Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel

Prepare your Lion King-loving heart and pack your bags for a stay at the recently opened Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel. It might not have a catchy name, but it is the place where luxury meets the wildest adventure of your life – anything you post on Instagram post your stay here is guaranteed to be way less cool.

Nestled in the heart of the wild, this Zimbabwean beauty is set to make all your ‘I need a holiday, asap’ dreams come true, thanks to its prime location only 15 minutes from the epic UNESCO World Heritage-listed Victoria Falls. Its coordinates definitely shoot it to the top of the world’s must-stay-at list, but the property itself is nothing to sneeze at.

Featuring 16 suites (the intimacy!), a gourmet restaurant (the food!), a lounge and bar (the cocktails!), complimentary Wi-Fi (the connection!) and a garden swimming pool flanked by shaded loungers (the relaxation!), this hotel is like something straight out of a safari storybook.

And for the adventurous at heart, this place is the ultimate playground. You’re so close to the falls that you can literally do anything you want – think thrilling helicopter rides, sunset boat trips, zip-lining, wildlife-spotting cruises, swimming in the Devil’s Pool, game drives and black rhino conservation experiences.

You’ll be exhausted after all that and the hotel knows it. So, there’s an on-site spa to de-tense your muscles after you said yes to every activity but somehow forgot you hate heights (we’re pretty sure there’s a signature treatment for that).

If that doesn’t convince you to bring up booking.com immediately, we don’t know what will.

CHOLE MINJI

Mafia Island, off the south coast of Zanzibar in East Africa, conjures images of men in black suits with brown paper bags and guns walking up and down beaches. But fear not, there are no guns here; just stunning lagoons, a tropical climate, and a penchant for sleeping in trees.

Each tree house at Chole Minji took between six months and a year to complete, because they were built completely by hand, using traditional tools and materials sourced only from traders who were living there. The word unique is thrown around pretty loosely these days, but there is a level of dedication that has gone into making these treehouses that makes them literally impossible to replicate.

Sandy paths lead to houses built into and around ancient Boab and Tamarind trees, all with views of mangrove-lined shorelines. The only way to get closer to nature is probably a Greenpeace protest.

From AU$222 per night

Click for A TREE FOR-REST

Wild Movie Nights

Forget Deadpool & Wolverine, Cottar’s Safaris has come up with the newest box office smash hit.

No, it’s not a film. But it is one of the most magical settings you’ll ever watch one in—think a specially designed cinema set up under the African stars. The deluxe camp’s, ‘Wild Movie Nights’, allows guests to watch their favourite African-themed films, from The Lion King to Out of Africa, in the middle of the Kenyan landscape.

A large projector screen ensures you won’t be blocked by the guy with the big head in front of you and the selection of aperitifs served from the alfresco cinema’s vintage bar also guarantees you don’t have to be 100% sober when you watch Simba cry for his dead dad (the PTSD is real).

A crackling fire pit, warm lantern lighting, fuzzy blankets and your choice of either comfortable canvas bean bags or traditional shuka mats make up the rest of the cinema’s decor.

And there’s snacks (obvs)! Freshly buttered popcorn, salty hot dogs and homemade chocolates are only a few delicious items on the menu, but don’t spoil your appetite: an opulent dinner served under the stairs waits for the guests returning to the main camp.

But this is one cinema experience you’ll have to wait for—its release date is scheduled for October (our bags are already packed).

THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA

Between us, the get lost team has stayed at a lot of hotels. Like, a lot.

But you know what The Twelve Apostles has going for it (besides its ridiculous sea view terrace, swimming pool, fine dining and pillow menu)? Arguably, the world’s best hotel robe. Gosh, it was luxe. Heavy and comforting, the perfect lounge robe.

The Apostles is the very definition of 5-star luxury. Perched above the Atlantic Ocean and with a backdrop to Table Mountain, this boutique hotel offers up breathtaking sunsets, access to incredible cape beaches and an award-winning spa.

Not to mention you can choose your soap/ skincare. We went with rooibos, hbu?

From AU$340 per night.

Click and say AMEN TO THAT

SALT OF PALMAR

It’s time to put Mauritius on your travel radar.

Honestly, this place is heaven. In fact, all of Mauritius is heaven, but SALT of Palmar is the cherry on top. Why? Firstly, look at it. It’s a colourful pastel wonderland, an aesthetic feast for the eyes. It’s also adults-only, now don’t get us wrong we love kids and babies and small humans, but trying to relax by the resort pool while there’s a game of Marco Polo in progress isn’t… well… relaxing.

At SALT, it’s grown-up time, all the time. Whether you’re doing sundowners on the resort rooftop, laying by the private beach, getting a (literal) salt treatment at the spa or eating your way through their locally-sourced menu.

