Southern Africa’s most romantic spaces.

There’s a vast selection of romantic destinations in Southern Africa, where rim-flow pools look as if they spill over into the African savannah or merge with the ocean along its coastline. Sunsets are rich in colour, the stars put on a spectacular show and the food is varied and flavourful.

Choosing the best place to savour time as a couple, on honeymoon or holiday, can be overwhelming. Here are a few of our favourites:

Unwind in tropical Mozambique

Mozambique’s tropical beaches and the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean ooze a sense of relaxation, and provide a dreamy destination for romantic getaways. 

You can spend time snorkelling or scuba diving together, lazing on the sand banks, horse riding on the beach, or sharing a candlelit dinner at the water’s edge to the sound of gently lapping waves. The freshly caught seafood is often infused with flavours of Portugal and there’s ample time for long walks on palm-lined beaches or a leisurely boat trip on a local dhow. And if you’re fortunate enough, you may get to swim with a gentle whale shark or spot a rare dugong.

Be entertained in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands

Whether you’re an adventuring couple who likes to get outdoors or you prefer to sip on world-class wines and enjoy culinary delights, Cape Town and the nearby winelands provides this and more. 

Take a helicopter flip from the V&A Waterfront over the dramatically beautiful coastline or try a chauffeured sidecar ride from beneath Table Mountain, along the Cape Peninsula. You can enjoy romantic dinners at fine-dining restaurants like Fyn, Epice and Indochine or a picnic of artisanal foods and crisp sauvignon blanc under the pine trees at Boschendal Wine Estate. There’s also no shortage of luxurious accommodation with suites overlooking the ocean, as well as a selection of more secluded romantic establishments, to choose from. 

Be enthralled on safari in the Kruger

Wake up to bird song (or the snorts of animals foraging nearby) in wild spaces that offer you and your partner the perfect escape from the constant pressure of everyday life. You’ll have the option of joining skilled game rangers, who have in-depth knowledge of the plants and animals, on morning and evening game drives. In between there’s time to enjoy meals and drinks overlooking the bush or river, relax at the pool, read, or have a spa treatment.

The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s most well known big game reserve and forms part of a larger wilderness area that extends past its borders to private reserves like Sabi Sands, Timbavati and Thornybush. These and other unfenced reserves on the western border of the Kruger National Park make up what is known as the Greater Kruger. Each wilderness section has its own characteristics and animals that you are more likely to see. Sabi Sands is known as one of the best places to see leopard, the most elusive member of the Big 5, while elephant and buffalo are commonly spotted near the Kruger National Park’s Mopani Rest Camp. 

Whether it’s a bush break, a beach holiday, experiencing the best in food and wine or a combination of all of these, at Leopard we’re always eager to share the very best of what Southern Africa has to offer.

Have you always wanted to see a pride of lions in the wild, swim with dolphins, or float over the winelands in a hot air balloon? Whatever your romantic African dream entails, we’re here to help you bring it to fruition in the most memorable way.

Happy travelling,

The Leopard Team

P.S. My husband and I recently escaped the city for the glorious Drakensberg Mountains. We stayed at Montusi Mountain Lodge in the northern berg. The setting was sensational and the staff warm and friendly – the key ingredients for a perfect weekend. What we most wanted to do was get out into the mountains.

We did the Mudslide and Crack hikes in Royal Natal. It was challenging and adventurous, taking us high into the mountain. There is something special about being in the wilderness, far from civilization, with only a few baboons and soaring eagles for company. You can see some photos on our Facebook page. – Diana

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Authentic travel experiences.

After spending two years in slumber, travel has recovered. At Leopard, we are seeing excellent demand for holidays to Africa. People don’t want to put off their dream holiday for a year, they want to travel while they can. The next 12 months are going to be filled with sweet adventures and new ways of travelling. 

