So you’ve seen the Big 5, been awestruck by the Wildebeest Migration and thrilled by Victoria Falls but you’re still crazy about Africa? It’s time to step it up and discover Africa’s secret adventures for experienced safari-goers…
1. Track turtles along the balmy Indian Ocean
Turtles are clumsy on land but acrobatic in the sea – and hundreds of just-hatched youngsters make it their first mission to leave the nest and reach the warm Indian Ocean before they can be swooped up by hungry seagulls. This ancient scene is replayed every year between November and February as turtles return to the beach where they were born – after swimming the length of East Africa!
Watching newly hatched turtles heading for the ocean for the first time is a humbling experience.
AccommodationThonga Beach Lodge
Activities travellers enjoyed:
- Scuba diving
- Snorkelling
- Animal tracking experience
- Bird watching
- Boat excursions
- Cultural Visits
- Guided walks
- Kayaking
- Dune walks & drives
- Local village visits
- Sundowners
2 Dive with whale sharks off Kenya and Zanzibar
These incredible fish – which are longer than a school bus – are playful, tranquil and relaxed, making for incredible underwater encounters. Between October and April they gather off the southern coast of Kenya and around Zanzibar’s islands like Chumbe and Mnemba – both of which are great destinations for snorkellers, too.
Classic gentle giants, whale sharks have been known to show enormous curiosity about scuba divers.
AccommodationManda Bay
From $385 per person sharing
Activities travellers enjoyed:
- Beach activities
- Bird watching
- Boat excursions
- Cultural Visits
- Deep sea fishing
- Fly fishing
- Game drives
- Jogging trails
- Kayaking
- Kite surfing
- Motorised water activities
- Sailing
- Sailing lessons
- Scenic flights
- Snorkelling
- Dhow cruises
- Water-skiing
- Wind-surfing
- Sundowners
- Surfing
- Fishing
AccommodationMnemba Island Lodge
From $1,320 per person sharing
Activities travellers enjoyed:
- Beach activities
- Deep sea fishing
- Scuba diving
- Snorkelling
- Private dining experience
- Yoga
- Kayaking
- Children's activities
3 Trek with camels in Samburu
Get out of the car and onto the… camel? Used as transport for centuries in north Africa, some lodges in Kenya’s under-explored Samburu region, like Saruni Samburu, offer a camelback trek through the golden savannah. With their steady pace and unrivalled ability to withstand heat and thirst, they’re the ideal way to get up close and personal with the sights, sounds and scents of the wilderness, all the while providing a lofty perch for you to scan for far-off game. Game almost seem to recognise camels as 'one of their own' so you can often get close to other animals while on a camel.
4 Chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania
Although mountain gorillas get more high-profile attention, finding a group of playful chimps in the wild is one of the most exciting and intriguing animal encounters you can experience. Chimpanzees are generally more active and vocal than gorillas, and their intelligence and quirky emotions really shine through. Greystoke Mahale and Gombe Forest Lodge are fantastic bases for chimp trekking.
5 Be Inspired by the rock art of the Cederberg
A few hours' drive from Cape Town, the Cederberg is a fertile region of hills and valleys. Within the Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve, there are 130 different rock art sites where you can marvel at the subtle colouring, symbolism and elegance of these ancient paintings. Rock art is our first ‘recorded history’ and seeing these images in their natural wilderness setting truly connects you to our shared human past.
As the saying goes, ‘There is always something new out of Africa.’ She is slowly unfurling her secrets for us, and it’s great to discover them one by one…