South Africa in November 2027

Our first Morocco trip filled quickly, and I've no doubt our 2027 Morocco journey will, too. Seeing the response to Morocco has me thinking about the places that sit on so many of our lists but feel too big, too far away, too adventurous to tackle alone. The once-in-a-lifetime places that feel a little more doable when you imagine doing them in the company of kindred spirits.

So for 2027, I'm planning a 13-night journey through South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. I'm thinking Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, Victoria Falls, and a proper safari in the Botswana bush.

I'm deep in the planning now, and I want to know who's in. If this is the trip you've been waiting for, hit reply and let me know — I'll make sure you're first to hear when booking opens.

In the meantime, here's a peek at what I'm imagining…

Cape Town from the Nellie

The Mount Nelson — affectionately called "the Nellie" by locals and regulars — has been the heart of Cape Town hospitality since 1899. Set on nine acres of gardens at the foot of Table Mountain, it's the kind of place that makes a city feel like home the moment you arrive.

From this base, we'll explore the wonders of Cape Town. The cable car up Table Mountain. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Shopping for one-of-a-kind crafts with local African artisans. Optional whale watching in season. A drive down to the Cape of Good Hope, and a stop at Boulders Beach in Simon's Town to meet the African penguin colony — they waddle right past you on the sand.

And for those drawn to museums, Cape Town has many of international renown — Robben Island for the history, Zeitz MOCAA for contemporary African art, the Diamond Museum if jewels are your thing.

And after a day exploring? Back to the Nellie — where by now you'll be greeting the doorman by name. A long afternoon tea (a Cape Town institution), a treatment at the Librisa Spa, or simply a glass of something cold in the garden. The hardest part will be choosing.

Babylonstoren

A short drive from Cape Town, in the Drakenstein Valley, sits one of the most extraordinary wine estates in the world: Babylonstoren. One of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in South Africa, the estate is known for its magnificent eight-acre garden — inspired by Cape Town’s historic Company’s Garden and often described as a kind of Versailles for edible gardens.

We'll do a cellar tour and tasting, wander the gardens with a guide, and have lunch in the greenhouse. There's also a hands-on artisan workshop — flower arranging or cooking, depending on the day. And we'll spend a full day exploringthe broader Franschhoek wine region, with a three-course lunch woven into the afternoon. By the end of the day, you’ll understand why this valley has become one of the world’s most respected wine regions: remarkable wines shaped by equally remarkable landscapes.

Victoria Falls from Matetsi

Crossing into Zimbabwe, we’ll spend a few nights at Matetsi Victoria Falls — a luxury riverside lodge set along a private 15-kilometer stretch of the Zambezi River, less than an hour from the falls themselves.

We’ll enjoy sunset cruises on the Zambezi in the evening, and a private guided tour of Victoria Falls — known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders."

For the adventurous: a helicopter flight over the falls, which many travelers describe as unforgettable. For the rest of us: afternoon tea overlooking the river, walking safaris with expert guides, and long afternoons by the pool watching the Zambezi drift past.

Safari at Savute Elephant Lodge

Our final stop takes us into Botswana's Chobe National Park, sometimes called the elephant capital of the world. Savute Elephant Lodge is small — just twelve tented rooms — intimate, and deeply immersed in the wilderness.

Days here move to a different rhythm. Game drives in the morning and at sunset, tracking lions, leopards, elephants, and whatever else the bush reveals that day. Sundowners watching the shadows stretch across the landscape — a Southern African tradition that's less about the drink and more about the pause: cocktails, snacks, and the slow ceremony of watching the day end.

One afternoon, we’ll venture out to see the ancient San Bushmen rock paintings, believed to be more than 1,500 years old, along with a cathedral-like grove of thirteen giant baobab trees that have stood watch here for centuries.

Evenings end at the boma: an open-air fire circle for communal dining under the stars, with Botswana-inspired braai, storytelling, and sometimes music drifting into the night. There’s a pool. A spa tent open to the bushveld. And a sense — difficult to describe until you experience it — of being very far from the rest of the world.

If any of this stirs something in you, just email me. I'll add you to the early list, and you'll be the first to hear when dates, pricing, and the final itinerary are ready.

xo, Martha