One of the novel ways people are travelling is with a focus on authentic experiences and exceptional encounters that they will remember forever, instead of visiting only the usual tourist hotspots. 

One of my most treasured travel memories is from 2011 when I visited Morocco. I booked a five-day tour of the Sahara Desert with a local travel company. (This was the second time I had used a travel company, after an excellent first experience in Central America using a local company in Cuba). It was the best decision because I was able to enjoy both the incredible beauty of the desert and meet nomads who have lived there for centuries. It was an experience I would have had difficulty achieving independently of the travel company. 

I travelled during Eid al Adha, a time of celebration in Morocco. A nomadic family invited us into their tent (pictured above and below), where we drank sweet tea and ate a traditional dish of goat meat. It was the most delicious meal I have tasted and one I will always remember. 

Here are a few tips if you would also like to have more exceptional, and memorable, experiences while travelling:

1. Use a local travel company to book your holiday. This may feel riskier but there are a number of ways to confirm that local tour companies are reputable. It’s by far the best way to make the most of your holiday, especially if you are unfamiliar with the region. 
2. Take time at each stop. Don’t be in a rush to tick destinations off a list. Rest a while and explore, opening yourself up to seeing places with fresh eyes. 
3. Visit the highlights, like Table Mountain, but also spend a few nights in some off-the-beaten-track places, such as Gugulesizwe in Maputaland. 
4. Eat at local restaurants. This will give you the opportunity to taste traditional food, interact with local people and contribute to the local economy. You will be warmly welcomed, well-fed and will leave with lifelong memories! 
5. Use local guides. I am always surprised when I see groups travelling with guides from their home country. Local guides know the place infinitely better. Use them instead. 

Wishing you exceptional and authentic travel experiences on all your upcoming holidays! 

Happy travelling,

Diana

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Incredible Family Travel Destinations in Southern Africa

Southern Africa offers a wealth of experiences for families to enjoy, from interacting with multiple cultures to immersion in nature and adventures that are safe and simultaneously thrilling. 

The region is vast and there is a boundless list of places worth visiting and things to enjoy on a family vacation. Below are just a few of our favourite spots.

Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is a family-friendly destination with a wide appeal for people of all ages. It boasts some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, with brilliantly white sand and a dramatic mountainous backdrop. 

A visit to the Mother City with the kids wouldn’t be complete without taking them to the top of Table Mountain via the aerial cableway, or you could opt for a guided hike to the summit with older children. There are also several other trails, like the Pipe Track, which aren’t too strenuous and offer spectacular views over the ocean. Another popular outing is visiting the endangered African penguin colony along the beaches of the South Peninsula.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
The main reason people visit Victoria Falls is to see ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. If you opt for a guided tour, you’ll be led through the rainforest to various viewpoints while hearing fascinating facts about this wall of water, which is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. A helicopter ride will give you an aerial view of the entire waterway where the Zambezi spills over the lip of the falls and disappears into the Batoka Gorge.

Another activity to share as a family is a sunset Zambezi River cruise, where you may spot hippos, crocodiles, and even elephants in the water. After enjoying drinks, snacks, and hopefully animal sightings, you’ll get to see the fiery orange sun slipping beneath the horizon, leaving a dramatic silhouette of foliage against the African sky. 

Vilanculos, Mozambique
If tropical beaches are your idea of the perfect family getaway then Mozambique’s Vilanculous should be on the top of your list. Take a boat trip to the nearby Bazaruto archipelago where the protected reefs provide a safe environment for snorkelling in warm blue waters, with visibility of up to 40m. Alternatively, you could kayak lazily along the shoreline, spend time on the water in a local dhow (sailboat) or pick a sand bar to relax on. 

There’s also horseriding on the beach and for those with older children that are certified scuba divers, you’ll have the chance of diving alongside whale sharks or even encountering the rare and endangered dugong.

