Desert color that remind you of brick stones. Rocks that weirdly come off the ground, sand mountains instead of dunes, oranges and pinks that blend into different tones of browns. The clearest skies for those who love astronomy, roads that have no cars and head straight into the horizon. You can go and go, drive hours and not see a soul. The Atacama feels like another planet although you would not know which one. But nature feels dominant here, space feels endless and so does that silent around. It’s great to explore on bike, on a 4x4, on foot, on a horse… it’s basically great to explore.

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Flying into nowhere.

Those are the places we want our clients to see, to feel and understand.

A must do, at least once in a lifetime.

We will not STOP PUSHING this one to all of our clients because this is the B E S T E X P E R I E N C E one can have in the all continent of Africa, we dare to say.

Your eyes can hardly believe that a helicopter brought you here, that places like this exist on a planet that we are overpopulating and that you are that privileged to touch these grounds, see them, breathe across them. Every time you touch the ground, you feel that you should leave as soon as you can: it’s like you are not welcomed, not needed, not part of it. Yet this is where humankind comes from - us as a species. This is our beginning. It’s our facing of our starting point. It’s a flying experience that is immensely powerful, spiritual, experiential.

And it’s the all day (and night) flying into both the most remote and stunning locations, landing anywhere, anytime, how often one wishes to. Have breakfast on top of a crater, lunch on a river shore, plunge under waterfalls, slide down desert dunes, swim in a lake where no one lives at; explore, see, put your feet and touch corners, colors, shapes and textures you never thought existed.

Fly endlessly, on land that is open, unexplored, unvisited, and impossibly beautiful.

The question we always ask our clients before they hop on the helicopter is: “how many planets and ecosystems would you wish to visit in one day?”

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Flamingos living on salt soils that you can explore all day on foot and more. The most stunning landscapes and the most unforgettable sunsets. Landscapes that look like nothing you can imagine or have seen before, and nothing but silence and far distant desert snowy mountains behind. This is probably one of the most unique destinations in South America and a photographer’s dreams.

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As much as we would love to speak in detail about Namibia, so that our clients have a taste, a look & feel of what that place is like, we can’t.

Here’s however what we can tell you: Africa is about textures, colours, lights, shades, shapes, smells and sounds. It’s the real “empire of the senses” - and all of them come to you at the same time and with the same intensity. Namibia is a culmination of those ingredients because it has it all in grandiose scales.

It’s also a country that gave us the greatest gift of my human experience so far: the understanding of what physical freedom feels like. We felt physically free. We had never experienced it before until we saw the Namib desert for the first time. On that moment -and we remember it as if it was yesterday- the perception of that awareness hit us. To this day we carry this feeling and we go back to this country often because we don’t want to forget it.

So what about the Damaraland region, specifically? it’s like being on the moon… Only sometimes the moon-alike-landscapes are dark brow, other times dark orange, and then it turns to pink and toasted yellow sand. You can hike big rock formation or slide across vast sandy plains. You can visit Word Unesco Sites, or spot leopard resting in the shade of ochre rocks. Here and there dry river banks will shelter all sorts of wildlife so make sure your eyes grow accustomed to seeing movement in monochrome settings.

Also, as a teaser: you might see elephants sliding down big, pale sand dunes.

And when you do see that happening you will ask yourself, probably nervously blinking many times in a row: “Am I dreaming?”

Well…

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Not only Kenya serves you with those picture perfect shots of Africa that everyone dreams about. Tanzania can do that as well. It’s about great plains, extensive, endless plains, where you drive for miles on end, zig zagging in between herds of zebra and wildebeest during migration season. And yes, those famous acacia trees are there for your picture background too.

Tanzania offers you beautiful accommodation options: from house-style properties to luxury lodges located in the best regions, there are lots to choose from and move around. Some clients want to embrace the true safari spirit and I then draw an itinerary that includes tented camps, the kind that will move alongside the Great Migration, to make sure one gets a nice experience from the movement of the animals. This includes seeing the herds on the river crossings, to maybe, witnessing some massive killings. Also, those are the moments to get the iconic shots of thousands of wildebeest and zebras moving… There’s hardly a better place to get this type of action!

But if you travel to Tanzania off peak season (which, by the way, you should), there are national parks to visit that offer completely different landscapes. So let’s quickly mention some of them: going down the Ngorongoro Crater (a World Heritage Site) is not your typical safari day nor your regular safari view. Very rarely will you get a chance to get in the same picture a rhino, a lion, an elephant and zebras… (and I am forgetting a couple more species who were in that frame too). There is also a safari at Tarangire National Park (never have I seen SO many giraffes), driving around Lake Manyara or exploring north, into Arusha. Wildlife is spectacular everywhere and you can also take those beautiful picture of thousands of pink flamingos… something I particularly love.

