Local Foreigner Across Africa

Developing an obsession with traveling to sub-Saharan Africa is a right of passage in the travel industry, where conventional standards of how much travel you can pack into a year go out the window. (One of our advisors recently went to Cape Town from New York… for the weekend.) In the first half of 2025, twelve different Local Foreigner team members have explored seven different countries on the Mother Continent, visiting almost forty different hotels and lodges. There are few experiences the world over that compare to being out in an open-top jeep, searching for your first leopard or rhino, accompanied by an expert guide and tracker team that can translate the mysteries of the surrounding wilderness and uncover its secrets. Plus, it’s a good thing our company Whatsapp group loves nothing more than a video of a baby elephant. Read on for a few of our team’s favorite moments from the bush (and beach!)

Jordy in Botswana

One of the biggest Africa addicts on the team, Jordy Lievers-Eaton wasted no time in checking a long-haul off the bucket list for 2025, hopping on the Newark to Johannesburg nonstop on the first Friday of the year. After a quick overnight, it was on to Maun, Botswana and then into the grasslands and floodplains of the Linyanti. “I’ve been to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Tanzania, but Botswana has been on my list forever because people speak about the experience in hushed tones, like it’s another level of safari experience entirely,” she says. “So naturally when my husband and I were looking for a babymoon destination, instead of going to a beach resort like normal people, we decided to go to Bots.”

They started their trip at Selinda Camp, a soulful spot with five dramatic, thatch-roofed tents set on the Linyanti spillway, where hippos act as your morning alarm. “We were there in January, which is off season, but one of the best parts of that time of year - besides everything being an otherworldly green - is the amazing birdlife. There are so many species migrating through the swamp and, like any good birder, I kept a list of sightings going in my Notes app that was well into the hundreds by the end of the trip.” From Selinda, they hopped into a chopper for the 45-minute transfer to the Moremi Game Reserve and Xigera Safari Lodge, known for its incredible collection of Africa art objects. “Every piece at Xigera has a history and there’s such reverence for the maker and the material. Add to that that you’re in the middle of the African bush and it’s really unlike anywhere else in the world.” The record-setting rainfall that happened during their stay only added to the atmosphere. “We happened to be at Xigera for nine inches of rain in 24 hours, which is unbelievable. When we arrived, the grounds were dry, and the next morning, there was a river in front of the lodge. We were able to get out in mokoros, the dugout canoes Botswana is famous for, much earlier in the season than usual, and it bodes well for water levels for the rest of 2025!”

Their last stop on the trip was Wilderness’s Mombo Camp, on Chief’s Island in the Okavango Delta. “Mombo is one of the lodges that put Botswana on the map as the tip-top destination for safari,” Jordy says. “You don’t even need to leave the lodge to have amazing sightings - one day after lunch, we couldn’t get back to our room because the pathway was being blocked by a grazing bull elephant; another afternoon while we were taking a pre-drive rest, monkeys started going crazy around our tent - turns out, a mama leopard was taking a nap directly below us, in the shade created by the tent platform. Botswana is magic because you’re really in the thick of it.”

James & David in Mozambique

It takes a lot to give the general population of Local Foreigner travel envy, but James McLaren seems to manage it about once a quarter, and his three-week trip to Oman, Dubai, Mozambique, and the Seychelles in January was one for the ages. In Mozambique, he joined up with Paris-based team member David Kane for a scouting trip to Mozambique’s Benguerra Island. Stretching up the continent’s east coast, bordering South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Tanzania, on June 25, Mozambique celebrates 50 years of independence. The biggest draw is the incredible coastline - there are over 1,600 miles of white sand beaches, with well-preserved corals to snorkel and dive through, impossibly picturesque surf breaks, and sailing opportunities galore. The country’s population is young and there’s a pulsating culture and beachy vibe, making it the perfect place to end a safari for the ever sought-after “bush and beach” combo. They returned raving about all three properties they visited - &Beyond Benguerra Island, Sussurro, and Kisawa Sanctuary. “These are safari lodges on world-class beaches,” David says. “Powdery white sand, crystal-clear water, and a peaceful vibe.”

