Micato Safaris Hits #1 on Travel+Leisure World’s Best List for Record-Breaking 10th Time

They say it’s lonely at the top, but let’s face it, it’s not.

We’re not lonely. We’re pretty darn excited. Why?

Because the results are in, and…

…the readers of Travel+Leisure have named Micato Safaris the #1 World’s Best Safari Outfitter for a record-breaking tenth time in the magazine’s prestigious annual survey.

Let’s be clear: Some tour companies have made the World’s Best list more than once. A few have even topped the list more than once.

But no safari outfitter – no tour company of any kind – has ever come close to landing in the #1 spot 10 times.

Until now.

Why Landing in the #1 Spot Ten Times Matters

Earning the #1 spot this year – as well as the previous nine times – matters because the voters in the Travel+Leisure World’s Best Awards Survey are travellers – specifically, Micato past travellers – who evidently chose the highest possible ranking of “excellent” for Micato in every category – staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and value – many, many times over.

Our #1 wins matter because it’s personal: Landing in the top spot recognizes the hard-working, dedicated Micato team on the ground – our Micato Safari Directors, Driver-Guides, and Micato Concierges, as well as our Safari Specialists and many others behind the scenes in the U.S. and Africa who take pride in going beyond the call of duty every day.

That we earned the #1 spot during one of the most challenging years our industry and our world has ever known is especially gratifying.

Peruse our Google Reviews from guests who have been on safari with Micato this past year… or have a look at our recent press articles, or spy a few of the familiar faces seen on the savannahs with Micato, and two things should be abundantly clear:

Micato guests have the time of their lives and they feel safe doing it.

This is underscored by the extensive safety protocols Micato has had in place since last summer, when flights resumed to Africa and Micato successfully resumed bringing guests on safari.

Micato Has a History of Firsts

For 55 years Micato has offered a singular African experience that’s authentic, luxurious, adventurous, personal, and life-changing. Micato Africa founders Felix and Jane Pinto were born and raised in Kenya, and from the beginning crafted an experience like no other.

Micato Safaris is not only the first tour company to land in the #1 spot on the Travel+Leisure World’s Best Safari Outfitter list an unprecedented 10 times, but we have a history of firsts.

*Micato was the first safari outfitter of note to hire local African safari guides. Breaking the myth of the “great white hunter” guide and setting the precedent for sustainable safari guiding, and ensuring a future for the bright graduates of African wildlife guide colleges.

*Micato was the first to offer the virtually unprecedented luxury of no tipping. Ever. No exceptions. Years ago Micato established the groundbreaking industry policy of including all gratuities, even substantial ones to Safari Directors, Driver-Guides, Trackers and Rangers, in addition to our usual inclusions of waiters, porters… and everyone else, from beginning to end of your luxury safari. We’ve completely removed the anxiety about when to reach into your pocket for a gratuity, as well as figuring out how much.

*Micato was the first safari company to travel between camps and game parks via bush flights, saving valuable game-viewing time and offering Micato guests a chance to view the breathtaking sweep of savannah, mountains, rivers and plains (occupied by herds of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest and giraffe, and more from a cast of many thousands) from the sky.

*Micato was the first safari outfitter to invite all of our travellers home, specifically to dine at home in Nairobi with Felix and Jane Pinto, or at the home of their close friends in Cape Town for South African travellers.

*Micato was the first safari outfitter to integrate itself into a large informal settlement and build a community centre, initiate community and educational outreach, and provide such much-needed services as a fresh-water borehole and a library. We’ve been serving the community in this way for decades, working together with our nonprofit arm AmericaShare as well as our friends at Huru.

*Micato was the first tour company to set up a sustainable program that sends a child to school for every guest on safari: We call this The Micato One for One Commitment, and it has changed thousands of lives.

Through the years we’ve kept pushing boundaries, and our ever-expanding list of firsts is no doubt one reason why Travel+Leisure readers have voted Micato into the #1 spot an unprecedented ten times.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Our newest #1 win from Travel+Leisure – and, forgive us for repeating, as well as the previous nine #1 wins — are about our wonderful travellers, as well as our valued travel advisor partners and other friends in travel who believe in us. Providing guests with an exceptional safari experience beyond their wildest imagination, exceeding expectations every day, has been our top priority and our pleasure for 55 years and counting.

On behalf of Micato Africa founders Felix and Jane Pinto, as well as the entire Pinto family, the Micato teams in the U.S., Africa, and India, and our AmericaShare team, we thank all the Travel+Leisure voters who made Micato their first choice.

And thank you – previously, now, and in the future — for making Micato your first choice for safari, too.

Because we may have taken a moment just now to celebrate our laurels, but we never rest on them…

…we earned the #1 spot, so let us show you why.

We look forward to having you join us on safari in Micato’s Africa. Contact us however you like, request our award-winning African Safaris brochure, and we’ll get started.