Namibia
Namibia is the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, being among the least densely-populated countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The open spaces and night skies, where stars shimmer competitively, offer a perfect setting to reconnect. The dunes at Sossusvlei are safe to climb and a predawn start will have you on top of Dune 45 in time to watch the sunrise and enjoy the expansive views beneath. The surreal landscape of Deadvlei, where petrified acacia trees reach towards the sky in a sunbaked pan of cracked salt and clay, is also a must-visit spot.

Quad biking in the desert at Swakopmund makes for a memorable family outing and an exceptional experience when visiting Namibia is a hot air balloon ride over Namib Desert.

Greater Kruger, South Africa
There’s nothing quite like getting into the bush and searching for Africa’s famous Big Five on safari. This type of adventure allows you to experience the wonders of nature together, away from digital distractions. It’s worth noting that not all lodges offer game drives for kids and some request you book a private vehicle at additional cost. Others cater specifically for children and some allow children over a certain age to join in on open-vehicle safari drives.

If you’re considering a safari or visiting any of the destinations listed above, get in touch and we’ll help you find the perfect lodges and activities to meet your family’s specific needs. And, if you have another African destination in mind let us know and we’ll share our insider info and help you plan your trip to perfection.

Happy travelling!

The Leopard Team

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5 spectacular Southern African migrations

The great migration of roughly two million wildebeest across the Serengeti in Tanzania, into the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and back again, is one of the greatest shows on earth. Wildlife documentaries like to show the frantic herds crossing the Grumeti River, where crocodiles lay in wait, or criss-crossing the Mara River but these river crossings are difficult to predict and witness.

However, despite the buzz surrounding the migration in the northern half of the continent, Southern Africa offers five lesser-known migrations that are well worth considering. 

1. Zebra migration in Botswana
Botswana’s zebra migration occurs bi-annually when herds of zebra make their way from Chobe in the north to Makgadikgadi Pans in the south and later return. They move with the rainfall, searching for fresh grazing land and covering distances of over 1,000 kilometres. The zebra migration is most dramatic during the rainy season in Botswana, from December to March, allowing visitors to benefit from lower lodge rates and fewer people.

2. Fruit bat migration in Zambia
Roughly 10 million giant fruit bats migrate from West Africa to a forested area in Kasanka National Park between October and December, making this migration the largest migration of mammals on Earth. In the evening, these large bats –  with wingspans of up to one metre –  can be seen flitting in multiple directions, silhouetted against the African sky. They come to feast on milkwood, musuku, mufinsa, mahogany pods and other wild fruit that grow after the first rains. 

3. Sardine run in South Africa
Every year, between May and July, winter storms cause an upwelling of cold water that gets pushed along South Africa’s coastline and massive shoals of sardines are driven north with it. Marine predators like dolphins, sharks, and Cape Gannets follow the travelling buffet of sardines, which has been described by BBC as ‘the greatest shoal on Earth’. Although not trailing the sardines specifically, numerous humpback whales can be seen at this time of year too as they migrate from Antarctic waters to warmer breeding grounds.

4. Blue wildebeest migration in Zambia
The second-largest wildebeest migration, of about 40,000 animals, takes place on the Liuwa Plains around November each year. While the scale is smaller than the migration in the Serengeti, it can be hard to tell as you watch thousands of galloping, grazing and snorting wildebeest move in a disarrayed unison across this wild space. Where there are herds of wildebeest you’ll also find lions, tracking them closely in anticipation of their next meal.

5. Southern Right Whale migration in South Africa
Hermanus and De Hoop, in South Africa, are two places that offer some of the world’s best land-based whale watching from up close. From around June to November, Southern Right Whales migrate to South Africa’s waters to give birth in sheltered bays. It’s not uncommon to see whales breaching, tail slapping or expelling seawater from their blowholes.

Happy travelling!

