Need convincing why you should plan an Africa trip?

1. VALUE FOR MONEY

South Africa, in particular, is where your $ travels as far as you will, especially when dining at world-class restaurants, enjoying the finest of wines and exquisitely authentic retail experiences at the vibrant markets and hip boutiques.

2. IT’S THE LATEST ‘HOTTEST DESTINATION’

Look around you and see just how many of your friends and family are returning from their African adventures, absolutely raving about how magnificent and life-changing it was. Their photos on Facebook and Instagram say it all!

Unlike Europe, Africa is blessed with space (space to breathe, space to dream again, space to simply be), awe-ignitingly spectacular wildlife — and a relatively young and, therefore unjaded tourism industry whose trademark enthusiasm, passion for conservation, commitment to excellence and desire to delight is the golden thread running through each of the continent’s remarkably diverse destinations.

You’ll find that the locals are especially thrilled to have you visiting their countries – and with that comes the warmest, most genuine hospitality.

3. AFRICA IS NOW MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN EVER

20 years ago, an Africa trip was best suited to ruggedly adventurous backpackers, where safari camps were more rustic than refined and most hotels only managed 3 stars. Today, there is an superbly wide selection of luxury safari camps, the most glorious lodges, full service hotels and charming boutique guesthouses to choose from.

Modes of travel and logistics are on par with other world-class destinations, with seamless journey design our top priority. Dream destinations in the more remote wilderness areas are connected by an organized network of air charter companies, road transfer operators and luxury trains. Our team has their fingers on the pulse to ensure each journey unfolds perfectly.

YOUR AFRICA BUCKETLIST – SORTED!

CAPE TOWN

Summit Table Mountain

Table Mountain towers, a majestic matriarch, over the ‘Mother City’ with most visitors riding the state-of-the-art cableway to the top. However, hiking up through its indigenous wildflowers, trickling waterfalls and dramatic rock formations takes this experience to a whole new level!

Home to the richest and most intimately small floral kingdom on earth, it’s no wonder it’s been declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and is also a celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site with 1,460 unique species of fynbos!

Because we live in Cape Town, we naturally have oodles of on-the-ground knowledge so we can personalize your visit with plenty of local flavor designed around your special interests.

Sunset view of Table Mountain by Demand Africa — Sensational Table Mountain sunset | Credit: Demand Africa

Walk in the Footsteps of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island

Nelson Mandela made 27 imprisoned years of life count in a way which not only liberated South Africa from apartheid but irrevocably transformed the world’s collective heart with his visionary wisdom and indescribable kindness. Visiting Robben Island is an important and poignant Human Rights pilgrimage for many visitors to South Africa.

Nelson Mandela visiting his former prison cell on Robben Island in 1994

Have a Whale of a Time in Hermanus

Hermanus is renowned all around the world for its unrivalled land-based whale watching. There are, of course, boated tours but we prefer the less intrusive option to watch the whales from the land, where the best views are literally straight from the rocks where you can watch the Southern Right Whales, unhindered, make the protected bay their temporary home and nursery to calve.

Travel Advice: Whale-watching season is best from June to November.

Southern Right Whale, De Hoop Nature Reserve | WWF — Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) mother and calf in shallow protected waters | De Hoop Nature Reserve | Credit: WWF

Dare to Dive with the Cape’s Great White Sharks

Venture out to sea on a captivating adventure to meet and dive with the Cape’s legendary Great White Sharks! We’ve tested the waters ourselves to select the most ethical and inspired shark conservation teams contribute to the protection of this powerful ocean inhabitant.

On-board marine biologists and researchers explain (and show!) where the sharks hunt and hide, as well how where and they feed, breed and breach. You’ll learn how to distinguish between a male and female shark, and how a their unique dorsal fins and scars are used to identify specific sharks. And, if the weather behaves, you’ll get to find out why Shark Alley is an adrenaline-booster!

Geographically, the sharks are attracted by the large seal colonies that inhabit Dyer Island off the coast of Gansbaai and Seal Island in False Bay, which is only a 45 minute drive from the city of Cape Town.

Diving is possible all year round off the Cape coast.

A Great White Shark photographed in its natural habitat by White Shark Projects — Credit: White Shark Projects

Wonder at World-Class Wines in the Cape

The Cape Winelands is beloved for its incredibly unique joie de vivre, breathtaking mountains, historic manor houses, haute cuisine, elegantly charming guesthouses and sumptuously created world-class wines. (And if you thought that was a mouthful, then wait till you taste the wines!)

Travel Advice: The Cape Winelands is within close reach of Cape Town and can be reached with ease by car.

Cape Winelands - Delaire Graff — Just one of the intoxicating vistas of the Cape Winelands

Snap a #WhereTheTwoOceansMeet Selfie at Cape Point!

