Africa

Known as the “Rainbow Nation” because of its diverse population (and 11 official languages), South Africa is also an artist’s palette – from the blaze of colours among flower-filled meadows, to the lush green forests, the tawny-gold grasslands and hues of ocean blues.

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country where its national parks are among Africa’s selection of the finest to choose from. The people are friendly, their music and arts are world-famous, and you just have to see a local festival in full swing to understand that.

For wildlife fans, the excellent national parks are teeming with birds and animals, and boast some of the finest safari camps and lodges in the whole of Southern Africa. There are also a range of activities from white-water rafting to bungy jumping.

Botswana’s wonderful national parks and reserves are home to an amazing variety of wildlife, including elephant, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, hyena, giraffe, hippo and zebra. The variety of areas in Botswana can create a very diverse safari experience all within the same country.

Namibia is a country of abundant sunshine, and a feeling of unconfined space which is a contrasting experience to any other country in Africa. Autumn and spring is when the stunning orange-red sand dunes contrast against blue skies, making Sossusvlei a dream destination for photographers.

Straddling the equator on the east coast of Africa is Kenya, one of the most scenically diverse and striking countries on the continent, also home to the nomadic Masai and Samburu tribal people. Its two major cities are the high-altitude, capital of Nairobi, and the ancient Swahili trading port of Mombasa.

One of the most beautiful countries in Africa to visit and providing home to more than 100 different ethnic groups, Tanzania also offers 6,000 square miles of savannah teeming with wildebeest, gazelles, zebra and their elusive predators. Here is also where you will find the Great Wildebeest Migration.

Uganda is home to the Kibale Forest. This is where chimpanzees have made their home, and you can hear their evocative pant-hoot call any time of the day. Head to Ngamba Island (45 minutes boat from Entebbe), where most of the chimps who were previously confiscated by poachers, now live free and happy.

Appropriately dubbed “The Land of a Thousand Hills”, Rwanda is where you will find grassy highlands, hills and Mt. Karisimbi, the highest of a range of extinct volcanoes in the northwest. Lake Kivu forms part of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa.