Every year, our team spends weeks – sometimes months – travelling across Africa: revisiting favourite camps, exploring new corners, checking on conservation initiatives, walking with guides, and reconnecting with the wildlife and wilderness that inspire us. These on-the-ground experiences shape the safaris we craft for our travellers. They remind us what truly matters: quiet moments, unexpected encounters, great community and wilderness conservation.
As 2025 approaches its close, we wanted to share the moments that have stayed with us this year. Not always the most dramatic or the most photogenic, but the real highlights: scenes that made us pause, smile, reflect, and feel lucky to be there.
These are our 2025 magic moments…
Wildlife Encounters That Stopped Us in Our Tracks
Some memories arrive in a single, breath-held moment: a leopard stalking through long grass, ears pinned back; the first glimpse of newly born lion cubs; or the rising whoops of hyenas gathering at the edge of a kill.
Lyndsey described a delightful sighting of her favourite big cat in Botswana’s Okavango Delta: “a leopardess and her cub were resting high in a Kigelia tree. The cub was leaping playfully between branches, honing its hunting skills, and with no other car around, it felt incredibly special.”
In South Luangwa, Katie’s peaceful sundowner was interrupted when “two puku tore past in a cloud of dust, wild dogs in swift pursuit.” The G&Ts were quickly abandoned as the guide and guests leapt back into the vehicle. “Minutes later we found the rest of the pack guarding their nine pups, chasing, chattering and tumbling in the gathering dusk.” A reminder of how quickly both mood and momentum can shift in the wild.
Anton’s year was full of unforgettable Zambian scenes: successfully “tracking a pride of lion on foot”, and “sitting eye-to-hoof with a gathering of impala, kudu and hundreds of birds at Mwamba’s photographic hide before they parted, almost biblically, to make way for a herd of elephants”. Then, at Nsefu, he found himself “watching the legendary leopard Olimba drink to a cacophony of barking baboons” — a moment of raw, unscripted drama.
When Claire returned to Zambia’s Kafue, she was inspired by the “wonderful new camps and some of the best game viewing I’ve ever had” — high praise after 24 years with Expert Africa.
Kenya’s Laikipia delivered two truly extraordinary encounters for Tamara this year: “First, I found myself just a few metres from Giza, the shadow-like melanistic (black) leopard whose coat shines like black silk and golden eyes glower. Then later, I saw a leucistic elephant, only identifiable by the pale, pigment-less hair on the tip of its tail, its eyelashes, and the fine white hairs across its body. Even its eyes were lighter, holding a faint reddish hue. I had no idea this was possible, and one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen.”
Megan witnessed one of the year’s most frenzied encounters in Botswana: “a hyena stealing a kill from a leopard perched on a dead branch, while jackals darted around attempting to scavenge scraps, and birds of prey swooped overhead. It was difficult to know where to look, and just amazing to witness!”
Liz enjoyed one of 2025’s most endearing sightings in Kenya’s Naboisho Conservancy: “We were sat silently in the vehicle when a lioness came out of the lush bush, followed by three of the tiniest lion cubs meowing softly after her! It was a great reminder of how rewarding green season travel can be!”
And in Tanzania’s Northern Serengeti, Parita took in one of nature’s great migration moments, watching wildebeest and zebra gather along the Mara River – “that surreal, quiet tension before instinct takes over and the surge forward begins.”
Landscapes & Wilderness Moments That Anchored Us
Several highlights weren’t about wildlife at all, but about landscape: the light, the scale, the quiet. Perhaps not surprisingly, all of the highlights in this section took place on foot. Walking reveals another side of Africa and forces you to engage with the environment around you: the sights, scents and sounds.
On a guided walk from Sarara in northern Kenya, Chris and his teenage son followed a ravine from the lodge into the mountains. “We trekked over whaleback ridges and into the high riverine forests before pausing for a breakfast picnic under a remarkable ancient cycad. Endless views, entertaining discussions with our Samburu guide, and the chance to explore on foot is always a great pleasure, and a reminder of what first drew me to Africa’s wildest corners.”
Lara climbed ‘Thumbs Up’ rock in Kenya’s Kalama Conservancy at dawn with a local Samburu guide and ranger. “From the iron-red escarpment we watched an elephant herd move through the dusky pink landscape below. It was the calmest, most rewarding start to a day.”
For Susie, hiking high into Namibia’s Naukluft Mountains offered a gentler kind of escapism: “we watched black eagles circling, searched for bullfrogs hiding in clear mountain pools, clambering over rocks, spotted klipspringer, and chatted about making San quivers from quiver trees. And all three generations in our family enjoyed a laid-back, sun-kissed adventure.”
