If you are a safari lover, a nature lover, a water lover, Malawi must be on your list. And if you are a beach-holiday aficionado, Malawi must be on your list too. Some places and islands on the lake give you a “I am in paradise” feeling, even if the water is not salty. But everything else is crystal blue transparency and warm temperatures, ideal for snorkelling, fishing, canoeing or sailing… Let us not forget to mention the incredible sunsets, the trekking around this beautiful island, the hidden diving spots, the big rocks for a sunbathe and the many other activities you can do here. Mumbo has the tropical vibes one could wish for in sunny destination, and a lodge that feels all things tasteful Africa.

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There are many ways to define winter holidays. And they do not all imply skiing in the mountains. The Finnish lapland is a whole different way to experience the cold months and, yes, you can slide down the slopes too, if you wish. There are lots of unique things one can do in here and they imply being outside, in the flat, great outdoors of this country. Try snowshoeing in the deep, fluffy snow of the most silent frozen forest. Then put on your skis and go cross country in the plains, nothing but white around. Sure, your eyelashes will freeze. And so will the tip of your nose. But everywhere else your body will feel warm, because the properties we work with will dress you well up for the negative temperatures.

One morning you can go slide with the huskies, full speed in the great outdoors and the next day you can go up on your snowmobile and venture far and wide, into the frozen wilderness. Everyday, the white nature awaits you and regardless of how many or few hours of sun you get, there are incredible skies to look at and the inevitable northern lights to chase every night.

Lapland is the most magic destination in the winter, and perfect for all kinds of holiday structures: a family, a group of friends or those who love to just go into a freezing, stunning nature and explore.

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Duma Tau is a luxury lodge situated northern Botswana, right on the border with Namibia. The meaning of the name is “Lion Roar” in Setswana and it fits like a glove to this place - often you will listen to these magnificent cats call at dawn, on both sides of the border, sometimes far out across the water, sometimes excitingly close.

It’s one of our favourite places in Africa, point blank. And we hold very dear memories of being here - memories that spread out across all moments of the day. From waking up before-sunrise, slowly walking into our balcony to salute the first lights, while an elephant quietly browsed next to us. It was also here that we went on game drives where we spotted leopard both in the morning and afternoon ON THE SAME DAY. The going-down-memory-lane could go on and on and on but that would make this intro too long. Although we have to mention that one time war-scenario of wild dogs biting a lone hyena, producing the most loud and painful noises around us.

The lodge location is dreamy. The rooms are beyond. But the adventures outside make this destination one very hard to beat.

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It’s called the Green Kalahari.

It’s the biggest private reserve in South Africa and it’s been a case study worldwide on how a wildlife conservation project can be done successfully. NatGeo speaks about this place and pretty much any famous wildlife student, photographer, scientist and nature lover has been here. People come to this region because of the high chances to see many rare and critically endangered species (and five of the most elusive ones in Africa!). Sure enough, a guest will have incredible sightings of predators and antelopes but what really steals the show here are the incredible immense open landscapes, the unique light (sunsets and sunrises are insane) and the opportunity to see some of the most rare animals of Africa: pangolin, aardvark, aardwolf bat-eared fox, black rhino… not to forget the social meerkats. Also, expect the giraffes, the lions, the endangered wild dogs and, our favorites, the cheetahs. And you can go track them on foot! It’s one place in South Africa that gives you a true sense of space and wilderness.

Be ready to be surprised all the way. And in the most exclusive way too: vehicles are for you only, meaning you choose the activities you are interested in, and they start and end at your own pace and schedule. And when it comes to things to do, besides the unbelievable culinary journey you will have, there are horses to ride and explore the land, trekking options in the mountains, visting prehistoric rock art engravings or the opportunity to spend time in the field with the resident wildlife researchers while looking for animals on foot.

Very few beds, exquisite 3 little luxury camps and the most incredible cuisine experience one can have, signed by a Michelin star chef. But that is part of the other surprises we will plan for you, once you book.

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“I was 14, one summer night, when I watched Out of Africa for the first time. To this day, it’s my favourite movie. I know quotes, pauses, camera angles and full dialogue sentences by heart.

When I woke up the next morning, I sat over for breakfast and told my father I wanted to go to Africa. To this day I remember that conversation well.”

