Destinations in Africa
Fifty-four official countries. One continent. Infinite ways to be changed by it.
Most people think they know which parts of Africa they want to visit but they may not grasp the enormity of its geography and logistics to move around efficiently and safely. So when they talk to us, everything becomes clear.
Africa isn’t one place. It’s a continent with 54 countries and we currently specialise in 24. So as you can imagine, the diversity is staggering. Landscapes, cultures, wildlife, history and human experience – and the version of it that will move you most deeply might not be the one you’ve already imagined.
We don’t send people to places we haven’t been
Every destination we offer is one we know personally through our own travels, through the partners we’ve spent years building relationships with, and through the clients we’ve sent there and debriefed on their return.
We will tell you honestly when a destination isn’t right for what you’re looking for. We’ll also tell you when somewhere you haven’t considered might be exactly what you need. That kind of honest, experienced guidance is what separates a specialist from a booking platform.
Africa is vast, complex and constantly evolving. Navigating it well, knowing which conservancy is genuinely protecting its ecosystem, which camps have the best locations, and which guides have the knowledge and the character to unlock a place for you, takes decades of attention.
We’ve been paying that attention since 2009 as Encompass Africa, and way before that in our individual careers as safari guides, tour leaders, Africa specialists, travellers and citizens. On top of that, we go back every year.
We love sharing what we’ve discovered.
East Africa
Where the great drama of the natural world plays out on an epic stage
East Africa is where so many people fall in love with the continent for the first time, and for good reason. This is the Africa of the Great Migration, of the Masai Mara and the Serengeti, of Kilimanjaro rising above the clouds and the Nile threading its way through ancient civilisations.
It is a region of extraordinary scale and variety, from the tribal cultures of Ethiopia’s highlands to the spice-scented shores of Zanzibar.
Southern Africa
Wilderness, wonder and the world’s most diverse safari landscapes
Southern Africa rewards the curious traveller with an almost bewildering richness of experience. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is unlike anywhere on earth, a vast inland oasis teeming with life.
Zimbabwe’s walking safaris put you inside the landscape rather than observing it from a distance. Namibia stretches into desert and shadow that makes the concept of scale feel entirely new. And South Africa offers the rare combination of world-class wildlife, extraordinary cuisine and one of the most beautiful coastlines on the planet.
Central Africa
The road less travelled – and the rewards that come with it
Central Africa is for those who seek something beyond the familiar. The ancient forests of Uganda and Rwanda hold the mountain gorillas.
The Congo Basin, one of the last great wilderness areas on earth offers lowland gorilla encounters of extraordinary rarity. São Tomé and Príncipe sits in the Gulf of Guinea like a secret, its volcanic landscape and Creole culture unlike anything else in Africa.
These are not easy destinations. They are profound ones.
North Africa
There Africa meets the ancient world.
North Africa is a different continent entirely, and that is precisely its appeal. Egypt’s antiquity is staggering in its depth and its physical presence. Morocco moves between medieval medina and Saharan silence with an ease that is uniquely its own.
These are destinations that connect beautifully with a safari further south, completing a journey that spans the full breadth of what Africa contains.
Indian Ocean
Where the safari ends and the shore begins
The islands of the Indian Ocean are the natural companion to an African safari, a place to decompress, to let the experiences settle, and to simply be somewhere extraordinarily beautiful. Mauritius and the Seychelles offer world-class luxury in spectacular natural settings.
Madagascar is unlike anywhere on earth. It’s an island that evolved in isolation for so long that the majority of its wildlife exists nowhere else. Zanzibar wraps its spice-scented streets and powder-white beaches around a Swahili culture of quiet depth and warmth.
And then there’s Mozambique and its magical coastline and archipelagoes of islands. Ok we also have it under Southern Africa where it’s geographically located… but it’s always worthy of consideration if you’re keen to explore the Indian Ocean islands and coastline.
