September

Kenya is widely regarded as the home of the safari. Steeped in tradition and fame it was Ernest Hemingway who immortalised the safari experience (although sporting and not photographic), and Joy Adamson was among the group of expatriates in the 1960s and 1970s whose endeavours to conserve African wildlife captured the world’s attention. The writings of Karen Blixen, and the adaptation of her classic book “Out of Africa” into a motion picture helped establish Kenya as the great iconic safari destination of the modern era.

Madagascar is a large island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa, where people have lived for over 2,000 years. It is the world’s fourth largest island, boasting 5,000 kilometres of coast and a current population of twenty-five million, split between 18 ethnic groups and a multiplicity of social sub-groups.

Malawi is a warm and welcoming country that offers visitors wonderful scenery, fascinating parks and some of the friendliest people in Africa.

Morocco has been staunchly independent throughout its history yet remained open to ideas, creating a heady mix of cultures, religions and languages with ancient roots and a strikingly modern outlook.

After recovering from many years of civil war, Mozambique opened its doors to tourism and is fast becoming the hottest beach destination in Africa. With an enviable position between Tanzania in the north, Malawi and Zambia in the northwest and South Africa to the south, Mozambique has become the perfect compliment to any African safari.

Namibia is a country of startling contrasts that straddles two great deserts: the Namib (after which it is named) is the oldest desert on the planet, and its sea of red sand lies along the Atlantic coastline, while in the eastern interior lies the Kalahari, a vast and sparsely vegetated savannah that sprawls across the border into neighbouring countries.

Boasting seemingly endless tropical forest and fingers of moist savannah covering its interior, the Republic of Congo holds the majority of the world population of western lowland gorillas. Its largely pristine northern rainforest is the heart of the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest expanse of tropical rainforest.

A tiny, landlocked republic in Equatorial Africa, Rwanda lies on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift and the watershed between Africa’s two largest river systems: the Nile and the Congo.

If you are planning to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, take a trip to São Tomé & Príncipe, Africa’s second-smallest country.

With highlights such as Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar, Tanzania is, for many, the ultimate safari destination. With National Parks and game reserves covering some 33,660 sq kms or 28% of the country, Tanzania has more land devoted to wildlife than anywhere else in the world.

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa known for its dramatic landscape, the majestic Victoria Falls and extraordinarily diverse wildlife, much of it within parks, reserves and safari areas.

Decorated with the words ‘Unity in Diversity’, Indonesia’s national emblem is representative of its 700 languages and 17,000 islands scattered over 5,000km of equatorial turquoise seas.

Malaysia is a destination full of surprises. A bustling melting pot of traditions and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups influence its rich and vibrant culture.

Far more than its celebrated idealistic beaches, Thailand is known as The Land of Smiles thanks to its warm people. This mythical nation accommodates a diverse assortment of ancient temples; buzzing, frenetic cities and its infamous cuisine.

Jordan is a land steeped in history. It has been home to some of mankind’s earliest settlements and villages, and relics of many of the worlds great civilizations can still be seen today.

Mauritius is a fascinating, world-in-one island slice of paradise. Its very name conjures up images of tropical luxury and stupendous extravagance.

Off the east coast of Africa lies a cluster of 115 islands, together making up the Republic of the Seychelles. This cluster truly seems to epitomise the expression ‘tropical island paradise’; pristine soft white sands on coconut fringed beaches lie adjacent to the brilliant underwater shapes and colours of the coral atolls while above them rise granite peaks shrouded in verdant mountaintop forests.  

Seated on a plateau at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres, Tibet is quite befittingly called the Roof of the World. It is also home to other impressive superlatives, such as the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest and deepest canyon, the Yarlung Zangbo Canyon. Home to almost three million people, Tibet forms the border China shares with several countries, including Myanmar, India, Bhutan, and Nepal.

Queenslanders will tell you that their state is the best of Australia all rolled into one – it is the home of some of the world’s most treasured natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef and the ancient Daintree Rainforest. It boasts beautiful beaches, perfect islands and the razzle dazzle of the Gold Coast; there is the channel country, the savannah country, Cape York, the Great Dividing Range and the Gulf country. Queensland is larger than life!

South Australia offers great diversity with lots to offer the adventurous traveller – Kangaroo Island is buffeted by the waves of the Southern Ocean and boasts a wildlife population protected from the predations of introduced species. It is the gateway to the Outback, the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island – all stunning locations with a focus on wildlife – and also to some of the country’s most famous wine regions.

Tasmania was the last part of the Australian continent to separate from the great southern landmass of Gondwana 45 million years ago.  This, together with 10,000 years of isolation from mainland Australia, has resulted in Tasmania’s environment being significantly different to the rest of the country.

Western Australia is full of sun, wide open space, and friendly people – it is a great place for a relaxing holiday and a great place to experience some rather special natural attractions.

At the geographical centre of the Australian continent the Desert Centre is home to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the remarkable rock domes of nearby Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Uluru rises out of the flat desert – a geological work of art, Uluru is riddled with caves, rivulets, strange wounds and gashes and is adorned with ancient Aboriginal rock paintings. To the west, the equally impressive, Kata Tjuta is a spectacular collection of 36 weathered red domes separated by narrow valleys and covering 35 square kilometres.  

New Zealand is a small country, similar in size to Great Britain or Japan and with a population of only four million, it’s also gloriously uncrowded.

Lying just south of the equator, 160km north of Australia, Papua New Guinea is part of a great arc of mountains stretching from Asia, through Indonesia and into the South Pacific. With a vibrant and colourful Papua New Guinea culture, more than 600 islands and 800 indigenous languages, PNG is made up of 4 regions with 20 provinces.The striking natural beauty and myriad complex cultures in Papua New Guinea offer some riveting and truly life-affirming experiences.

Most visitors to Peru will almost immediately find themselves drawn in to the story behind the Inca Empire. This enigmatic tribe has left on earth an imprint of how truly extraordinary the human race can be but left so many questions unanswered. It is no wonder that some of the world’s greatest adventurers who stumbled into Machu Picchu went on to dedicate the rest of their lives to researching questions unanswered.