The trip took a little time to come together but it finally happened, a few years later. Kenya was meant to be the destination - but it was summer of 98 and 2 bombs suddenly exploded in both Dar es Salaam and Nairobi’s American embassies, only weeks before our departure. Precautions were put in place and the Masai Mara was replaced by the Kruger National Park. Regardless, it took me one night in the bush to be hooked for life with safaris.

Marta, LovingJune Travels Founder

Fast forward many years and countless more trips to Africa, we finally got our feet in Kenya, eager to follow the story of Karen Blixen, a woman who’s life and work we deeply admire. And we were not disappointed (although no Robert Redford piloting a biplane around).

Kenya starts with Nairobi. We would not necessary book a city-stay to our clients in all the African capitals they land at, only because wildlife experiences happen in the bush. But Nairobi IS different and worth a visit: for starters, as you drive into town you have Nairobi National Park right along the highway, where you can go on daily safaris. So before flying to some of Kenya’s iconic national parks, take some time to explore just outside the airport.

Once in the capital,we like to design an itinerary for our clients - and, among other places they can visit, we ask if they would like to go to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, who rescues and rehabilitates orphan elephants into the wild. We first visited it early June 2017. A year after, we found out that I was there on the same days as Dame Daphhe Sheldrick last birthday: she sadly passed away a few months after. As Marta was reading the news in her flat in London, she thought long about the date coincidence. “That visit in June had me feeling emotional because I was finally going to see a project I cared about for many years (and having read her autobiography too)… It felt as an inner sign: for ages I had been thinking about creating my own travel agency. Not that I wish to follow the footsteps of such iconic people who fought for wildlife conservation all their lives: I just want to take my clients into these places so they eventually get educated, inspired and contribute for some of the most pressing issues in Africa.”

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Let us tell you about this tiny paradise island…

We know you are thinking Maldives, Polynesia, Caribbean and other island-A-listers.

Well no.

Principe is on the Atlantic Ocean, so small you often don’t have it mentioned on maps - something we are happy about.

Those who are curious - and value - visiting a place barely touched by tourists, with virgin beaches, a stunning warm blue sea (not to mention the year-long summer temperature), lush and colourful vegetation and some exquisite places to stay, this island IS for you.

So many things are worth here: the lack of infrastructure in places where it’s not needed (and have you trail down tropical paths to reach some beaches), the wildlife, the size of plants and flowers, the giant turtles you get to see lay hundreds of eggs in the sand, in the middle of the night (SO INCREDIBLE), the old farms that now produce chocolate…

Go on excursions around the island to stop in villages, schools and beaches so that you can interact with local people, everyone being so friendly, joyful and welcoming. Plus everything is wearing pastel colours around: the houses, peoples clothes, the bikes, the food stands, the markets, the flowers and the birds!

The island is deliciously small and worth a week long visit - and you should sleep at least in 2 different places, just because leaving paradise is hard, and there’s too much beauty spreading around here. So try sleeping at the beach and in the jungle. At the end, you will find that your time here was not enough.

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One of the best things of South Africa is the gastronomy and the wine. We also love the exquisite luxury service one gets at many places. Another great thing about this country is the variety of experiences we are able to offer to our clients: think trekking, walking safaris, wildlife conservation engagement activities, a stop at the beach, a beautiful city break in Cape Town, a road trip across the endless coast line, filled with beautiful hotels and great restaurants.

If gastronomy and wine tasting is your thing, South Africa is the place to visit and endulge: not only because we choose beautiful properties for you to stay at but mainly because we will make your foodie ambitions fulfilled: from chefs cooking privately for you to wine tasting visits that will have you want to buy more bottles than those you are allowed to take back home. We build full gastronomy routes, meeting the owners of wineries and visiting cellars behind close doors.

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Welcome to the Santa Claus town (where he actually works!), a city that offers you the best of both worlds: you can expand your energy in the snowy white outdoors by taking a snowmobile or going cross-country skiing but you can also head into the some good restaurants in town and enjoy a lively atmosphere.

We can have you stay right in the middle of the buzz or choose some properties that are distanced from the noise, but close enough to allow you to go shopping, if you wish.

