Rwanda

Home to around half the world’s population of gorillas, the park sits within the mountainous Virunga Massif, a dramatically stunning landscape encompassing six active and three extinct volcanoes – the peaks reaching towards 5,000m. The ancient rainforest plays host to eight habituated family groups with further opportunities to view golden monkeys, elephants and bushbuck.

Very much ahead of the curve in its eco-efforts, Kigali has the pleasure of being one of the cleanest cities in the world.There’s a big sense of community with residents coming out every Sunday to clean their patch of street. A bond that is explored through an eye-opening tour of the city and its museums.

Rwanda isn’t completely void of game viewing opportunities. Along the border of Tanzania sits Akagera National Park, a protected area that’s home to the whole cast of safari favourites including lions, zebra, giraffes, elephants and a whole lot of birds.

Said to have stayed green even through the Ice Age, this ancient forest is rich in biodiversity, from its 13 species of primate to the 280 species of birds. This is the place to be completely enveloped in nature, so much so that it can be hard to get up the inclination to leave. 

Another superlative, Lake Kivu is the largest lake in the country and the sixth largest on the continent. Although the dense forests are a sight to behold, this wider, flatter expanse makes for a change of scenery, with beaches encircling the water just begging to be picnicked upon for an hour of two.

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.

Ethereal expanses of dunes merge into wild, coastal wilderness in this sun-baked land, casting the spooky spell of the sands that’s all too exciting and easy to succumb to.

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.