Forget the midlife crisis convertible – Explore Worldwide wants you to trade spreadsheets for safaris and Zoom calls for ziplines with their new ‘Radical Sabbatical’ campaign. Because honestly, if you’re going to have a breakdown, it might as well be somewhere photogenic.
The idea is simple: take a longer-than-average break from your real life and actually live a little.
We’re talking four to six weeks of guilt-free adventure, the kind of trip where you learn to cook tagine in Morocco, hike volcanoes in Guatemala, or cycle across Vietnam. You know, the stuff you tell people you’ll do “one day,” right before you hit “Join Meeting” for the 47th time that week.
These extended trips aren’t just about sightseeing, either. They’re designed so you can dig deeper into cultures, get to know locals, and maybe even remember what it’s like to have hobbies that don’t involve doomscrolling (couldn’t be us). And because Explore Worldwide is all about doing things responsibly, the itineraries come with a side of sustainability, meaning slower travel, smaller groups, and actually leaving a place better than you found it.
So, whether you’re looking to reset your brain, fill your Instagram feed with something other than desk lunches, or just avoid Brenda from HR for a month (soz Brenda), Radical Sabbaticals might be your golden ticket. Consider it a life upgrade: fewer deadlines and more mountain sunrises.
After all, no one ever put “answered emails promptly” on their bucket list.
The two travel powerhouses are celebrating ten years of teaming up by dropping a fresh batch of immersive journeys launching in 2026, taking their total collection to 106 trips across 59 destinations.
That’s a lot of stamps for your passport.
The new itineraries span everywhere from the ancient wonders of Egypt to the foodie streets of Portugal, the windswept steppes of Central Asia, and the neon-meets-tradition magic of South Korea. Think bamboo rafting in Yangshuo, swapping stories with Kyrgyz nomads, puzzling over hieroglyphics in secret tombs, and watching octogenarian women divers in Jeju plunge 10 metres deep without tanks. It’s fair to see these trips aren’t your average bus tour.
Twelve of the new adventures fall under “National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures,” designed to pull you beyond the guidebook and into real-deal cultural encounters (yes, that means breadmaking with Tajik villagers is firmly on the menu).
Two new “Family Journeys” round things out – finally, a trip where kids can learn hieroglyphics by day and float down the Nile by night, or take surf lessons before raiding Portugal’s pastry shops.
Even though we’ll have to wait ’til 2026 for these new offerings (sigh), we already know these are the kind of adventures you’ll be bragging about long after your fridge magnets have lost their shine.
Prepare your Lion King-loving heart and pack your bags for a stay at the recently opened Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel. It might not have a catchy name, but it is the place where luxury meets the wildest adventure of your life – anything you post on Instagram post your stay here is guaranteed to be way less cool.
Nestled in the heart of the wild, this Zimbabwean beauty is set to make all your ‘I need a holiday, asap’ dreams come true, thanks to its prime location only 15 minutes from the epic UNESCO World Heritage-listed Victoria Falls. Its coordinates definitely shoot it to the top of the world’s must-stay-at list, but the property itself is nothing to sneeze at.
Featuring 16 suites (the intimacy!), a gourmet restaurant (the food!), a lounge and bar (the cocktails!), complimentary Wi-Fi (the connection!) and a garden swimming pool flanked by shaded loungers (the relaxation!), this hotel is like something straight out of a safari storybook.
And for the adventurous at heart, this place is the ultimate playground. You’re so close to the falls that you can literally do anything you want – think thrilling helicopter rides, sunset boat trips, zip-lining, wildlife-spotting cruises, swimming in the Devil’s Pool, game drives and black rhino conservation experiences.
You’ll be exhausted after all that and the hotel knows it. So, there’s an on-site spa to de-tense your muscles after you said yes to every activity but somehow forgot you hate heights (we’re pretty sure there’s a signature treatment for that).
If that doesn’t convince you to bring up booking.com immediately, we don’t know what will.
Mafia Island, off the south coast of Zanzibar in East Africa, conjures images of men in black suits with brown paper bags and guns walking up and down beaches. But fear not, there are no guns here; just stunning lagoons, a tropical climate, and a penchant for sleeping in trees.
Each tree house at Chole Minji took between six months and a year to complete, because they were built completely by hand, using traditional tools and materials sourced only from traders who were living there. The word unique is thrown around pretty loosely these days, but there is a level of dedication that has gone into making these treehouses that makes them literally impossible to replicate.
Sandy paths lead to houses built into and around ancient Boab and Tamarind trees, all with views of mangrove-lined shorelines. The only way to get closer to nature is probably a Greenpeace protest.
