I've been on two African safari trips. Both involved glamping but on completely different budgets.
25.02.2024 - 13:27 / nationalgeographic.com
The setting for arguably South Africa’s most scenic road trip, the Garden Route runs for 125 miles along the country’s southern coast, from Mossel Bay (about 240 miles east of Cape Town) east to Storms River. The ocean-hugging N2 road — as it’s more prosaically known — cuts between sandy beaches, pretty towns and dense patches of indigenous forest, with the Outeniqua Mountains a short distance inland. A road trip along it allows for experiences that range from adrenaline-pumping bungee jumps to leisurely wine tastings, and a plate of oysters at a waterside restaurant rounding off the perfect day.
Mossel Bay is something of an adventure hub, home to a zip-line that extends over the ocean — at 3,773ft, the longest of its kind in the world — and the chance to sandboard down the 1,148ft-long Dragon Dune, South Africa’s largest. It’s not all adrenaline-drenched escapades though. There’s evidence of Middle Stone Age human inhabitation at the Point of Human Origins archaeological site, including tools dating back 160,000 years. From here, you can take a detour inland to the Outeniqua Mountains, which run along the southern coast, with options for day hikes.
It’s a 50-minute drive to the tiny town of Wilderness. The beach here is a long sweep of platinum-blonde sand backed by frothing waves in which dolphins play. The Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park is a protected area of indigenous forests and coastal rivers and lakes. At the Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp, guests can rent a canoe to paddle down the Touws River, looking out for fish eagles and the half-collared kingfisher. There’s also a walking trail dedicated to the latter and one to an Outeniqua yellowwood tree thought to be over 800 years old.
The lagoon-side town of Knysna, 40 minutes from Wilderness, is a popular holiday destination for South Africans and visitors from further afield. Whale-watching season, when southern right and humpback whales can be seen along the coast, runs from June to November. Another major draw is food, mainly seafood — oysters being a speciality. The waterfront restaurant, wine shop and deli, 34 South, serves both wild and cultivated oysters in a host of ways, from ceviche to panko fried. Other ocean-view restaurants worth trying are Tapas & Oysters, for seafood and tapas-style dishes, and O Pescador, for South African-Portuguese cuisine, including grilled sardines.
Half an hour from Knysna is Plettenberg Bay, another well-established holiday town. There’s great accommodation here, including The Plettenberg, a boutique hotel with ocean-facing pools and direct beach access. Outside town, there’s the chance to sample cool-climate Sauvignon Blancs and sparkling Méthode Cap Classique (traditionally made
I've been on two African safari trips. Both involved glamping but on completely different budgets.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will take delivery of a new Super Ship, the S.S. Emilie, in 2026. The ship will sail in Europe.
Few things at a hotel are as luxurious as access to your own private pool.
The World Travel Awards are some of the travel industry’s most prestigious accolades, and the winners in the European categories have been crowned at the thirty-first edition of the ceremony in Berlin. Leaders in tourism, airline, hotel and hospitality sectors are all included in the programme, but it’s the destinations themselves that we’re most excited about. And claiming the award for Europe’s next emerging destination, a title won by Batumi in Georgia for the last five years, it was Braga, a city not too far from the coast nestled in north-western Portugal.
Digital nomadism has shot up in popularity recently. While many destinations have simple citizenship requirements in place, the country a person hails from can still significantly impact their travel opportunities.
Let's assume you're planning a trip to Europe and want to include a visit to the United Kingdom. Should you plan to visit London at the start, in the middle or at the end of your trip? Does it even matter?
For those looking for a wild adventure on their next vacation, the editors of Forbes Travel Guide have rounded up some of the best lodges where guests can enjoy exotic animals in their natural habitats. From Tanzania to Texas, here are 14 luxury wildlife hotels featuring giraffes and jaguars—and a Noah’s ark of creatures.
United Airlines passengers will have new and expanded nonstop options starting this year as the carrier beefs up its already gigantic international network.
United Airlines is in international expansion mode once again.
United Airlines will become the only carrier to fly nonstop to Marrakech from the United States in October, part of a larger international expansion from the airline.
What makes one passport more powerful than another? The best-known passport ranking, from London-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners, focuses solely on visa-free travel. Essentially, the more countries a citizen can visit without a visa, the better. In that ranking, six nations—France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain—tie for the top position, with 194 visa-free destinations apiece. (In 2024, the U.S. is tied for sixth, with 189.)
The World Travel Awards celebrates the best in the tourism and hospitality industries every year. This year, travel professionals and the public selected the nominations for the best new hotels in Europe that offer the ultimate destinations for travelers.