservations—ahead of the trip. He also makes sure to reserve coveted spa slots at lodges that typically only have one or two therapists.
Other expertise: Eastern Africa
Minimum daily spend: $500
952-540-4101; craigb@travelbeyond.com; travelbeyond.com
Eastern and Southern Africa
Dan Achber
While Achber loves working with first-time safari-goers, he’s also adept at helping more experienced travelers venture beyond their comfort zones. He has sent clients to a mobile camp in Botswana and a hard-to-reach national park in Chad, where conservationists have brought elephant herds back from the brink.
Best for: couples/honeymooners, families, multigenerational families
Extras: Achber knows where to send clients so they can see all the drama of the river crossings without the crowds (Lamai Wedge is a favorite).
Minimum daily spend: $800
416-628-1272; dan@trufflepig.com; trufflepig.com
Cherri Briggs
Briggs’s feet-on-the-ground approach—she spends six to nine months every year traveling throughout Africa to scout new itineraries—is a major advantage for clients.
Best for: luxury seekers, family safaris, honeymooners/couples
Extras: Briggs and her husband have founded a handful of community development projects in Zambia, including solar-powered irrigation systems, that her clients often visit.
Other expertise: Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Morocco
Minimum daily spend: $800
970-871-0065; info@exploreinc.com; exploreinc.com
Elizabeth Gordon
If you want a specialized safari experience—a reptile-focused trip through southern Africa, for example—call Gordon, who was born in Kenya and worked for Wilderness Safaris in Namibia. Now in her mid 30s, she’s also particularly in tune with the demands of younger, time-crunched travelers.
Best for: couples/honeymooners, adventurers, families
Extras: In addition to go-to day trips such as the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Gordon can arrange exclusive experiences, such as a visit to Kiambethu Tea Farm, where travelers learn from owner Fiona Vernon how the Kenyan tea industry all began.
Other expertise: nature destinations in South America
Minimum daily spend: $650
212-226-7331; elizabeth@ejafrica.com; extraordinaryjourneys.com
Julian Harrison
Born and raised in South Africa, this former game ranger and co-author of Fodor’s African Safari likes to plan safaris that take the adventure quotient up a notch (canoeing the hippo-filled Zambezi River, say, or gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of Congo). But days always end with sundowners, gourmet meals, and plush accommodations.
Best for: luxury seekers, families, couples/honeymooners
Extras: For a blind client, Harrison handpicked a specialist guide who accompanied her throughout her trip. “He diligently tried to find situations on our game drives that would engage my mother by sound, touch, and smell,” her daughter said.
Other expertise: Indian Ocean islands
Minimum daily spend: $350
800-545-1910; julianh@premiertours.com; premiertours.com
Mark Nolting
Thanks to 30 years in the safari industry, Nolting knows lodge owners and safari guides who, in turn, take special care of his clients. He’s happy to customize itineraries to seek specific animals on game drives, such as tracking the elusive shoebill stork in Uganda.
Best for: multigenerational families, adventure, couples/honeymooners
Extras: Nolting’s itineraries are not only detailed but also include extensive biographies on his handpicked safari guides, an often overlooked but enriching part of the experience.
Other expertise: Madagascar and the Seychelles
Minimum daily spend: $600
800-882-9453; safari@africanadventure.com; africanadventure.com
Sunit Sanghrajka
A founding member of Safari Professionals of America, this fourth-generation Kenyan makes a point of introducing travelers to private reserves like the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, in South Africa, and Hoanib, in Namibia, that are known for their wildlife-preservation efforts.
Best for: multigenerational families, couples/honeymooners, luxury seekers
Extras: For a family of foodies, Sanghrajka arranged a cellar dinner at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in South Africa that included an exceptionally rare bottle of wine sourced by the Cape Winemakers Guild.
Minimum daily spend: $750
321-622-9371; sunit@alluringafrica.com; alluringafrica.com
Egypt
Malaka Hilton
Hilton, whose father was born in Egypt, has an extensive network of friends and family throughout the country, which translates into insider experiences such as golf at exclusive courses and meals in local homes.
