Southern Africa and its idyllic islands

Here, going on safari helps support wildlife conservation and local communities. Conceived by the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation, this experience introduces you to several conservation projects underway in the Madikwe Reserve. You'll help track and tag rhinos and big cats, and meet with researchers dedicated to preserving the local ecosystems. The program also includes a visit to a school in the nearby village of Molatedi. A minimum stay of four nights is required to take full advantage of all the activities offered.

From the moment they enter this museum, visitors are deeply moved, with one entrance reserved for "white" people, and the other for "non-whites." In Afrikaans, the word apartheid means ‘separation’–the entrance brings an immediate reminder of the discrimination and violence that defined South Africa between 1948 and 1991. Having opened in 2001, this powerfully compelling museum explains the system and implementation of racial segregation. An experience that is essential yet unsettling in equal measure.

Classified as a global conservation priority by the World Wildlife Fund, the Anjajavy Peninsula is one of the planet's last remaining pristine wildernesses, and the ideal place to observe the island’s endemic reptiles and birds in their natural habitat. Marked trails starting from the lodge allow you to explore its wild coves, mysterious caves and tsingy rock formations. Treat yourself to an idyllic escape in Madagascar’s remarkably preserved natural beauty.

Unique to Madagascar, lemurs arrived on the island from Africa over 60 million years ago. Today, around a hundred different species characterise these protected primates. Although wild, they are remarkably tame, and can often be approached in their natural habitat. The well-preserved Anjajavy Peninsula is home to numerous species, including the brown lemur and the white-and-brown-coated sifaka, known for its acrobatic leaps.

Built in 1904 by Ali bin Hamud, the eighth Sultan of Zanzibar, the island’s oldest market characterises the full vibrancy of the archipelago, with stalls piled high with fragrant spices, meat and fish, exotic fruits and baskets of live chickens. A must-visit destination best experienced in the early morning before exploring the city’s charming alleyways and admiring the historic Maison des Merveilles (or ‘House of Wonders’).

Once off-limits to the public due to its status as a military zone, Chumbe Island and its reef waters have remained remarkably shielded from human activity. A private nature reserve since 1994, it is home to Tanzania’s first marine park. Dominated by a large white lighthouse, the 54-acre island is surrounded by an exceptional coral reef where visitors can now dive and look out for hawksbill turtles, dolphins and some 370 different species of fish.

The waters around Mauritius are home to some 67 destination dive sites, where shipwrecks, tropical fish, sharks, caves and coral reefs make the island an ideal destination for fans of snorkeling and scuba diving. Among the most renowned sites are the majestic ‘La Cathédrale’ caverns, near Flic en Flac on the west coast; the wreck of the Stella Maru, a Japanese cargo ship sunk in 1987 near Trou aux Biches to the north; and the wreck of the HMS Sirius, a 19th-century British ship that south of Mahébourg on the south-east coast.