Africa, the birthplace of humanity, is filled with diverse landscapes, vibrant cultures, and a raw, untamed beauty that captivates the soul. Africa is becoming increasingly appealing. With 54 countries, each brimming with unique treasures, it can be overwhelming to choose where to begin.
Embarking on a journey to Africa is an exciting and enriching experience. With its diverse landscapes, vibrant cultures, and incredible wildlife, the continent offers a unique adventure for travelers. Before you head out for your trip it’s important to be prepared, honestly the prep isn’t too much different than what you might do for most trips.
Africa For the First Time: Everything You Need to Know
The question on many people’s lips when they start thinking about travelling to the very diverse continent of Africa is, “is it safe?”
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Africa, like any other continent, has its flaws but it is a diverse continent with endless possibilities for adventure. It is hard to overlook a continent that oozes beautiful landscapes and warm hospitality. The continent boasts over 3,000 protected wildlife areas, 198 marine protected areas, 50 biosphere reserves and 80 wetlands reserves. It’s undeniable that travellers seeking an authentic safari experience look no further than Africa.
Embarking on your first trip to Africa is an extraordinary adventure. The continent is filled with wonder, showcasing diverse landscapes, rich cultures, and the chance to see incredible wildlife. Africa provides a variety of travel experiences for every type of traveller, whether you're looking for thrilling adventures, cultural immersion, luxurious getaways, or wildlife safaris. As a vast continent, Africa boasts some of the best safari destinations across East and Southern Africa. It's a bold claim, but there truly is an African safari holiday for everyone. If you're unsure where to go, we can highlight Africa's most iconic and popular spots, along with hidden gems and lesser-known retreats.
The top safari destinations for first-timers include:
Kenya (Masai Mara National Park)
Tanzania (Serengeti National Park)
South Africa (Kruger National Park )
Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border
Botswana (Okavango Delta)
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Visa and Entry Requirements:
Before planning your trip, make sure to research visa and entry requirements for the specific country or countries you plan to visit. Each nation may have different regulations, so it's important to obtain the required visas and permits in advance. Fortunately, more countries are updating their visa policies to make travel easier.
Health Precautions:
"Remember that Africa is home to various tropical that may vary depending on your destination. It's important to consult a healthcare professional and inform them of the specific areas you'll be visiting for the best recommendations on vaccinations and health precautions. Be sure to bring necessary medications insect repellents, and remain mindful of food and water."
Cultural Sensitivity:
Africa is home to incredible diversity, showcasing numerous ethnicities and cultures. It is important to exhibit respect and understanding of local customs and traditions. When suitable, dress modestly, ask for permission before taking photos, and make an effort to learn a few basic phrases in the local language a sign of respect.
Currency and Payment Methods:
Familiarize yourself with the local currency and exchange rates. While credit cards are widely accepted in urban areas, it's a good idea to carry some cash, especially when exploring more locations.
Transportation&Infrastructure:
Familiarize yourself with the transportation options in the region you’re visiting. Africa offers various methods of transportation, with some areas featuring advanced infrastructure while others may be more challenging. Planning ahead and staying flexible with your travel arrangements is crucial. Keep in mind that getting around the continent can be tricky, so consider researching available flights before finalizing your itinerary for certain countries.
Wildlife Safaris:
When planning a safari, it's important to research the ideal time for optimal wildlife viewing. Familiarize yourself with park regulations, adhere to ethical guidelines, and choose reputable guides to enhance your safari experience. Additionally, I strongly suggest spending a few nights in a park or conservancy to fully immerse yourself in the adventure.
Weather and Climate:
Africa's climate is diverse, ranging from arid deserts to lush tropical rainforests. It's essential to check the weather for your specific destination and pack accordingly. Be ready for unexpected shifts in temperature and weather conditions. If your journey includes a flight to a more remote area on a small plane, ensure you have a duffle bag for packing your clothes for that part of the trip.
Safety Tips:
Stay safe by keeping yourself updated on the current political climate, local customs, and possible risks. You might be surprised to learn that many African countries are deemed safer than certain locations in the Caribbean. Always fact-check before dismissing a country. Ensure your belongings are secure, refrain from showcasing valuable items, and exercise caution when navigating unfamiliar areas.
