Do I need vaccinations or anti-malarials?

Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and several others — and on transit through some countries if you've recently been in a yellow-fever zone. Anti-malarials are standard for safari country (most of East and Southern Africa); your travel doctor will recommend the current first-line option. Cape Town and the Western Cape, Marrakech, and most of Morocco are malaria-free.

When should I avoid travelling in Africa?

Marrakech and the Moroccan interior in July–August are 40°C+ — go to the coast or skip. East African safari in the long rains (April–May) means flooded camps and difficult game viewing. The South African Cape in June–August is cool, wet winter — great for the wine country and a fireplace, less so for the beaches. Many safari camps close entirely during their off-season.

How much should I budget for safari?

Top-tier camps in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda run $1,500–3,500 per person per night, fully inclusive — meals, drinks, game drives, park fees. South Africa's private reserves (Sabi Sand, Madikwe) are typically lower. Most safari trips run six to ten nights across two or three camps; the math adds up fast, but the per-night number includes nearly everything.

Is it safe to travel?

The major luxury circuits — Marrakech, Cape Town, Franschhoek, the Mara, the Serengeti, the Okavango, the Volcanoes National Park — are well established and safe with normal travel awareness. Stick to reputable operators, accept guidance on which neighbourhoods to walk and when, and use car services rather than walking at night in the bigger cities.

Africa

Riads, safari camps, and coastlines few travellers ever reach.

The view from here

Why Africa, and why now

Africa at the top end is two industries that don't really overlap: the riad-and-medina circuit of North Africa, and the safari-camp economy of East and Southern Africa. We cover both, and we treat them as separate trips — because they are.

The Moroccan side runs on converted palaces in Marrakech and Fes, design hotels in the new cities, and a small handful of Atlas mountain escapes. It's a short-haul trip from Europe, comparatively affordable, and the closest thing North Africa has to a fully developed luxury market.

Safari is a different category entirely — a multi-camp, single-country itinerary built around game viewing, where the camps themselves are some of the most considered hospitality on earth. South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and Rwanda are the working list; pick one, do it properly.

When to go

The Africa calendar

Morocco: March–May and September–November (avoid Marrakech in July–August). East African safari (Kenya, Tanzania): July–October for the Great Migration, January–March for the green-season calving window. Southern Africa (Botswana, South Africa, Namibia): May–October dry season is the safari window. South African Cape: November–March is summer and the right time for Cape Town and the wine country.

Signature experiences

What we'd book first

Two nights in a Marrakech riad followed by an Atlas mountain escape
A four-camp safari across the Mara, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro
A Cape Town stay paired with a Franschhoek wine-country week
A Botswana water-and-land safari split between the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari
A Rwandan gorilla-trek lodge stay, paired with a Kenyan coast finish

The editor's take

The single most overlooked African luxury trip is a slow week on the Moroccan Atlantic coast — Essaouira, Oualidia, the Souss-Massa. Quieter than Marrakech, cooler than the desert, and almost no travellers go. — The Lucalvry Edit

Countries

Where to go in Africa

Africa

Morocco

Riads, Atlas hideaways, and a coastline most travellers miss.

Africa

South Africa

Cape Town, the Winelands, and the world's most considered safari camps.

Africa

Kenya

Mara migration, Lamu dhows, and the original safari country.

Africa

Tanzania

Serengeti plains, Ngorongoro crater, and Zanzibar's Swahili coast finish.

Africa

Botswana

Okavango water safari, Kalahari salt pans, and the most exclusive bush in Africa.

Africa

Rwanda

Mountain gorillas, Kigali design hotels, and Africa's most progressive city.

Keep reading

The Africa edit, across the site

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Hotels

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Wellness

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Destinations

Common questions

Planning Africa: the basics

Morocco is visa-free for most Western, UK, and Gulf passports for stays up to 90 days. Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda all use straightforward e-visa systems — apply online a week before travel. South Africa is visa-free for most Western travellers up to 90 days. Botswana is visa-free for most. Always check the latest requirements four to six weeks ahead — and ensure your passport has six months of validity and at least two blank pages.