Forget Deadpool & Wolverine, Cottar’s Safaris has come up with the newest box office smash hit.
No, it’s not a film. But it is one of the most magical settings you’ll ever watch one in—think a specially designed cinema set up under the African stars. The deluxe camp’s, ‘Wild Movie Nights’, allows guests to watch their favourite African-themed films, from The Lion King to Out of Africa, in the middle of the Kenyan landscape.
A large projector screen ensures you won’t be blocked by the guy with the big head in front of you and the selection of aperitifs served from the alfresco cinema’s vintage bar also guarantees you don’t have to be 100% sober when you watch Simba cry for his dead dad (the PTSD is real).
A crackling fire pit, warm lantern lighting, fuzzy blankets and your choice of either comfortable canvas bean bags or traditional shuka mats make up the rest of the cinema’s decor.
And there’s snacks (obvs)! Freshly buttered popcorn, salty hot dogs and homemade chocolates are only a few delicious items on the menu, but don’t spoil your appetite: an opulent dinner served under the stairs waits for the guests returning to the main camp.
But this is one cinema experience you’ll have to wait for—its release date is scheduled for October (our bags are already packed).
Between us, the get lost team has stayed at a lot of hotels. Like, a lot.
But you know what The Twelve Apostles has going for it (besides its ridiculous sea view terrace, swimming pool, fine dining and pillow menu)? Arguably, the world’s best hotel robe. Gosh, it was luxe. Heavy and comforting, the perfect lounge robe.
The Apostles is the very definition of 5-star luxury. Perched above the Atlantic Ocean and with a backdrop to Table Mountain, this boutique hotel offers up breathtaking sunsets, access to incredible cape beaches and an award-winning spa.
Not to mention you can choose your soap/ skincare. We went with rooibos, hbu?
Honestly, this place is heaven. In fact, all of Mauritius is heaven, but SALT of Palmar is the cherry on top. Why? Firstly, look at it. It’s a colourful pastel wonderland, an aesthetic feast for the eyes. It’s also adults-only, now don’t get us wrong we love kids and babies and small humans, but trying to relax by the resort pool while there’s a game of Marco Polo in progress isn’t… well… relaxing.
At SALT, it’s grown-up time, all the time. Whether you’re doing sundowners on the resort rooftop, laying by the private beach, getting a (literal) salt treatment at the spa or eating your way through their locally-sourced menu.
The ethos here is all about creating a sustainable, welcoming vibe for their guests and they’ve nailed it. On a recent stay, we were invited into the kitchen to learn how to make Mauritian curry—now if that’s not bloody welcoming, what is? The curry was perfection, FYI. We ate two servings and rolled into our ocean-side bed slightly sunburnt and satisfied.
To go halfway to Senegal or all the way to Senegal? That's the question.
I’m sitting in Khadim’s living room watching him strain a pot of café touba—Senegal’s claim to coffee fame. Café touba is often described as a spiced coffee, but drinkers be warned: it’s less pumpkin spice and more kick-you-in-the-face-with-pepper spice. Warming like a shot of whisky, enjoyed year-round in Senegal and rumoured to hold aphrodisiac powers, café touba is 100% better than your average flat white. No offence to your barista.
Going ‘all the way to Senegal’ involves adding five sugar cubes to your cup like a true touba aficionado. Halfway is for chickens like me who don’t want to ride a caffeinated sugar high well into the early morning. It’s already 7pm, this gal needs her beauty sleep.
Khadim’s living room (the only place in Cape Town offering traditional café touba) is my last stop on what has been an African food odyssey led by local musician and guide, Sindile Kamlana, AKA Khofhi the King. In just one afternoon Khofhi and I have Gatsby’d and chapatti’d; been to Mali and Ethiopia, and back again. And now I’m feeling very full—with both food and stories. If this was a date, it’d be the best date of my life.
You might be thinking—why do you need a date/guide to eat African food in South Africa? Well, the thing about Cape Town is it’s actually quite hard to find African cuisine if you don’t know where to look. And sometimes you just need a break from Western Cape wine farm experiences.
“African food here in Cape Town has been sidelined for a long time,” Khofhi explains. The cosmopolitan city’s fusion centric and fine dining restaurants tend to get more airtime than the local joints. Hence, the need for a local who knows where to eat and when.