Sometimes, Africa has lots of pink too. Just saying…

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There is nothing quite like arriving at the Okavango Delta from the skies. It’s a vast multi-shades of green that blends into the water channels, tiny islands with lost palm trees and the most beautiful wildlife angles you can possibly ask for, because you are seeing the animals from a plane, their frames mirrored in the water.

But besides seeing an Africa at a low-flying altitude, everything about this corner of Botswana is different. Jacana is perfectly hidden on a tiny palm tree island, its rooms hiding behind the green. During high flood periods, the water comes until the suspended main area of the lodge and your way to explore the region is often a boat, at least to begin with. This camp is an explorers paradise and at the center of the life that pours out of this region.

There are so many ways to navigate this wilderness, not only on a boat or canoe, and SUCH abundance of animals… so us me warn you: If Jacana is your introduction to Africa, chances are you will be hooked for life.

Just saying…

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Sunset over the dry paths of the Okavango

There is no way to have low expectations when visiting Victoria Falls. After all, they are an iconic location in Africa and let us reassure you: they won’t disappoint.

We’ve been quite a few times in the area and we can’t stop going back. When it comes to accommodation, we like to suggest a few stunning places (mostly - but not all - on the Livingstone side) where you can choose between a more lodge-style-option or a more beautiful hotel type of thing (if pampering is what you need). Either way, it’s the constant temperature all year long, the lush green around, the elephants bathing alongside your boat while you toast to THOSE sunsets that will… just… enamour you.

And then, besides the many options around safaris there are rafting adventures, boat trips or helicopter rides. And you will also be able to interact with local communities, go into town and experience some local culinary traditions too.

It’s such a special place and such a great location: we often like to propose to clients a combination of the Vic Falls with safaris in other areas of Zambia, Zimbabwe or other nearby countries…

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The day we spent with the Hamar Tribe made us feel quite disconnected from the world we are used to live in.

A visit to this community can be a surreal, out of this world experience: this time, we were surrounded by hundreds of people who were celebrating the bull-jumping ceremony, one of the most impressive cultural happenings we witnessed in Africa. It’s a day attended by local men, called the Maza, who have recently come of age and are ready to be married. They have jumped the cows on a previous ceremony and are now all sitting together, drinking and waiting for the next future-maza-boy to jump the cows too, later in the afternoon.

As the men gathered, women were dancing and singing, hitting their feet on the sand. Later on, those same women would be asking these men to be whipped (over and over again), as a sign of love and loyalty towards their male relatives.

It was disconcerting, fascinating, electric, anguishing. Our feelings were all over the place. And this is what a journey in Ethiopia is like: always intense only because observing these people practising such unique traditions can be deeply disturbing and yet, able to make you question your perspective on humanity.

Certain images and frames stayed imprinted in our sensorial memory. The sunset, for once, was unbelievable: it was a fireball falling in the sky, tangled in particles of golden dust and beige sand. Also, the view from the top of the hill was spectacular: we were surrounded by an orange light and it was painting the endless acacia trees that spread across the hills and plains in front of us.

Throughout the day, our interaction with the young Hamar was friendly and not intrusive. They were curious with our cameras, not so much with us. A young girl grabbed our hands and with her index finger followed the line of our veins, fascinated with the colours in our skin. But it never went beyond that. And so we found ourselves at ease to take pictures, quietly standing close by.

The hours passed, and we could observe the life around, camera resting on our laps. One of the most striking feelings one gets when spending time with these people is the sense of Community: they always do things together. They stand close, they sit in groups, they chat in circles, they follow each other anywhere. Bonds are strong within the Hamar communities and no one is left in loneliness. It’s so strikingly different from the way we live and act in the western world. Undeniably, in here, there was a lot to be inspired from.

We know that for this tribe, this was just a ceremonial ritual, and we were clearly seen as visitors. For us, however it was one day to remember, our eyes constantly glued to the people’s adornments, and the bright contrast on their dark skin. We felt so humbled to be part of this moment and take these pictures.

On again, Africa was giving us a gift: the people, the landscape and the light, matched perfectly together at the same time. The experience, however, took our thoughts far into our species beginnings, making us more aware of our own existence.

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These men - the Maza - have recently come of age and are ready to be married. They have jumped the cows on a previous ceremony and were all sitting together, drinking and waiting for the next future-maza-boy to jump the cows too.

My eyes were glued to their adornments, and the bright contrast on their dark skin.

I was happy that they didn’t see me, there, pointing my lens at them. I just couldn’t stop pressing the shutter for the more I spent time with the Hamar tribe the more I realised how close their existence is to what our humankind beginnings were, when we first walked this earth. I felt a visceral attraction, being in their presence. It triggered in me a deeper understanding of what the human existence really is.

