Category Archives: Africa

Maybe it was impetuous of me to hand that money over to the young woman in Soweto. Possibly it was imprudent to slip on the harness and ride the caged industrial elevator to the top of that mural-covered utility-tower-turned-bungee-venue. Certainly it was unsettling to stand on the ledge, wind whistling in my ears and the township sprawling 300 feet below.

But there's no thrill without risk, right? This is what I told myself, and this must be what the high pooh-bahs of soccer were thinking when they brushed aside worries about crime, public health and infrastructure and decided to … Read the rest

Reporting from Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

Griddle-hot deserts, time-forsaken ghost towns, prismatic canyons and endless ribbons of lonely highway: There's nothing quite like a road trip across the Southwest to get the gasoline pumping in an American's wanderlust-ful heart.

But what's perfect for America's bottom-left corner works even better here in Africa's. Welcome to Namibia, on Africa's western coast between South Africa and Angola, where the deserts are hotter, the roads are emptier and America — at least when Brangelina aren't visiting — couldn't be farther away.

Like any good road trip, my first tour of Namibia started as … Read the rest

— One night as my sister and I walked across the rugged yet strangely delicate terrain of a place called Farm 215, the path to our cottage lighted only by the stars and a flashlight, the wine-wobbly beam suddenly illuminated several sets of legs.

A moment of what the ...? And then we realized that we were standing in the middle of a small herd of horses, including two mares and their foals, that roam the South African eco-retreat outside Gansbaai.

It was a perfect mother-child moment and a symbol of new beginnings in this Southern Hemisphere spring.

We … Read the rest

We take a look at Africa through the year; the best countries to visit, our favourite lodges, and the unforgettable wildlife encounters you will have.

Spring safari inspiration
Honeymoons

Charlotte Mellor and Ben Oxley-Brown

Spring and summer are a popular time for weddings in the UK and we have endless ideas to create your perfect honeymoon in Africa. Take a hot air balloon flight over the vast Serengeti savannah at sunrise, watching the wildlife below; explore Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau by day, searching for elephant, rhino and wild dog and sleep out under the stars at the Loisaba Starbeds; wander … Read the rest

There’s a lion in camp – that’s what I thought when I awoke in my tent at 3am to a loud cat-like purring. Sitting bolt upright, my heart beating with alarming intensity, I anxiously surveyed the landscape around me as it was illuminated by the full moon. It’s fair to say that my first safari had started with a baptism of fire.

I’d been in Tanzania for less than ten hours prior to my camping experience, arriving in the morning at Dar es Salaam (1) and then transferring via light aircraft to Kiba airstrip in the Selous Game Reserve … Read the rest

Wow! We had to kick ourselves – we were finally here in Madagascar, experiencing this fascinating environment, seeing the most amazing species and meeting such wonderful people.

We had chosen to restrict our three week visit to five different parts of the country: Andasibe and Mantadia, Pangalanes Canal, Masoala, Majunga and Manafiafy in order to see different environs but to have sufficient time to fully appreciate each. This was like five holidays in one.

We’d watched so many documentaries on Madagascar before leaving so you’d think we’d have known what to expect but there is nothing quite like experiencing … Read the rest