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My 'Ultimate 24 Hours'

4 min read

Over the past few weeks, as the Coronavirus lockdown has rolled on, my mind has often drifted. 

I’ve found myself debating incredibly serious matters with my wife such as, 'would we prefer an invisible 4x4 or an invisible aeroplane to adventure past these closed borders?'

One particularly fun game has been working out what we would do if we were given 24 hours and the use of an eco-friendly teleportation device to get around. You may not believe me, but both of our 'ultimate days' were spent entirely in Africa - we love it that much (although it’s fair to say, there were some strong cases made for parts of Italy!).

Here is a little look at my 'Ultimate 24 hours': 

Wake up: 

Easy. I'd choose to wake up in a rooftop tent on a 4x4 Land Cruiser in the wilds of Northern Namibia

Waking-up on your own out in the wild may not be for everyone (if that’s the case, wake-up here instead: Serra Cafema), but for me, it’s hard to beat. 

Self-drive in Namibia


Early morning breakfast: 

For a light bite at the crack of dawn (we’ve only got 24 hours, no lie-ins here!), my choice is simple: 

Looking out over the channels of the Okavango Delta while the mist slowly rises to the sound of hippo grunting as they return to their refreshing pools. 

Wilderness Safaris in Botswana's Okavango Delta

Morning Activity: 

This was a tough one to decide on, but a morning walking safari through Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park in search of lions, elephants and the rest is my winner. 

Morning walk at Kichaka, Tanzania


Brunch: 

A long brunch with a glass or two of chilled white wine, reminiscing with friends while overlooking Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is pure perfection. 

I might even hook up my hammock for a quick read/nap before venturing out again in the afternoon. 

Brunch at Lewa Wilderness, Kenya


Afternoon Activity: 

This teleportation device is getting a good work out today as we now head south to the Sabi Sands in South Africa for an afternoon spent with Africa’s big cats. 

Lions and leopards are almost on tap here, a high adrenaline sighting of a lion and leopard stand-off would do nicely. 

Game drive at Londolozi, South Africa


Sundowner: 

The sundowner most definitely deserves its own category here! 

For me, there can only be one winner: Drifting quietly along the Zambezi River either on a canoe or flatboat with a G&T in hand while you watch a herd of elephants coming down to the river for a swim as the sun sets. Pure bliss.

Sunset boat cruise at Tusk & Mane, Zambia


Dinner: 

Did someone say fresh fish? After the hot and dry day on safari a refreshing sea breeze as we enjoy a romantic private dinner at Azura Benguerra would be ideal. 

Dinner on the beach at Azura Benguerra, Mozambique


Night cap: 

It’s our one day out, we’ve got to make the most of it!

A final sip of delicious wine as we recount our stories from the day, sat around a crackling fire as lions roar in the distance would be ideal. So many options to choose from here, Sable Alley back in the Okavango Delta would do nicely here. 

Fireside stories at Sable Alley, Botswana


Bedtime: 

We woke up in our basic tent, so its time for a bit of luxury to finish things off. Chinzombo in Zambia’s South Luangwa fits the bill. 

Good night!

View from your room at Chinzombo, Zambia

The reality is that each part of the day had 100 phenomenal contenders. Ask me tomorrow and the itinerary would probably look a little different. 

What would your perfect 24 hours look like? 

By the way, we did finally come to a decision - we chose the invisible 4x4 (with tent on top) over an aeroplane. We’d set off from Cape Town and drive north to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, before continuing on into Botswana, Zambia and across into Mozambique. One heck of an adventure that we hope to get round to soon!

Toby Pheasant

Toby first visited Africa at the tender age of four when he accompanied his family on their first of several safari holidays. From that moment on Toby’s love affair with Africa’s nature and wildlif...

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