Here we are, in the most iconic wildlife areas of Kenya and -we dare to say- of all of Africa. Leopards? check. Cheetah? check. Seeing predators on a kill? Likely. Following predators on a hunt? Very possible. Get your binoculars, your cameras, your camera lenses and shoot endlessly. In one frame we will give you a diversity of animal species and some babies in the mix too, if you are lucky. It will make any other safari experience after, rather empty of content. Explore it all day long, fly on top of the grasslands on a silent balloon, sit by the pool and chances are something might pass by right there and then. It’s the picture perfect place for the horizons with no end, fire balls sunsets, animals everywhere and some delicious sundowners. The classic picture perfect destination for a safari, one that never grows old.

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Only available for private usage this property is one to remember. Nothing can prepare our clients for the mind blowing spacious interiors nor the exteriors. And the service that is equal to none. If privacy is what you need this is one place to come. Rhino paradise and unique wildlife conservation operating in it - a project you can visit and learn from. Game that is quite unique to northern kenya and the opportunity to explore in many different ways: by car, on foot, by helicopter. Indulge in one fantastic spa, swim in a perfectly big pool or walk to the hide where you can sit and be close to any wild animal that come to the salt soils. The most beautiful dining settings await you, as well and the most exquisite cuisine. And then everything adapts to your pace, your day rhythm and your interests. You feel at home, a very luxurious one.

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If you are a safari lover, a nature lover, a water lover, Malawi must be on your list. And if you are a beach-holiday aficionado, Malawi must be on your list too. Some places and islands on the lake give you a “I am in paradise” feeling, even if the water is not salty. But everything else is crystal blue transparency and warm temperatures, ideal for snorkelling, fishing, canoeing or sailing… Let us not forget to mention the incredible sunsets, the trekking around this beautiful island, the hidden diving spots, the big rocks for a sunbathe and the many other activities you can do here. Mumbo has the tropical vibes one could wish for in sunny destination, and a lodge that feels all things tasteful Africa.

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Kenya is know through many imageries yet, there are more and more privately owned properties, nested in the most pristine areas, that will give you one of the most exclusive, authentic and unique experiences you can ask for.

The Kenya journeys we proudly sell are not those where you will see a traffic jam around a predator, hear lots of loud voices coming from the several cars around you or stay in places with dozens of rooms.

The Kenya we love is the Segera type of Kenya. So silent, so in the middle of nowhere, that you will think there is only you on Earth. But no detail is left unattended in these lodges. You have no idea of how unique and luxurious a room can be. Or the room view…

Expect the most beautiful decorated place, the most exquisite cuisine, all amenities included and flexible to serve you at your own pace. Expect a service that anticipates your requests and tastes. And get to see animals (lots!) with no other cars around - at your own pace and time. Just you and them. That’s my kind of Africa, the one we want to show to you.

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If you’ve been to Africa, absolutely love safaris and want to experience it in the old-school way, Zambia is your place. Not only because you have several national parks to explore and the most incredible and abundant wildlife sightings, but also because doing it the Zambian way, is the real thing.

Famous for their walking safaris - and excellent guiding level - you mostly only find small properties to stay at, with a very low bed-density per acres of land, which makes every national park pretty much still very wild and untouched.

To give you an example: a property like Shumba only opens a few months a year and if you go there early June, you are in for a quite remote experience in your life. It takes a 2 hour flight from Lusaka, a good hour on a 4x4 and another good hour on a canoe, sliding across narrow channels where LIFE is palpable at every sound and movement. It feels like you are touching the end of the world. And yet, the lodge is beautiful and so quiet, that a pride of lionesses loves to hang around certain rooms (not to scare you, but it’s true…).

Now one must argue that there is more to Zambia than the Kafue region and that is 100% true: South Luangwa, the Lower Zambezi and Livingstone are very worth it, and complimentary too. If you hit all these different national parks you will be surprised with how different the landscapes and experiences are… although anywhere you go, you will be rewarded with some of the best wildlife sightings in Africa, and… no crowds!

Zambia is rough diamond. But the best kind…

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The Land of Rhinos. Almost a sacred place. Here you are in for the unique chance to see black and white rhinos safely living with horns, roaming free in huge areas, in some of the most beautiful landscapes of Kenya. A place filled with most of all other wildlife, and predators in many, but a place you can explore on a horse, on a 4x4, by foot… a place you can even dare yourself to go jogging with the Masai, if running is what you like. Learn about the rhinos, and learn as much as you can: they almost seem like an easy animal to spot Explore different eco systems, spend time in local schools, stay at family owned places, go on a scenic flight above the plains, learn about sustainable ways of living and choose your own ingredients from the local garden that many lodges now grow. Some camps have resident giraffes that will greet you over breakfast, others will tell you to “shhhh!” because there is a leopard in camp… Our guts are always saying our clients should stay here a week. There is so much to do and such beauty to inspire us.

