Namibia

A fantasy for a life beyond our wildest imaginings, the Namib Desert tempts everybody’s inner anthropologist out. With its 10,000-year-old rock engravings crafted by the indigenous San people and the petrified forests dating back 250 million years ago, simply getting lost is a means of finding a story. 

A unique blend of African and German influences pervade this laid-back coastal city, where traditional red lighthouses and promenades set the unsuspecting scene at first sight, but Namibian influences leave a lasting impression with seriously great food, art galleries and a number of adrenaline-filled activities from desert tours to horse riding.

Picture the first iconic image of Namibia’s gregarious sand dunes that springs to mind and imagine the feeling of standing at the bottom of its expansive midst. Down here, you’re a tiny grain in a gigantic-system; but it just makes the view all the more exhilarating. 

The remote home of the Himba, Ovahimba, Damara and Herrero people, this rugged desert wilderness graced with waterfalls and rivers just goes to show the breadth of everyday life being lived. Steeped in tradition, culture, and filled to the brim with wildlife, this region offers a chance for unexpected understandings and connection. 

A hate-to-love-it coastline that conjures the idea of pirates and paranormal activities, this coastline’s rugged shallows is no stranger to a shipwreck. Making it a great spot for days spent exploring vast marine life (with one of the largest settlements of Cape fur seals) and spending nights telling eerie ghost stories.   

The best of all the big distractions, Namibia’s classic safari experiences bring a completely different experience of the wildlife we already thought we knew; from desert-adapted elephants and giraffes to red lechwe, puku, and roan antelope.

You’ve never felt as remote as in Botswana, with its placid lagoons, eco-diverse island game reserve and the lunar-like salt flats of Makadikadi Basin.

Bright red shukas, the savannah’s most notable characters, and a landscape of flat plains that billow into hills, Kenya is archetypal Africa.

Unspoilt and uncrowded, Madagascar is the land of the ‘blue safari’ – where snorkelling, diving and sailing in the warm turquoise waters is only paused for a bit of lemur spotting.

Arabia’s mystical allure and Africa’s vibrancy converge in Morocco, refusing to give in to Western ways and instead delivering a splendid culture contrast that’s sure to stay rooted in traveller’s minds forever.  

A country still with some growing to do, these lesser-trodden coastlines that often act as an add-on to a South African safari are a rare find of authenticity-meets-blissfully-beachy break.

Untamed and mysterious, the sulky rainforests of Rwanda are a wildlife wonderland, where golden monkeys peak out from behind dense leaves, bushbuck scarper at the slightest of sounds and gorillas take over the mountains.

The ‘Rainbow Nation’ that earnt her stripes in a cacophony of languages, three buzzing cities, and everything from safaris to Winelands in-between; it’s not just a colourful diversity, but the sheer joy for surprises that keeps familiar feet coming back for more.

Tanzania is a Great Migration, the volcanic peaks watching over herds as they cross vast plains and indented craters, eyed intensely by the climbing lions from their treetop perches; but this book holds more than just its front cover.

There may be no need for the classic beige suit, but the boots are essential in this home of the iconic walking safari that encapsulates the memory of 70s treks gone by.

The archipelago of Zanzibar is somewhat of a wildcard, but with its bohemian vibe, mellow pace and decidedly quieter yet still sugar-white sands, it gives the Maldives a run for its money.

Bringing off-the-beaten-track safari experiences that’re just as active as its dramatic Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe is no stranger to a thrilling escapade.