Witnessing nature’s majesty

From the thrill of wildlife encounters and the stories written into the land to the knowledge of local guides and the wonder of ancient forests and star-filled skies, each destination offers its own way to experience the wild, and a different reason to keep looking a little closer.

Mahali Mzuri: beneath the Mara’s endless sky

Set in Kenya’s Maasai Mara’s ecosystem, Mahali Mzuri offers a front-row seat to one of the world's most remarkable wildlife landscapes. Here, the thrill is never quite knowing what might appear next.

A morning game drive could bring you alongside a pride of lions before the heat of the day settles over the plains. Early evening might reveal elephants moving through the grasslands, giraffes silhouetted against the horizon or cheetahs scanning the open landscape. The Mara is wonderfully unpredictable, and that is precisely the magic.

Some of the most memorable moments come after the sun has disappeared. Away from the glow of cities, the night sky above the Mara is extraordinary. Join local Maasai guides for an evening of Maasai stargazing, discovering the stories, knowledge and traditions connected to the stars that have been passed down through generations. Beneath a sky scattered with constellations and the Milky Way, the experience becomes about more than simply looking upwards, it is a chance to see the night through a different perspective, rooted in the people and landscape of the Mara.

Finch Hattons: From lava flows to cloud forests

At the foot of the Chyulu Hills, with the dramatic silhouette of Mount Kilimanjaro rising in the distance, Finch Hattons is surrounded by a landscape shaped by ancient volcanic forces, extraordinary biodiversity and some of Kenya’s most intriguing terrain. The setting alone is remarkable. On clear days, Kilimanjaro provides a magnificent backdrop to the wilderness, while the Chyulu Hills reveal the forces that shaped this part of Kenya. Ancient lava flows snake through the landscape, with volcanic rock underfoot offering a tangible reminder that this is a place forged by fire.

But the landscape changes dramatically as you explore it. Venture into the Chyulu Hills cloud forest, where mist hangs among the trees and the atmosphere feels worlds away from the open savannah. This rare ecosystem is rich with plant life, mosses and ferns, creating a cool, mysterious world above the plains. It is a side of Kenya that is easy to overlook, and all the more remarkable for it.

Beyond the forest, the wilderness brings its own encounters. Finch Hattons lies within Tsavo West National Park, part of the vast Tsavo ecosystem, where elephants are famously known for their distinctive red colouring, the result of dusting themselves with the park’s rich, red soil. Alongside elephants, you may encounter buffalo, giraffes and an extraordinary variety of birdlife, with the volcanic caves, lava flows, forested hills and Kilimanjaro creating a safari experience with a distinctly geological character.

As evening arrives, the pace slows. The heat of the day gives way to cooler air, the silhouettes of the Chyulu Hills deepen and the wilderness settles into its nocturnal rhythm. With remarkably clear, dark skies, this is a chance to experience the African night in a quieter, more elemental way, listening to the sounds of the bush beneath a vast canopy of stars.

Ulusaba: Into the heart of the Sabi Sand

Come April 2027, Ulusaba reopens in South Africa’s Sabi Sand, returning to a landscape renowned for its exceptional concentration and diversity of wildlife. Set within the Sabi Sand private game reserve, which shares an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park, Ulusaba forms part of a vast, connected wilderness where wildlife can move freely across the landscape.

Here, safari is not about waiting for a rare glimpse. The bush is rich with life, from elephants and giraffes to lions, hippos and the elusive leopard, with every drive revealing a different side of this remarkable ecosystem. The absence of fences between the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park adds another layer to the experience: there is no sense of where one wilderness ends, and another begins.

And there is more than one way to explore it. Head out on a game drive as the day begins, when the bush is stirring and predators are still active, or venture out on a guided bush walk to experience the landscape at ground level. On foot, the focus shifts from the big sightings to the smaller details: tracks in the earth, birdsong overhead, medicinal plants, insects and the subtle signs that reveal who has passed through before you. It is an entirely different way of reading the wilderness.

As the day cools, return to the bush for sundowners and watch the landscape transform as the light fades. Then, after dark, another side of Ulusaba emerges. The sounds of the Sabi Sand travel further at night, nocturnal creatures begin to stir, and the southern sky comes alive with stars. This is the wilderness at full volume: vibrant by day, immersive on foot and mysterious by night. When Ulusaba reopens in 2027, it will be a chance to return to a place where the wild is not simply something you see, but something you experience from every angle.

Three places, one extraordinary connection to nature.

From the volcanic landscapes of the Chyulu Hills to the wildlife-rich plains of the Maasai Mara and the Sabi Sand, Mahali Mzuri, Finch Hattons and Ulusaba each reveal a different side of Africa.

There are animals to encounter, landscapes to explore and geological stories written into the earth. But there are also quieter moments: the pause before sunrise, the silhouette of Kilimanjaro on the horizon, the sound of the bush after dark and the simple wonder of looking up at a sky untouched by city lights.