Best for: epicurean travelers, luxury seekers, culture buffs
Extras: For one client, Hilton arranged a dinner for 80 people at the foot of the Pyramids of Giza.
Other expertise: Morocco and the United Arab Emirates
Minimum daily spend: $300
941-951-1801; malaka@admiraltravel.com; admiraltravel.com
Israel
Rachel Epstein
Epstein visits Israel about four times a year, and she’s an invaluable resource whether you’re planning a bucket-list adventure or a spiritual journey. She also keeps clients up-to-date on the country’s current events and political climate.
Best for: faith-based trips, multigenerational families, culture buffs
Extras: While many of Israel’s must-see attractions are historical and religious sites, Epstein makes sure her itineraries show off the country’s contemporary side by including buzzy chef-owned restaurants and new museums.
Other expertise: Spain
Minimum daily spend: None
713-590-8102; rachel.epstein@frosch.com; frosch.com
Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa
Volker Altvater
With rare exceptions, Altvater exclusively books small-scale tented camps that take a holistic approach to wildlife management, habitat conservation, and cultural preservation. He believes these places—and the communities behind them—are the key to saving the animals and preserving the land.
Best for: seasoned safari-goers, luxury seekers, families
Extras: Altvater thoroughly inspects all camps to ensure they’re up to his high standards, checking everything from bed comfort to water temperature and kitchen cleanliness.
Minimum daily spend: $850
800-345-2445, ext. 2213; volker@bigfive.com; bigfive.com
Morocco
Michael Diamond
An industry veteran who launched Cobblestone Private Travel this year, Diamond believes the secret to a fruitful trip is experiential travel. He’s also an unbeatable authority on Morocco’s best hotels and riads.
Best for: culture buffs, families, foodies/epicurean travelers
Extras: Look to Diamond for activities like baking traditional bread in a faran oven with a local family or a designer-led tour to the best artisan stalls in Marrakesh’s medina.
Other expertise: Turkey
Minimum daily spend: $850 per couple
646-586-2493; michael@cobblestoneprivatetravel.com; cobblestoneprivatetravel.com
Namibia
Chris Liebenberg
This former Namibian national parks contractor turned travel advisor was the first to curate safari experiences in many parts of the country. He’s intimately familiar with the landscape, wildlife, lodges, and roadways.
Best for: adventurers, multigenerational families, couples/honeymooners
Extras: Ever passionate about conservation, Liebenberg has worked on many projects and can help clients join rhino-antipoaching missions in Etosha National Park and cheetah- and lion-conservation projects in Namibia.
Other expertise: Kenya
Minimum daily spend: None
858-598-5559; chris@piperandheath.com; piperandheath.com
South Africa
Tamsyn Fricker
An Afrikaans speaker who lived in South Africa for years, Fricker taps an extensive network of plugged-in locals to stay up-to-date on restaurants, tours, and urban experiences, while staying abreast of top-notch safari options.
Best for: Couples/honeymooners, multigenerational families, adventurers
Extras: Fricker arms her clients with smart local suggestions, such as cool coffeehouses and less-known gin bars in Cape Town. Clients interested in politics and socioeconomic issues have also met with a member of parliament in Johannesburg.
Other expertise: East Africa
Minimum daily spend: $2,000 per couple
404-414-0549; tamsyn@travelartistryafrica.com; travelartistryafrica.com
United Arab Emirates
Amalia Lazarov
As the U.A.E. has grown more popular with travelers for its culture and cuisine, Lazarov’s clients turn to her for insider expertise and itineraries that include seven-star hotel stays and private high-end shopping.
Best for: business travelers, luxury seekers, culture buffs
Extras: Lazarov is especially skilled at arranging compelling cultural activities—an early morning photography drive or a dinner with local architects—between meetings or other business commitments.
Other expertise: Asia
Minimum daily spend: $350 per group
646-747-9356; amalia@protravelinc.com; protravelinc.com
