The mysterious lives of Mafia Island’s whale sharks

Masked, finned and ready to go, I follow our expert guide from Butiama Beach lodge, slipping into the water with far less grace than he. Most operators here strive for an ethical animal encounter, of which I’d been carefully briefed on the boat before. Always give a whale shark a comfortable berth and keep clear […]
Why the Magoroto Forest is described as Africa’s ‘Bali’

Jerry Mchechu, a Tanzanian photographer and content creator, took a leap of faith in 2017 and relocated from Dar es Salaam with his wife to the Magoroto Forest Estate, his mission was to create an eco-tourism project after he was impressed by the remoteness of the area, weather and the scenery. “For a person coming […]
The 17 best wildlife-focused experiences in Africa

1. Gorilla trekking in Central Africa Nothing quite prepares you for the moment you come upon a gorilla family in the wild. The first glimpse of black as a juvenile jumps off a nearby branch, a toddler clings to its mother’s back and a giant silverback rises to size you up. For many people, it’s […]
The 6 best peaks to summit in Africa

1. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania At 5 895m, Africa’s tallest mountain is also the highest freestanding peak in the world, which means that as you climb you don’t stare onto surrounding mountains but rather across the African savannah far below. Lying in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro is the most popular of the world’s seven summits (the highest mountain […]
6 reasons why Rubondo Island in Tanzania is unlike any island you’ve ever been on

1. It’s no typical island – Rubondo is not surrounded by the sea Rubondo Island is found in the vast watery expanse that is Lake Victoria, whose murky origins spurred countless expeditions to locate the source of the Nile. Keen anglers head to the region to cast a line for Lake Victoria’s Nile perch, […]
Ngorongoro Crater: a Garden of Eden in the remnants of a volcano

The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera on earth But what does that mean? Before the crater became what we know today, it was a volcanic mountain whose hotbed of geological activity was a common occurrence in the region and whose peaks are estimated to have rivalled those of Mount Kilimanjaro. Some experts put […]