Africa was once an almost impenetrable continent – regional and internal flights were not easy to find, and even harder to book. But, with daily flights now linking Southern and East Africa, you can fit more diverse experiences into your few weeks’ holiday. Maybe you are returning to Africa for your second or third safari and getting off the beaten path to countries like Zambia and Namibia is now on your radar. With so many more options available Forth & Wonder’s Africa experts will take the hard work out of designing your next complex multi-destination itinerary.

There was a time when luxury vacations were about hitting the latest global hotspots, but ‘isolation travel’ has created a whole new type of exclusivity. Overtourism is a problem in many parts of the world, but Africa is still full of untouched and remote holiday locations, such as the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp in Namibia. With only shipwrecks and fur seals to keep you and 15 other guests company, exploring this remote destination provides a sense of adventure that takes bragging rights to a whole new level.

While you may have typically looked to Europe and Asia for a wellness holiday, more and more Africa operators are reconceptualising what a safari means through a wellness lens. Nearly all camps, lodges and hotels are adding to, or upgrading, their traditional wellness services, creating spas that use local African ingredients in beauty treatments or, like some hotels in Cape Town, offering morning yoga classes at the top of Table Mountain. But wellness is an individual experience that for many goes far beyond healthy food menus and fitness centres. All across Africa you can find enrichment through community and conservation work, planting vegetables and foraging with local chefs in kitchen gardens and taking on ‘survivor-style’ challenges that will push your body to the limit. In 2019 indulgence is out, and wellness is in.

Safaris have always made for a great family holiday, but there has been a massive growth in bringing the whole family to Africa on the one trip – grandparents, kids and maybe even a funny uncle or two. Operators across the continent are busy converting or building new family suites and lodges with interconnecting rooms and relaxation areas that include play zones for little ones. While you enjoy night game drives and sundowners looking across the vast Serengeti, kids are free to roam and play with experienced guides and babysitters who engage them in child-friendly cultural and conservation activities. And the best moment of all? When the whole family sees their first pride of lions or herd of elephants – a shared experience that will be told again and again through the generations.

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Forth & Wonder’s experts can help you design the ultimate luxury Africa holiday in 2019 – speak to us today or email curious@forthandwonder.com.au.