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Hop on a wooden dhow (traditional sailboat) and cruise to a secluded camp that’s worlds away from dusty safaris, shops or even a road. You’ll find Greystoke Mahale nestled between verdant mountains and the clear waters of Lake Tanganyika, the second-largest lake in the world. Built from old boats gathered from the shore, with thatched roofs woven from palms, the six bandas (traditional huts) open into the forest.
Spot chimpanzees creeping down the mountain, and trek high into the hills after a storm washes away the summer haze. Kayak, snorkel and fish in the lake, or laze in the dhow at sunset and enjoy sashimi and a sundowner as hippos lope by.
region: Africa
Witness the Wildebeest Birthing Season at Serengeti National Park
Nowhere is the fabled circle of life more extraordinary than when wildebeest give birth en masse in the southern reaches of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Every year between January and March, more than 400,000 of these big-game animals calve during a period of just a few weeks in a curtain-raiser to the annual great wildebeest migration, when around 1.5 million travel to the Maasai Mara in their perpetual search for food and water. The sight of thousands of wildebeest giving birth in the grassy plains is a breathtaking spectacle, but it can also be quite brutal.
There is some safety in numbers – the more young delivered at once, the greater their overall chance of survival – but predators are always lurking. Some newborns are delivered straight from the womb into the jaws of a waiting pack of hungry lions or hyenas, and those that aren’t have to find their feet quickly. Most are running with the herd within minutes and are able to outpace hyenas in just a few days. For the squeamish, this time of year signals the tail end of the birthing season when many of the predators are satiated and you can marvel at the creation of life, rather than wince as a wildlife slasher film plays out before your eyes.
Keep Your Cool on the Orlando Towers Bungee
Teeter on a platform strapped to a suspension bridge and take in the views of South Africa’s famous Soweto neighbourhood before plummeting towards the concrete below. Forget a purpose-built steel tower; here jumpers bungee in one of the world’s most unusual settings – between the cooling towers of a former coal-fired power station.
Endorphin-seekers can clamber up the sides and free fall down the centre into a net, but opt for the bungee and you’ll think you’re leaping towards the apocalypse as you hurtle 100 metres with only a cord to save you.
Feeding frenzy at South Africa’s Sardine Run
Calling all carnivores: brace yourself for the ultimate battle of the beasts. Join the annual sardine run off the coast of South Africa and witness one of the world’s greatest feeding frenzies in all its wild brutality and uncensored gore.
Watch as the sea is turned into a giant, seething broth of wriggling fish and predators as sardine shoals – up to 15 kilometres in length, 3.5 kilometres wide and nearly 40 metres deep – make their way north to warmer waters. Feathers, fur and fins collide to gorge on the millions of sardines that proliferate in nature’s immense banquet of the sea. Don your own fins together with snorkel or scuba gear and get amongst the carnage, or view this phenomenal spectacle from the safety of the boat.
Ulusaba
If you were worth a reported US$4.8 billion, with a string of luxurious private digs scattered across almost every exotic pocket of the globe, where would you park your well-heeled hide for a South African sojourn? You wouldn’t bed down on the savannah camping with the riffraff, that’s for sure. No sir, if you were high-flying charisma-connoisseur Richard Branson you’d find the highest point on the highest hill to lord it over your own private kingdom. Welcome to Ulusaba Safari Lodge, Sir Richard’s private game reserve where the travel-preneur takes a break from counting his coin in absolute unmitigated luxury. A stay here is enviable by anyone’s standards but the Rock Lodge, with its sweeping views and opulent surrounds, is the pinnacle of decadence.
Each unique suite melds traditional African art with the finest in modern luxury, ranging from private plunge pools to hot tubs and feasts from a personal chef. The staff aches to satisfy, so relish a massage on the outdoor deck and smooth out the bumps from the road. Or, if your idea of bliss involves downward dogs, just ask for a yoga instructor and they’ll fly one in. Stop by the well-stocked cellar flowing with South African wine and finish your evening at the bush observatory under a canopy of stars.