Adventures, Activities & Unexpected Joys
Some moments stayed with us simply because they were joyful: active, surprising, and a reminder that safari is about far more than game drives!
For Lyndsey, it was “gliding peacefully through the waterways of the Okavango Delta in shallow mokoro canoe, drifting past water lilies and tall reeds, accompanied by the sound of reed frogs and the distant call of a fish eagle. An experience made even more special by floating sundowner drinks while watching the last rays of light reflect across the still water.” And that was before she took to the skies: “Lifting off in a private helicopter and flying over the Okavango Delta to give a rare bird’s eye view of the myriad of lagoons, islands and intricate network waterways. The ultimate way to experience the Delta!”
Lucy’s adventure came during deep-water crossings in the Okavango in an unusually high flood year: “At one point, water was spilling over our seats in the back and we were perched up on the armrests, while our guide in the driver’s seat was almost waist-deep as he navigated us through. The power of those 4x4s, and the calm skill of our guide, was extraordinary. The reward was reaching dry ground and spending unforgettable time with the Big Five.”
Anton’s guided walking safari offered a different perspective: “Walking between Okavango camps barefoot, waded through narrow channels and feeling the sand beneath my toes, gave me a real grounding, and to be treated at the end of the day by the camp teams and their huge smiles was an incredible experience.”
Tracy’s moment unfolded offshore at South Africa’s Boulders Beach: “kayaking quietly alongside bobbing African penguins, my daughter and I paddled almost unnoticed through their world, momentarily distracted to watch a confident Cape fur seal splash past with an octopus clenched in his jaws – a wonderfully intimate moment on the water.”
For Tom, travelling with his 17-month-old daughter added a new dimension to African travel: “Although not a traditional safari, taking my 17-month-old daughter to South Africa was a great adventure. Watching Southern Right Whales and Cape fur seals in the waters off Gansbaai was a real highlight, and spotting the cute penguins at Boulders Beach made the trip even more special.” A reminder that, with young children, the joy often lies in close, accessible encounters rather than the pursuit of the rare or elusive.
For diver Amanda, “drifting underwater in Lake Malawi watching mouth-brooding cichlids darting around in the clear blue waters was incredibly peaceful and restorative, then as we surfaced a fish eagle swooped overhead – a serendipitous moment. Walking back after onto the white sand, with salty hair and the scent of frangipane in the air, bowls of fresh fruit awaiting us to sit in the sun and enjoy, with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore: just perfect.”
Small Wonders & Quiet Magic
In South Luangwa, Anton was fortunate enough to witness both a full blood moon and a lunar eclipse: “the bush felt like it was holding its breath – the hippos strangely silent, the night birds and insect noises all still.”
In Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, Tamara was captivated by a flash of colour amid the dramatic landscape: “my attention was caught the brilliant flash of vermillion. A small, robust bird, landed on a bush by the car, posing like a highway bandit. With dramatic gash of colouring around its throat, this little bird gets its fantastic name – the cut-throat finch. It’s one of my favourite birds, and I have only ever seen it once before.”
For Maruska, the moment that stayed with her was a quiet breakfast on the lawn at Kifaru House in the Lewa Conservancy: “delicious food made from fresh produce, watching a myriad of birds as they warmed up over the stunning surrounding landscape. I could have happily sat there forever. Luckily we didn’t though, because 5 minutes’ drive from camp, in the company of an excellent guide, we came across a leopard warming himself on a branch!”
Sabina’s highlight was an unexpected stop while travelling through Namibia with a knowledgeable private guide: “Tucked away out of sight, we couldn’t see the Ongongo Waterfall until we climbed down into the canyon. I couldn’t believe such a place existed, it was perfect – Karen and I spent some time swimming in the cool crystal-clear waters of Ongongo Waterfall, it felt so magical. Pure joy! The setting was so serene, and refreshing, we could have easily spent the entire day there, completely immersed in the beauty and stillness of nature. I loved every moment, and I felt so lucky to have experienced something so unreal. Namibia is full of such surprising places that are well-kept secrets, which is what I love so much about the country.”
Why These Moments Matter
What these stories reveal is the heart of Expert Africa: a team who knows these places intimately, travels widely and often, and finds genuine meaning in personal connections with Africa. These aren’t curated marketing lines, they’re real moments shared by our team.
Safari is never one thing. It’s a mosaic of experiences – thrilling, quiet, joyful, unexpected and reflective – and these were the moments that shaped our year.
