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More from the journal

Aerial view of Mont Rochelle hotel and vineyards in the Franschhoek valley with mountain backdrop

Lodge Review

Mont Rochelle Hotel & Mountain Vineyard: our review

We spent a few days at Mont Rochelle in Franschhoek. Here's an honest account of the rooms, food, wine, and what makes this Richard Branson property worth the detour.

Sian Loehrer

An African wild dog running through shallow water, ears up, focused on the chase

Conservation

The plight of the African wild dog

Around 6,600 painted dogs are left in the wild, and they are the most endangered carnivore on the continent. Here is what is actually happening to them, and what we do about it

Vikki Jackson

A luxury safari lodge at night with lanterns around the pool

Guides

How long should a safari actually be

Seven nights minimum, ten nights ideal: a plain guide to safari length

Sian Loehrer

Solo women on safari

Guides

Solo women on safari

How to plan a safe, well-organised solo safari in southern Africa as a woman

Vikki Jackson

Couple watching sunset over the South African bushveld from a luxury safari lodge deck

Guides

Honeymoon safaris in South Africa

Where to go, what to expect, and how to pair bush with beach

Vikki Jackson

Sole-use villa safaris in Africa

Guides

Sole-use villa safaris in Africa

What sole-use villa safaris mean in practice, who they suit, and what to ask

Sian Loehrer

Elephants at a waterhole in a dry South African game reserve at golden hour

Guides

Malaria-free safaris in South Africa

Big Five reserves in South Africa where no malaria prophylaxis is needed

Sian Loehrer

Cape Town with Table Mountain after safari

Field Notes

Cape Town after safari, properly paced

Most South Africa trips end in the bush. The good ones don't. How four or five nights in Cape Town finishes a safari the way it should be finished.

Sian Loehrer

Aerial view of the Lower Zambezi river at sunset, with sandbars and the escarpment.

Zambia

Zambia by birdsong

A field journal on birding in South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi. Carmine bee-eater season, African skimmers, Pel's fishing owl, and what birds do to a safari when you let them.

Vikki Jackson

A male lion resting in dry winter grass in the lowveld

Guides

How we plan a vegan safari in South Africa

A working guide to building a fifteen-night plant-based safari, from Cape Town's Atlantic coast to two private reserves in the Greater Kruger

Vikki Jackson

Cheetah Plains Villa

Field notes

Safari lodges are not hotels

Why the comparison falls away the moment you understand how a safari lodge actually operates

Sian Loehrer

Aerial view of a luxury private safari villa beside a river in Africa, the kind of exclusive-use property that suits multi-generational family travel.

Guides

Multi-generational safaris in Africa: the rise of private villas

Multi-generational safaris are the fastest-growing way families travel to Africa. Private villas and exclusive-use lodges, planned around different ages. The how, the why, and what they cost.

Vikki Jackson

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