Keep travelling!With the UK still being seriously hit by COVID-19, and its borders still being closed to travellers, we are happy to offer you a sneak preview of five beautiful nature escapes on the island…

Keep travelling!With the UK still being seriously hit by COVID-19, and its borders still being closed to travellers, we are happy to offer you a sneak preview of five beautiful nature escapes on the island…
Article updated on May 3, 2021
Text: Marcella van Alphen
Photographs: Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen
Note: all photographs taken in the wild & available in high definition upon request. All rights reserved.
I am hiking in the mountains of the Cederberg, a remote area a couple of hours away from Cape Town, South Africa, known for its magnificent stargazing, and not so much for its safaris. I have just spotted some fresh tracks in the sand though. It is broad daylight and I am following them. They lead me to some dung along the track: it is rather fresh and contains some rodent bones and hair… It is what I thought: I am not alone. These grounds used to be populated by many more wild animals, but here Africa’s most feared predators have been wiped out but for one of them which has been adapting extremely well despite habitat loss: the leopard.
Keep Spotting!Text: Marcella van Alphen
Photographs: Marcella van Alphen & Claire Lessiau
I am steering the rental car around the bend on a curvy and hilly road in the idyllic landscape of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi game reserve at a rough 25 kilometres per hour. The ideal speed to spot some wildlife on this self-drive safari is also well adapted Keep travelling!
Text: Marcella van Alphen
Photographs: Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen
Note: all photographs taken in the wild & available in high definition upon request – All right reserved
The big 5 get their nickname from the times of hunting. Lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants, and rhinoceroses are Africa’s 5 most dangerous mammals to come across in the African bush, and as such they were the utmost trophies to bring home. Today, thankfully, most dream of spotting them in the wild, and capturing them only on camera – even if trophy hunting is still a current practice. Walking in the bush where they still roam is not common. In many African countries, these king animals are confined to game parks (that can be as large as a country: for instance, Kruger Park in South Africa is about the size of Israel) enforcing strict rules for visitor’s safety. Still, bush walks can be organized with highly-trained rangers. Whether you are on a walk, in your own car, or in a game drive vehicle, knowing behavioural facts about lions can greatly up your chances of spotting them!
Keep spotting!Whether you have already been on an African safari and are missing the magical sounds of the bush or you are still dreaming of going, this article will bring you into the heart of some of the best South African game reserves from behind your laptop! Keep traveling
4:06a.m. Incoming text message: “Hey! I don’t know if you are looking at the moon with your camera, but it’s amazing!”
4:07a.m. “Yes, I have been freezing my ass off for 1hr already!!”
The alarm clock was set at 3a.m. to bike South of Paris, France towards Parc Montsouris to get a clear view on this rare phenomenon: the supermoon lunar eclipse. Keep reading