People come here for several reasons: to visit Santa, have dinner or a drink (and even spend a night) at the Ice Hotel, stay at a luxury property to indulge in a sauna after spending time sliding the frozen nature with some energetic huskies.

It’s one of the most famous destinations in the country and it offers many things to do.

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Arguably one of the most iconic lodges in an equally iconic place. Mombo even had a book named after it and a female leopard, named Legadema, who became a movie star. It’s the one place we always wanted to visit, ever since we set my first foot in Africa. So you can understand our excitement and our emotions, the day it finally happened.

It seems that everyone who is a safari-addict knows about Mombo. And we are guessing many will make it so that they will go there, eventually. Indeed, this place is almost a brand on its own right.

No need to go into how beautiful the rooms are, your plunge pools right outside, private living room area, inside and outdoor shower, incredible culinary experience and the ultimate service all day long.

You might want to go to Mombo to explore this luxurious tiny property but we are guessing you will go because there are way too many tales of incredible wildlife sightings in this Chief’s island. It’s the leopards in camp, the wild dogs making a kill in between rooms, the lions bringing down a buffalo in front of the main deck, the endless birding variety…

Sometimes there’s cheetah, now there’s rhino too and then pretty much everything else in abundance. Your safari is almost equally rewarding inside camp or outside, in the surrounding Okavango Delta area.

Our time at Mombo was the most special we ever had on safari, to this day. So much so that I named my dog after it. Mombo means: “The Place of Plenty”, and once you set foot here, you will see why.

It’s one of those journeys where, once you do it, you almost only want to go there. Good problems to have, we would say.

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Our first time in Liwonde was quite an experience. Never had we been in a park so close to a village - you literally take a boat to cross a river and you “hit the city”. It’s a good reminder of the pressing concern about growing populations in places were there is a tentative effort to keep both wildlife and their habitats intact. The feeling we got in Malawi is that crossing that line is a close-call and needs protecting. Although once you are on safari there, you can see how healthy and numerous some species are.

For example, elephants: you see them often and in big, active, loud herds. Liwonde actually hosts some of the healthiest elephant populations in Africa - so healthy indeed that 336 of them were taken out of this national park to another wildlife reserve in Malawi, back in 2016. It was here that we woke up in the middle of the night, stepping out in our balcony, to have our room surrounded by a breeding herd. For over an hour they stayed around us and close, lots of soft rumbling going around while we silently sat in the dark of a moonless night. We were not afraid, not tense, just emotional and excited to be among them.

Not only elephants, but we get some rarities in here too: the shy sable antelope (one of our favourites), and more recently, black rhino (we know!!) cheetahs and lions who were introduced back into the park - after so many years of its lacking of predators or a big 5 full list.

The fact that so much conservation work is being done in this area (to remove snares, activate anti poaching teams and work with local communities to reduce wildlife conflict) is the reason Malawi is becoming an attractive destination for safari lovers.

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If you book your trip to Africa during the northern hemisphere summer time (let’s say August) you are traveling in high season with rather warm days and really cold nights and dawns.

Also, if your vision of Africa includes acacia trees, endless plains, zebras and giraffes, well, try to think beyond those classic images and expectations and let us design you a trip into a continent that has other things to offer and very different landscapes too.

Malawi has the particular ability to offer some of the most rich and complementary experiences one can have when it comes to geography, weather, wildlife, landscapes and African culture.

Let’s start with Niyka National Park, a place that illustrates well what one can not expect to see in Africa: freezing cold weather, fireplace in the room all night, empty hills, lakes in the middle of dry vegetation hills and uniquely allocated antelopes (with some elusive leopards in the mix) living in it. It’s about emptiness, vastness and lots of trekking in the most beautiful surroundings. It is probably our favourite place of Malawi, and the good news is that on the same trip, you can add a paradisiac beach holiday on the turquoise shores of lake Malawi and then go on a full-on safari at Liwonde National Park for more animals and action.

Just make sure you pack winter clothes with real summer clothes because you will need both.

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Gorillas.

Think Rwanda, think Gorillas. And you are in for quite a treat because you have a 100% chance to see them, from quite a close distance.