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There are many ways to define winter holidays. And they do not all imply skiing in the mountains. The Finnish lapland is a whole different way to experience the cold months and, yes, you can slide down the slopes too, if you wish. There are lots of unique things one can do in here and they imply being outside, in the flat, great outdoors of this country. Try snowshoeing in the deep, fluffy snow of the most silent frozen forest. Then put on your skis and go cross country in the plains, nothing but white around. Sure, your eyelashes will freeze. And so will the tip of your nose. But everywhere else your body will feel warm, because the properties we work with will dress you well up for the negative temperatures.

One morning you can go slide with the huskies, full speed in the great outdoors and the next day you can go up on your snowmobile and venture far and wide, into the frozen wilderness. Everyday, the white nature awaits you and regardless of how many or few hours of sun you get, there are incredible skies to look at and the inevitable northern lights to chase every night.

Lapland is the most magic destination in the winter, and perfect for all kinds of holiday structures: a family, a group of friends or those who love to just go into a freezing, stunning nature and explore.

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A Place where your heart meets your soul.

A desert that has red dunes.

A gigantic ecosystem empty of human trace, painted in tones of yellow, mustard, orange, pink, red, yellow and beautiful violet tones at sunset. A place made of mostly sand and sandy rocks, where so much life exists. Your eyesight has no ending in the horizon, the skies are velvet blue and filled with shooting stars, the silence is the most translucent thing you can hear. This is a place where you flow and feel light, small and so alive. Explore it galloping on a horse, flying on a chopper or balloon, walking and falling of gigantic dunes, run across flat land that does not end… and do it all with no sense of limits, direction or control. One of the most beautiful places on Earth, a vision one can not dream of or even believe it exists once you get there.

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Duma Tau is a luxury lodge situated northern Botswana, right on the border with Namibia. The meaning of the name is “Lion Roar” in Setswana and it fits like a glove to this place - often you will listen to these magnificent cats call at dawn, on both sides of the border, sometimes far out across the water, sometimes excitingly close.

It’s one of our favourite places in Africa, point blank. And we hold very dear memories of being here - memories that spread out across all moments of the day. From waking up before-sunrise, slowly walking into our balcony to salute the first lights, while an elephant quietly browsed next to us. It was also here that we went on game drives where we spotted leopard both in the morning and afternoon ON THE SAME DAY. The going-down-memory-lane could go on and on and on but that would make this intro too long. Although we have to mention that one time war-scenario of wild dogs biting a lone hyena, producing the most loud and painful noises around us.

The lodge location is dreamy. The rooms are beyond. But the adventures outside make this destination one very hard to beat.

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It’s called the Green Kalahari.

It’s the biggest private reserve in South Africa and it’s been a case study worldwide on how a wildlife conservation project can be done successfully. NatGeo speaks about this place and pretty much any famous wildlife student, photographer, scientist and nature lover has been here. People come to this region because of the high chances to see many rare and critically endangered species (and five of the most elusive ones in Africa!). Sure enough, a guest will have incredible sightings of predators and antelopes but what really steals the show here are the incredible immense open landscapes, the unique light (sunsets and sunrises are insane) and the opportunity to see some of the most rare animals of Africa: pangolin, aardvark, aardwolf bat-eared fox, black rhino… not to forget the social meerkats. Also, expect the giraffes, the lions, the endangered wild dogs and, our favorites, the cheetahs. And you can go track them on foot! It’s one place in South Africa that gives you a true sense of space and wilderness.

Be ready to be surprised all the way. And in the most exclusive way too: vehicles are for you only, meaning you choose the activities you are interested in, and they start and end at your own pace and schedule. And when it comes to things to do, besides the unbelievable culinary journey you will have, there are horses to ride and explore the land, trekking options in the mountains, visting prehistoric rock art engravings or the opportunity to spend time in the field with the resident wildlife researchers while looking for animals on foot.

Very few beds, exquisite 3 little luxury camps and the most incredible cuisine experience one can have, signed by a Michelin star chef. But that is part of the other surprises we will plan for you, once you book.