The ethos here is all about creating a sustainable, welcoming vibe for their guests and they’ve nailed it. On a recent stay, we were invited into the kitchen to learn how to make Mauritian curry—now if that’s not bloody welcoming, what is? The curry was perfection, FYI. We ate two servings and rolled into our ocean-side bed slightly sunburnt and satisfied.

From AU$183 per night

Click for SALT BAE

To go halfway to Senegal or all the way to Senegal? That's the question.

I’m sitting in Khadim’s living room watching him strain a pot of café touba—Senegal’s claim to coffee fame. Café touba is often described as a spiced coffee, but drinkers be warned: it’s less pumpkin spice and more kick-you-in-the-face-with-pepper spice. Warming like a shot of whisky, enjoyed year-round in Senegal and rumoured to hold aphrodisiac powers, café touba is 100% better than your average flat white. No offence to your barista.

Going ‘all the way to Senegal’ involves adding five sugar cubes to your cup like a true touba aficionado. Halfway is for chickens like me who don’t want to ride a caffeinated sugar high well into the early morning. It’s already 7pm, this gal needs her beauty sleep.

Khadim’s living room (the only place in Cape Town offering traditional café touba) is my last stop on what has been an African food odyssey led by local musician and guide, Sindile Kamlana, AKA Khofhi the King. In just one afternoon Khofhi and I have Gatsby’d and chapatti’d; been to Mali and Ethiopia, and back again. And now I’m feeling very full—with both food and stories. If this was a date, it’d be the best date of my life.

You might be thinking—why do you need a date/guide to eat African food in South Africa? Well, the thing about Cape Town is it’s actually quite hard to find African cuisine if you don’t know where to look. And sometimes you just need a break from Western Cape wine farm experiences.

“African food here in Cape Town has been sidelined for a long time,” Khofhi explains. The cosmopolitan city’s fusion centric and fine dining restaurants tend to get more airtime than the local joints. Hence, the need for a local who knows where to eat and when.

Our first stop is a seemingly unmarked Somali cafe, home to a loaded bain-marie and a bunch of aunties cackling while they’re cooking out the back. We’re here for the chapatti (flaky flatbread, like roti’s delicious cousin) and shaah (a chai-esque Somali tea, very sweet). This is an in-and-out style kitchen, with all kinds of CBD workers popping in for a plate of goat stew or the famous Somali spaghetti topped with banana. Yep, banana. Don’t doubt it till you’ve tried it.

We throw back our shaah’s, tip the aunties and hot foot it to our next meal. “Remember to pace yourself,” Khofhi warns me as we walk. “We’ve got a lot to see and eat today”.

We wander through the Cape’s oldest post office-turned-market, stopping to taste some Durban spices. I wave at the statue of Nelson Mandela as we pass by the mighty town hall, before arriving at Nobantu.

Nobantu is a small sit-down place that serves politicians and bus drivers alike (it’s right next to the city bus depot). Here, cooks from Cape Town townships are dishing up South African quintessentials, like pork and pap (a porridge made from maize) and chakalaka, also known as “South Africa’s favourite salad”. Chakalaka, a dish made from beans and fresh veggies, is a staple you’ll find on any menu and at any braai (barbecue). It’s delicious, and sometimes spicy. Great on toast, even.

But the most impressive thing about Nobantu would have to be its unrivalled view to Table Mountain. Who needs fine dining on the waterfront? Not us.

One sweet, sticky cinnamon koeksista (similar to a donut) and a plate of spongy Ethiopian injera bread (made from teff flour) later, we find ourselves at Fatima’s Restaurant on Long St. This place is the epitome of a local gem; a bona fide melting pot of African cuisines. At Fatima’s they cater to everyone, but especially to those who love ‘Africa’s most controversial dish—jollof rice’. Controversial because Nigerians steadfastly maintain their jollof is the best jollof.

I’m close to exploding / unbuttoning my pants at this point, but I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to taste the Mali version of Nigeria’s most coveted dish. “I’m really proud of Fatima’s restaurant,” says Khofhi, “this place attracts people from all African countries in one space. It’s a hot spot for people who love to watch football… Fatima comes in the evenings and her sister is also in the kitchen… it’s a real family business.”

When I ask Khofhi what African cuisine he likes best, he tells me it’s without a doubt food from Mali—“people from Mali put a lot of love into their cooking,” he says.

And that’s the common culinary thread today—love.

Food is nothing without the love of the cook, just like café touba is nothing without the love of Khadim. And as I drink my spicy coffee and listen to Khadim’s story, I feel warmed. Touched, even. Maybe it’s the djar spice. Maybe it’s the aphrodisiac. Who knows.

But maybe next time I’ll go all the way to Senegal.

We gu yaram! (Cheers!)

THE OYSTER BOX

If you’ve ever wanted to live in a Wes Anderson dupe—this is the hotel for you.

Situated just outside of Durban, South Africa, The Oyster Box is 5-star luxury hotel with a famous cat, its own lighthouse and a host of cheeky local monkeys to keep the guests entertained.