Local Cuisine:
Discover the rich and varied flavors of African cuisine, while keeping your dietary and potential food allergies mind. Street food can an authentic taste of the culture, but aware of the risks on your location on the continent For instance, in, tap water is safe to drink, whereas in Uganda, filtration is necessary.
Connectivity and Communication:
Ensure you verify the availability of internet and mobile network coverage in the locations you intend to visit. Keep in mind that some remote areas may have limited service, but this can be a perfect opportunity to disconnect and unwind. Consider buying local SIM cards for improved connectivity and utilize communication apps to keep in touch with family and friends. It's great that phones now come with electronic SIM cards, making it easy to switch and add countries.
To Destinations to Visit
Africa is a continent that boasts abundant resources, from fertile agricultural land to vast mineral deposits. It is a of its own, with diverse cultures and natural beauty that are unique to each country. While many may only think of top destinations like Morocco or South Africa, so many hidden gems are waiting to be explored.Living in Congo for over a decade, I explored new African countries—from the deserts of Morocco to the pyramids of Egypt, from the Kenya bush to Victoria Falls, and especially the beautiful country of South Africa. There’s an adventure waiting for you on the continent of Africa!Come and discover the adventure that awaits you on the continent of Africa!
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The Best Places to Go in Africa in 2025
Uganda
Choose from luxurious new lodges located in various national parks throughout the country.
“Put a stick in the ground and it will grow,” they say of the heart of Africa. From papyrus wetlands and semi-arid savannas to gorilla trekking in mist-shrouded forests and marvelling at alpine flora on snowcapped Mountains of the Moon—the nickname for the Rwenzori Mountain—Uganda offers wilderness in the raw, and in 2025 travellers will experience it in style.
Gorilla Forest Camp, an A&K sanctuary in the heart of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park—home to more than half the world’s mountain gorilla population—has always offered unparalleled access, but in April 2025, it will open with a gorgeous new design after a complete rebuild.
Also entirely reimagined and slated to open in early 2025 is neighbouring Silverback Lodge, offering 12 sumptuously furnished “nests” by award-winning Hesse Kleinloog studio (responsible for Rwanda’s Singita Kwitonda).
From either location, it’s fairly easy to tack on a stop in Kibale Forest National Park, and Volcanoes Safaris’ newly launched Kibale Lodge is an excellent reason to do so. At the end of 2025, you’ll also be able to base yourself at Lake Nyamirima Cottages, 30 minutes away, with views of surrounding crater lakes.
A game changer for the underrated Queen Elizabeth National Park is the opening of the River Station, the new luxury camp built by Wildplaces Africa on the banks of the Kazinga Channel. Wild Places is also busy in Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) with Kulu Ora opening on a remote new concession on the banks of the Nile around Spring 2025.
Elsewhere in MFNP, Pabidi Lodge, Budongo will be built by Great Lakes Safaris in their Budongo Forest conservancy, on the site of a former Jane Goodall research centre.
And with Uganda Airlines’ new direct flight from Gatwick to Entebbe, getting here, at least for UK visitors, is now a cinch. Karibu sana (or “welcome”).
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How to plan it: Gorilla trekking is a little easier in drier seasons (December to February; June to August), but Uganda is essentially a year-round destination. Multiple airlines fly to Entebbe, but to reach Bwindi’s southern sector (the only place you can book a four-hour habituation gorilla trek), you may want to consider flying into Kigali in neighbouring Rwanda and transferring by car.
Southwestern Nigeria
Explore a groundbreaking new museum and a lively arts community.
