What to do in Mahale Mountains

Coming eye-to-eye with an enormous, hairy primate in the wild is one of life’s most memorable experiences, not least for the trek it might take to reach them! The luscious Virunga Mountains (accessible from Rwanda and the DRC) is the gorilla-trekking spot du jour, but snapping at its heels is Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to both gorilla and a remarkable concentration of chimpanzee. And in Tanzania’s Mahale Mountains, chimp-trekking is combined with dhow trips on Lake Tanganyika and G&Ts on the beach. Wow! So don’t waste any time (those permits get snapped up quickly!) and start planning your precious hour with these fascinating beasties now.

Messing about in boats is one of life’s great pleasures. Messing about on boats in Africa, however, must be the greatest pleasure of them all. Whether you’re bobbing up and down the Zambezi, sundowner in hand, or cruising past snorting hippo in the Rufiji River in Tanzania, boats offer a different perspective on your surroundings – those crocodiles certainly look a lot larger at eye-level. If you like your boats with a little less nature, then head to the coast where magnificent old dhows billow through the Zanzibar Archipelago and glittering catamarans jaunt around the Seychelles.

We know the score. Weddings are exciting, but they’re also incredibly stressful. So what better way to kick off married bliss than with a honeymoon to a stunning, far-flung location? It could be the romance of a private island getaway in the Indian Ocean, an action-packed safari on the plains of Africa or a see-it-all kind of trip through the delights of Sri Lanka. Whatever your tastes, we’ve got a way with crafting utterly unforgettable honeymoons.

The thrill of catching a glimpse of a swishing tail or the flash of an eye, knowing you’re the first human they have seen in a while – or for the very first time - is a truly unforgettable moment. One moment, you’re scanning the horizon, and the next, an elephant ambles into view or a monkey swings overhead. It might be a whale breaching off the coast, or a pangolin scurrying across the sand, but whatever it is, it’s real, and it’s unforgettable. At Timbuktu, we’ll get you to the right place at the right time for the best wildlife encounters - you just need to have your binoculars at the ready.

While we’re advocates for some good R&R, we also believe in adding some adventure to any trip. Across our multitude of destinations, there is always the opportunity to get ‘active’ and explore on foot, bicycle, horse or camelback, hot air balloon or microlight (and many more). From treks through Chilean Patagonia to walking safaris in Zambia, kitesurfing in Zanzibar to canoeing around Halong Bay, there is an endless array of activities to dive into.