RAW is a brand new concept designed to cater to the needs of the more intrepid among you. RAW is about pushing boundaries, about truly exploring and understanding the unsung wilderness regions of the destinations that we offer. RAW is not about visiting the Serengetis or the Masai Maras of the world. RAW is about visiting those hidden gems that have not yet been fully explored, that are not on mainstream tourist routes, that are not yet necessarily on the map.
These safaris focus on exploring destinations at a deeper level than you might on a first visit, to really get under the surface, taking in the parks and reserves that only a few see, but that offer you a true insight into the wildlife and wilderness of a destination.
RAW takes you out of your comfort zone, but at the same time provides a structured itinerary that will allow you to safely explore a region where infrastructure may be underdeveloped, the wildlife viewing may not be world-class as of yet, your accommodation may lack Egyptian cotton sheets and chilled wines, but the experience, ultimately, is REAL.
RAW stretches the limits and offers an insight into those pockets of wilderness that have not been manicured for the masses and which still retain their integrity and edge. These pockets of untamed wilderness are the reasons we started travelling all those centuries ago - they are the remaining blank spaces on the map, and the last remaining frontiers of real travel. NWS RAW puts you in the right place at the right time to truly explore a destination and some of the last wild frontiers that it has to offer.
"RAW safaris delve deeper than a first-time safari, and although this may not always give you that checklist of wildlife that first-timers want, what you will experience is travel as it is meant to be."
RAW is for those of you looking for something different. Those of you that may have already travelled with us and seen the majestic parks of eastern and southern Africa, trekked through jungle to spot Borneo’s orangutans, or watched polar bears in Svalbard from the deck of your expedition ship. RAW is for those of you wanting to delve deeper into the true roots of a country.
RAW does not take you to the famous mountain gorillas of Bwindi Forest in Uganda - it takes you to the northern remoteness of Kidepo, on Uganda’s border with South Sudan. With RAW you won’t be tracking the tigers of India – you’ll be going in search of the elusive bears, wolves and snow leopards that make their home in the Indian Himalayas. The renowned Etosha National Park won’t be found on a RAW itinerary to Namibia, but the country’s secluded and rarely visited Caprivi Strip will.
RAW offers adventurous travellers the opportunity to take it slow, to truly understand the heart of a country and to take a step off the beaten track, to truly explore and understand the backstory of your destination of choice. RAW is for safari aficionados, travellers that have “been there, done that” and now want something different. Break away from the norm and return to tried and tested countries to experience their RAW side, or discover a completely new destination and broaden your horizons.