Africa Tour
Botswana is one of the best destinations to go to for an awesome safari holiday. The country, which is bordered by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, has one of the most sought after wilderness destinations in the world, the Okavango Delta which is situated deep within the Kalahari Basin, where you can experience big game, lush vegetation and natural beauty at its best.
Learn more about the inhabitants of Southern Africa with the exploration of rock painting and villages of the San people as well as the Hambukushu at the the Tsodilo Hills.
Botswana offers an array of accommodation for tourists, ranging from luxury lodges to budget guesthouses and camping grounds. Stay at the &Beyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp from only $960 per person per night and the Chobe Game Lodge at the Chobe National Park.
For more information on accommodation, visit the Botswana Tourism website. Visa requirements should be checked with Botswana embassies, consulates travel agents before departure. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required from visitors from areas infected with yellow fever.
A drive to Gaborone from Johnnesburg covers 374km should you opt to travel by road, and a flight from Windhoek to Gaborone can be booked via Air Namibia. Flights from Harare, Zimbabwe to Gaborone can be booked via Air Botswana from $431.
Kenya is an East African paradise filled with abundant wildlife, mountains, flora, fauna and islands. It’s an ideal destination for family holidays, and the best time to visit is between October and March. Enjoy the tranquil island of Lamu, where you can enjoy rolling dunes, endless beaches and narrow bustling streets where no vehicles are present. Tucked away behind the dunes of the island are yoga wellness retreats where you can go individually or join a group yoga retreat to reconnect with yourself, nature and the universe. The island is rich with friendly people nestled among coconut and mango plantations, with dhow ferries being a truly island paradise method of transportation upon arrival from Manda Island.
Malindi and Watamu are just as breath-taking with best of tropical beaches, pearly white sands and relaxing hideaways. The islands boast with spectacular coral reefs and diversity of marine life, as well as the historic Gede Ruins in Watamu for a touch of the island’s history. For the traveller who is wild at heart, immerse yourself in bird watchers’ paradise of Lake Nakuru and enjoy the wildlife sights at the courtyard of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Amboseli National Park.
Popular hotels to stay at include Diani Place with a start price of $84, Shella Royal House in Lamu with a start price of $151 and Loyx Mara Luxury Lodge with starting price of $308 if you’ll be in the Masai Mara region.
A further variety of accommodation tailored to your specific budget can be found on the Tourism Kenya website. Fly to Lamu from Nairobi, Mombasa, Diani Beach and Malindi at a cost ranging from $198 to $331 via Air Kenya, and a flight to Watamu and Malindi will cost from $231.
A visa is required prior entry into the country and you can apply and pay for it online. The cost starts from $50. Tourists who do need a visa for a stay of 30 days of less in Kenya include tourists from Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, South African, Tanzania, Burundi, Seychelles, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Travellers who want to visit Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda simultaneously can apply for an East Africa Tourist Visa at a cost of $100. Kenya’s official language is Swahili and words and phrases to know are available on the tourism site so that travellers are able to communicate with locals. Planning for your trip and bookings can be done via the Tourism Kenya site or via a travel agent.
#3 Lesotho
Africa’s mountain kingdom boasts an array of majestic mountains adorned with the best that nature has to offer. Visiting Lesotho is best for couples or a group of friends who want to immerse themselves in nature.
Lesotho’s main attractions are its beautiful parks and reserves, those being the Sehlabathebe National Park, Ts’enhlanyane National Park and Bokong Nature Reserve. Sehlabathebe National Park boasts with rolling grassland, wildflowers and prolific bird life (including the bearded vulture) and the odd rhebok. At the national park, you’ll be able to visit the Sani Pass, which is world heritage site that sits high on the Drakensberg escarpment on the border between South Africa and Lesotho, is 2874 metres above sea level.
Ts’enhlanyane National Park is located deep in the front range of the Maluti Mountains at the foot of the Holomo Pass, and boasts an array of wildlife, birds and flora that make for a perfect all-nature getaway. Bokong Nature Reserve is perched on the edge of a 100 metre cliff overlooking the magnificent Lepaqoa Waterfall and Valley, and is perfect for hiking and relaxation.
When visiting the Ts’enhlanyane National Park, stay at the beautiful Maliba Mountain Lodge, and choose to stay at the 5 star mountain lodge chalets (price from $135), the 3 star self-catering river lodge lodge (price from $22 per person) or the 3 star riverside huts (price from $84). At Sehlabathebe National Park, choose between the Sehlabathebe National Park Heritage Lodge or the Sani Lodge, both with accommodation starting at $10. where rooms start at $6.
Lesotho has a list of countries that do require a visa and those that don’t. See the list here or visit a Lesotho embassy in your country for more information. The currency used in the country is called ‘loti’ (plural would be ‘maloti’) and is at the fixed value of the South African Rand. ATMs are only available in Maseru.
South African tourists can drive down to Lesotho, and the preferred border post to go through would be the Maseru Bridge and Maputsoe/Ficksburg Border Posts as they are open 24 hours a day. Travellers from the SADC region can take a flight to Maseru, which will take an average flight time of over an hour. Flight costs range from $530 to $759.
#4 Morocco
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