Scarabeo ‘Stone’ Camp
In the desert sprawling below the snow-capped Atlas Mountains sits Scarabeo Camp, a luxurious offering created by a graphic designer and photographer duo. The surrounds may be striking, but the camp itself is the true visual feast. Crisp, white cotton tents stand in the desert plain, each furnished with a queen-size bed, local artwork and Berber rugs.
Located about an hour from Marrakech, the camp takes you on a journey back in time to when pioneers settled the secluded area. Not to be outdone by the explorers of yesteryear, the camp comes equipped with ensuite showers and a separate tent for dining. Bread is baked daily in a traditional earth oven and regional produce is turned into authentic Moroccan cuisine.
During the day the camp offers board games, boules and a projector, and there are plenty of more adventurous activities to partake in, including hot-air balloon rides, paragliding, trekking and horse rides. Relax by booking a massage, enjoying picnic or joining an astronomy class, or check out a nearby hammam.
Jacana Camp
Welcome to the other side of Africa, away from the dusty savannahs and endless plains dotted by baobab trees. The Okavango Delta is a floodplain, alive with wildlife of the sort usually observed as part of a David Attenborough documentary. Not only do you have the opportunity to experience this delta; you can stay here, at Jacana Camp.
Jacana’s five tents and its main lodge, with elevated dining platform, lounge area and plunge pool, are situated on an island in the delta. Surprisingly, you don’t need to stray far to get an eyeful of the amazing animals that live in the neighbourhood. Elephants and hippos play in the water below the camp, wildebeest and deer graze on the lush growth, and the birdlife – from long- legged waterbirds to rare species like Pel’s fishing owl – is ridiculously abundant.
During the day, glide silently through the water in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) or check out far-flung channels in one of Jacana’s motorboats. Land safaris take place in sturdy, open-sided 4WDs, and there’s even some basic fishing gear if you fancy throwing in a line.
Morocco
She is the perfect model: moody, sultry, colourful, exotic and unpredictable. But it’s not just the snap happy that will find their haven here.
African, French and Arab influences collide in Morocco to create an explosion of aesthetics, tastes and smells. Think serene mosques, bustling souqs, ringing Berber music and soothing tea. At times you’ll feel you’ve been catapulted into another time. The foodie within will delight with spicy bites – it offers so much more than couscous and tagines.
Aside from Casablanca, Marrakesh and the requisite desert odyssey, the surf can be incredible and off the beaten track you’ll be greeted and welcomed rather than hustled and harassed.
This fine lady will hook you in.
Malawi
With stunning wild landscapes, super-friendly locals and very big smiles, Malawi lives up to its ‘warm heart of Africa’ hype. The eye-popping Lake Malawi makes up a fifth of this east African country, giving you plenty to explore. Cast a line with the local fisherman, play soccer with children, swim and snorkel the crystal clear waters, then shimmy and shake it in one of the happening bars.
Leave the throngs of tourist-toting 4WDs well behind at spots like the Majete Wildlife Reserve, where there are 3000 animals – lions, elephants, hippos and leopards among them – protected by a perimeter fence on the banks of the Shire River. Go on a night safari in Liwonde National Park to spot hushbabies, hyenas and jackals, before rising early to float along the river where you’ll spot elephants splashing, hippos swimming and crocodiles skulking by the banks.
Kenya
Since the publication of Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa in 1937, westerners have been dreaming of Kenya (or British East Africa as it was at the time), and with good reason.
If you have a sense of adventure or an appetite for Land Cruisers, safaris and big game, take a journey into Kenya’s wild heart and head to Tsavo National Park, which is among the best places in Africa to see lions, elephants, rhinos and leopards. Then there’s the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, where the famous wildebeest migration takes place between July and October each year.
Kenya will win you over with rolling grasslands, searing deserts on the shores of Lake Turkana, and the rugged peaks of Mount Kenya National Park, which is an oasis for trekkers.
When you’ve had enough of wildlife on the plains, the Malinda Marine National Park offers an amazing underwater world of fringing reefs, coral gardens, mangroves and more on the Indian Ocean coast.
Kenya’s biggest city, the notorious Nairobi, is sidestepped by many visitors, but actually has an interesting urban appeal with its vibrant cafes and nightlife.