Magazine

Itineraries, wildlife and practical notes for travelling in Africa. What’s happening in the parks, when it’s best to go and what we think.

Highlights

Car on a tarmac road crossing the desert, seen from above

Practical advice · 3 min read

How to read a safari quote: the ten items that matter

Private or shared vehicle, park fees, internal flights, insurance, tips and cancellation charges: what to check to see whether two quotes are truly comparable.

16 September 2026

All articles

Safari vehicle in tall grass at sunset, with hills behind

Practical advice · 3 min read

Twenty things nobody tells you before your first safari

Timings, rules, packing, money and the unexpected: the practical details that shape a day on safari and that are usually discovered on the spot.

16 September 2026

Culture · 3 min read

The names of Africa: from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe, from Tanganyika to Tanzania

Why Rhodesia is now called Zimbabwe, how Tanzania and Namibia came about, and what knowing where the names come from changes for the traveller.

16 September 2026

Elephants beside a safari jeep with its roof open

Points of view · 3 min read

When there are too many vehicles: how to choose a safari that is not part of the problem

Overcrowding is not a flaw of Africa’s parks: it is a consequence of the way safaris are sold. You can choose differently.

16 September 2026

Elephant on a sandy track among acacias in the dry season

Seasons · 3 min read

October and November in Africa: where to go now

The dry season ends, the short rains reach the east and the south hits the hottest point of the year. Here is where the coming weeks really work.

16 September 2026

News · 2 min read

Zanzibar: the compulsory insurance to buy before you travel

Anyone entering Zanzibar must hold a policy issued by the island’s state insurer. It costs $44 and does not replace your travel insurance.

16 September 2026

News · 2 min read

Kenya: no visa, but you need an eTA electronic authorisation

Kenya no longer issues tourist visas: you enter with an online authorisation that must be obtained before departure, children included.

16 September 2026

News · 2 min read

Masai Mara: entry fees double from July to December

In Kenya’s most famous reserve, the daily ticket for foreign visitors costs $100 in the first half of the year and $200 in the second.

16 September 2026

News · 1 min read

Namibia: Italian citizens need a visa, even on arrival

Namibia requires a visa from citizens of Italy and much of Western Europe. It can be obtained online or at the airport and costs 1,600 Namibian dollars.

16 September 2026

Young elephant feeding in green vegetation beside an adult

Seasons · 2 min read

The green season: why the rainy months can be the best

Fewer vehicles, lower prices, green landscapes and newborn young. The rainy season comes at a price, but for many travellers it is the right one.

15 September 2026

Seasons · 2 min read

July and August in Africa: how to make the most of high season

These are the months when most families travel, and among the best for many parks. With a few right choices, even in the busiest places.

15 September 2026

Lodge with thatched roofs among palm trees, seen from above

Points of view · 2 min read

Why we don’t sell the cheapest safari

Park fees are the same for everyone. If a safari costs much less, the saving comes from somewhere: almost always from the time spent watching the animals.

15 September 2026

Points of view · 2 min read

Cubs to cuddle and walks with lions: the activities to avoid

Some encounters with animals look harmless and are sold as conservation. Often they are the opposite. How to recognise them.

15 September 2026

Coconut palms seen from below against a blue sky

Trip ideas · 2 min read

Safari and beach: Zanzibar, the Kenyan coast or Madagascar?

The beach after the safari is the most requested combination. But not every coast pairs with every safari, and the choice depends on where you have been before.

15 September 2026

Herd of elephants in the Tanzanian savannah, with a hot-air balloon overhead

Trip ideas · 3 min read

A first trip to Africa in ten days: three combinations that work

Ten days are enough, if you don’t try to see everything. Three different ways to use them, and who each one is designed for.

15 September 2026

Culture · 2 min read

What to eat in East Africa: from ugali to nyama choma

In the lodges the food is often European in style. Beyond them, the cooking of Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar tells the region’s story better than many guidebooks.

14 September 2026

Culture · 2 min read

The Swahili words that change a journey

You do not need to learn a language. A few words, said at the right moment, are enough to turn you from tourist into guest.

14 September 2026

Culture · 2 min read

Books and films to arrive in Africa prepared

Novels, reportage and films that tell Africa’s story from within and from without. A short list, to read before or during the journey.

14 September 2026

Practical advice · 3 min read

Photography on safari: what to bring, how to use the light, what to leave at home

You do not need professional kit: you need the right kit for a safari vehicle, the dust and six in the morning.

14 September 2026

Trip ideas · 3 min read

Mountain gorillas: Uganda or Rwanda?

An hour with a gorilla family in the forest is one of the most intense experiences in Africa. It is expensive and needs preparation: here is how to choose the country.

14 September 2026

Trip ideas · 2 min read

A night in the Sahara, in Morocco: what to expect

Dunes, dromedaries and a sky full of stars, a few hours’ flight from Italy. What a desert camp is really like and when to go.

14 September 2026

Treated mosquito net, malaria prevention

Practical advice · 2 min read

Vaccinations, malaria and water: what to ask your doctor before Africa

There is no need to be alarmed, only to plan in good time. The right questions to ask at the vaccination clinic, and the yellow fever rule that surprises many.

13 September 2026

Nature and wildlife · 2 min read

The Little Five: the animals nobody tells you to look for

Everyone knows the Big Five. Few know there is a miniature version, and that finding it takes a sharper eye than spotting a lion lying in the grass.

13 September 2026

Nature and wildlife · 2 min read

Africa underwater: whale sharks, whales and turtles

After the safari, the sea off East Africa offers a different kind of sighting. Where and when to meet the ocean’s great animals.

13 September 2026

Twisted tree in the Namibian desert at dusk

Nature and wildlife · 2 min read

Africa’s darkest skies: the stars of the Namibian desert

In southern Namibia lies the first African reserve recognised for the quality of its night sky. Why the stars there can be seen as in few other places on earth.

13 September 2026

Trip ideas · 2 min read

Zanzibar, north or east? How to choose the right coast

The difference between the two coasts is neither price nor beauty: it is the tide. And it can decide whether you swim or not.

26 August 2026

The Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar, with people and zebu on the road

Nature and wildlife · 2 min read

Madagascar: why almost everything you see exists nowhere else

Eighty million years of isolation have produced an island where around ninety per cent of species are endemic. Here is what that means in practice for those who travel there.

29 July 2026

Practical advice · 2 min read

What to pack for a safari, and what to leave at home

The baggage limit on internal flights is fifteen kilos in a soft bag. From there on, it is all a matter of choices.

2 July 2026

Elephant family with two calves among the bushes

Practical advice · 2 min read

Safari with children: from what age, and how to really make it work

The days are long, the roads are unsealed and silence is not optional. But a safari with children works, if you accept a few rules.

11 June 2026