Our first stop is a seemingly unmarked Somali cafe, home to a loaded bain-marie and a bunch of aunties cackling while they’re cooking out the back. We’re here for the chapatti (flaky flatbread, like roti’s delicious cousin) and shaah (a chai-esque Somali tea, very sweet). This is an in-and-out style kitchen, with all kinds of CBD workers popping in for a plate of goat stew or the famous Somali spaghetti topped with banana. Yep, banana. Don’t doubt it till you’ve tried it.
We throw back our shaah’s, tip the aunties and hot foot it to our next meal. “Remember to pace yourself,” Khofhi warns me as we walk. “We’ve got a lot to see and eat today”.
We wander through the Cape’s oldest post office-turned-market, stopping to taste some Durban spices. I wave at the statue of Nelson Mandela as we pass by the mighty town hall, before arriving at Nobantu.
Nobantu is a small sit-down place that serves politicians and bus drivers alike (it’s right next to the city bus depot). Here, cooks from Cape Town townships are dishing up South African quintessentials, like pork and pap (a porridge made from maize) and chakalaka, also known as “South Africa’s favourite salad”. Chakalaka, a dish made from beans and fresh veggies, is a staple you’ll find on any menu and at any braai (barbecue). It’s delicious, and sometimes spicy. Great on toast, even.
But the most impressive thing about Nobantu would have to be its unrivalled view to Table Mountain. Who needs fine dining on the waterfront? Not us.
One sweet, sticky cinnamon koeksista (similar to a donut) and a plate of spongy Ethiopian injera bread (made from teff flour) later, we find ourselves at Fatima’s Restaurant on Long St. This place is the epitome of a local gem; a bona fide melting pot of African cuisines. At Fatima’s they cater to everyone, but especially to those who love ‘Africa’s most controversial dish—jollof rice’. Controversial because Nigerians steadfastly maintain their jollof is the best jollof.
I’m close to exploding / unbuttoning my pants at this point, but I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to taste the Mali version of Nigeria’s most coveted dish. “I’m really proud of Fatima’s restaurant,” says Khofhi, “this place attracts people from all African countries in one space. It’s a hot spot for people who love to watch football… Fatima comes in the evenings and her sister is also in the kitchen… it’s a real family business.”
When I ask Khofhi what African cuisine he likes best, he tells me it’s without a doubt food from Mali—“people from Mali put a lot of love into their cooking,” he says.
And that’s the common culinary thread today—love.
Food is nothing without the love of the cook, just like café touba is nothing without the love of Khadim. And as I drink my spicy coffee and listen to Khadim’s story, I feel warmed. Touched, even. Maybe it’s the djar spice. Maybe it’s the aphrodisiac. Who knows.
But maybe next time I’ll go all the way to Senegal.
If you’ve ever wanted to live in a Wes Anderson dupe—this is the hotel for you.
Situated just outside of Durban, South Africa, The Oyster Box is 5-star luxury hotel with a famous cat, its own lighthouse and a host of cheeky local monkeys to keep the guests entertained.
Literally. Don’t leave your beachfront doors open unattended, they’ll raid your mini fridge.
The buffet breakfast on the pool patio is indulgent in all the best kinds of ways (oysters and Bloody Mary’s, anyone?); the day spa has its own hamam; and the variety of bars means even the booziest of us can stay entertained.
The only thing The Oyster Box is missing? Bill Murray.
An African safari is on everyone’s bucket list; tick it off in style with an all inclusive luxury Tanzania safari, where you can bask in stunning scenery, spot the Big 5 and try some of Tanzania’s delicious food.
Here are the top 5 experiences you can’t miss on a luxury Tanzania Safari:
1. Tarangire National Park
Tarangire is otherworldly, as you drive through granite ridges and dip through the Savannahs valleys you’ll be able to fulfil your childhood dream of spotting herds of elephants and wildebeest, and get some sick snaps of lions and zebras.
2. Ngorongoro Crater
Make sure you feast your eyes on the exquisite Ngorongoro Crater, the ‘Green Crater’ will genuinely make you gasp especially when you see Hippos dozing next to the Soda Lake.
3. Mto wa Mbu village
Mto wa Mbu village will give you some insight into Tanzania’s unique way of life. Hear stories from local tour guides and try mouthwatering local cuisine.
4. Central Serengeti
Serenegti is famous for a reason: known for its ‘Endless Plains’ and the famous ‘Great Wildebeest Migration,’ which is one of the largest animal migrations in the world. The landscape is spectacular, as are the Big 5.
5. Hot Air Balloon Flight
Hard to think of a better place to fly in a hot air balloon than over the magnificent national parks in Tanzania. Soak up the scenery as the sun rises and start your morning with a cheeky glass of bubbly – it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?
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