South Africa is known as the “World in One Country” and offers the greatest diversity of scenery and experiences in Africa. From beautiful cities like Capetown with its winery areas, Table Mountain and waterfront, to wilderness areas like Kruger National Park with hundreds of beautifully appointed private lodges.

There are activities for everyone including superb shopping, outstanding restaurants, great game viewing in open vehicles, beautiful scenery along the famous Garden route on the south coast east of Cape Town and the widest variety of adventure activities, including shark diving, paragliding, golfing, bush walks and ballooning.

For many years, South Africa has been one of the top best value for money holiday destinations. With the South African Rand being fairly low, it makes South Africa even more attractive to Australian travellers.

South Africa is a country where you really do get the best of both worlds. From cityscapes and panorama routes in Johannesburg to waterfronts and beaches in Cape Town. You’ve got the  gorgeous Franschhoek and Stellenbosch winelands, the outstanding safari lodges and incredible wildlife in Kruger, Sabi Sands and the various other national parks and private reserves.

Accommodation in South Africa is world class and probably the best value for money across Africa. Whether it’s 3, 4 or 5 Star lodges, you will definitely not be disappointed by the service, food or experience of your stay.

Best time to travel
Jan – May / Aug – Dec

Visa required: No

Let us transport you to another world: Egypt, a vast desert cut through by a river valley along which almost all its population lives. It’s a land of enigmatic tombs, splendid temples, oblique hieroglyphs and glorious beaches, famous above everything for its gigantesque pyramids. Dwarfed in equal measure by its epic architecture and impressive history, you’ll be left enthralled.

Cairo
The Egyptians call their capital the Mother of the World. Cairo’s wealth of medieval Islamic architecture has earned it the epithet of City of A Thousand Minarets. Here you will find the Egyptian Museum, almost overflowing with its thousands of priceless antiquities, as well as many of King Tutankhamun’s treasures. The splendid Alabaster mosque was built by the founder of modern Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, in memory of his son. And the Hanging Church of St Mary, Cairo’s most famous Coptic Christian church.

Giza
If travel broadens the mind, this experience will definitely expand it. No one is still quite sure how the ancient Egyptians constructed the architectural wonder that is the Great Pyramids. They were thought to have been built as tombs for the Pharaohs, and their shape, size, carving and meticulous geometry have led some to claim they were built by aliens or angels. Join us in Giza and when you stand in awe of the remaining one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, you’ll find it hard to put into words what you see.

Giza is also home to the Great Sphinx, the oldest known monumental sculpture. At nearly 74 metres long and more than 20 metres high, you’ll witness the world’s largest monolith statue. And we’ll also introduce you to the workers of a traditional Egyptian perfumery, for an insight into the uses of Egyptian plants to produce their fragrances.

Luxor & The River Nile
Prepare yourself for an extra-sensory experience. Home to both the Valley of the Kings and the ruins of the temple complex at Karnak, Luxor is sometimes referred to as the world’s greatest open air museum.

Karnak is the world’s largest ancient religious site and comprises a huge complex of sanctuaries, halls, columns and obelisks dedicated to the Theban gods. It covers more than two square kilometers; its Great Hypostyle Hall alone takes up a staggering 5,000 square meters. And the Temple of Arun is the largest religious edifice ever built. Join us and not only will you have the chance to experience all of this, but we’ll introduce you to the Valley of the Kings, most famous for being the burial place of the boy king Tutankhamun.

Best time to travel
Jan – Mar & Oct – Dec

Visa required: Yes

Kenya and Tanzania are located in East Africa of which has more animals than anywhere else in Africa, and on earth, and is where most of the wildlife documentaries are filmed, particularly during the famous Wildebeest Migration. Each year, millions of wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras leave the bottom of the Serengeti, after dropping their calves, and head north crossing over the Mara River to the Masai Mara, in Kenya, then heading back again.

Generally lodges are bigger, less expensive than Southern Africa, with easy access to the main National Parks and Reserves, on mainly good roads, with opportunities to interact with local villages, and travelling in closed-in and semi closed-in vehicles. It is where Mt Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya are located, ideal for those keen to climb. It is an area suited for all travellers, especially families.

Kenya
A microcosm of Africa, Kenya features more than fifty of the world’s most breathtaking national parks and is home to some of Earth’s most vulnerable wildlife. Truly a country like no other, Kenya is a marvel of wildlife and culture.

One of the many reasons why Kenya such good value for money is the vast open plain National Parks. The Masai Mara for instance is over 1,000km² and is the place to be during the spectacular migration where over a million wildebeest accompanied by Zebra, antelope and various predators make their way across the Mara River.

Even if you’re not there during the migration, the Mara is still a wildlife hub, with strong numbers of elephant, giraffe, hippo and an incredible array of plains game, interspersed with breathtaking sightings such as a lone cheetah perched on a termite mound or a leopard up a tree.

Kenya is so much more than just the Mara, there’s Lake Nakuru, with thousands of flamingos and the only place where it’s virtually impossible not to see a square lipped or round lipped rhino.

While Kenya offers superb wildlife, its important to mention that it also offers gorgeous beaches in Mombasa. Accommodation here is very affordable offering great value.  Mombasa boasts a deep history and offers a great selection of cultural tours.

Kenya’s climate varies from tropical along the coast to temperate inland to arid in the north and northeast parts of the country. The area receives a great deal of sunshine every month, and summer clothes are worn throughout the year. It is usually cool at night and early in the morning inland at higher elevations.

