photography enthusiasts. With many lodges to choose from for your stay, one activity you have to experience is floating through the air on a Namib Sky Safari and seeing the desert from the best bird’s eye view - in a hot air balloon. Fun fact: the Namibian Dollar is 1:1 with the South African Rand and South African currency is accepted there.
ZIMBABWE
If you don’t believe that beauty can leave you breathless then you have not yet visited the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe! It is the only place in the world where elephants have learned to stand on their hind legs to reach the top branches, which is literally defying gravity for a creature of such size, and guests are guaranteed great encounters.
They also have walking safaris like no other because it is one of the only parks in Africa where you are allowed to walk without a guide. This is, of course, only recommended if you have bush experience. Overall, this unique ecological wonder is somewhere you should experience.
MOZAMBIQUE
Ibo Island is situated off the Mozambican coastline and has a long and interesting history. It was the centre for the slave and ivory trade and visitors can go on tours of the islands where locals share stories about pirates, slaves, ivory and gold. Not only that, the island is also one of the most pristine beach destinations in the world, falling within the Quirimbas National Park which has some of the most unspoilt reefs in the world. This is a top diving destination where divers can see turtles, dolphins, whales and the rare Dugong. Be sure to add this destination to your dream board.
For accommodation you can stay at the Ibo Island Lodge in the Quirimbas Archipelago, which are three 150-year old mansions that have been restored to offer you nothing but luxury, from the inside to the gardens.
RWANDA
If you are a football fan, you would have come across the sideline advertisement boards telling you to ‘Visit Rwanda’. Now we are telling you, too.
56 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
Known as the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda’s stunning scenery and people bring about a unique experience. But what is there to actually see and do? For leisure travel you can go hiking, cycling, or caving. You can see a volcano and you can go gorilla tracking, which is said to be a life changing experience by many.
Even though this is a great place for leisure travel, it is even better for business travel as Rwanda was ranked as the second easiest place to do business in Africa by the World Bank. It was ranked as the 9th safest country in the world by the World Economic Forum in 2017. Rwanda also has one of the most clean and green mindsets with their lands being possibly the cleanest in Africa thanks to the efforts through every one of their communities, including a ban on plastic bags dating back to 2008. n Sources:
www.winetram.co.za www.monkeyland.co.za www.oudtshoorn.com www.sanparks.org www.thelabia.co.za www.sossusvlei.org www.namibsky.com www.africanbushcamps.com www.mozambique.co.za www.visitrwanda.com
