Reader, we just spent two months exploring the wilderness of Kenya, Namibia, Angola, and Botswana (next up is Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini), and we are buzzing from the experience. Most people think a trip to Africa is reserved for the wealthy, but we can tell you first-hand that it doesn’t have to be (just see our $100 safari). While we’d still highly recommend splashing out for conservation-focused safari camps with incredible hospitality (like those below), adding in local offerings will not only cut your budget in half but also double your connection to Africa. What made this trip so special is that we experienced the full range of travel, from five-star safaris to locally owned guesthouses, even hitchhiking in between them. We trusted our gut and the kindness of the African people, and it yielded one unforgettable memory after the next.

Why did we traverse Africa from top to bottom? It has some of the world’s best glamping destinations—the topic of our next book! While Africa might be lagging on some UN development indicators, its outdoor hospitality industry has a century head start on the rest of the continents. African safari camps were glamping long before it was even a word, and they have perfected luxury in the wild, offering heart-pumping adventures without breaking a sweat. The safari industry is also one of the most mindful of the environment and local communities, and giving back is an unspoken requirement for success.

As people who genuinely believe tourism can be a force for positive change, we were overwhelmed by how many awe-inspiring safari camps there were to choose from. In the end, we stayed at eight properties and can't wait to share them with you! From staying in a Relais & Châteaux treehouse in the Maasai Mara to a biking safari in the world's oldest desert, this newsletter is going to get wild.
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Kenya Conservation Safari

Kenya’s Maasai Mara is arguably the world’s greatest safari destination. The acacia-dotted savanna offers a daily wildlife special starring 2.5 million herbivores and apex predators, showcasing the circle of life in all its drama. We had the privilege of staying at two Great Plains Conservation Camps, founded by National Geographic Explorers at Large, Beverly & Dereck Joubert, with a mission to conserve the African wilderness and elevate local communities.

We started our Kenya trip at Mara Expedition Camp. As luxe as it was, we loved its adventurous and laid-back vibes–from biking safaris with picnic sundowners to swimming in their 1950s truck-turned-plunge pool. Game drives in the Mara were non-stop action, with lion prides on the hunt and elephant herds gathering around our open-air vehicle. And when it came to experiencing Maasai culture and the ways that Great Plains supports the community, we were just as impressed. Joining the Naboisho Women’s Craft Centre for a jewelry-making lesson, visiting a school, and planting a tree at the Conservation Roots nursery, we got to know the people who make this place so special and the various projects that uplift them.

Battle Royale: Mama Giraffe vs 9 Lions Watch a mother giraffe take on a lion pride to defend her newborn’s life in a three-round brawl. And don’t discount this baby giraffe—he is tough as nails! Let the battle begin!

Best of the Mara A hippo sprinting across the road, a family of 25 elephants surrounding our car, and a pride of lions leading us on a warthog hunt, our Mara Toto Tree Camp safari was nonstop action by day and utter luxury by night. See our fave safari pics

The World's Oldest Desert & Namibia’s Most Inspiring Camp

In our 14 years covering sustainable travel, we have never seen an example as awe-inspiring as Wolwedans. What started as a simple camp in the Namib Desert in the 1990s has evolved into four eco-lodges on 518,00 acres of protected wilderness. We had the joy of staying at Dune Camp and Desert Lodge, each with sweeping views of the mountains, a sea of red sand, and their twinkling International Dark Sky (one of just two on the entire continent). Days were packed with adventures, from fat biking to nature walks with San Bushmen. Along the way, we found zebra, oryx, and the beauty of The Oldest Desert on Earth.

Wolwedans makes the good life seem effortless, but go behind the scenes, and they are working tirelessly to make this place a beacon of sustainability. At the core of the team is the Desert Academy, a scholarship program that has trained over 300 young Nambians in hospitality and horticulture in this living classroom. With their permaculture farm, solar power, water treatment plant, and artisan workshop, Wolwedans is servicing every imaginable need of a luxury lodge at near-zero environmental impact, and helping other lodges do the same.

After 30 years of hard work, Wolwedans could congratulate themselves for conserving half a million acres of wilderness or raising $1.7 million for charity, but they are just getting started!

Angola: Uncharted Tourist Territory

Traveling to Angola was a total wild card. All we really knew was that this southern African country was a Portuguese colony for 400 years and was embroiled in a decades-long civil war until 2002. To plan this trip, we figured we’d get to the border town of Rundu, Namibia, and gather some local intel on traveling to the neighboring town of Calai, Angola…but we couldn’t find anyone who had been! Google Maps made it seem like you had to drive eight hours out of the way to cross the river, and Booking.com pulled up zero results for hotels…but this only made us more curious and eager to explore Angola!