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When one thinks of India, a certain imagery comes to mind and normally it’s not connected to wildlife. Not many people plan to visit this country to go on safari but we are here to tell you that if you are into felines, India has lots in store for you. Tigers - yes, wild tigers - leopards, bears, antelopes and so much more. National parks that have few people or cars, properties that are incredibly small, luxurious and beautiful, landscapes that you could only dream of, where lost ruins of palaces can serve as shade-shelters to these cats. And in terms of combining these wilderness experiences with the must-see places in India, that is quite easy. There are endless possibilities of combinations and regions to visit and we would love to tell you about some of our ideas.

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“I was 14, one summer night, when I watched Out of Africa for the first time. To this day, it’s my favourite movie. I know quotes, pauses, camera angles and full dialogue sentences by heart.

When I woke up the next morning, I sat over for breakfast and told my father I wanted to go to Africa. To this day I remember that conversation well.”

The trip took a little time to come together but it finally happened, a few years later. Kenya was meant to be the destination - but it was summer of 98 and 2 bombs suddenly exploded in both Dar es Salaam and Nairobi’s American embassies, only weeks before our departure. Precautions were put in place and the Masai Mara was replaced by the Kruger National Park. Regardless, it took me one night in the bush to be hooked for life with safaris.

Marta, LovingJune Travels Founder

Fast forward many years and countless more trips to Africa, we finally got our feet in Kenya, eager to follow the story of Karen Blixen, a woman who’s life and work we deeply admire. And we were not disappointed (although no Robert Redford piloting a biplane around).

Kenya starts with Nairobi. We would not necessary book a city-stay to our clients in all the African capitals they land at, only because wildlife experiences happen in the bush. But Nairobi IS different and worth a visit: for starters, as you drive into town you have Nairobi National Park right along the highway, where you can go on daily safaris. So before flying to some of Kenya’s iconic national parks, take some time to explore just outside the airport.

Once in the capital,we like to design an itinerary for our clients - and, among other places they can visit, we ask if they would like to go to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, who rescues and rehabilitates orphan elephants into the wild. We first visited it early June 2017. A year after, we found out that I was there on the same days as Dame Daphhe Sheldrick last birthday: she sadly passed away a few months after. As Marta was reading the news in her flat in London, she thought long about the date coincidence. “That visit in June had me feeling emotional because I was finally going to see a project I cared about for many years (and having read her autobiography too)… It felt as an inner sign: for ages I had been thinking about creating my own travel agency. Not that I wish to follow the footsteps of such iconic people who fought for wildlife conservation all their lives: I just want to take my clients into these places so they eventually get educated, inspired and contribute for some of the most pressing issues in Africa.”

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Let us tell you about this tiny paradise island…

We know you are thinking Maldives, Polynesia, Caribbean and other island-A-listers.

Well no.

Principe is on the Atlantic Ocean, so small you often don’t have it mentioned on maps - something we are happy about.

Those who are curious - and value - visiting a place barely touched by tourists, with virgin beaches, a stunning warm blue sea (not to mention the year-long summer temperature), lush and colourful vegetation and some exquisite places to stay, this island IS for you.

So many things are worth here: the lack of infrastructure in places where it’s not needed (and have you trail down tropical paths to reach some beaches), the wildlife, the size of plants and flowers, the giant turtles you get to see lay hundreds of eggs in the sand, in the middle of the night (SO INCREDIBLE), the old farms that now produce chocolate…

Go on excursions around the island to stop in villages, schools and beaches so that you can interact with local people, everyone being so friendly, joyful and welcoming. Plus everything is wearing pastel colours around: the houses, peoples clothes, the bikes, the food stands, the markets, the flowers and the birds!

The island is deliciously small and worth a week long visit - and you should sleep at least in 2 different places, just because leaving paradise is hard, and there’s too much beauty spreading around here. So try sleeping at the beach and in the jungle. At the end, you will find that your time here was not enough.

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One of the best things of South Africa is the gastronomy and the wine. We also love the exquisite luxury service one gets at many places. Another great thing about this country is the variety of experiences we are able to offer to our clients: think trekking, walking safaris, wildlife conservation engagement activities, a stop at the beach, a beautiful city break in Cape Town, a road trip across the endless coast line, filled with beautiful hotels and great restaurants.

If gastronomy and wine tasting is your thing, South Africa is the place to visit and endulge: not only because we choose beautiful properties for you to stay at but mainly because we will make your foodie ambitions fulfilled: from chefs cooking privately for you to wine tasting visits that will have you want to buy more bottles than those you are allowed to take back home. We build full gastronomy routes, meeting the owners of wineries and visiting cellars behind close doors.

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The pink city and its monuments, history, culture and people. From maharaja palaces to local cuisine, from the best jewellers you can privately visit to a ceremonial event you can be present at. This is one iconic destination in India, that is well connected to other key areas in the northern part of the country. Whether you start here, stop here half way or leave it as your last stop, there is too much to do even if you stay for a month.

