Off the Beaten Track
Safaris and adventures in search of African magic are no longer experiences just for the bold. With the African continent gaining in (well deserved) popularity, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to venture to places that are truly off the beaten track. East Africa, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Rwanda - getting around is fairly straightforward, and luxury lodges dot each of the most famous national reserves and places high on bucket lists. Nowadays, going on safari is incredibly safe - so much so that some people are now in search of experiences a little more... adventurous. Despite millions of photos, documentaries, stories flooding the internet with some of Africa’s most famous landmarks, we believe there is still room for places where few tourists venture - even within countries that seem to hold no more secrets. These experiences are, for us, a way to go and explore parts of the world that receive little attention, to support incredible initiatives and bring back tourism to what we believe it should stand for: meaningful, respectful, supportive and life-enriching journeys.
A few Off the Beaten Track adventures...
Malawian adventures
Spectacular highlands, rolling hills, mysterious plateaux and crystal clear lakes
Malawi, a landlocked country seldom known by tourists, but a wonderful place of spectacular highlands, rolling hills, mysterious plateaux and crystal clear lakes, and warm smiles – Malawi has it all. Not to mention this country’s incredible comeback on the wildlife front, as it welcomed healthy populations of lions, cheetah, elephants, rhinos and wild dogs within its parks. Officially considered a big five destination, Malawi remains one of the continent’s most underrated countries. Though we secretly hope this little gem of a place remains off the mass-tourism radar, Malawi is that country everyone tells you to travel to now, before tourists flock to it in hundreds of thousands. It has just been recognised as Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022, after all. One of Africa’s most welcoming countries, its landscapes will enchant you with their intriguing Scottish looks. Well, that is, until you reach the Lake. Rolling hills of emerald green give way to ancient baobabs, white sand and turquoise waters filled with a myriad of gleaming scales in every possible shade of colour. In the north, the Nyika Plateau bursts into bloom during the rainy season (December-April), where hundreds of different orchid species erupt into colour. Be it to relax on a tropical island, to go on bush walks in Majete Wildlife Reserve, game drives or game boat cruises in palm-tree filled Liwonde National Park, or to take a hike up the Island in the Sky (the Mulanje massif), there is something for every adventurer. And tea drinking – a must in one of Africa’s most renowned speciality tea-brewing countries.
Makuleke Trails
Be dwarfed by groves of baobabs
Few places in the world match the Makuleke province both in terms of biodiversity and historical relevance. A place renowned for offering some of the most highly rated walking safaris in Africa – and for good reason. Professional trails guides with a long-standing connection to the area lead you on interpretive experiences like no other. Feel the fever tree forest in all its glory, be dwarfed by groves of baobabs or stroll through avenues of jackal-berry trees, riddled with baboons, elephants, buffalo and more. But this is not all. The Makuleke is dotted with historical sites of immense relevance, not only to South Africa but to Africa as a whole. Ancient Zimbabwean civilisations can be traced to uncovered citadels in the area, signs of Phoenician traders are engraved in the rock gorges, dark memories of the ivory trade era and South Africa’s war for independence all stain the ground with old relics and foundations. Today it all adds to the intellectual, spiritual, biodiverse place that is the beautiful Makuleke.
Gabon's hidden secrets
Forest buffalo and elephants grazing the Atlantic beaches
Gabon is a unique destination that takes the senses and the mind on a wonderful adventure across its incredibly diverse landscapes (through perhaps the body as well as you trek for habituated Lowland Gorilla, Mandrills and Chimpanzees). Lush jungles of all kinds, biodiverse rivers, waterfalls, forest wildlife and a cultural heritage that retraces the origins of mankind will leave you enthralled – but so will Gabonese beaches. In the dry season (June – November), outstanding sightings of humpback whales and dolphins migrating towards warmer waters can be observed. And from November to April, sea turtles come to lay eggs on the beaches of Pongara, with hatching occurring around mid-season onwards. But what makes Gabon truly unique is the chances to find forest buffalo and elephants grazing the Atlantic beaches, and hippos enjoying the cool and strong surf. Gabon will never cease to enchant you, bringing something a little different everywhere you look.
Kafue National Park
Zambia's untold secret
Little is known about this extraordinary park – surprisingly so, for it is one of the largest in Africa. Wild and raw, the Kafue is explored by those who long for adventures off the beaten track, perhaps sprinkled with the comfort of fine luxury lodging. The park exhibits diversity in fauna and flora matched only by a few other places on the continent. We think of the endemic Black-cheeked lovebirds flittering along the Nanzhila Plains, the teeming animal life all along the magnificent Kafue river, the healthy wild dog population thriving around Musekese, the black-maned roaring lions of Busanga plains… and so much more. Home to an exciting array of accommodation and safari options, many of which are unique to the Kafue, visitors can enjoy some of the best canoeing safaris in Africa, walking safaris and vehicle-bound expeditions led by highly trained and professional guides. We love the Kafue, and it happens to be the place where Andrew started his guiding career, too!
Baïs of CAR
An array of unique forest-dwelling creatures
One of the Congo Basin’s most biodiverse areas, the Dzanga-Sangha ecosystem is a puzzle of many landscapes. Rivers, marshlands, deep jungle and streams, Dzanga-Sangha is particularly famous for its Baïs, typical swampy forest clearings holding key nutritional advantages for local species. The Dzanga Baï is perhaps the most famous of all the baïs, attracting large herds of forest elephants – sometimes counting hundreds of pachyderms, happily wallowing in the mineral and pigment-rich clay and soil. Western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees are also a big favourite, as are the very rare and beautiful bongos, sitatunga and an array of unique forest-dwelling herbivores. The spectacular Sangha river runs past the only two lodges of the park. Dzanga-Sangha is a part of the world that remains truly pristine, untouched, wild and filled with astounding levels of biodiversity.
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