{"id":11759,"date":"2023-08-09T15:39:42","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T14:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/?p=11759"},"modified":"2025-05-19T09:23:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T08:23:20","slug":"somak-55-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/somak-55-years\/","title":{"rendered":"From Lollipop Flights to Luxury Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Picture

Founder of Somak, Suresh Sofat.<\/p><\/div>\n

With Somak Luxury Travel<\/strong>\u2019s 55th Anniversary right around the corner, we took a moment to chat with some of the people who know this independent family-run business the best.<\/em><\/p>\n

Somak, founded in 1968 by Suresh Sofat, now the company’s Chairman, aimed to fill the aviation gap with “Lollipop flights” connecting London and Nairobi for schoolchildren and their parents.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Somak grew over the next 55 years as a result of Mr. Sofat’s longing to share his love of Africa and its unforgettable experiences with travellers across the globe. <\/span><\/p>\n

His elder son, Ash joined the company in 1986, followed in 1993 by his younger son, Anil. <\/span><\/p>\n

Luxury<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Ash, now CEO of Somak Luxury Travel<\/strong>, said that as much as the company has developed, so too have its customers.\u00a0 “Nowadays, people are looking for experiences,\u201d explained Ash. He said there is also an increased need for flexibility. \u201cWe are serving what we think people need when it comes to luxury,\u201d he said, but also admitted, \u201cluxury means a lot of different things to different people.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Nishma

Nishma has travelled extensively and draws on her experience when curating trips for clients and agents.<\/p><\/div>\n

What the customer wants<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Somak\u2019s head of sales, Nishma Gandhi described what her customers are after. \u201cThings have changed in the last 10 years,\u201d said Nishma. \u201cIn the past, people would typically book a short safari and a longer beach extension. Now we are seeing that safaris are for longer periods than beach breaks as people want things to do when it comes to activities rather than sitting on the beach.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Holidays are increasingly booked for special occasions. People are wanting time together in more special places,\u201d said Ash. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe rebranded to <\/span>Somak Luxury Travel<\/span><\/b> to meet this demand.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n
\"Anil

Anil Sofat, Somak Luxury Travel’s commercial director.<\/p><\/div>\n

Keeping up\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Anil, who today is the company\u2019s commercial director, said technology and updated methods of interfacing with customers through the means of social media<\/a> have had an impact on the way business is done. \u201cWe have adapted our holidays and marketing in the ways agents and consumers expect us to,\u201d he explained.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anil said he has seen a change in the way families are purchasing holidays, saying that while they might not necessarily be buying as many holidays, they are going for bigger holidays. \u201cWe are also seeing more multi-generational holidays,\u201d he said, describing how families comprising grandparents, parents, and children are choosing to spend time together on a holiday. \u201cSpending power has increased – there are more big-value holidays,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazing itineraries<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Asked about some of the holidays she has curated over the years, Nishma described two in particular.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One involved a very large group who wished to meet up on Safari for a special occasion. \u201cIt was a group trip that a man was organising for his wife’s 50th birthday in Tanzania and Zanzibar. People were coming from different countries. Putting it all together was challenging but fun,\u201d she said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another one that has stuck in her memory is when a group of people walked into an agent’s shop determined to book a safari in South Africa on the spot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

India<\/h3>\n

Nishma says she also loves curating trips to India<\/a> because she learns so much about the country while she is working on it. \u00a0 said she has found that agents who are specifically lookin<\/span>g at selling India as a destination are drawn by the county\u2019s aesthetic appeal. \u201cIncredible, beautiful landscapes, the heritage, culture, and wildlife are all very attractive,\u201d said Nishma. \u201cIndia also provides very good value for money,\u201d she added. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ash, who recently visited the subcontinent agreed. \u201cWhen you see a tiger in India<\/a> you are blown away. It is majestic,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Global approach<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Another thing that has changed at Somak is the global approach to doing business. Today teams of travel specialists span 3 continents with offices in London, Kenya, South Africa, and India, giving that extra level of specialisation to the packages Somak offers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nishma says the teams communicate well and work together almost as if they were all in the same place. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like we are all in one office and one team. The different team members can speak passionately to clients about their country, especially in India,\u201d she said adding that it has been well received by customers who feel confident booking with people who know the places they are planning to visit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Somak

Somak Bus and Drivers circa late 20th Century<\/p><\/div>\n

Heritage<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Somak Luxury Travel<\/span><\/b> is proud of its rich cultural heritage, and continued commitment to excellence – crafting bespoke itineraries to some of the world’s most inspiring places, using only the finest hotels, operators, and airlines, as well as a fleet of modern safari vehicles, fully kitted for our guest’s comfort. These have come a long way from the old-school minibuses used in the past!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today we offer a comprehensive range of safaris, tours, self-drive holidays, beach holidays, and a full tailor-made service, plus weddings, honeymoons, and groups. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Partnerships<\/h2>\n

This cohesion also extends to Somak\u2019s partn<\/span>ers. \u201cI have worked closely with our suppliers, and they feel like part of us rather than simply ground agents. It has made a massive difference as we can deliver on the ground on specialist trips,\u201d said Nishma.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Ash said he is proud of the people he works with, both in and out of the company. \u201cWe are the same people. A multi-destination team can achieve elements of specialisation that set us apart, and we have been able to fine-tune itineraries and experiences. Our partners also have the same values as us. The same DNA of care and innovation.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Attention<\/h3>\n

Anil says the key to retaining the attention of a diverse range of partners is providing accessibility. \u201cWhat they want, when they want it,\u201d he explained. <\/span>He said when agents are showcasing at events Somak will supply curios and posters.\u00a0 He added that he has found that special content, especially animals, gains a lot of attention. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe also create easy-to-sell safaris, and we do all the hard background work,\u201d he added. \u201cWord of mouth is our biggest asset.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ash

Somak Luxury Travel’s CEO Ash Sofat.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWe have built a fraternity with agents with loyalty and accessibility,\u201d said Ash adding that one of the things agents appreciated was Somak\u2019s reaction to Covid-19 \u201cWe were flexible during Covid,\u201d he explained, \u201cWhen they come to us we are dependable, flexible, competitive on price and good value for money,\u201d he said adding that lines of communication are essential. \u201cWe keep in touch with them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s next for Somak?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

According to Ash and Anil, Somak has many more exciting destinations to discover in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is a very big place,\u201d said Anil. \u00a0<\/span>\u201cMore destinations!\u201d said Ash. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur history is having destinations where touring and discovery are central to our offering. Watch this space,\u201d he said with a twinkle in his eye.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Somak Luxury Travel\u2019s 55th Anniversary right around the corner, we took a moment to chat with some of the people who know this independent family-run business the best. Somak, founded in 1968 by Suresh Sofat, now the company’s Chairman, aimed to fill the aviation gap with “Lollipop flights” connecting London and Nairobi for schoolchildren […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":11878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[575,11,30,444],"tags":[631,574,82,632,583,633,634,429,613],"class_list":["post-11759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india","category-kenya","category-south-africa","category-special-interest","tag-55th-anniversary","tag-african-safari-holiday","tag-holidays","tag-india","tag-kenya","tag-nishma-gandhi","tag-somak","tag-somak-holidays","tag-somak-luxury-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Feature-Image-for-blog-post.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11759"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12006,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11759\/revisions\/12006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}