With all this time on your hands, now is your chance to browse the African holiday destination options out there and pick the one that sounds like the perfect choice for your future getaway.
Southern and Eastern Africa have some of the continent’s most outstanding destinations. They offer activities that satisfy diverse interests, beautiful wilderness areas that teem with wildlife, and luxury lodgings for travellers wanting an exclusive, comfortable and personalized experience.
With so many wonderful spots for you to choose from, we have narrowed it down to just three based on a variety of interests to help you decide on your next holiday.
Big 5 safari adventures
South Africa has long been known among wildlife enthusiasts as a Big 5 stronghold. The Big 5 club is made up of some of Africa’s most powerful and dangerous animals, namely buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino. To see all five members is a bucket-list priority for many people that choose South Africa as their African holiday destination.
Two male lions are watched by safari-goers on a game drive in Manyoni Private Game Reserve © Rhino Sands
For an incredible Big 5 safari adventure, head to the private game reserves in South Africa, where tourist numbers are small, wildlife is abundant and well-protected, and safari camps are all about ‘under canvas’ luxury. Rhino Sands Safari Camp is one such property. It offers an authentic wildlife safari experience in Manyoni Private Game Reserve, a beautiful natural setting within which to encounter some of Africa’s most iconic animals.
A guide photographs a pair of white rhino grazing in Manyoni Private Game Reserve © Rhino Sands
At Rhino Sands, you are encouraged to disconnect from the outside world for a fully immersive retreat in the South African wilderness. From exciting game drives to peaceful bush picnics and sundowners with stunning views, a Big 5 safari is a good dose of adventure along with a healthy helping of feet-up rest and relaxation.
Iconic waterfall thrills
Victoria Falls – also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or ‘The Smoke That Thunders’ – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that serves as the natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is where the magnificent Zambezi River plunges some 108 metres into the Batoka Gorge below, making it the greatest curtain of falling water in the world and a favourite holiday destination for thrill-seekers.
A group of friends enjoy a different view of Victoria Falls from Devil’s Pool © Tongabezi
It is here, at one of the world’s most celebrated natural wonders, that you can swim in Southern Africa’s most awe-inspiring natural plunge pool. Walking across Livingstone Island and taking a dip in Devil’s Pool is an experience that, for many, just cannot be topped. This is made extra-special by staying at Tongabezi, a luxury lodge in Zambia on the banks of the Zambezi River just a few kilometers upstream from the Falls.
A dramatic sunset experienced from a microlight above Victoria Falls © Tongabezi
Activities like white-water rafting on the Zambezi River’s Grade 4 and 5 rapids or taking to the sky above the Falls in The Flight of Angels helicopter or microlight are simply made for adventure-seekers. Those keen on a more sedate yet equally unforgettable time can set sail on a boat cruise at sunset, dine on a delicious meal while floating in the river on Tongabezi’s sampan or tuck into a sumptuous picnic in bohemian style on one of the river’s sandbars.
Wildlife migration wonders
One of the greatest wildlife spectacles that draws people from across the global, is undoubtedly the annual migration of up to 2.5 million wildebeest, zebra and other plains game across Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve and various wilderness areas in Tanzania, including the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
A herd of wildebeest journey across the plains of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve © Cottar’s Safaris
The Maasai Mara is definitely one African holiday destination for the books. Cottar’s 1920s Camp and Bush Villa are luxury safari properties located in this famous ‘Seventh’ Natural Wonder of the World with guides trained in the highest professional standards and Maasai Warriors leading your safari experience. Cottars has recently introduced a Conservation Camp to their accommodation offering. This tented camp allows safari-goers to engage in the local community and wildlife conservation efforts of the Olderkesi Conservancy.
A lone cheetah surveys its territory in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve while safari-goers watch from a vintage game drive vehicle © Cottar’s Safaris
Along with daily game drives marked by beautiful savannah landscapes and excellent game-viewing, Cottars’ guests can float up into the dawn sky above the Maasai Mara in a colourful hot-air balloon or take a sudsy soak in the Safari Camp’s dreamy canvas bush bath. This is 1920s vintage safari luxury – with a modern twist – at its best.
Feature image courtesy of Tongabezi.