Diana

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The pearl of Indian Ocean islands

If you are imagining a tropical island paradise with white sands, warm turquoise waters and palm fringed beaches, you are probably imagining Zanzibar. You could mistake photographs of Zanzibar’s beaches for those of Mauritius or the Seychelles. But what sets Zanzibar apart from the competition is its authentically African feel. And, its more relaxed and less expensive hotels. 

I last visited the island in 2005 and visited again last month with my family and some friends. The beaches were just as idyllic as I remember, but the island is much more developed. 

In Zanzibar you can go north or east. The north coast is not impacted by high and low tides, allowing you to swim throughout the day. Nungwi can get crowded during peak season so head to Kendwa which has some of the most stunning beaches on earth. The east coast is more relaxed and secluded, with gorgeous “boho-chic” hotels popping up everywhere. The hotels around Paje have a youthful, party vibe and those closer to Jambiani are better suited to families and people who want to relax. On the east coast, you cannot swim in the sea at low tide because it is too far out.

While in Zanzibar, we sailed a traditional dhow to a nearby reef. We walked to the boat at low tide, passing sea creatures hiding in the sand, and seaweed gardens being tended by local women. I loved the snorkelling, although it must be said the fish were not present in great numbers. I was most happy to see NO PLASTIC in the ocean. My last snorkelling experience was in Thailand where I saw a lot of plastic in the ocean. We had two excellent local restaurant experiences. One in the Jambiani Village at Pishi’s. Another was at Usumba Rock, a locally owned and more authentic version of the famous The Rock restaurant. 

While in Zanzibar, I twice took a taxi around the island, visiting hotels. I have now updated Leopard’s little black book with lots of lovely hidden gems. Those who know me, know I love a good garden, and so special mention must be made of Zuri. On the day I visited Zuri, I had left my hotel before sunrise, at 6am and had seen two hotels before arriving at Zuri at 10am. After a wonderful site visit conducted by William, I left Zuri feeling restored and ready to tackle the afternoon’s hotels. I loved the hotel design, the incredible gardens, the gorgeous rooms and Zuri’s spice garden where they conduct complimentary tours every day. The beach is pretty unbelievable too, just take a look at these photos below. 

Contact us for our list of hidden gems in Zanzibar. 

Happy travelling!

Diana

P.S. We are so grateful for the very busy month we had in April, with over 32 people travelling with us! Most of our clients come to us through word of mouth, so please don’t keep us a secret! If you know someone who is traveling to South or East Africa, please feel free to pass on our information.

This month, we started the Leopard Referral Programme where you can get a ZAR 3,000* voucher for referring a friend. *Contact us for more information and the terms and conditions. 

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Where to holiday in Southern Africa from June to September.

European and North American summer holidays means winter in the southern hemisphere, but it’s still a great time to visit some of the jewels of the region. Temperatures are warmer than you would expect, and places like the Okavango Delta, Sossusvlei and Victoria Falls are best experienced in July and/or August.

The Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is one of the continent’s bucket list destinations. The best time to visit is from July to September, during the dry winter season when the delta is flooded and the temperature is milder. Exploring the delta in an iconic mokoro, a traditional dug out canoe, is possible during these months, when the delta is flooded. 

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls can be visited during peak water flow from February to May, but I prefer to visit during low water levels so that you can experience Devil’s Pool, and see more of the falls without getting as wet. August through to December is when the falls are at their lowest. While at Victoria Falls, take a day trip to Chobe or visit Mana Pools, one of the finest wilderness areas in Africa. 

Vilanculos & Bazaruto Islands, Mozambique
August is an excellent month to visit Mozambique, especially Vilanculos. The day time temperatures are around 29°C, with cooler evenings and fewer mosquitos. Vilanculos is a gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago with its white sand beaches, excellent snorkelling and diving and incredible blue waters. If you want to relax like never before, you’ve come to the right place. 

