Southern Africa: A Kaleidoscope of Landscapes!

Over several centures, this island has been home to a Dutch East India Company penitentiary, a leper colony, a hospital for the mentally ill, a military base, and finally, a maximum-security political prison. It was here that Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years alongside other opponents of the apartheid regime–the last prisoners were not released until 1991. Now a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the location can be visited via organized tours, sometimes hosted by former political prisoners.

Come to the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord, at the entrance to the lake, to observe the biggest mammals on earth. Each year, they return here to feed, between salt water and fresh water. It's impossible to describe the precise moment when you see their tails emerge from the water.

Off the main tourist routes, the Nambiti Private Game Reserve is at the heart of Zulu country. The richness of its landscapes allows you to explore the savannah, bush, plains and mountainous foothills in just one day. All the fauna of South Africa, the giraffes and elephants, lions and leopards, black rhinoceros, seem to have agreed to meet at the site of the famous battle of Elandslaagte.

The landscape around northern KwaZulu-Natal was the stage for numerous bloody conflicts between the Zulu people, the Boers and the British throughout the 19th century. Over 80 battlefields have been identified to date, and they can be revisited through fascinating museums in Talana and Ladysmith, as well as by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Expert local guides act as storytellers, bringing the tensions and battles of the past back to life.

Since the early 1980s, numerous model ship workshops have sprung up in Mauritius. Specializing in the reproduction of historic vessels–everything from caravels to ocean liners–these artisans are now regularly commissioned to create custom replicas of privately owned sailboats and yachts. Using mahogany, teak or ebony, along with fine details like canvas soaked in tea for an aged look and rigging treated with beeswax, the level of finesse is unmatched.