Cape Point, a short drive from Cape Town along the picturesque Cape Peninsula, narrows sharply down to a point, seeming to divide the reckless marriage between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. With rip currents and a hazardous coastline, many shipwrecks have made history as (*ahem*) landmarks along this treacherously spectacular coastline.

This must-do day tour to the most south-westerly tip of Africa is a hard-to-beat selfie opportunity!

The 'Cape of Needles' | Credit: Dronestagram — “The Fairest Cape in all the World! “| Credit: Dronestagram

Roadtrip Along the Gorgeous Garden Route

Embroidering a stunningly diverse hem along the coast from Somerset West in Cape Town to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, the Garden Route is renowned for its quaint hamlets, magnificent mountain passes, serene lagoons embraced by shade-drenched indigenous forests and some of the world’s most beautiful and untouched beaches. Here you can get as off-the-beaten-track as you like and is perfect for honeymooners on a budget or for adventurous families wanting to self-drive.

Roadtripping through a Riversdale sunset — Roadtripping through a remote Riversdale sunset from Cape Town on the way to Knysna, below.

BOTSWANA & ZAMBIA

Get Up Close & Personal with the Big Five

There is nothing more thrilling than seeing Africa’s wildest and most powerful animals close up, going about their day in their natural habitat – hunting, feeding, playing, birthing their babies in the wild…

Africa is blessed with vast expanses of protected wildlife reserves and national parks. There is a wonderful selection of beautiful luxury safari lodges that are sustainably designed to subtly but stylishly echo the surrounding environment. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, the day and night game drives are led by absolutely excellent guides who get you (and your camera!) up close to leopards, lions, elephants, buffalo and rhino.

Glide peacefully up to a wading elephant in the Chobe River in Botswana

Glide Along The Waterways of Botswana’s Okavango Delta

A Mokoro is a traditional, canoe-like vessel dug out from tall, straight-trunked trees, its design perfectly evolved over generations for gliding silently along the richly inhabited waterways of the Okavango Delta, discovering nature’s more elusive and quiet delights — beautifully rare songbirds, shy frogs and exuberant water lilies.

For the ultimate Botswana safari, we recommend staying at both a water-based camp and a land-based camp so you can get the best of both worlds!

Southern Destinations - Blog - Bucketlist 2018 — “Silence, space and the pursuit of a peaceful soul have become things humanity has thrown aside, even judging those who show any interest in them, but for those who listen to the whispers of Africa the reward is great.” ~ Leigh Kemp, Botswana safari guide

Walk with the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert

In the ancient Kalahari Desert, time slows down to the gentle pace of the wise, kind Bushmen who share their knowledge on walking safaris with the most humble delight, pointing out the miniscule marvels of the desert that could so easily be missed if traveling by vehicle. Wildlife which thrives in the austere climate and vegetation of the salt pans include cheetah, the rare brown hyena, bat-eared foxes and honey-badgers.

With careful planning, we can arrange an excursion into the Kalahari where you’ll be personally accompanied by the Bushmen. Guests respectfully observe their rituals and traditions, consciously contributing to sustainable cultural tourism and preservation of the Bushmen culture.

Explore the silence-soaked salt pans with the San Bushmen

Encounter Hundreds of Elephants in Chobe National Park

Renowned as having the largest concentration of elephants in Africa (estimated to be around 30 000 animals!) Chobe National Park is the ultimate location to to encounter these awe-inspiring giants.

For a safari with a twist, ask about the Zambezi Queen, a luxury floating hotel, whose water-borne vantage point provides a completely different wildlife experience to a land-based safari.

Tread Lightly, with Heightened Senses on a Walking Safari in Zambia

Zambia is synonymous with walking safaris thanks to its excellent quality of guides, the superb variety of wildlife and its restoratively remote and exclusive camp locations. We usually find that it’s our returning clients who choose a walking safari so they can take their safari experience to a much more present and deeply connected level of intimacy with the bush, dramatically enhancing their encounters with the wildlife.

This why a favorite saying of many a safari guide is: “From a vehicle you see Africa. On foot you feel, hear and smell Africa.”

Swim in the Devil’s Pool above ‘The Smoke That Thunders’

We’ve heard clients say that the Devil’s Pool is ‘the world’s wildest infinity pool‘ with its perilous perch above the ferociously thundering water of Victoria Falls, with a view that – though requiring audacious amounts of courage to edge closer and closer to the precipice – wis guaranteed to remain etched by adrenaline and awe into your mind forever!

Travel Advice: Devil’s Pool can only be entered from the Zambian side — and during low water season.