“When I think of Mozambique, I think about the afternoon we took a private boat to a deserted sandy island. Sussurro set up a super chic tent for us with drinks and snacks. We took a walk around the island, and there were just 2 casual fisherman going through their catch - it was so simple but so special,” James adds. “The Mozambique properties arrange insanely gorgeous private dinners too. There are no menus, they talk about their daily catch and fresh produce, discuss what might interest us; it felt so personal and customized.” The theme of experiencing Africa from the air continued on this trip as well. “We also did an incredible heli ride over the impossibly blue waters. Our pilot went feet from a super long beach and it was just a sense of joy and abandon that we’re always searching for in travel. Mozambique had it in spades - too many great memories to list. Plus, after every boat trip, the team was waiting on the beach with cold towels and drinks. And one night, I came back to find a bubble bath already drawn—love!”

Libby in South Africa

Director of Operations Libby Shillito is the type of person that gets things done - and one of the major items on her to-do list for Q1 2025 was getting to South Africa. “We learn about so many cool hotels in this industry, but I have had a major crush on The Silo in Cape Town for as long as I can remember - those insane windows overlooking the V&A Waterfront, and the super vibrant art. I love a hotel that is not afraid to make a statement, so I knew I needed to start there.” Her lucky travel companion for the trip was her mom - who didn’t realize at first what a treat she was in for. “I basically had to force my mom to come with me, and then it took her about thirty seconds after we arrived in Cape Town to fall in love with it. I felt the same way - the landscape is shocking, with the contrast between the super jagged mountains abutting the ocean, which feels like the end of the world. And then tucked into the middle of these two things, there’s this super vibrant city. Visiting some of the local markets, like the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, is a perfect summation of what makes the city so special - there are all of these different global influences because of the spice trade routes over the centuries, so everything you experience is something new.”

After exploring the (appropriately-named) Mother City, they connected up to Skukuza Airport, which is located inside Kruger National Park and is the gateway to all the magic contained therein. “I had been on safari in Kenya and gorilla trekking in Rwanda a few years ago, but everyone speaks about the South African game experience as something so classic, and we got to do it at Londolozi, in the Sabi Sands, which is just the most wonderful place.” The pair had unbelievable game viewing luck - several leopards, three week-old lion cubs, cheetahs, and a full afternoon tracking a pack of wild dogs. “Being in a private concession is game-changing,” Libby says. “Being able to get off road and up close and personal - that’s not happening at every lodge.” And her mom is officially a safari convert. “The beauty of the country and its people are unforgettable, but having the opportunity to see someone you love experience Safari for the first time is amazing. She’s already decided it needs to become an annual thing.”

Larkin in Tanzania

Travel Associate Larkin Massie finds fun wherever she goes, so no one on the team was surprised when, less than 48 hours into her first visit to Tanzania, we got videos of her dancing with members of the Datoga tribe in the middle of the Serengeti. Her travel buddy for her epic trip through east Africa was her mom, and while the sense of fun is obviously genetic - “We’ve chased after the Cheetah Girls in Barcelona, followed the footsteps of Mary-Kate and Ashley in Rome, and created our own characters for ourselves when visiting the Taj Mahal in India,” Larkin says - this trip was extra special. “For the longest time, my mom wasn’t interested in going on safari, but once we were there, it was the most relaxed either of us have ever been. I know waking up at 5:30AM to see the sunrise and the animals stirring doesn’t sound relaxing, but the sounds of the wilderness are some sort of rebirth, a peacefulness I didn’t know I was missing in New York.”

After starting their adventure with a quick overnight at Legendary Lodge in Arusha, the pair continued on to the fabulous tents of Little Chem Chem, which has classic vintage safari vibes and herds of elephant just outside your canvas walls. “It feels like you are sleeping among the animals,” she says. Next up was Mwiba, which sits on massive boulders, so it seems to float above the treetops; there’s game viewing on offer here, but the unique aspect of the lodge is the proximity and relationship to several local tribes, including the Datoga. A watering hole, visible from the main lodge, is a center of action, so when Larkin wasn’t answering emails for clients from quite a ways out of the office, she was kicking back with a g&t and watching the show. Next, they hopped in a Cessna up to Singita’s Grumeti Reserve, to one of the stateliest safari lodges anywhere - the epic Singita Sasakwa, which sits, kingly, atop a rise in the endless savanna. The game viewing in the Grumeti is second to none. “We saw leopards hiding from a pack of 12 lionesses, baby hyenas, huge herds of elephants - everything, in close proximity and succession.” As tends to happen to family members of travel advisors, Larkin’s mom is now spoiled forever.

