31 March 2023

I was watching Ben Fogle’s New Lives in the Wild last night and it was about a British family who have set up a camp in Zambia. Years ago, I visited Zimbabwe a couple of times, and in those days Zambia was very under developed. How things have changed since then. Making the Conde Naste Traveller Gold list this year (2023) is the Time + Tide King Lewanika Lodge in Liuwa Plain National Park. This reserve was one of the earliest protected areas in Africa, let alone Zambia, and as a result this lodge, the only permanent camp in the national park, feels like a privileged perch from which to take in the surrounding wildlife. There are only six rooms (called villas) and one accommodates families having two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The design is luxurious whilst being authentic with natural materials and muted cotton tones. There are indoor and outdoor showers and decks overlooking the plains. With award winning guides, the second largest wildebeest migration, magnificent birdlife, a growing cheetah population and the famed Lady Liuwa lion pride, the opportunities for wildlife encounters are great. They offer day or night game drives, walking safaris, canoeing safaris and after a day of adventure you can relax on your deck and watch that the famous Africa sunset. This lodge can be combined with a trip to Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and other areas in the safari circuit in this region. For more information about safari holidays, please get in touch.

26 August 2022

I first visited Mauritius a few years back when I hosted a British Airways Holidays press trip with Tom Parker Bowles. I remember then the white sand, the aqua blue warm water of the Indian Ocean and the luxurious hotels. In those days being more into trekking and adventure travel, it was by far the most upmarket place I had ever been, and I really quite liked it. Fast forward to 2022, and a time when the family were seriously craving the far flung and exotic, and it felt like the right time to return. It is technically winter in Mauritius in July, but the temperature never really dropped during the day below 24C. An extra layer in the evening was needed, and after a heatwave in the UK that made it impossible to sleep, I welcomed this contrast. I chose to stay on the west coast, as the winds are lighter, and it is better for snorkelling than other areas of the island at this time of year. The colonial style Sugar Beach hotel was a great choice as even though being one of the bigger resorts and they claimed 95% full, it never felt that busy other than at peak mealtimes. The sun loungers on the beach and at the pool were plentiful, and the complimentary water sports offered at the sister hotel Le Pirogue, a great bonus. My husband Ben who was a keen sailor in his youth had hours of fun on the catamaran, which he claimed was one of the highlights of his holiday. It was very tempting to wile away the days by the pool or at the beach in this tropical paradise, but my Lonely Planet guide indicated that it was well worth venturing out. Being at most an hour’s drive in any direction to the key sights and the fact that they drive on left, meant that hiring a car was a no-brainer. We started with the Black River Gorges National Park, a mountainous rainforest with 50km of magnificent hiking trails. This makes up roughly 5% of the island and is all that is left of the indigenous forests and native species. The trails are well marked, and you can make a detour to the Ganga Talao (also known as Grand Bassin), the most sacred Hindu site on the island and a place of pilgrimage. Another ‘must do’ hike is Le Morne Brabant, with a summit of 556m and stunning views of the coral reef along the coast. If you have ever seen the famous shot of the underground waterfall, this is the mountain that overlooks it. The last part of the hike is a little treacherous and a guide is recommended, and if you can make it to the top, the views are absolutely spectacular. Our hotel was near the town of Flic en Flac, and our search for local food was rewarded by the Roti Aka Vinoda, a pop-up shack offering roti’s filled with veg or fish for as little as 20 rupees each (40p). This became a regular haunt for us at lunchtimes, with the only downside being the queues of locals and tourists who were also in on the secret. It wouldn’t be a holiday to Mauritius without a boat trip and we splashed out on a speed boat on the west side starting in Flic en Flac, where we were very privileged to have the chance to swim with wild dolphins. Seeing the kids joy and excitement at being able to do something so special was a real treat. My son even managed to capture it all on the gopro. If diving is your thing, it is world class here and being surrounded by coral reef, the snorkelling great too. Mark Twain once wrote that “Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and heaven was copied after Mauritius.” This really was two weeks of paradise and beyond the stunning beaches and luxury hotels, there is so much more to experience without having to venture every far at all. For more information on holidays in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean, please get in touch.

04 July 2022

I first heard about Namibia from a couple of South African airline pilots I met in the gardens of a hotel in Victoria Falls, when I was working for an overseas charity. Their talk of bright orange sand dunes as far as the eye could see, inspired me to change my honeymoon plans from a trip to Arizona, to an African adventure across Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe. I still have the low-resolution video of me sitting at the top of Dune 45 looking over a vast desertscape, a view so staggering beautiful, it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it now. This was 1998, a time well before iPhones and sharp and vibrant imagery, but looking back at it now takes me back to the wonder of seeing such an incredibly breath-taking vista for the first time. On that trip we visited the Sossusvlei area, six hours drive south of Windhoek and stayed in the Kulala Desert Lodge, where each luxury tent had the added bonus of an open roof terrace, so you could sleep under the stars. We drove all the way in a Toyota Corolla which was no mean feat, considering we were on gravel roads, as soon as we left the city. Visiting this Mars like oasis was the highlight of our honeymoon, and I knew then that one day I would be back to explore further. Fast forward 20 years and armed with two teenagers, it was time to return for our anniversary and introduce our kids to this magical place. Namibia is the largest country in southern Africa but has a population of only 2.5 million people, and beyond the city, you can literally drive for hours and not see another person. If you like escapism and being off the beaten track, Namibia has it in bucket loads and surprisingly, it is incredibly easy to get around. Self-drive is the norm and this time we upgraded from our 1990’s saloon to a 4X4 Ford Ranger (non-negotiable for my teenage son), which meant that when visiting the sand dunes, we could get much further into the park. Dead Vlei was a must. This highly photographed white clay pan with iconic dead trees that met their demise 600-700 years ago, have to be seen to be believed. There really is nowhere on earth quite like it. Running down from of the top of the 325 meter dune, aptly named Big Daddy, was an adventure in itself. I do not think the kids have ever laughed so much watching their dads’ arms and legs flailing as he rolled down the near vertical drop. A true comedy moment. These are the shared moments that make a holiday. This trip was packed to the brim with new experiences; tracking the desert elephants in Damaraland, kayaking with seals in Swakopmund and the captivating waterhole at Okaukuejo in Etosha National Park, which was like watching an episode of Planet Earth, the wildlife was so constant and prolific. I spent most of the two days in the viewing area, watching the changing scenery: the dynamics between the herds of elephants, giraffes, hippos, and zebras. The pecking order and politics of the waterhole. I had no sense of time at all. This is what travelling is all about. The stunning lodges that we stayed in and the experience they offered, is a blog post for another day. There is so much more I could say about this absolutely wonderful country, which is often overlooked by those seeking a safari adventure. I don’t often like to go back to places, but I am far from done with Namibia. If it had not been for Covid, we would have been back again last year, celebrating our big birthdays. This is a destination that has been part of the important celebrations in my life, and is in fact a celebration in itself… of everything I love in a travel adventure. For expert advice and inspiration in planning your next holiday adventure, please get in touch via email, phone or social. Please see my details at the top of the page.