We took the footbridge across the Okavango river border into the great unknown of Southern Angola, and hopped on a moto taxi until we found a guesthouse–and a fantastic one at that! We took a dugout canoe trip that even the maritime police were skeptical about, and it turned into an incredible adventure for us and the fisherman who had never taken tourists before. The rugged Calai village was an adventure enough, but we didn’t want to leave Angola without exploring the countryside. We found a guy with a 4x4 pickup truck (a total rarity in town) and asked if he wanted to go on a road trip. It turned into a 10-hour excursion, with a special stop to meet the regional queen, sunset beers over the river confluence, and an invaluable cultural exchange.

We came to Angola with zero expectations (even a few jitters) but were met with pure kindness and unbridled adventure…exactly what we dream of in travel!
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Botswana's UNESCO Wonders

Botswana has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but there wasn’t a great way to combine the best of the country’s wilderness and ancient culture…until this new Desert & Delta trip!

Starting in the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s most pristine and unique wetlands, we cruised through the river of grass and lilies to Nxamaseri Island Lodge. With rooms connected by boardwalks over the water and through the forest canopy, this historic lodge is in total harmony with nature. Waking up to a chorus of hippos, we’d go on safari each day by flat-bottom boat or mokoro canoe through the flooded land. Our guide and river bushman, Nine, taught us the ways of the delta—from the many uses of water lilies to spotting the elusive sitatunga antelope.

While there is plenty of wildlife in the Okavango Panhandle, its real beauty lies in its access to age-old cultures. This brings us to our second UNESCO World Heritage Site…Tsodilo Hills, one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world! Known as the Louvre of the Desert, The Land of the Gods…Tsodilo Hills is where 4,500 ancient paintings are packed into 10 square kilometers. Going back 20,000 years, the San Bushmen are the primary artists, illustrating scenes of their lives as hunters and gatherers and the shamanic visions that guided their way. It’s remarkable that the color and detail of the art haven’t faded away…and neither have the artists.

In collaboration with the local San tribe, Desert & Delta created the Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out as a launchpad for cultural exchange. Inspired by the Bushmen’s traditional dwellings, conical twig huts were simple yet elegant accommodations. Dinner was cooked over the fire with ingredients that the San might hunt and gather. And our time around the fire was filled with storytelling through song and dance, against the backdrop of Botswana’s most sacred mountain. We watched in awe, thinking about the tens of thousands of years of tradition that went into each step and what a privilege it was to share even one grain in the sands of time with the oldest living culture in Africa.

Chobe Safari—for a steal!

The tourism industry wants you to believe that an African safari should run you $1,000 a night. But we just booked a 2-day safari experience on the fly through our guesthouse in Botswana's legendary Chobe National Park for $95! That price included a game drive, riverboat sunset safari, dinner, lodging, and national park fees...and we had the same wildlife sightings as any luxury outfitter. That's the thing, wild animals don't do a special dance for rich people. If elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos, and other big game are out and about, any decent local guide will know how to find them for epic encounters.

Now, this is not to discredit the many virtues of top-notch lodges; we just want ALL wildlife lovers and travelers to know that…if you want the unforgettable experience of an African safari, it’s within your reach!

Morocco: The Flipside of Africa

Initially, we were a bit nervous about going to Morocco. We had no doubt it would be beautiful with its Sahara dunes, ancient cities, and dreamy riad hotels, but we had heard enough shady stories of medina mishaps that we weren't sure it was worth the hassle. Well, after two weeks traveling across Fes, Merzouga, Ouarzazate, and Marrakesh, we didn't encounter a single unsavory character!

From an artist in Aït Benhaddou, who gifted us an extra painting after we supported his work, to a random plane passenger who bravely ferried our confiscated drone from Fes to the Marrakesh airport and wouldn’t accept a dime (that’s its own crazy story; watch here) …the spirit of the Moroccan people shines bright. Not to mention, their legacy of artistic talents can make a typical house feel like a palace and turn a mud village into a UNESCO wonder. So, whether the bad stories we’d heard about Morocco were blown out of proportion or not, this trip reminded us to never judge a place on hearsay, and always arrive with an open mind and heart. With that, you will find good in every place!

Travel with love,
Mike & Anne