Camilla in Madagascar

“I had originally been so excited to go to Madagascar for the lemurs,” Camilla Catlin says. “Madagascar was my favorite, and I was laser-focused on seeing one (which we did – lots). But I ended up falling in love with just about everything else.” Time + Tide’s Miavana, on the island of Nosy Ankao, is the definition of a remote island paradise, with the sort of beaches that usually grace screen savers and postcards. “The helicopter ‘transfer’ from Nosy Be, across the island of Madagascar to Time + Tide Miavana, was truly spectacular. As we flew over, we saw these red rock formations—sort of cliffs—that had the most incredible shapes and colors. That was the Tsingy Rouge, a surreal maze of crimson limestone pinnacles carved by water and wind over thousands of years. The sun was going down, reflecting off the red, when suddenly we realized that there were baobab trees below us. Just like in the movies or the photos! Seeing them from above was incredible.”

Scientists estimate that about 90% of species on Madagascar are endemic. And that includes not just the animals, but the plants, the moss, the fungus, the fish—everything. Time + Tide Miavana occupies its own island, and every villa is open to the sea breeze, with views of the ocean past your private swimming pool. “It wasn’t quite like walking around in a Dr. Seuss book but almost! It was so pretty and so peaceful,” she says.

“One day while we were at lunch, someone came running over and said, ‘Everybody needs to help, help, help!’ A nest of sea turtle eggs had hatched early, and we needed to help save them (this was Miavana’s version of a red alert; it was very exciting). We ran down the beach and everyone was freaking out, because when baby turtles first hatch, the birds try to eat them, so it became a team effort to gently keep them on their path to the sea while scaring away the birds. It was one of my strongest memories from the trip and I will NOT think about the fact that only 1% make it to adult sea turtle-hood… I didn’t feel like I’d flown across the world just to arrive at some generic beach resort. Everything about Time + Tide Miavana felt otherworldly. It was worth the journey—to see the lemurs, the baobabs, the neon green geckos, the sea turtles. Madagascar was breathtaking.”

Tati in the Kalahari Desert

Tswalu Game Reserve is the type of place where you embrace the non-traditional safari flow. The largest private reserve in South Africa, it covers over 460 square miles on the edge of the southern Kalahari. While there’s large game to be seen, the draw here is the expert guides who lead private vehicles in search of smaller wildlife wonders, including meerkats. But Tati Stroud left the vehicle all together in search of a wilder adventure. “My standout moment while staying at Tsawlu Laopi was horseback riding through the bush. This is done on the side of the reserve that does not have lions, so it feels very safe, and it was really amazing to take an afternoon to ride in the reserve.”

The unique topography of the desert means the group was galloping through red rocks and mountains dotted with acacias, including the endemic camelthorn tree. And while Tati has spent her fair share of time in Africa, including visiting Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe on this trip alone, being on horseback made the experience even more vivid. “There is something really special about riding because you don't hear the sounds of the safari truck - every bird call is that much louder. Its so peaceful. And on top of the beauty, it’s just so fun - the guide brought us to the sand dunes cantered up and down for a mile or so. At the end, we were met by the safari vehicle, where we untacked the horses and let them run free. Because it is fenced and there are no lions, the horses roam around until they return to the barn for breakfast.”

Lara in South Africa

There are trips, and then there are safaris. When Lara Camozzo visited the African continent for the first time this spring, she quickly realized what all the fuss was about. “I can’t describe the feeling of those close wildlife encounters,” she says. “It’s like an out-of-body experience. You’re face-to-face with these incredible animals in the wild, and suddenly you feel tiny, and completely in awe of the world.”

Her adventures at Royal Portfolio’s Royal Malewane began with an unforgettable first game drive, capped off by sundowners under a glowing African sky. “We were already buzzing from everything we’d seen, and then on the way back to the lodge, we stumbled upon a pride of male lions on the move. That moment kind of stopped time.”

Early mornings are part of the safari rhythm, and while she admits she’s not naturally a morning person, the magic of those dawn drives was undeniable. “Waking up with the world — not to your phone or calendar, but to the sound of birds, the smell of the bush, and then suddenly, there are lion cubs playing just feet from your vehicle — it’s surreal. I found myself asking over and over, ‘Is this real life?’”

Of course, safari isn’t all intensity — it’s also joyful, especially for a G&T lover. “We tried a different South African gin every day,” she laughs. “It’s basically a daily celebration of botanicals and big skies.”

But the final evening was what truly brought it all home. “Dinner was set under the stars, surrounded by lanterns, and we were treated to a beautiful display of local culture and traditional dance. I got emotional — just overwhelmed by how special it all was. That kind of travel experience, where you’re immersed in another way of life, outside of your routine and comfort zone — it’s a privilege.”