Sossusvlei, Namibia
Sossusvlei, in the Namib Desert is best visited between May and October. The climate is much more comfortable during the winter months of July and August where the day time temperatures reach around 22°C and days are almost always sunny. Float in a hot air balloon over the desert at sunrise, climb Big Daddy, and take photographs at the surreal landscapes of Dead Vlei. 

If you have not yet planned a summer holiday, and are considering a trip to Southern Africa, contact us on [email protected] for a tailor made quote. 

We had an exceptional month, with 39 Leopard customers travelling during April which has been our biggest month to date. Let’s hope this is a sign of things to come. After the emotional rollercoaster and complete unpredictability of 2020 and 2021, it would provide welcome relief to have a steady flow of visitors! 

Happy travelling!

Diana

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How to choose a travel company for your dream holiday? 

I recently worked with a client who usually plans all her own family holidays. These were her exact words in a review she left on our Facebook page: “I personally love planning holidays myself but I can’t tell you how amazing the experience was to hand over the reigns and all of the logistics to somebody else!! Not knowing Namibia too well, but having a few ideas on where I wanted to go, Diana was the perfect person to speak to and she crafted the most amazing tailor made experience for me and my family (with 2 small kids).”

Her comments are the inspiration for this newsletter… what should one think about when choosing a travel company to work with? Here is my list of 5 criteria to look for in a good tour operator:

1. Where is the company based?
This is critical if you want to travel for the most positive impact. The United Nations Environment Programme did a study that found that for every US$100 spent by a tourist on holiday to a developing country, only US$5 remains in the host community. Using a local operator, based in the country you want to visit, will greatly benefit the communities you visit rather than booking through a company based in your home country. Booking accommodation through a company like booking .com takes money offshore rather than contributing taxes and employment to the country you visit. 

2. Is the company a responsible tour operator?
There is so much greenwashing these days that being “responsible” is very difficult to measure. You will need to ask specific questions of the company you are considering working with. In our case, we prioritise working with other small businesses. We use Kay to handcraft our gifts and plan to help him grow his street corner business. We work with small female owned design and accounting businesses. Our logistics suppliers (except for airlines) are all locally owned. Our guides live and work in the communities they visit with our clients. The guesthouses and B&Bs we use are mostly family owned. Ask the tour operator you want to work with, how many of their suppliers are local.

3. Is the tour operator respectful?
Overtourism at certain popular sites can be a big issue for the local communities. Not many parts of South Africa suffer from overtourism except perhaps in District Six in Cape Town where locals going about their daily routine are sometimes overrun by tourists taking photos for the ‘gram. A respectful tour operator will not offer animal interaction experiences such as lion cub petting and elephant back rides. Interactions with communities in townships such as Soweto should be two-way rather than voyeuristic.

4. Is the tour operator sufficiently specialised?
It takes many years to build up a network of reliable logistics providers, guides, hotels, lodges and everything else required to build the perfect holiday. It is impossible to have the detail knowledge required to tailor make trips across the entire world, or even an entire continent, without a huge team of specialised people. Don’t book every holiday through one global travel agent, find specialised travel companies in the country you want to visit and book through them instead!

5. Is the tour operator transparent?
Here I try to follow the example of my business hero Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. Patagonia gives 1% of sales to environmental causes and has been doing this since 1985, just after I was born. I am still playing catch up on the investments I made into Leopard during 2 years of the pandemic, but I plan to give 1% of the company profits after tax to support grassroots NGOs in 3 areas: environment, conservation and community. I have already selected the NGOs and cannot wait to make my first donations! In environment, I will support Greenpop who have been planting trees in South Africa for the last 10 years. In conservation I will support Project Rhino, another well established NGO that is trying to address the massive increase in poaching of these magnificent animals. In community, I will support LvA an NGO that provides critical legal and psychosocial support for victims of gender-based violence in South Africa. 

Choosing the right travel company to book your holiday with is extremely important. You spend precious time and money on your holiday, so make sure it will be one to remember forever. 

Happy travelling!

