Located on South Africa’s Highveld plateau, Johannesburg is a fast-paced, creative city shaped by gold-rush history, cultural diversity and constant reinvention. Its atmosphere is energetic and urban, with contemporary galleries, rooftop bars and leafy suburbs existing alongside powerful reminders of the country’s past. Visitors can explore the Apartheid Museum, tour Soweto’s historic streets or browse vibrant markets and design spaces in neighbourhoods such as Maboneng. The city’s soundtrack shifts from lively jazz and amapiano beats to the hum of busy streets, while the scent of grilled street food drifts through open-air cafés and market stalls. Johannesburg rewards travellers who engage with its complexity and culture, though its size, traffic and contrasts mean it is best experienced with some planning and local insight.
Located between the Chobe National Park and the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana, the 200 000-hectare Khwai Conservancy is an enthralling place of wild landscapes and abundant wildlife. The plentiful Khwai River running through the park and dense Mopani forests in the interior provide the perfect home for numerous animals, and the incredible scenes of animals drinking from the river allow for superb photography opportunities. Visitors can look forward to seeing large elephant herds, and spotting lions, leopards and hyenas quite easily. Other species include wild dog, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, lions, cheetahs, leopard, hyenas, hippos, Kudu, Tsessebe, and reasonably rare Roan and Sable. Hiking, game drives, guided walks, spa treatments, and open-air camping are just some of the activities on offer.
As the largest island in the Seychelles, Mahé combines granite peaks, dense tropical forest and curved beaches washed by the warm Indian Ocean. The island’s coastal roads wind past fishing villages, market stalls and quiet coves, while Morne Seychellois National Park offers hiking trails through misty hills scented with cinnamon and wet earth. Offshore reefs and calm bays create excellent conditions for snorkelling, diving and boat excursions, with clear water revealing coral gardens and bright tropical fish beneath the surface. In Victoria, colourful Creole influences shape the food, music and daily life, giving the island a more lived-in atmosphere than some of Seychelles’ smaller resort islands. Mahé balances natural beauty with local character, though travel between beaches can involve steep, winding roads.
Just a one-hour flight south of Mahé, in the outer islands of the Seychelles, lies the breathtakingly beautiful private island of Alphonse. This mile-long coral island forms part of a pristine, untouched atoll which is surrounded by expansive hard white-sand flats and is renowned for providing some of the world’s best fly and deep-sea fishing opportunities. Due to its crystal-clear warm waters, unbleached and largely untouched corals, great visibility and a diverse range of marine life, the island also makes an excellent destination for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. Other popular activities include stand up paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, tennis, nature walks, bird watching, cycling or simply relaxing on the island’s idyllic palm-lined beaches surrounded by exquisitely lush natural forests.
