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.

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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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Green is the colour of spring and the sign of new growth in tourism. 

The first signs of travel recovering coincided perfectly with spring in South Africa. I particularly love spring here because after the first rains, the trees start getting fresh green leaves, grass reappears on bare ground and most special of all, many antelope species give birth to their babies. I just love the abundance of baby impala you find on a safari in September and October. Predators love spring too because suddenly there is a bounty of easy meals. Just as spring arrived in the highveld this year, we saw the first green shoots of tourism returning and the demand for tailor made holidays from Leopard is higher than ever. 

In the months of September and October, we had over 100 people (families, couples, groups of friends) book and pay for a holiday with Leopard. Most of these holidays are to be taken in the next 6 months, so people are showing a strong preference to travel as soon as they can. The Leopard team has been exceptionally busy, but we are not complaining after two lean years. In fact, we are celebrating and hoping that we can continue at this pace during in the coming months. 

Charles Howie who recently joined the team, visited 10 lodges in Kruger during September and together we visited Welgevonden and Lapalala Wilderness. I was particularly impressed with Lapalala Wilderness. We had some incredible sightings there. Lapalala had no predators until recent years when lion, cheetah and wild dog were reintroduced. The predators are what attract most people, but we had some beautiful sightings of herbivores too.

We were lucky to see the incredibly rare Roan Antelope, but in unfortunate circumstances. The roan had a newborn baby with her which had sadly been caught and eaten by two cheetah brothers called the Dinokeng brothers. We arrived just after the kill and saw the cheetahs devouring the baby. A big male lion arrived on the scene and chased away the mourning mother Roan, but did not find the cheetah brothers on their kill. The lions at Lapalala were obtained from the Kgalagadi and have their strong genes and beautiful black manes. As I sat on our open safari vehicle, this massive male lion looked directly at me and held my gaze with his golden cat eyes. I found this an unforgettably moving and primal experience. 

In Lapalala we stayed at Tintswalo Lapalala and Noka Lodge. If you love a traditional bush experience in luxury canvas tents, then Tintswalo is for you. If you love spectacular views, technology and modern architecture then you will adore Noka Camp. 

One of our clients took her husband to Noka Camp for a special occasion and filmed this video there. 

See you soon and happy travelling!

Diana

P.S. If you would like an exceptional South African wine purchasing experience, I highly recommend Singita Wine Direct. I have used them twice now, after visiting their maturation facility in Stellenbosch and I can say that they are undoubtedly the best in the business. Better yet is to visit their luxury lodges in Africa and taste their gorgeous wines in an incredible setting! Contact us for more information. 

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Leopard can now design your dream French holiday. 

It’s been a while crocodiles! I didn’t manage to get an August newsletter out to you because it has been crazy busy around here. I hope this one makes up for it!

One of the projects we have been furiously working on is the launch of Leopard France. I am happy to say the website is live and we are ready to take your enquiries and bookings. 

France is an exciting holiday destination and needs no introduction to most people. From the icons of Paris to the exceptional food & wine, the beautiful lavender fields of Provence and the sparkling Mediterranean sea on the French Riviera, France has enough to make anyone happy.

My colleague, Daphnée spent her summer finding the best places to visit and stay in St Tropez, Paris and the champagne region. She did an amazing job of unerthing the perfect hotel to suit all budgets and travel styles, visiting over 40 hotels and guesthouses all over France. From the chic Monsieur George on the Champs- Élysées to MUSE St Tropez, and Le 25bis, a converted 18th century residence in Epernay, we will find your perfect hotel match. 

On the Leopard France website, you will find four inspiring holiday plans: Fragrances of the south, which includes Provence & Côte d’Azur; Classic France, which includes Paris, the Loire Valley and Reims; the Gastronomy Route, which includes Bordeaux, Pays Basque and Dordogne; and Winter Wonderland for skiing holidays.

As always, these trips are fully customisable to your needs. Please contact us to book your next French holiday!

We are proud to announce that after an extensive selection process and rounds of interviews, Leopard was selected for the Enpact Programme which provides relief funding, training, mentorship and market access opportunities to South African travel companies. It is funded by the German government and we are very grateful for their support. 

The third piece of exciting news this month is that we have a new team member, Charles Howie, who joined the team in August. Charles is an expert in all things safari and Southern Africa. We are fortunate to have someone with his experience as part of the team. You can read more about Charles on our website. He is standing by to plan your dream holiday!

Happy travelling!

Diana

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The Richtersveld is an adventurous wilderness escape like no other. 

The Richtersveld is not easy to get to. It is at least two long days of driving from Cape Town, or three days if you would like to take it slower. Our overnight stop was just outside Springbok but stopping in Springbok meant that the next day’s drive into the Richtersveld was long and tiring. If I did it again, I would overnight at Port Nolloth or even in the tiny communites of Lekkersing or Kuboes.

Part of the attraction of the Richtersveld is its remote location. This, combined with some of the most spectacular landscapes I’ve ever seen, makes it exceptional. The environment is extremely harsh – dry, hot and windy. Any life form that survives here is highly adapted to this habitat. We stopped frequently to get out of the car and marvel at the plant life around us. The Succulent Karoo biome, which the Richtersveld forms part of, is internationally recognised for its biodiversity. Below is a small selection of the plant species we saw. 

If we weren’t stopping to look at plants and stones, we were stopping for the magnificent views. The landscape changes dramatically from one part of the park to the next. For this reason, it is a good idea to stay in at least three of the camps. Distances between the camps are short but driving time is usually much longer than expected due to the arduous terrain, which is suitable for 4 x 4’s only. Some of the roads are technically difficult driving, so be prepared to use the full range of capabilities on your 4×4. Domorogh Pass was by far the most difficult pass we drove. It is steep, rocky, narrow and extremely slow going. 