Nigeria has long been one of Africa’s most dynamic cultural destinations, and the global art world will be paying close attention as a major institution unveils its first phase this November in the western province of Edo. Following the repatriation of looted Benin Bronze statues and other valuables from European and American collections, the long-awaited arrival of the Museum of West African Art in Benin City is a milestone event, celebrating the restoration of lost cultural heritage. Designed by Adjaye Associates, led by famed Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye, the campus will include a Rainforest Gallery with 15,000 square feet of gallery space, an Art Guesthouse for visiting creatives, and an Artisans Hall that spotlights craft traditions from the region. While this museum’s opening may anoint Benin City as a buzzy new destination for art pilgrimages, Lagos, a 90-minute flight away, has long been a cultural capital in its own right. Each year the city hosts festivals that celebrate creativity and culture, including the Art X Lagos fair, the banner event on the calendar, and electrifying music events like the Lagos International Jazz Festival in April and the one-week Fela Kuti Felabration at the New Africa shrine every October. And there are new lodgings that will soon call the city home: In early 2025 Hyatt Regency will debut in the thriving commercial hub of Ikeja, followed by the plush Koko Beach Resort Ilashe Lagos, Curio Collection by Hilton, which will open its doors on Ilashe beach. In addition to a new Radisson hotel in Benin City gearing up to welcome travelers next year, the brand is set to open new properties in Abuja and Lagos. Flying to Lagos will also get easier courtesy of Delta Airlines, which revives its daily service in December, complementing its existing flights
Laikipia, Northern Kenya
Choose a peaceful, wildlife-abundant alternative to the Masai Mara.
Stretching from the Rift Valley to the slopes of Mount Kenya, the vast Laikipia Plateau is a compelling alternative to the Masai Mara—where overcrowding can impact the wilderness experience, especially during the peak of the migration. Offering exclusivity regardless of the season, private conservation projects in Laikipia’s wildlife conservancies have a limited tourism footprint. Game viewing has the edge over the Mara, too: Laikipia boasts the second-largest elephant population in Kenya, and more endangered species than anywhere else in East Africa. Tracking black (or melanistic) leopards is on every wildlife photographer’s bucket list, and Laikipia is home to the largest known population.
Half of Kenya’s rhinos are protected in private conservancies; when luxury lodge Segera opens its rhino sanctuary in 2025, it will become part of the Kenya Rhino Range Expansion (KRRE), an ambitious collaborative plan among neighboring conservancies to create one of the largest interconnected rhino sanctuaries in the world, straddling up to 840,000 acres. If you’re planning a safari in 2025,
AndBeyond will have you covered when it opens its plush Suyian Lodge in July, as part of a regenerative project in the 44,478-acre Suyian Conservancy in partnership with global conservation charity Space for Giants. Built between ancient granite kopjes with Mount Kenya views, the lodge’s 14 luxury, low-impact suites will be among the largest in the region, starting at a generous 1,292 square feet each.
How to plan it: From Nairobi, there are scheduled and charter flights to Nanyuki, the gateway to the Laikipia region, or direct ones to the private conservancies. Safarilink operates two daily scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport to Nanyuki and Lewa, with an approximate flying time of one hour, and Scenic Air and Air Wilderness both offer charter flights to destinations in Laikipia. In partnership, they offer a time-saving daily shared charter service linking Laikipia to the Masai Mara (flying time: 1 hour 40 minutes).
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Experience game viewing on the rim of a volcanic crater.
​One of the world’s largest volcanic calderas has long been a top-tier safari destination, but there are compelling new reasons to visit Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater in 2025. In July, Lemala Camps & Lodges will open Lemala Osonjoi Lodge at the eastern edge of the crater; it will have 20 contemporary suites appointed with oversized beds and wood-burning stoves, a must in the region’s chilly highlands. Later in the year, Elewana will unveil Ngorongoro Explorer, the second hotel under its premier Explorer brand. Set at the highest point of the crater rim, the lodge looks down from 1,600 feet over the caldera. And there’s a reason so many travelers like to end their safari adventures with a sojourn on the sand: Bush and beach have been a pairing for the ages. The beguiling Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar is a natural add-on to any Ngorongoro Crater outing, and there are a handful of resorts worth keeping an eye on. Egyptian hotel group opened Jaz Adonia, a 182-room resort on a private beach in Uroa Bay, in October 2024; Jaz Amaluna and Jaz Aurora will follow in 2025. October also saw the reopening of AndBeyond Mnemba Island, a romantic getaway with 12 rustic-chic beachside bandas just off Zanzibar’s northeast coast, and in 2025, Marriott International brings its first Le Méridien property to the beaches of Bwejuu, on the main island’s east coast. There’s plenty of connectivity to both the Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar, but there’s always room for one more flight. In November, Air France inaugurates a Mount Kilimanjaro stop to its Paris-Zanzibar route, making it easier than ever to get here.
How to plan it: Begin your Tanzanian bush-and-beach journey in Ngorongoro Crater and finish in Zanzibar, flying between the Arusha Airport and Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. The dry season, from June through October, is the best time to visit both regions.