Diana

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Live your adventure in 2022. 

Leopard has had some wonderful new enquiries and bookings to start the year. The sense I get from people who are booking holidays right now is that after 2 years of monotony and routine, they are in need of an escape from reality and sweet new adventures to look forward to this year. 

One booking in particular has given me a deep longing to get back into some of our remote and pristine wilderness areas. My brief was to find somewhere in Zimbabwe that was far from crowds and had the possibility of seeing painted wolves. Gonarezhou National Park in the south east of the country came to mind. It is not often that one gets a client willing to travel so far off the beaten track, with increased logistical costs, in order to reach less travelled areas such as these. This client is based in San Fransisco and has dreamed of travelling to Zimbabwe for 10 long years. It has been a privilege to help her plan her dream escape. 

Gonarezhou is a special place, which only a few people will get to visit in our lifetimes. This is due to lack to accommodation options and accessibility. But those who do make it out this far, will have a holiday to remember forever. Gonarezhou means “place of elephants” in the local language, and it is a fitting name, being home to at least 11,000 ellies. Scott Ramsay writes on his website, “About 7 000 visitors come to the park annually. This may seem paltry compared to Kruger’s one million, but just a decade ago almost no one visited.”

If you’re looking for a wilderness escape, you don’t need to look very far for inspiration. To get off the grid, and disconnect completely from life as you know it, I suggest Mapungubwe, the Richtersveld, Namibia, Bangweulu Wetlands, Mana Pools or Gonarezhou. You can read recent blog posts about Mapungubwe here, the Richtersveld here, the Welwitschias of Namibia here, and the shoebills of the Bangweulu Wetlands here. 

“You’re off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting. So, get on your way!” – Dr Suess

I hope this February newsletter has inspired you to start thinking about your next adventure in 2022 or beyond. As always, we are here to support you in planning your adventure.

Happy travelling!

Diana

P.S. We have updated our website with some new photography and testimonials, take a look and let us know that you think!

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What a year it’s been. 

It is hard to look back on it without mixed feelings. The start of 2021 was one of the toughest periods for Leopard, filled with a lot of doubt and uncertainty about the future. July to November, in contrast, was filled with new team members, new suppliers, new destinations (Rwanda and France!) and most importantly new clients and new holidays to plan. It was a record breaking period, with so much to be grateful for. And then omnicron hit, and with it worldwide panic and travel bans imposed (unfairly I might add) on Southern African countries. The travel bans have created huge uncertainty and have been extremely difficult for our clients, our partners and ourselves. As I write this newsletter, we do not know whether onmicron is a more or less deadly variant. All indications point to it being less deadly, but we will have to wait and see. 

And what has 2021 been like for you? Perhaps you missed important celebrations, and had enforced time away from your nearest and dearest. Birthdays, milestone events and anniversaries passed me by this year. And this has left me with a great desire to reconnect to my loved ones in 2022.

If one of your goals for next year is to celebrate an important occasion, or to reconnect with your favourite people in a spectacular setting, or to travel more while you can, why not let the team at Leopard help you plan a holiday that you will remember forever?

I remember the year I fell in love with travel. It was 1996 and I was about to turn 15. I travelled to London to visit my father’s family and since that moment I became fascinated with experiencing the world beyond what I knew. Until very recently, I had no idea it was possible to combine my love of travel with my actual job. Since starting Leopard, my days have been filled with tremendous satisfaction and enormous challenge in equal parts. Every day I wake up and do my dream job, and who gets to say that? As we reach the end of 2021, I would like to remind myself of all that I have to be grateful for. 

We put together a fun video of the big moments for Leopard in 2021. You’ll find it at the end of this email. Please enjoy!

I wish you all a wonderful end to 2021. 

Much love to you and yours,

Diana

P.S. If you would like to spoil yourself or your beloved with the gift of travel, get in touch and we will put together a beautiful trip plan to leave under the tree. 

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