SAFARIS

Known as the “Crown Jewel” of Indonesia, Raja Ampat Islands are a rare treasure that live up to their name. Great swathes of aquamarine ocean trace their way around the islands of this remote archipelago, which consists of over 1,500 islands, cays, coral reefs, and shoals.

To visit the Spice Islands is to trace the path of mystery-makers, merchants, visionaries, secret-keepers and storytellers. With a trading legacy that began over 4000 years ago, the region is steeped in tales, sometimes tall, sometimes true.

Abundant with unique wildlife, stunning landscapes, and pristine waters, Komodo National Park is part of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda chain of islands. Famously known for its resident Komodo dragons, Komodo National Park spans 669 sq. miles (1733km2) and is made up of three main islands

Located in the heart of the inner islands of the Seychelles, just 2km off the coast of Praslin, Cousin Island is a 62-acre private island that above all else, prizes her natural assets.

Located in the heart of the inner islands of the Seychelles, just 2km off the coast of Praslin, Cousin Island is a 62-acre private island that above all else, prizes her natural assets.

Mahé: where dense forests and giant granitic outcrops kiss palm fringed beaches. Here, pristine, azure reefs blend into deep cobalt blue seas which touch the horizon.

Cosmoledo Atoll is a pristine coralline atoll on the outer islands of the Aldabra Group of Islands in the Seychelles.

Fly 3hrs Southwest of Mahé and you’ll find Astove Atoll. Extremely remote and utterly unspoilt, this island is part of the Aldabra Group within the Outer Islands of Seychelles.

Atolls are ring-shaped coral reefs, comprised of a lagoon encircled by a coral rim.

Spanning over 22,400 square kilometres, Kafue National Park in Zambia is one of the largest and most diverse national parks in Africa

Scattered with ebony and fig trees, the lush Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia is home to diverse African wildlife, birds and vegetation.

Scattered with ebony and fig trees, the lush Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia is home to diverse African wildlife, birds and vegetation.

The Luangwa River traces its way through South Luangwa National Park, and is considered to be the most intact major river system in Africa.

There are few names as enticing as Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The word Bwindi means “darkness”, and once you enter these dense, age-old woodlands, you’ll be swept away by a sense of awe and wonder.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most valuable national treasures. Over 100 species of mammals and 500 species of birds roam the terrain.

Three extinct volcanoes, fringed with verdant rainforest, make up Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, home to about 300 critically endangered Mountain Gorillas.

Named after the majestic Murchison Falls – also known as Kabalega Falls – Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest protected wildlife sanctuary.

Jinja is the historic source of the Nile River, the longest river in the world. It’s earned the reputation for being East Africa’s adrenaline capital.

From Stone Town to leafy forests, white beaches, tiny islands and coral lagoons, Zanzibar will spark your senses and revive your soul.

There is beauty in weathered dilapidation. Ink-stained walls, ravaged by the humid climate, hold exquisite architectural elements in place that were conceived with a love for aesthetics.

Passion, preparation, perseverance along with the support of experienced partners, are key elements to successfully summiting Kilimanjaro. Uhuru Peak stands at 5895m above sea level. The world’s highest free-standing mountain and Africa’s highest point.

In the remote western region of Tanzania you’ll find paradise at Mahale Mountains National Park. Situated alongside the second deepest lake in the world and surrounded by misty mountains and tropical foliage.

Lake Manyara National Park, a forested oasis of evergreen woodland where graceful herds of elephants roam. High groundwater levels give rise to lush vegetation which sustains the appetites of these resident peaceful pachyderms.

The Ngorongoro is a place where abundant wildlife and pastoralists peacefully coexist. This place is a natural amphitheatre, spanning 8292 square kilometres in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania.

Lose the crowds and find yourself in Tarangire National Park. Wedged between the Masai Steppe and the lakes of the Great Rift Valley, this gem can be found off the popular beaten track, not far from the northern Tanzania Safari Circuit.

Picture peaceful plains where waterways wend, the horizon broken by tall palm trees. The sky is a piercing blue during the day, and as the sun sets, it becomes awash with vibrant red, orange and yellow. This is Selous Game Reserve.

Feel the ground move under the thunder of hooves as millions migrate. The Serengeti National Park is 1.5million hectares of unspoilt savannah, abundant wildlife, distant horizons and endless skies.

If you’re looking for unspoilt beaches, quiet seclusion and abundant marine life, visit Northern Mozambique. Lying West of the Comores Archipelago, the 32 tropical islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago are, for the most part, uninhabited.

Travel South from Maputo, take a short trip across the bay, and you will find yourself on the Machangulo Peninsula. Unspoilt and unfettered, Machangulo Private Nature Reserve sits adjacent to Inhaca Island. Her coastline is where endangered loggerhead and leatherback turtles reside; her interior a diverse ecosystem of lakes, mangrove swamps and verdant indigenous bush.

Benguerra Island lies within the Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique. Spanning 55 square kilometres, Benguerra is made up of freshwater

A narrow strip of land off the Southern coastline of Mozambique, Bazaruto Island is part of the Bazaruto Archipelago National Marine Park.

Awe-inspiring, entertaining and slightly daunting due to their size, the mountain gorilla is surely Rwanda’s most treasured national treasure. It’s said that Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas were first discovered around 1902. Since then, largelydue to the research and conservation efforts of American primatologist Dian Fossey, they have achieved the celebrity status they deserve.

