The African Super Sabbatical

So, you’ve been granted a sabbatical from work and now the big question is; what to do? Well having fallen head over heels in love with Africa over six years ago, it would be my number one recommendation. Africa is a vast continent within which you can fit the whole of China, the US, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Eastern Europe, India and the UK. There is so much to see that even in a whole lifetime, you couldn’t ever get enough of everything that Africa has to offer.

Super sabbatical trips are on the rise and on a recent trip to Namibia, I met various people; couples, families and solo travelers who were all spending a month or more exploring some of the very best that Africa has to offer and doing it in style.

When planning a trip on this scale, the first thing to do is narrow down what you want to see and where and when you want to go. My travel list is as long as my arm and only seems to continue growing, so narrowing it down is always the hard part! For Africa, we would always suggest splitting Eastern Africa from Southern Africa, looking at the highlights in both areas and making your decision from there.

Bush dinner at Klein’s Camp in Northern Tanzania

Looking over the Massai Mara

In Southern Africa you can take your pick from endless areas to go, from the spectacular red dunes in Namibia and the winding waterways of the Okavango Delta to the fine food and wine in South Africa and the mighty Victoria Falls on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border.

Okovanga Delta

Namibia

Victoria Falls

Cape Town, South Africa

Leopard on watch

For Eastern Africa there’s the wildebeest migration on the endless plains of the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, the mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda, the turquoise waters of Zanzibar and the ancient rock churches of Ethiopia.

Gorilla in Rwanda

Ethiopian church

Uganda

The migration

Zanzibar

The great thing about having a larger amount of time is that you can slow down a bit. There is no need to rush around trying to fit in everything. You can turn off your emails, lose the Wi-Fi and really get under the surface of Africa, its numerous cultures, amazing wildlife and ever changing landscapes.

Sabbaticals can be taken as part of the school vacations so you can bring the whole family along. Often people combine their honeymoon with a sabbatical and can have an unforgettable two month trip and really make the most of such a special time. A sabbatical is also a great chance to go traveling on your own, leave behind the world at home and really get back to you. At Scott Dunn, we choose the places we work with very carefully and also spend three weeks of the year visiting the areas we specialize in to further develop our knowledge. With this expertise, we can give you the trip of a lifetime, which is what a sabbatical is all about.

Lion cub relaxing

Horseback Safari