Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a land-locked country blessed with fertile soils, mineral wealth and wonderful scenery. Two major rivers form its northern and southern boundaries: the great Zambezi River cuts along its northern frontier, while the languid Limpopo forms the southern border with South Africa.

It is in the more unspoilt and peaceful northern parks that we concentrate our safari operations. The Zambezi has an exceptional variety of spectacular scenery as well as one of the world's natural wonders - the Victoria Falls. The National Parks along the Zambezi are legendary, with Mana Pools located on the floodplains of Africa's Great Rift Valley, offering superb wildlife viewing.

Along the Botswana border the easternmost tongues of the Kalahari sands creep into the country and mix with the teak forests of the interior, and desert-adapted animals share the same habitat with woodland species. Hwange National Park is home to some of southern Africa's last great elephant, buffalo and sable herds.

This beautiful country has long been a popular tourist destination due to the huge variety of environments, and the amazing cultural, wildlife and landscape heritage, but has unfortunately been engulfed by political turmoil over the last decade. Zimbabwean people remain among the friendliest and most capable in Africa, and the country will undoubtedly rise again to become one of Africa's most popular destinations.

Malawi
Malawi is a little-known gem of a country in the heart of central southern Africa that offers a true African experience at a relatively low cost. It is a long and narrow landlocked country, covering more than 1 000 km from north to south. Lake Malawi, nearly 600 km long and up to 80 km wide, dominates the countryside. When David Livingstone arrived at the lakeshore in 1861, he was the first European explorer to see the Lake, and was so awestruck that he started missions here.

There is no country in all of Africa that has its geography so sculptured and determined by Africa's Great Rift Valley, the largest single geographical feature on Earth. This ancient 5 000 km-long geological formation bisects much of Africa from Egypt to Botswana and boasts a bewildering array of habitats and lush vegetation. Towering mountains, lush, fertile valley floors and enormous crystal-clear lakes are hallmarks of much of the Rift Valley - and Malawi displays them all. Fertile soils are a result of the Rift Valley and evidence of this is to be found everywhere in Malawi. Throw a seed to the ground and a plant grows there.

Malawi's scenery is diverse and the habitats are varied. At its lowest point, the country is only about 35 metres above sea level; its highest point, Mount Mulanje, is 140 km away and over 3000 m above sea level. Between these altitude extremes, there are rolling hills, plateaus, cool misty mountains and wide-ranging scenery. Each of the many diverse habitats is protected within Malawi's eleven national parks and game reserves - from elephants to orchids.

For those keen on experiencing African culture in all its complexity and beauty, Malawi is possibly the best country for this. Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, is easily reached via London, Johannesburg, Harare, Livingstone and Lusaka. Safaris to Malawi are often best combined with a safari to Zambia.

Malawi is a warm and welcoming country that offers visitors wonderful scenery, fascinating parks and some of the friendliest people in Africa. It is no wonder that it is known as the "friendly heart of Africa."

Seychelles
The 43 inner islands that cluster around the principal islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are the world's only oceanic islands of granitic composition. They represent the mountain peaks of the ancient super-continent of Pangaea that once encompassed the total landmass of a young, evolving planet and are thought to have erupted from the earth's core some 750 million years ago. Around 200 million years ago, the forces determining the continental drift split Pangaea into Laurasia (modern Europe, Asia and North America) and Gondwanaland (South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australasia and India). 75 million years later Madagascar, Seychelles and India separated as one landmass, carrying with them certain species of fauna, such as the flying fox, that remain common to both locations, before Seychelles finally split from India about 65 million years ago.

North Island, and its close neighbour Silhouette Island contain the only evidence of volcanic ash found above sea level in Seychelles. They are both granitic islands but are thought to be considerably younger than Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. Their syenite formation probably dates back to about 90 million years ago when Seychelles and India separated. Seychelles' Outer Islands are coralline and made up of coral or volcanic rocks from deep within the earth's crust. Produced by seismic events, these islands are mere juveniles in comparison to their aged granitic peers and date back only a few million, or perhaps even a thousand years. Seychelles' magnificent islands possess unrivalled beauty ranging from the verdant mist forests of virgin granite peaks to the powder-soft sands of secluded beaches and together represent the ultimate tropical destination for the discerning traveller, living up to the country's slogan - "Seychelles - as pure as it gets."

Tourism is the mainstay of the nation's economy and is considered one of the chief components in the sustainable development of the country, benefiting from policies, planning and marketing structures that take into account both the conservation of natural and cultural resources as well as the carrying capacity of the islands. Respect for other crucial factors such as the preservation of the social values of local communities, as well as the fragile and prolific bio-diverse ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangroves, remain very much at the heart of planning initiatives. Seychelles takes its role as custodian of a truly unique environment very seriously and, over many years, enlightened conservationist policies have set aside nearly 50% of a limited landmass as natural reserves. Seychelles boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Aldabra, the world's largest raised coral atoll (approximately 500 square km) that is home to 150 000 giant tortoises and an abundance of flora and fauna, as well as the Vallée-de-Mai on Praslin, the only place on earth where you will find the fabled Coco-de-Mer (the world's heaviest seed) and the rare Black Parrot. This impressive national heritage has remained virtually untouched for millions of years and today combines with other real advantages, such as the absence of venomous creatures, tropical disease (there is no malaria), cyclones, crime and poverty, to make Seychelles a most desirable tourist destination.

Racially harmonious and politically stable, Seychelles is one of the last true sanctuaries on the planet where people can still live healthily and in harmony with nature, benefiting from a carefree, island-style way of life and enjoying the space to breathe pure air and roam free.

Mozambique
With 2 500 km of coastline, this beautiful country offers spectacular scenery, excellent water activities and some of the world's best diving sites. Despite Mozambique's turbulent history, a great deal of work has been done since the end of the civil war to rebuild the infrastructure. Attractions centre on the coastline with long stretches of pristine, white sand beaches and shallow, warm waters with extensive coral reefs. Inland areas are yet to be fully developed for tourism, and wildlife populations are still recovering from the civil war, but great potential exists for the wilderness areas which centre around the inland plateau and mountain ranges. Most holidays to Mozambique are based around fly-in arrangements.