The “long rains” season occurs from March/April to May/June. The “short rains” season occurs from October to November/December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The temperature remains high throughout these months of tropical rain. The hottest period is February and March, leading into the season of the long rains, and the coldest is in July, until mid August.

Best time to travel
Jan – Mar / Mid Jun – Oct

Visa required: Yes

We’ve mentioned a few highlights of Kenya, but there is so much more than this to see and do. It is all very affordable and offers amazing value.

Tanzania
Tanzania is known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences, and Mafia, with a marine park home to whale sharks and coral reefs.

It borders Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south; and the Indian Ocean to the east. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in north-eastern Tanzania.

Approximately 38 percent of Tanzania’s land area is set aside in protected areas for conservation. Tanzania has 16 national parks, plus a variety of game and forest reserves, including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In western Tanzania, Gombe Stream National Park is the site of Jane Goodall’s ongoing study of chimpanzee behaviour, which started in 1960.

Climate varies greatly within Tanzania. In the highlands, temperatures range between 10 and 20 °C during cold and hot seasons respectively. The rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C . The hottest period extends between November and February (25–31 °C) while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C). Annual temperature is 20 °C. The climate is cool in high mountainous regions.

Tanzania has two major rainfall regimes: one is uni-modal (October–April) and the other is bi-modal (October–December and March–May). The former is experienced in southern, central, and western parts of the country, and the latter is found in the north from Lake Victoria extending east to the coast.

Best time to travel
Jan – Mar / Mid Jun – Oct

Visa required: Yes

Mauritius
Mauritius, located off the Coast of Africa, is an ideal place to stop over on the way to or from Africa, as it offers a beach break to relax. It is a beautiful island with resorts that offer glistening white sand beaches, water sports, golf resorts, sumptuous food and wines.

Experiences not to be missed

Grand Baie: The resort town of Grand Baie is renowned for its entertainment and shopping. You can scout for a bargain amongst the Mauritian crafts at the local bazaar.

Ile Aux Cerfs: Famous for its dazzling beaches, beautiful lagoon and crystal clear water, it is one of the most popular destinations in Mauritius.

Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens: Pamplemousses is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. The 300 year old garden is famous for its long pond of giant water lilies. It also features baobabs and 85 varieties of palms.

Best time to travel
Apr – Oct

Visa required: No

Mozambique
Mozambique is one of Africa’s new hot spots, with stunning beaches, excellent diving and magical off shore islands that offer exquisite barefoot luxury resorts. Enjoy snorkelling around the Bazaruto Archipelago, sail on a dhow through mangrove channels or laze under the palms in the Quirimbas Archipelago.

This special beach destination is the perfect accompaniment to your African safari, honeymoon getaway, and with visas (for Australians) now available on arrival, it’s even easier to visit.

Mozambique is a country in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. It is separated from Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city is Maputo.

The country is divided into two topographical regions by the Zambezi River. To the north of the Zambezi River, the narrow coastal strip gives way to inland hills and low plateaus. Rugged highlands are further west; they include the Niassa highlands, Namuli or Shire highlands, Angonia highlands, Tete highlands and the Makonde plateau, covered with miombo woodlands. To the south of the Zambezi River, the lowlands are broader with the Mashonaland plateau and Lebombo Mountains located in the deep south.

Best time to travel
May – Nov

Visa required: Yes

Namibia is possibly the best value for money destination in Africa. This spectacular country with red sand dunes of the Namib Desert, amazing wildlife across all national parks and an incredible night sky filled with stars; Namibia is truly diverse and one of Africa’s best kept secrets.

Unknown as a travel destination to most tourists, Namibia boasts one of the world’s densest wild cheetah populations with over 3,400 out of the 10,000 remaining in the wild, according to Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

The wildlife doesn’t stop at cheetahs; Namibia is also home to elephants, rhinos, Oryx and plenty more animals. The Etosha National Park and Onguma National Park are our top picks for wildlife viewing.

Amongst the Namib Desert there are some of the highest sand dunes in the world, and the best way to experience it all is from above on a scenic hot air balloon ride or light aircraft flight. The desert is so incredibly beautiful, seeing it from above is the only way to cover as much of it as possible in a short time.

There’s so much to see and do in Namibia and its great value for money, you can experience, wildlife, the desert and even incredible culture amongst the Himba Tribe. There is truly no reason why you shouldn’t put Namibia on the top of your bucket list this year.

Best time to travel
Mar – Dec

Visa required: No

Much like Zimbabwe, many people visit Zambia to witness Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders) otherwise known as Victoria Falls.

Approximately 30% of Zambia is reserved for game management and national parks; there are twenty national parks and 34 game management areas across the country.

Our favourite and what we believe to be the best value for money national parks are South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi National Park. Both these parks host an abundance of wildlife and offer superb accommodation.

South Luangwa is home to over 400 bird species and 60 different animal species. It has the highest concentration of game than any other national park in Africa. If you love leopards, South Luangwa is the place to be; there are strong numbers of leopards, and almost everyone that visits sees at least one or two leopards (usually more). It is at South Luangwa where you can go on amazing walking safaris; an experience that can’t be experienced everywhere in Africa; walking through the bush and experiencing the African wilderness in the most natural way: by foot.

Lower Zambezi offers walking safaris, game drives all with expert guides, making your visit that much more special. A visit to Lower Zambezi is of course not complete without discovering the Zambezi River by boat or canoe; marvel at the thirsty elephants at the waters edge, enjoy gorgeous sunsets and enjoy the beauty of this stunning country.

Best time to travel
May – Nov

Visa required: No