Where would you like to go

Ten destinations.
Each one extraordinary.

Every destination on this page has been personally experienced. Not researched from a brochure, but lived, explored, and deeply understood.

We did not discover these places in a brochure. We have lived in them, explored them, and loved them deeply, so every recommendation comes from first-hand knowledge of the lodges, the guides, the seasons, and the moments that make each one irreplaceable.

The Destinations

Ten Destinations, Known from the Inside

Safari landscape in Botswana Low Volume · UNESCO Heritage 02
BotswanaSouthern Africa

Where the Wild Is Protected

Botswana keeps its wilderness exclusive by design, with a low-volume approach that limits how many people share each concession. The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is reached by light aircraft and explored by mokoro canoe through papyrus channels at dawn. Chobe holds one of the largest elephant populations on the continent. For travellers who feel they know Africa, Botswana is a reminder that there is always more to see.

Best time to visit: May to October

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Safari landscape in Kenya Classic Safari · Great Migration 03
KenyaEast Africa

The Classic Safari Story

Kenya is where the idea of the African safari was born. From July to October, the Great Migration's herds pour into the Masai Mara, and the river crossings are as dramatic as anything in the natural world. Seen from a private conservancy, with no other vehicles around you, the experience feels entirely your own. Amboseli adds the defining image of elephants beneath Kilimanjaro.

Best time to visit: July to October

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Safari landscape in South Africa Perfect First Safari · Year-Round 04
South AfricaSouthern Africa

Three Countries in One

South Africa is Africa's most versatile destination. There are malaria-free reserves, excellent roads and flights, and Big Five game viewing in the Sabi Sand that rivals anywhere on the continent. Add Cape Town, the Winelands, and the Garden Route, where whales pass close to shore between June and November, and you have one of the great two-week journeys.

Best time to visit: Year-round

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Safari landscape in Uganda Gorilla Trekking · Pearl of Africa 05
UgandaEast Africa

The Pearl of Africa

Churchill called Uganda the Pearl of Africa, and it still feels wonderfully undiscovered. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a silverback turns and meets your gaze, and for that moment nothing else exists. Track chimpanzees in Kibale, look for tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and stand beside Murchison Falls as the Nile forces itself through a seven-metre gap in the rock.

Best time to visit: June to September
December to February

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Safari landscape in Rwanda Mountain Gorillas · Volcanoes National Park 06
RwandaEast Africa

A Country That Changes You

Rwanda surprises almost everyone who goes. The Land of a Thousand Hills is home to the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park, and one hour in their presence, in the forest and the mist, resists description. The lodges around the park are some of the most thoughtfully designed in Africa, and Kigali is clean, safe, and genuinely inspiring.

Best time to visit: June to September
December to February

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Desert landscape in Namibia Dramatic Landscapes · Desert Safari 08
NamibiaSouthern Africa

Africa at Its Most Dramatic

Namibia's landscapes feel more like another planet than another country. The red dunes of Sossusvlei glow like fire at sunrise, and Etosha's waterholes draw elephant, lion, and rhino out of the heat. Damaraland is home to desert-adapted elephant and black rhino, and the Skeleton Coast, where the cold Atlantic meets the desert, is hauntingly beautiful.

Best time to visit: May to October

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Landscape in Madagascar Unique Wildlife · Endemic Species 09
MadagascarIndian Ocean

The Island That Evolution Forgot

Madagascar has been an island for more than 80 million years, and around 90 percent of its wildlife is found nowhere else on earth. The lemurs alone are worth the journey, from the tiny mouse lemur to the indri, whose haunting call carries through the rainforest. At dusk, the Avenue of the Baobabs turns gold and then red as the sky catches fire behind the ancient trees.

Best time to visit: April to November

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Safari landscape in Zambia Walking Safaris · Victoria Falls 10
ZambiaSouthern Africa

Africa for the Adventurous Soul

The walking safari was born in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley, and it is still one of the best places in Africa to experience it. Your guide leads you on foot, reading tracks and approaching elephant in a way no vehicle allows, and the valley is renowned for its leopard. The Lower Zambezi adds canoe safaris past hippo pools, and Zambia shares Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe.

Best time to visit: June to October

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And Beyond

Finish on the Indian Ocean.

A safari does not have to end at the airstrip. Add a few days or a full week on one of the Indian Ocean's islands, and we will design the connection so your journey flows from bush to beach without a single loose end.

Tropical coastline in Mauritius

Mauritius

Lagoons, Luxury, and Long Lazy Days

Turquoise lagoons are ringed by coral reef, and volcanic peaks rise green behind some of the finest resort hospitality in the Indian Ocean. It suits honeymooners, families, and anyone who wants to do absolutely nothing, beautifully.

Pairs beautifully with

Best: May to December

Traditional dhow sailing on turquoise water off Zanzibar

Zanzibar

The Spice Island

Zanzibar has powder-white beaches, dhows on a turquoise horizon, and the winding lanes and carved doors of historic Stone Town. It is the classic finale to an East African safari, rich in culture as well as calm.

Pairs beautifully with

Best: June to October
December to February

Beach in the Seychelles

The Seychelles

Granite, Palms, and Total Seclusion

Giant granite boulders frame water so clear it looks unreal, and on the private islands the only footprints on the beach are yours. The Seychelles suit couples celebrating something special who want complete privacy.

Pairs beautifully with

Best: April to May
October to November

Lagoon in the Maldives

The Maldives

Overwater and Utterly Still

In the Maldives, overwater villas sit above lagoons in every shade of blue, and the house reef is often a few strokes from your deck. The connection from Africa usually runs through the Gulf, so it works best after an East African safari.

Pairs beautifully with

Best: November to April

Coastline in Mozambique

Mozambique

The Untouched Archipelago

Mozambique is Africa's best-kept beach secret. Island lodges, sand dunes rising from the sea, dhow sailing, and superb snorkelling are all a short flight from the Kruger. It suits travellers who want their beach as wild as their safari.

Pairs beautifully with

Best: May to November

Plan My Bush and Beach Journey →
Can't find what you're looking for?

Every journey begins
with a conversation

These ten destinations are starting points, not limits. If you have a destination in mind that is not listed here, bring it to us. From the Galapagos Islands to Japan, the Norwegian Fjords to the Maldives, if it can be designed, we will design it.

Begin the Conversation →

Ready to begin your safari?

Tell us what you are dreaming of, and we will design your African journey entirely around you. Every enquiry is received personally and answered within 24 hours.

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We design tailor-made safaris and luxury journeys for discerning travellers across the UK and USA.

enquiries@destinationafrica.co.uk

Tuesday to Friday, 10:00am to 6:00pm

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Destination Africa is a trading name of Destination Africa Ltd, operating as a franchisee of Not Just Travel (Agency) Ltd. Not Just Travel (Agency) Ltd sells travel services on behalf of Hays Travel Limited and is covered by Hays Travel’s ABTA membership (K9413). As an ABTA Member we follow ABTA’s Code of Conduct, and you benefit from ABTA’s support and financial protection for package holidays. This does not apply to non-package arrangements such as accommodation-only bookings. For information on ABTA, the Code of Conduct, or the arbitration scheme, visit www.abta.com or contact ABTA at 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ · 020 3117 0599.

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