Jumping into Devils Pool, Victoria Falls, Zambia — Credit: Michael Baynes | Getty Images via HuffPost

EAST AFRICA

**Witness the Great Migration in East Africa**

Bearing witness to this epic natural phenomenon gifts one with a sense of the sacred in its breathtaking scope and wild power. As the largest mass movement of land animals on the planet, this adventure of a lifetime requires impeccable planning by a highly experienced, ‘been there’ expert. We can answer your questions about when and where to go for the very best opportunities to take in the dramatic river crossings of over a million wildebeest and zebra in the Serengeti and Masai Mara National Parks.

Travel Advice: One of our secret safari recipes is to end your Tanzanian trip in exotic Zanzibar – where the temptingly turquoise oceans, soft white beaches and tropical tranquility provide the perfect, reflective pause after the intense action of the Great Migration.

Be part of the wild drama of the Great Migration in the Masai Mara | Credit: Tom Thomson

Mnemba Island guests carefully guarding 'their' endangered turtle hatchling from nest to sea. — Mnemba Island guests carefully guarding ‘their’ endangered turtle hatchlings as they power bravely across the soft beach sand from their nest’s protection to the relative safety of the sea.

Float over Kenya’s Masai Mara in a Hot Air Balloon

Suspended gently above the majestic Masai Mara, witnessing the unfolding drama of the Great Migration below you is an extraordinary bucketlist adventure that takes this usually land-based experience to new heights!

Float above the Masai Mara in hot air balloon!

See the Abundance of Wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater

Once a gigantic volcano, the 3 million year old Nogorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the world’s only intact caldera – and home to one of the most beautifully profuse wildlife reserves on the planet! Amongst the abundant herds of buffalo, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle, the regal Maasai watch over their herds, blood-red shuka robes punctuating the landscape. Black rhino, elephants, leopard, cheetah and the black-maned lion are among the largest of the crater’s approximate population of 25 000 large mammals.

Travel Advice: To avoid the other visitors, ask us about the best safari lodge on the crater rim.

The Ngorongoro Crater bursting with life!

RWANDA & UGANDA

Go Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda or Uganda

Spending time with a family of Mountain Gorillas is an unforgettable and extraordinarily unique experience and privilege. Because access to the gorillas is so heavily restricted by the region’s vigilant anti-poaching laws and efforts, get in touch with us for key information about hard-to-get permits, experienced insights about gorilla trekking and where to stay.

Rwanda is now more accessible than ever with beautiful Bisate Lodge having opened its doors more than a year ago to the discerning experiential traveller, right on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park. (Singita and One&Only are next. Watch this space!)

NAMIBIA

Climb the Highest Sand Dunes in the World at Sossusvlei

At an astounding 400 meters above sea level, Sossusvlei’s gargantuan scarlet sand dunes are the highest sand dunes in the world – and Namibia’s most famous attraction. Photographers love the contrast between the ephemeral azure skies streaked with whispers of cloud compared to the impenetrable, blood-red mountain-dunes. From sunrise to sunset, the light plays a provocative game of creative cat-and-mouse as the colours and contrasts shimmer and shift from moment to moment.

Our insider tip for amazing photos: Climb ‘Big Daddy’ at sunrise!

Track Desert Rhino in Damaraland

Damaraland‘s vigilant trackers patrol and protect one of Africa’s largest populations of the endangered desert-adapted rhino. For an extraordinarily unusual and ecologically effective safari experience, team up with these dedicated men as they track rhino on foot and by vehicle in their constant quest to protect this iconic species.

Desert rhino - Damaraland, Namibia — Track the endangered desert rhino on foot with an expert anti-poaching team

MOZAMBIQUE

Seafari: Explore the Coral Reefs of Mozambique

Beneath the turquoise luminosity of the Quirimbas Archipelago, lie vast rainbows of glittering coral reefs, waltzing whale sharks and endangered old-soul green turtles. This is a seafari for both new and experienced snorkelers alike, with its ‘barefoot luxury’ perfect for romantic escapes and family adventures.

SO… WHO SHOULD GO?

Multi-Generational Families: The most special memories and stongest bonds are forged in the digitally-detoxed, present space of nature
Special Interest Groups: Photographers, newbie and experienced oenophiles alike, birders, foodies, art collectors, natural thrill-seekers and culture vultures!
Intimate Celebrations: From romance-igniting anniversaries and extra-special birthdays, to long-overdue family reunions
Honeymooners: You’ll be treated gorgeously wherever you go!

WHY TRAVEL WITH US?

We have first-hand product knowledge of Africa, with our travel team regularly traversing the length of the continent to discover and experience the most exclusive eco-reserves and luxury lodges so you know exactly what to expect.
We are passionate about all of Africa and committed to its continuing conservation. We honour Africa’s wildlife and diverse peoples and their incredible cultural heritage by using conservation as our guide in hand-selecting each of our suppliers.
Our pricing guarantee
SATSA & Travel Smart Crew affiliated

We pride ourselves on our seamless logisitics and our strong, longstanding relationships with our on-the-ground suppliers across Southern and East Africa.