But apart from gorillas there are other experiences guests can enjoy at Volcanoes National Park, like crossing a dense bamboo forest, visit local communities, get involved in reforestation projects and stay in quite beautiful lodges… Those kind of lodges where luxury has no limits, you know? Think fireplace in your room and bathroom. A bathtub facing the dormant volcanoes. Think heated plunge pool in your room. Spa, wine tasting… The list goes on and on and on.

Rwanda gives you other things too. Go on safari and stay on the shores of beautiful Lake Rwanyakazinga so you can spot those famous African predators, elephants and most other wildlife species. In fact, you can be so lucky to see the Big 5 in the same game drive or… boat safari (this happened to a client of mine this year!). Because, yes, you will be exploring this wilderness region on land AND water.

Finally you must spend some time in Kigali too, because not only the Genocide Museum is a must-see on any itinerary but also because you can get easily immersed in some wonderful culinary experiences and local art buying…

So think gorillas of course but think safari, lots of wildlife and a deep, meaningful immersion into this history and culture of Rwanda.

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It was just a highlight for us to finally head into a Portuguese-speaking Africa.

We knew we were about to love it.

Before spending time in Sao Tomé, we first flew to Principe Island, leaving our stay on this main island for last, which was a good idea.

Walking around town is like being in Portugal. There is not one house or building that doesn’t shout its colonial past, but with the added bonus of being in the water front, just like our hotel: it took us one street-crossing to taste the sea.

We have nothing to say about life on a tropical island: we love the humidity, the ocean smell, the nonchalance. And wether we drive north or south of the capital, the road always zigzags alongside an ocean view. There are SO many incredible beaches to go to, and most have no tourism activity what so ever.

It’s one of those places where you taste the authentic side of travel and do not feel like an outside intruder. Barely anyone speaks english but then at every stop, every old farm, every restaurant, every fisherman town is happy to see you.

Fresh fish can be found all the time, self driving is an option, spend time with children at the beach is rather normal. All those things you will mix and match during your day, wearing a tunic over a bathing suit, and smelling like salted sun… Sao Tomé is that VERY rare combo of perfect climate, stunning geography, soft lifestyle and no tourism intrusion.

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Surrounded by an astonishing scenery of arid beauty, these Geysers are a volcanic geothermal field, where water and steam columns spring up violently from deep under the ground. Set at a height of 4.000 mts, they are the highest geysers in the world.

For one to see the peak of these Geysers activity you need to be there between 5:30 am and 7:30 am, and see the water columns reach up to 10 meters. This is why you must get up really early if you want to enjoy a good spectacle. We also love to then stop at the andean village of Machuca and experience the isolation of these pueblos and how remote people used to live.

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For the adventurers, the adrenaline seekers and those who like the idea to set foot on wild, wild lands. This is a place that calls for the canoes, the safari on foot, the upclose to animals on foot, the silence walks, the hippos all over the place and elephants that come to camp, even to the dining table. This is for those who are comfortable to be immersed in a untamed nature and ready for its surprises. Incredible scenery and landscapes, unique wildlife sightings, some of the best experiences one can have in Africa.

Just saying…

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The thing about Zimbabwe is that it always exceeds any safari expectations. Never full with crowds but always packed with wildlife AND wildlife action. You feel that in some national parks of Zimbabwe you are living inside the National Geographic channel.

Hwange has so much going on, that we recommend it to clients who really want to see lots of animals, everywhere (and showing up from literally), anywhere. We will not linger on the endless herds of elephants who often visit lodges and hang around your room. If only elephants were the only ones you will see all the time…

Be prepared for wild dog action in front of your room’s deck, without you having time to get the camera out and take pictures. Or lionesses sleeping in the plain in front of your breakfast table. And, always a favourite moment, having an elephant coming to drink from the pool while you have a beautiful candlelight dinner right next to it, peaceful energy all around.

It was here that we saw our first kill, a cheetah taking down a wildebeest. It was here also, that we saw for the first time big herds of Eland and the famous Cecil (the lion), to whom we proudly took beautiful pictures while he was still in his prime.

We would say this is a country for true safari lovers, those who value animal sightings above all else. It really is a spectacular choice, one where we like to design trips that combine different national parks and the chance to get some good wildlife action on the waters of the mighty and hippo-crowded zambezi river.

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