Ten days alone in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Why we keep recommending it
A 10-day solo female itinerary from Victoria Falls to Makgadikgadi and the Okavango Delta. Sian walks you through how we planned it.
4 min read
The people behind the planning
Vikki Jackson
Co-founder. She writes the dispatches: the people and the moments that make a safari worth crossing the world for.
Her beat Stories & Voices
A note from Vikki
I grew up in Manchester and came out to Africa at 21. There were years in corporate life along the way, doing work that looked good on paper, but the bush kept winning the argument. Marula Hill is what happened when I stopped arguing back.
I've celebrated most of my life's milestones out here, and I've introduced more friends to their first leopard than I can count. My favourite animal is the hyena, which tells you most of what you need to know about how I feel about underdogs.
In the journal I write the dispatches: the sightings that go wrong beautifully, and the small human moments no brochure will sell you. And when a trip needs rethinking on the fly, a lodge switch or a last-minute charter, I'm usually the one on the phone.
Vikki
Co-founder, Marula Hill
From the journal
Everything Vikki has written
The Okavango is the second river
Why the Delta floods in the dry season, and what that does to a safari
4 min read
Botswana with kids: why families keep coming back
Botswana is one of Africa's most rewarding destinations for families. Here's what makes it work, and how to plan it well.
4 min read
Botswana or Zambia, which safari should you choose
One country is water. The other is silence under your boots
3 min read
Honeymoon safaris in South Africa
Where to go, what to expect, and how to pair bush with beach
5 min read
When to go to Namibia on safari
Not every season delivers the same Namibia. Here's how to match your travel dates to what you actually want from this extraordinary country.
4 min read
The best luxury malaria-free safaris near Johannesburg
The best malaria-free safari reserves near Johannesburg, from Welgevonden to Madikwe, with no prophylaxis required and no compromise on the Big Five.
6 min read
What dinner at a safari lodge is really like
Bush breakfasts, boma fires, gourmet meals in the wild: what food at a safari lodge actually looks like.
5 min read
South Africa with kids: an honest parents' guide
Safari, beaches, penguins, mountains. South Africa has it all for families.
5 min read
How to plan a luxury safari in South Africa
A working guide to building a trip you won't regret
5 min read
What a Botswana safari actually costs (and why it's the most expensive in Africa)
Botswana costs more than any other safari country in Africa. The reason is not greed. It is policy. Here is how the pricing actually breaks down, what each tier gets you, and why we still send most of our clients here.
5 min read
When to go on safari in South Africa
The bush wears a different face every month, and some are kinder than others
3 min read
The slow letter
A quarterly note from the bush
No noise, no marketing. Just the letter we'd write to a friend who asked what it's really like out here.