Occupying over 1.2 million square kilometres across the southern tip of the African continent, South Africa is a land of incredible contrast. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the West and is met by desert while the Indian Ocean to the East laps subtropical beaches and spectacular cliffs. At the southern point, these great oceans meet, this turbulent convergence results in nutritionally rich feeding grounds that sustain an abundance of marine life, including fish, seal, sea lion, penguin, whales, dolphin and sharks.
The winelands around Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl are verdant and green, punctuated with picturesque white Cape Dutch houses all set against a dramatic mountainous backdrop. The wine produced here is globally renowned and the restaurants that have sprung up in the area create dishes that are on a par with the excellent wine. A real mecca for foodies, there are wine tastings and cookery and sommelier courses to inspire and delight.
South Africa has endured a turbulent history, ownership of its fertile lands has been fiercely contested through the ages and bitter rivalries have ensued, the brutal and unjust apartheid regime made it a pariah state until Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and the first peaceful democratic elections in 1994. The transition to tolerance and peace was closely followed by the whole world and South Africa has since enjoyed playing host to millions of guests a year and has become one of the top travel destinations globally. Delving into South Africa’s colourful history with a KwaZulu Natal battle field tour or Robben Island visit certainly add context and intrigue to any South African holiday.
No trip to South Africa is complete without a visit to Cape Town, nestled at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain and looking out across the Atlantic, this picturesque, vibrant, sunny city is packed with galleries, restaurants and bars, scramble up Table Mountain to enjoy the panoramic views from the top or visit the penguins at Boulder’s Beach. There are scenic helicopter flights and marine boat safaris.
Hotels, lodges and camps come in all shapes and sizes, the hospitality and service is almost always impeccable and the infrastructure across the whole country is very good. The roads are well maintained and self-driving is popular, particularly along the famous Garden Route which is dotted with spectacular places to stay and offers breath-taking scenery.
With eleven official languages and a patchwork of diverse cultures, it is no wonder Mandela named South Africa ‘the rainbow nation’.
From the verdant sparkling waterways of the Okavango Delta to the arid expanse of the great Kalahari, Botswana is a land of great contrast. This precious, peaceful country offers a plethora of luxury accommodation as well as exhilarating mobile camping and tranquil house boat accommodation.
Safaris in Zambia are popular for the abundance of wildlife, exceptionally high standards of guiding and the opportunity to visit Livingstone and the Victoria Falls as well as a world class walking safaris and less crowded national parks.
Zimbabwe has emerged from a period of unrest to once again welcome visitors and re-take its place as one of the world’s leading safari destinations. Zimbabwe has a long history of safari and offers some wonderfully situated luxury and mid-range camps and lodges in its huge national parks.
The largest country in East Africa. Tanzania is diverse, there are over 120 different languages spoken, its history stretches back millions of years, with some of the earliest human fossils having been discovered in Olduvai Gorge. The wildlife is plentiful and spectacular and includes opportunities to see chimpanzee, elephant, zebra and dolphin among so many others.
The original birthplace of the safari, Kenya is stunningly beautiful and offers incredible game viewing as well as picturesque white sandy beaches lapped by azure waters. The infrastructure is reliable and the people are friendly and welcoming, the range of accommodation is broad, from remote, intimate, rustic camps to luxurious hotels with exquisite décor.
Breathtakingly beautiful, Uganda stands out from its drier neighbours Kenya and Tanzania for its incredibly fertile crater lake landscape. In contrast to nearby savannah landscapes the lakes provide plentiful life-sustaining water to the flora and fauna and are topped up by two good rainy seasons each year.
Rwanda is a gem of a country in central Africa, entirely land locked, it sits in the Great Rift Valley and is known as ‘the land of a thousand hills’. These rolling verdant hills are blanketed in part by one of Africa’s oldest remaining forests, Nyungwe, which is renowned for its remarkable array of orchids and huge troops of striking black and white Colobus monkey.
Famous for never-ending, pristine dunes, the white salt pans of Etosha, the ship wrecks along the Skeleton Coast, the dramatic Fish River Canyon and the gentle Himba people. Namibia is vast and sparsely populated giving you the space to be at one with nature and the spectacular landscapes.
Egypt has seduced travellers for millennia, situated in the North East corner of the continent it is intersected by the great Nile River which was once the most important trade route between the Mediterranean and East Africa. The ancient passage of people and produce introduced a wealth of religions, culture and cuisine that we find in Egypt today.