African Magic - my first tour of 2026
My year was off to a great start when flew out in late February for the start of the Northern Explorer tour. This was a special tour in a few ways. For the first time I had a few family members on board. Also it’s the first time I have visited Africa so early in the year, and the wet season certainly changes the way you can experience some of the most iconic destinations.
Our first dinner in Namibia was against the background of a spectacular sunset storm - a sign of great things to come. Then we headed into the incredible Sossusvlei Desert for a few days of breathtaking landscapes. We got to see a little bit of wildlife as well - this friendly Oryx stayed close to camp and tried to sneak in for a nibble of green grass by the pool!
Etosha National Park, also in Namibia, was full of surprises. Last time I was there in 2019, it was a stony desert. The waterhole near our lodge was the only major water source for miles, and animals of all kinds would walk a long way across rocks and sand to reach it. In February the park had received so much rain, the landscape was filled with long grass as far as the eye could see, and the animals could take their pick of places to drink. We had to work a little harder for our wildlife sightings, but seeing a familiar landscape so completely transformed was something truly special
A cruise on the Caprivi River gave us some glorious bird sightings, including one of my favourite African birds, the Malachite Kingfisher. Then we came to our next major landscape attraction - the magnificent Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, one of the true natural wonders of the world.
On a very long and full day, we drove across the border into Botswana for our Chobe National Park adventure. We took a river cruise in the morning and a game drive in the afternoon, and this single day gave me some of my most memorable wildlife experiences of all time. Highlight for me was the hippo fight, and seeing the elephants cooling off in the river as storm clouds approached in the background.
Finally, to bring an end to a truly epic tour, we spent a few days in the Capetown region of South Africa. From Table Mountain to the Cape Of Good Hope, there are some glorious landscapes to be captured - and a visit to the penguin colony at Boulders Beach was the icing on the cake of an adventure that myself and all our guests will never forget.