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Welcome to the Santa Claus town (where he actually works!), a city that offers you the best of both worlds: you can expand your energy in the snowy white outdoors by taking a snowmobile or going cross-country skiing but you can also head into the some good restaurants in town and enjoy a lively atmosphere.

We can have you stay right in the middle of the buzz or choose some properties that are distanced from the noise, but close enough to allow you to go shopping, if you wish.

People come here for several reasons: to visit Santa, have dinner or a drink (and even spend a night) at the Ice Hotel, stay at a luxury property to indulge in a sauna after spending time sliding the frozen nature with some energetic huskies.

It’s one of the most famous destinations in the country and it offers many things to do.

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Arguably one of the most iconic lodges in an equally iconic place. Mombo even had a book named after it and a female leopard, named Legadema, who became a movie star. It’s the one place we always wanted to visit, ever since we set my first foot in Africa. So you can understand our excitement and our emotions, the day it finally happened.

It seems that everyone who is a safari-addict knows about Mombo. And we are guessing many will make it so that they will go there, eventually. Indeed, this place is almost a brand on its own right.

No need to go into how beautiful the rooms are, your plunge pools right outside, private living room area, inside and outdoor shower, incredible culinary experience and the ultimate service all day long.

You might want to go to Mombo to explore this luxurious tiny property but we are guessing you will go because there are way too many tales of incredible wildlife sightings in this Chief’s island. It’s the leopards in camp, the wild dogs making a kill in between rooms, the lions bringing down a buffalo in front of the main deck, the endless birding variety…

Sometimes there’s cheetah, now there’s rhino too and then pretty much everything else in abundance. Your safari is almost equally rewarding inside camp or outside, in the surrounding Okavango Delta area.

Our time at Mombo was the most special we ever had on safari, to this day. So much so that I named my dog after it. Mombo means: “The Place of Plenty”, and once you set foot here, you will see why.

It’s one of those journeys where, once you do it, you almost only want to go there. Good problems to have, we would say.

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Our first time in Liwonde was quite an experience. Never had we been in a park so close to a village - you literally take a boat to cross a river and you “hit the city”. It’s a good reminder of the pressing concern about growing populations in places were there is a tentative effort to keep both wildlife and their habitats intact. The feeling we got in Malawi is that crossing that line is a close-call and needs protecting. Although once you are on safari there, you can see how healthy and numerous some species are.

For example, elephants: you see them often and in big, active, loud herds. Liwonde actually hosts some of the healthiest elephant populations in Africa - so healthy indeed that 336 of them were taken out of this national park to another wildlife reserve in Malawi, back in 2016. It was here that we woke up in the middle of the night, stepping out in our balcony, to have our room surrounded by a breeding herd. For over an hour they stayed around us and close, lots of soft rumbling going around while we silently sat in the dark of a moonless night. We were not afraid, not tense, just emotional and excited to be among them.

Not only elephants, but we get some rarities in here too: the shy sable antelope (one of our favourites), and more recently, black rhino (we know!!) cheetahs and lions who were introduced back into the park - after so many years of its lacking of predators or a big 5 full list.

The fact that so much conservation work is being done in this area (to remove snares, activate anti poaching teams and work with local communities to reduce wildlife conflict) is the reason Malawi is becoming an attractive destination for safari lovers.

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If you book your trip to Africa during the northern hemisphere summer time (let’s say August) you are traveling in high season with rather warm days and really cold nights and dawns.

Also, if your vision of Africa includes acacia trees, endless plains, zebras and giraffes, well, try to think beyond those classic images and expectations and let us design you a trip into a continent that has other things to offer and very different landscapes too.

Malawi has the particular ability to offer some of the most rich and complementary experiences one can have when it comes to geography, weather, wildlife, landscapes and African culture.

Let’s start with Niyka National Park, a place that illustrates well what one can not expect to see in Africa: freezing cold weather, fireplace in the room all night, empty hills, lakes in the middle of dry vegetation hills and uniquely allocated antelopes (with some elusive leopards in the mix) living in it. It’s about emptiness, vastness and lots of trekking in the most beautiful surroundings. It is probably our favourite place of Malawi, and the good news is that on the same trip, you can add a paradisiac beach holiday on the turquoise shores of lake Malawi and then go on a full-on safari at Liwonde National Park for more animals and action.

Just make sure you pack winter clothes with real summer clothes because you will need both.