Literally. Don’t leave your beachfront doors open unattended, they’ll raid your mini fridge.

The buffet breakfast on the pool patio is indulgent in all the best kinds of ways (oysters and Bloody Mary’s, anyone?); the day spa has its own hamam; and the variety of bars means even the booziest of us can stay entertained.

The only thing The Oyster Box is missing? Bill Murray.

From AU$500 per night

Click WHAT A PEARLER

An EPIC safari deal – Top 5 Luxury Safari Experiences

An African safari is on everyone’s bucket list; tick it off in style with an all inclusive luxury Tanzania safari, where you can bask in stunning scenery, spot the Big 5 and try some of Tanzania’s delicious food. 

Here are the top 5 experiences you can’t miss on a luxury Tanzania Safari: 

1. Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is otherworldly, as you drive through granite ridges and dip through the Savannahs valleys you’ll be able to fulfil your childhood dream of spotting herds of elephants and wildebeest, and get some sick snaps of lions and zebras.

2. Ngorongoro Crater

Make sure you feast your eyes on the exquisite Ngorongoro Crater, the ‘Green Crater’ will genuinely make you gasp especially when you see Hippos dozing next to the Soda Lake.

3. Mto wa Mbu village

Mto wa Mbu village will give you some insight into Tanzania’s unique way of life. Hear stories from local tour guides and try mouthwatering local cuisine. 

4. Central Serengeti 

Serenegti is famous for a reason: known for its ‘Endless Plains’ and the famous ‘Great Wildebeest Migration,’ which is one of the largest animal migrations in the world. The landscape is spectacular, as are the Big 5. 

5. Hot Air Balloon Flight 

Hard to think of a better place to fly in a hot air balloon than over the magnificent national parks in Tanzania. Soak up the scenery as the sun rises and start your morning with a cheeky glass of bubbly – it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

Photo series: Prints for wildlife

In 2020, Dutch and Austrian photographer Pie Aerts and Marion Payr created Prints for Wildlife, a print sale of some of the most epic wildlife shots in the world.

The project was a response to the global pandemic, which had a devastating effect on wildlife, conservation projects, tourism and communities across Africa. The first two instalments of Print for Wildlife raised more than US $1.75 million dollars for conservation non-profit organisation African Parks. To get lost, the project is not only a great way to support a terrific cause, but a fantastic excuse to get an unbelievable print of an animal into your home.

We’ve selected ten of our favourites below – check them out:

The fundraiser sees internationally renowned wildlife photographers donating one of their photos to be sold for a limited time at just $100. So far, more than 15,000 wildlife prints have been sold and delivered to wildlife lovers around the world.

Prints for Wildlife’s third outing will launch on August 28, 2022, with limited numbers of prints available for $100 from over 130 photographers, including Beverley Joubert, Drew Doggett, Karim Illya, Ami Vitale, Joachim Schmeisser, Will Burrard-Lucas, Marsel van Oosten and Gaël Ruboneka Vande weghe. No less than 100 per cent of profits go to African Parks, who currently manage 20 parks in 11 countries, including Kafue (Zambia), Akagera (Rwanda) and Liwonde (Malawi) National Parks, on behalf of African governments for the benefit of local communities and wildlife, the largest and most ecologically diverse portfolio of protected areas in Africa under rehabilitation by any one organisation.

“The incredible success of Prints for Wildlife came as a much-needed reminder that, even in times of crisis, humanity can come together to spread hope and do good for our planet,” says Marion Payr. “Wildlife conservation, protecting valuable biomes and supporting communities has now found a place in the hearts and, with the stunning art of all the generous photographers, on the walls of thousands of homes across the globe.”

There are some legitimately crazy shots in this collection – just check the gallery above. If this doesn’t make you want to board a plane and head straight to Africa, then we’re not sure what will.

A trip to the hottest place on Earth

Everyone pines for warm weather when travelling, but ‘the hottest place on earth’ is probably a little further than most would like to go.

The Danakil Depression has been described as the least hospitable place on the face of this planet, with an average daily temperature of 46 degrees Celsius in summer, yet curiosity has gotten the better of intrepid travellers which have started to visit over the last couple of decades.

Insane geological formations of fluoro-bright sulphur will genuinely make you feel as though you’re on another planet.

There’s three-day, two night trips to the Danakil Depression that also take in a trip to the edge of the equally otherworldly Erta Ale: a glowing, furious (and active) volcano deep into the ground, which is probably the most accessible volcano of it’s kind in the world. It’s important to note that this is for the intrepid – extreme temperatures and the nature of the landscape mean this is not a destination for everyone.

Erta Ale.

But travel is all about getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing places that are nothing like home, and this certainly fits that bill. Plus, you can always say you’ve spent a couple of nights in the world’s least hospitable location (not including that share house you lived in when you were 21).