Tall mahogany and ebony treesbreak though a dense, green canopy. Verdant shrubs cover the ground, and giant tree fern hug the riverbank as it winds through misty mountains and valleys. Butterflies, orchids and over 300 species of birds provide pops of colour in an otherwise green landscape. Sounds of chimpanzees cavorting are carried through the air.

Sprawling over hills and valley’s, Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali an enigmatic mix of cultured, cosmopolitan elegance and vibrant, urban-tribal simplicity. Surrounded by mountains and trees, its high elevation combined with its tropical savannah climate makes it leafy, green and lush for at least part of the year.

Steeped in history, brimming with life, Livingston is a gateway to adventure, culture and nature. From its sophisticated colonial heritage to its wild and untamed fauna and flora, it offers a perfect base from which you can explore the African bush. The first attraction on your to-do list is Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya, as the locals call it.

Situated between Nairobi and Mombasa, Tsavo National Park is made up of two separate parks: Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. Tsavo East is larger than Tsavo West and mostly flat. Here, you will find the Big Five as well as hordes of antelope, giraffe, zebra, monkeys, black rhino, hyenas, cheetahs and many other species of African wildlife.

If you’ve heard of the film “Born Free”, you’ve heard of Samburu, for this is the site where the real story happened. Remote, serene and unspoilt, Samburu stands in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. This semi-desert game reserve is the “little sister” to the sizable Maasai Mara and Tsavo conservancy game parks.

The Maasai Mara or “The Mara” (as the locals call it) is just plain magnificent. Bordering on the Serengeti National park in the southwest of Kenya, it forms part the migration route that zebra, topi, wildebeest and Thomson’s gazelle follow every year. The Mara-Serengeti ecosystem spans roughly 25 000km2 and is a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list safari destination.

If you have ever seen an image of an elephant framed against the backdrop of a snow-capped mountain, chances are you’ve seen a snapshot of Amboseli National Park. Found at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, Amboseli is a blend of grassy plains, acacia woodland, swamps, marshes and rocky thorn bush.

“The Land God Made in Anger” is remote, and for the most part, untouched by humans. Spanning over 16 000 km2, it runs from the Ugab River to the Kunene River and is the sixth largest protected area in the world. Inhospitable, desolate and hostile, it appears at first glance to be devoid of life. But within this desert live an abundance of African wildlife that is sustained by freshwater springs.

Dramatic and vast, with a dusting of salt, Etosha National Park is the natural star of the Namibian bushveld. As Namibia’s prime wildlife game reserve Etosha is home to 114 species of mammal including giraffe, wildebeest, cheetah, hyena, zebra, antelope, and the Big Five.

The magic of the Namib Desert also lies in its flora and microorganisms. Camelthorn trees are well suited to this environment – their tap root system allowing them to keep hydrated, their external structure resilient against both extreme heat and frost. The Namib Desert is the only place on earth you’ll find Nara melon and Welwitschia plants.

Mana Pools. Oh man, how we love it! And so, by the way, do hordes of African wildlife (even though they have no idea that it is a World Heritage Site). When the lakes that are created during the rainy season on the floodplains dry up in the Summer, they shrink, forming smaller bodies of water that attract thirsty mammals and birds to an ever-diminishing water source.

Travel South with us from Victoria Falls for about 100km and you will find Hwange National Park. Teeming with wildlife and birdlife, Hwange National Park is where the Big Five thrive. Roughly 14 650 square kilometres in size, this game reserve is known for its diverse landscapes.

Massive, imposing and humbling. Locals call this Natural Wonder of the World “Mosi-oa-Tunya” – The Smoke that Thunders. As waters from The Mighty Zambezi River fall 108m into a 1737m wide chasm, over 550 million litres per minute of water create a spray, which can rise to over 400m high.

There is something sacred about the Chobe River. Maybe because it’s home to great concentrations of elephant. Maybe because it’s a sanctuary for both birds and wildlife. Or, maybe because when you stand on her shores, you are humbled by the magnitude and magnificence of nature.

There is a place where a web of waterways weaves their way across the grassy savannah. Creating a lush swampland that knows both high waters and low, this place is home to Africa’s greatest concentration of wildlife and over 530 species of birds. It is the Okavango Delta and it is breathtaking.

South Africa has long been synonymous with the Kruger National Park. Ask any local and they will tell you that this world-renowned game park is larger than Israel. They will brag it being 2 million hectares of unspoilt wilderness, and they will urge you to come and experience this national treasure for yourself.

65 000 hectares of unspoilt African wilderness await you at Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Bordering the Kruger National Park, this Private Game Reserve continues it’s sustainable conservation legacy and is home to prolific wildlife, including the Big 5 and more than 300 bird species.

eGoli. City of Gold. Jozi. Call it what you will, Johannesburg is more than just a gateway city to the African bushveld. Vibrant, colourful and bursting with energy, Jozi is the largest city in South Africa. It’s hip, it’s happening, and it’s also steeped in history.

Wine has long been the source of many a philosopher’s ruminations – Rumi is rumoured to have said, “Either give me more wine or leave me alone”. But even if you’re a teetotaller who prefers your water before it’s turned to wine, you simply must visit the beautiful winelands of South Africa.

Destination of diversity, city of variety. Table Mountain stands sentry over The Mother City, watching over the city that rests between her and the ocean. A helicopter flip leaving from the V&A Waterfront will reveal the unique topography of Cape Town, showing how all roads lead back to Table Mountain – one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.