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Visit a place that equals no other in Africa and sleep next door to the only wildlife rehabilitation center that belongs to the Samburu people and is managed by Samburu women. They dedicate their lives to rescue orphan animals and then release them back into the wild: giraffes, elephants, eland, and more are kept in safe hands to then return to their freedom in the surrounding areas. Explore this region on foot, by car, on camel or riding horses. Get close to these wild gentle giants and their friends who all live nearby, try fly camping in this magical region that has you surrounded by mountains, be present at the Singing Wells ceremonies that take place in periods of drought and are held by the Samburu, owners of this land… Plunge in pools that offer some of the most incredible views in Africa and whether you choose to sleep at a lodge or stay at a private house, exclusively occupied by you, know that chefs, guides and friendly staff will be there every step of the way to make this one of the most unique experiences in Kenya.

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No place in Africa (except, maybe, Namibia) can beat a scenic flight over northern Kenya. Whether you do it on a helicopter or a small aircraft, the experience is hard to beat, no matter what kind of trip you dream of doing. All of our clients come out of these flights in tears and overwhelmed with what they saw. If you do it for a day you will land, seat and have lunch in places no one ever goes. Places that are inhabited, wild, beautifully contrasted: you will fly and land on desert dunes, circle around steep cliffs, low fly above river beds, land, swim and have lunch on remote lakes where no life seems to exist, head into remote flamingo colonies and see them fly all around. You can see the line that separates Kenya from neighbouring countries and feel as if you are floating on a painting. Pink lakes turn to green, yellow waters get brown textures, sand color soil suddenly has palm trees and deep red rocks will have you land on top of them for breakfast. It’s like flying over a rainbow because you are visiting different ecosystems in one same day. Hard to visually describe it, and often you will be speechless about your flying adventure. It is one extraordinary day on a lifetime.

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Gorillas.

Think Rwanda, think Gorillas. And you are in for quite a treat because you have a 100% chance to see them, from quite a close distance.

But apart from gorillas there are other experiences guests can enjoy at Volcanoes National Park, like crossing a dense bamboo forest, visit local communities, get involved in reforestation projects and stay in quite beautiful lodges… Those kind of lodges where luxury has no limits, you know? Think fireplace in your room and bathroom. A bathtub facing the dormant volcanoes. Think heated plunge pool in your room. Spa, wine tasting… The list goes on and on and on.

Rwanda gives you other things too. Go on safari and stay on the shores of beautiful Lake Rwanyakazinga so you can spot those famous African predators, elephants and most other wildlife species. In fact, you can be so lucky to see the Big 5 in the same game drive or… boat safari (this happened to a client of mine this year!). Because, yes, you will be exploring this wilderness region on land AND water.

Finally you must spend some time in Kigali too, because not only the Genocide Museum is a must-see on any itinerary but also because you can get easily immersed in some wonderful culinary experiences and local art buying…

So think gorillas of course but think safari, lots of wildlife and a deep, meaningful immersion into this history and culture of Rwanda.

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There are places to stay in the Kenyan coastline but not many places that feel removed from the crowds and the noise and the hotels. We like to go off grid, we choose small and intimate properties and we prefer them to be in quiet places, where access is trickier so that no one comes around. This is a piece of heaven for beach lovers, yoga aficionados, horseback riders, wellness focused people and those who like to rest and do nothing. Food is fantastic and so are the dining settings, the corners of romance, reading or watch the sunset. Get on a paddle board, or a kawak or go snorkeling. This is the indian ocean, waters are warm, calm and soft, and very turquoise. Just like any piece of paradise.

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Elephants who lost their mums because they fell on the wells dug by the local communities (who need to dig them deep to access water), elephants who lost their mums due to immense drought, elephants who loose their mums to the hands of poachers. And the reasons repeat themselves when it comes to kudu, giraffes, zebras or other antelopes in the region. Whatever the cause behind them loosing their mothers is, the Samburu people managing this project will rescue the baby animals and bring them back to health until they are old and strong enough to head back to where they belong. Reteti is a project that will have you in tears and full heartedly committed to helping these people protect and rehabilitate their wildlife. We send out clients here as often as possible as our goal is that more people understand the urgency behind causes like this and why they are so special.

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It was just a highlight for us to finally head into a Portuguese-speaking Africa.

We knew we were about to love it.

Before spending time in Sao Tomé, we first flew to Principe Island, leaving our stay on this main island for last, which was a good idea.

Walking around town is like being in Portugal. There is not one house or building that doesn’t shout its colonial past, but with the added bonus of being in the water front, just like our hotel: it took us one street-crossing to taste the sea.

We have nothing to say about life on a tropical island: we love the humidity, the ocean smell, the nonchalance. And wether we drive north or south of the capital, the road always zigzags alongside an ocean view. There are SO many incredible beaches to go to, and most have no tourism activity what so ever.

It’s one of those places where you taste the authentic side of travel and do not feel like an outside intruder. Barely anyone speaks english but then at every stop, every old farm, every restaurant, every fisherman town is happy to see you.