Dramatic views are literally everywhere. They are not easily captured on camera but the unusual granite rock formations in and around Kokerboomkloof make great photographic subjects. The Tatasberg Mountain viewpoint, on the way to the Kokerboomkloof campsite, is a completely wild and and breathtaking place, and is pictured above and below. 

I loved the campsites at Kokerboomkloof. We scrambled to the top of the boulders surrounding our campsite and watched the sun go down over this beautiful valley, content with the world and our place in it. In the evening, we marvelled at the net of bright stars covering the sky. The valley is one of the hottest places in the park, with summer temperatures reaching 50 degrees celsius, so visits are only possible in the winter months.

We stayed at three other camps in the park: Sendelingsdrift, Tatasberg and De Hoop. Tatasberg was beautifully set along the Orange River with stunning views towards Namibia. The basic huts offer the luxury of a solar powered fridge, lights and hot water. We woke up early to do a small trail run and were greeted by a beautiful rainbow, a sighting as rare as they come here in the desert. I also saw and heard a Goliath Heron flying slowly up river calling its distinctive and unusual barking call. 

De Hoop was the most popular of all the camp sites. It is situated along the banks of the Orange River where the river widens and flows less strongly, so swimming is pleasant. I took a dip after my morning run, but it was freezing cold so I didn’t stay in for long. De Hoop was our last stop so the lush green vegetation along the banks of the river was a sight for sore eyes after the rock and sand everywhere else. The nomadic Nama pastoralists herd their goats and sheep along the river every morning, and back in the afternoon. There are a maximum of 6,600 small stock units allowed in the park and these limits need to be maintained in order to ensure sustainability of resources. 

Unfortunately you cannot avoid Sendelingsdrift because you need to get your park exit permit there. But I recommend the shortest possible stay there. It is the headquarters for the park, has a border crossing with Namibia (via pont) and is also a mining town. The surrounding environment has been completely ruined by diamond mining. I place very little value in diamonds and don’t own any except my grandmother’s engagement ring. So I was outraged to see how diamond mining has destroyed much of the west coast of South Africa, especially the area between Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay and the Orange River at Sendelingsdrift. The national park says that they have an agreement with the mining company to rehabilitate the environment but I am not sure whether that is actually possible. Even if you don’t care about the mining, I don’t suggest staying long at Sendelingsdrift because you will be woken before dawn by mine workers starting work and mine trucks driving past the campsite.  

There are a few things to be aware of if you are planning a trip to the park. There is no cellphone reception except in Sendelingsdrift. You can refuel at Sendelingsdrift and it is best to carry extra fuel with you. You have to carry your own water to drink and cook with, and require 5 litres per person per day, minimum in winter, and in summer you will likely need more. You need to remove all your own rubbish from the park. There are some dangerous snakes and scorpions in the park and a bite from a puff adder is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention. It is not advisable to walk around without shoes after dark, or sleep on the bare ground, for this reason. 

The roads to enter and exit the park are in universally bad condition, however we found the road from Alexander Bay into the Richtersveld worse than others due to long sections of deep and numerous corrugations. We drove back via Lekkersing which was a better quality road but still slow. Another option is to go via Kuboes and Vioolsdrif. 

If you would like to plan a trip to the Richtersveld, we would be happy to help, so please get in touch!

Happy traveling,

Diana

P.S. This month, I would like to highlight our podcast episode with Jo Buitendag from PAST Experiences. She talks about another off the beaten track destination for tourists – Johannesburg! Have a listen on our website. 

P.P.S If you want to read about the second part of this trip, our visit to the Namaqualand, take a read on our blog here: https://leopard.voyage/2021/06/28/the-namaqualand-issue/

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Namaqualand, a place of desolation and magic. 

The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated of South Africa’s provinces. The arid climate and huge driving distances mean few visitors venture this far afield. On a recent trip to the area I discovered it is a place where the inhospitable climate is contrary to the warm hospitality of the people. 

Namaqualand is magically transformed into carpets of spectacular wild flowers from August to October. While this is the main attraction of the region, I visited out of season and found there was lots more to appreciate. On my way north, I stopped at Naries Namaqua retreat, a unique and secluded refuge, just outside Springbok. It makes an excellent stop on the long journey from Cape Town to the Richtersveld. The thatched Mountain Suites, build into the surrounding rock are the best spots to nab for their unique design and for wonderful sunset views.

On my way back south, I stayed at Skilpad Rest Camp in Namaqua National Park. The cottages were basic, but felt like splendid luxury after the harsh conditions of the Richtersveld. They have incredible views as you can see from the sunset picture at the top of this email. To get to the coastal section of the park, you will need a 4×4 and be prepared for a windy experience.

It was great to do some birdwatching while I was there. I didn’t keep a list but I saw a number of interesting birds around Skilpad. There is an easy 4km hike to do from reception. If you take your time you’ll find many interesting plants, birds and insects to observe. 

The abandoned farmsteads at Koeroebees made interesting photographic subjects. The thick walls and small windows reminded me of old farmhouses I had seen in the south of France where it also gets hot and windy. Koeroebees is a Nama word meaning “digging water” after the two perennial fountains, the only constant source of water in the area.

A stay at Naries or Namaqua National Park makes an excellent stop over on your way to or from the Richtersveld from Cape Town. Ideally you want to stay in flower season, but it is enjoyable at any time of year.

On the subject of flowers, take a listen to our episode with botanist Sean Privett on the fynbos and Cape Floristic Region. You can listen find it on your favourite podcasting platform or press play on our website. 

Happy travelling,

Diana

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