Deeply rooted in Africa, Epic Private Journeys is a bespoke travel company that uses only seasoned local guides to offer an authentic experience of the continent. From creating a custom trip to witness the Serengeti migration, walking among gorillas in Rwanda or paddling the waterways of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, it’s inside knowledge that is at the heart of every journey.

Epic takes travelers to the real Africa, with trips designed by culturally-immersed African guides like the Kenyan-born Rob Barbour, an MD, veteran of the Australian Army’s elite SAS regiment and founder of Kisampa Private Conservation Area in Tanzania. “Epic is all about local, insider knowledge, superb planning and the value of the private guide,” says Barbour of Epic, which maintains offices in Arusha, Tanzania and Johannesburg, South Africa.

It’s the cultural aspects of an African trip that are key.

 Custom itineraries with an insider’s perspective are available in Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda and the Seychelles. A sampling of their African itineraries:

Tanzania
Tanzania remains gloriously wild, home to enormous herds of wildebeest, zebra and elephant, as well as lions, cheetah and leopards. A classic nine day safari that includes seeing the migration in Serengeti National park and game drives in Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater begins at 0 per person, per day.

Rwanda
There are only 880 or so mountain gorillas left in the world, and about 480 of them live in the volcano habitat that spans Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Trekking permits to see the gorillas are extremely limited. Epic’s gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Parc National Des Volcans starts from $1,300 per person, per day.

Botswana
From the Kalahari Desert to the Okavango Delta, Botswana is one of Africa’s last remaining pristine wilderness areas. A 10-day itinerary in the Okavango Delta starts at 0 per person, per day.

Epic Private Journeys, www.EpicPrivateJourneys.com