Fresh fish can be found all the time, self driving is an option, spend time with children at the beach is rather normal. All those things you will mix and match during your day, wearing a tunic over a bathing suit, and smelling like salted sun… Sao Tomé is that VERY rare combo of perfect climate, stunning geography, soft lifestyle and no tourism intrusion.

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One of our favorites, because of its tasteful simplicity, it’s breezy and light atmosphere, its location and its authentic feel. We love where it sits, who it belongs to and all things that come along. Starting with the breakfast view, and the food that comes to the table. It’s the most perfect island color palette ever, with nothing that feels “too much”. Some properties have a special vibe, a peaceful energy, an enchanting and simple daily pace.

We love to offer ideas where you can do nothing for days. Walk along large stretches of beach, wind and birds around, feet crossing sand waves of low tides, little fishes and moving shells around your toes, hot and humid all around. No shoes needed on this island. Just roll yourself under some salty-oil massages, dhow trips, paddle boarding alongside the tides, marvel at the mangroves and the occasional monkeys or resident antelopes.

Few places feel this untouched, this authentic, this calm, this perfect. The more we come here the more we want to stay. And our clients say the same.

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Toasty colors, dry pieces of land, pale green bushes and those kind of bizarre plants that could only exist on desert environments. The properties we choose here have those colors and shapes and face incredible snowy mountains, despite the heat you can feel in the summer months. The village feels like lost in time although everything you need is here, including really cute shops and tourism is flourishing, with a cool vibe. This is the hub to explore this incredible nature region and there is so much to do here if wild, unique landscape are your thing. Plus there are stunning places to stay too, with the most unique architecture, taste and service. And do not forget to bring your camera. These landscapes are a photographer’s dream.

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Surrounded by an astonishing scenery of arid beauty, these Geysers are a volcanic geothermal field, where water and steam columns spring up violently from deep under the ground. Set at a height of 4.000 mts, they are the highest geysers in the world.

For one to see the peak of these Geysers activity you need to be there between 5:30 am and 7:30 am, and see the water columns reach up to 10 meters. This is why you must get up really early if you want to enjoy a good spectacle. We also love to then stop at the andean village of Machuca and experience the isolation of these pueblos and how remote people used to live.

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There is no place in Africa that will give you the beauty of northern Kenya and the opportunity to see it on a free range mode, flying the all day on a helicopter. There is also the wow factor of being in touch and spend time with remote communities who will invite you into their traditional way of life or let you be present during some unique celebration of their traditional ceremonies. Go to a local market, interact with the Samburu, hop on a horse for hours or days and get lost in the most dramatic landscapes in the country. Feel the remoteness and fly over a rich variety of landscapes where no people live or access by road. Have your pilot land the helicopter on top of immense rocks, then in the middle of pale sand dunes, so you can slide all the way down. Fly over lakes with flamingos, go swim on lakes where no one has ever been and spot the elephants and giraffes grazing on the river banks. This is a place for the explorers, those in search of extreme beauty and unique experiences.

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For the adventurers, the adrenaline seekers and those who like the idea to set foot on wild, wild lands. This is a place that calls for the canoes, the safari on foot, the upclose to animals on foot, the silence walks, the hippos all over the place and elephants that come to camp, even to the dining table. This is for those who are comfortable to be immersed in a untamed nature and ready for its surprises. Incredible scenery and landscapes, unique wildlife sightings, some of the best experiences one can have in Africa.

Just saying…

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The thing about Zimbabwe is that it always exceeds any safari expectations. Never full with crowds but always packed with wildlife AND wildlife action. You feel that in some national parks of Zimbabwe you are living inside the National Geographic channel.

Hwange has so much going on, that we recommend it to clients who really want to see lots of animals, everywhere (and showing up from literally), anywhere. We will not linger on the endless herds of elephants who often visit lodges and hang around your room. If only elephants were the only ones you will see all the time…

Be prepared for wild dog action in front of your room’s deck, without you having time to get the camera out and take pictures. Or lionesses sleeping in the plain in front of your breakfast table. And, always a favourite moment, having an elephant coming to drink from the pool while you have a beautiful candlelight dinner right next to it, peaceful energy all around.

It was here that we saw our first kill, a cheetah taking down a wildebeest. It was here also, that we saw for the first time big herds of Eland and the famous Cecil (the lion), to whom we proudly took beautiful pictures while he was still in his prime.

We would say this is a country for true safari lovers, those who value animal sightings above all else. It really is a spectacular choice, one where we like to design trips that combine different national parks and the chance to get some good wildlife action on the waters of the mighty and hippo-crowded zambezi river.

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