The Nile River, Egypt
Opt for: opulent cruises that meander through rich historical landscapes
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Tourists looking to pair the pharaonic sites of Upper Egypt with a sail down the Nile will be spoiled for choice this year, thanks to a host of new riverboats that promise to raise the bar for five-star experiences along the iconic Luxor-Aswan circuit.
Oberoi has a busy year ahead: The Oberoi Zahra cruiser added a two-bedroom suite this October, and the brand is poised to introduce two new luxury dahabiya to its fleet: The Oberoi Melouk and the Malekat Luxury Nile Dahabeyas, each with five cabins and two suites, are designed in collaboration with Egyptian architect Karim Mekhtigian and slated for an early-2025 launch. Viking unveiled the four-deck, 41-suite Viking Sobek—its sixth ship on the Nile—in October 2024, while German company TUI River Cruises makes its Nile debut with the 74-cabin adults-only Al Horeya, setting sail in November 2024, with packages that include direct charter flights to Luxor from London Gatwick and Manchester. And Abercrombie & Kent, a pioneer when it launched its first Nile cruise, in 1977, will add a fifth vessel to its fleet in late 2025. Arriving in Luxor is becoming easier than ever now, too, thanks to a new, twice-weekly EasyJet departure from Gatwick; the airline’s holiday division has also teamed up with Jaz Hotels and Resorts’ 21-ship fleet to offer Nile cruise packages. For those preferring to stay on land, Luxor’s beloved boutique hotel Al Moudira has plans to open 12 local artisan workshops in 2025 to help showcase local craftspersons and keep generations-old traditions alive. And the US Agency for International Development (USAID) concluded several multiyear cultural tourism projects across the country this year, including renovations at the Carter House and the Tombs of the Nobles sites in Luxor and, 35 miles south, the revitalization of key sites in Esna. Of course, a trip to Egypt is not complete without a visit to Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza.
Winter 2025 will see the debut of the Jaz Palmira Pyramids Resort, and while it’s anyone’s guess when the much-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum will finally fully open, patrons can now book tours for the 12 main galleries, the Grand Staircase, and the Children’s Museum. The Tutankhamun galleries, which will feature all 5,000-plus artifacts discovered in the boy king’s tomb and two Khufu solar boats, remain under wraps—but there are promises that they are “coming soon.”
How to plan it: Some cruise itineraries include a few-days stopover in Cairo to see the sights before a one-hour flight to either Luxor or Aswan to begin the Nile journey. Tours typically last four days to a week, but a few companies offer the full 600-mile voyage from Cairo to Aswan over the course of two weeks. Whatever you choose, be sure to include the awe-inspiring Abu Simbel temples—a 45-minute flight south from Aswan.
Seychelles
Enjoy island hopping along with some beach soccer fun
It’s easy to see why the Seychelles is constantly compared to the Maldives: Both promise the paradisiacal landscapes that you’d expect of an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. A closer look, however, reveals that the Seychelles offers much more to explore than just sun loungers and plunge pools. In fact, we’d argue that its free-roaming giant tortoises, towering granite formations, fabled pirate treasures, and suggestive coco de mer seeds put the debate to rest. Between the luxury castaway feel of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, which launched in early 2024, and the organic design of the brand-new Cheval Blanc Seychelles on Mahé Island’s idyllic Anse Intendance beach, there are more reasons than ever to linger. Looking ahead, Fregate Island will reopen at the end 2025 after a three-year closure; occupying the easternmost of the granitic inner islands, this retreat is currently undergoing an ambitious restoration project that spans design upgrades and sustainability innovations. If you’re looking to poke around multiple islands—the archipelago has 115 to explore, after all—this winter the new six-stateroom catamaran Spirit of Ponant will start island-hopping in the Seychelles, and luxe cruise line Aqua Expeditions adds a sixth ship to its fleet in December 2025, sailing through the remote Aldabra Atoll. Also in December, the debut of the Indian Ocean itinerary of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s new yacht Luminara (launching in July 2025), with stops in Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Maldives. Back on land, the country will also host the Beach Soccer World Cup from May 1 to 11 in its capital of Victoria, marking the first time that this FIFA tournament will be played in Africa.