What you loved most: our top 10 travel stories of 2025
As we close out another year of unforgettable journeys, we want to thank you for letting us guide your African travel plans throughout 2025. Before we step into a new year filled with fresh adventures, we’re reflecting on the stories you loved most. Below are the top 10 most-read and shared newsletters and blog posts of the year. From quiet horseback safaris to remote rainforest gorilla encounters and island escapes in the Seychelles, these were the moments that captured your imagination. . .
1) Paradise found in the Seychelles
As soon as we arrived, before even pausing to unpack, my husband and I put on our swimsuits and dived into the inviting, clear, tropical ocean water just outside our bungalow. Soon after, we saw turtles surfacing to breathe all around us. Brimming with excitement at being surrounded by turtles, we headed to the dive centre to pick up some snorkelling equipment. Read more here.
2) 7 Reasons to return to Africa
Most travellers have a picture of Africa in their minds before they ever set foot on the continent. Perhaps it’s wide-open plains dotted with acacia trees, elephants ambling across golden grasslands, and lions lumped together in a lazy pile under a tree. Seeing the iconic Big 5— in places like South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands, in Tanzania’s Serengeti, or Kenya’s Maasai Mara—is certainly a worthwhile experience. But it’s just one version of Africa. Read more here.
3) The Quiet Safari – Experiencing Wildlife from the Saddle
The most eye-opening thing for me was how much more a part of the natural world you feel when on a horse. The antelope and giraffe completely ignored us, and we were able to get much closer to them than when we were on our mountain bikes. The horses at Ant’s Hill live among the wildlife on the reserve and are accepted as non-threatening by the animals. It was a unique feeling to be integrated with nature in this way! Read more here.
4) Kruger’s best-kept secret: why the Nyalaland Trail is truly soul food.
The hikes didn’t follow a set path. “We follow where the bush leads us,” explained Christopher. On the first day, we followed an elephant path along the Luvuvhu River, hiked up a rocky koppie, and paused beneath ancient baobabs. The pace was unhurried and as we walked through this magnificent landscape, I imagined the ancient way of life of our ancestors. Life took on a different rhythm. Read more here.
5) Encountering Gorillas in Africa’s Remote Rainforests
The Odzala-Kokoua National Park is a magical place. Being here is quite unlike any experience I’ve had before and is therefore very challenging to describe. It is raw and unfiltered, yet also joyful and awe-inspiring—the perfect mix for an unforgettable adventure. To be one of the very few people in the world to travel here is an enormous privilege. There’s something humbling about visiting a place that only a handful of people on Earth ever get to see. Read more here.
6) 40 lions, rare servals, and unforgettable moments on my Kenyan safari adventure
In November, I had the pleasure of discovering a new African country, Kenya— my eleventh on this continent. I was awestruck by the vastness of the plains and the richness of the wildlife. East Africa is the ultimate safari destination. Having explored Tanzania ten years ago, I dreamed of returning to these endless landscapes and seeing the iconic herds of wildebeest and zebras once again. Read more here.
7) Beyond the hype of the Great Migration
Perhaps when you think of the most iconic images of the Great Migration, in Kenya and Tanzania, you picture dramatic river crossings, where wildebeest plunge into crocodile-infested waters and hooves churn up the muddy banks as they ascend the other side.
As such, here are 5 important considerations to help you experience the Great Migration responsibly. Read more here.
8) Our family camping adventure to Augrabies Falls and the Kgalagadi National Park
Our first stop was Augrabies Falls National Park, which is home to the awe-inspiring Augrabies Falls. The Orange River, which is the longest river in South Africa, stretching around 2,300 kilometres, plunges 56 metres into a dramatic granite gorge at Augrabies. The park’s stark beauty and sense of remoteness make it a destination that feels both raw and timeless. Read more here.
9) 4 Wildly Romantic Wedding Destinations in Africa
Imagine saying “I do” beneath a vast Serengeti sky, or sharing your first kiss as newlyweds framed by Namibia’s burnt-orange dunes. Africa is full of unspoiled spaces that are endlessly photogenic and perfect for romance. If you’re dreaming of a destination wedding in a soul-stirringly beautiful place, Africa has an abundance of these. Below are four of our favourites. Read more here.
10. Seychelles vs Madagascar, which is best?
You can’t go wrong with either choice, but the two experiences are quite different and will be suited to different types of travellers. Here is what a group from New Zealand, who travelled to Madagascar with Leopard, had to say about their experience. Read more here.
Thank you for trusting Leopard with your travels this year. We’re deeply grateful for your continued support and for the privilege of helping you explore Africa’s rarest, wildest and most beautiful places. We wish you and your loved ones a joyful, peaceful, and well-deserved holiday season and a happy end to the year.
We look forward to helping you plan many more remarkable adventures in 2026!
Happy travelling,
Diana and the Leopard Team
P.S. We have released Season Two of the Leopard podcast, where Diana interviews a number of lodge owners from across Africa, giving you travel insight into incredible destinations. Pop your earphones in when you go walking and listen!
In the podcast episode below, Diana interviews Kristina Plattner of Kamba Africa, who transports us to the Republic of Congo’s pristine Odzala-Kokoua National Park to track Western lowland gorillas.