Namibia

Few places still feel this remote. Namibia is mostly space, and that is the point. It's an easy place to fall for and a deceptively tricky one to plan, because the distances are long and the best lodges sit far apart.

Best for: A first proper trip to Africa, photographers, and couples or families who don't mind their own company.

When to go: May to October is dry, cooler and best for game. The dunes look good all year. The green season from December to March brings dramatic skies after rain, and far fewer people.

Where to stay: Wilderness Little Kulala for the Sossusvlei dunes and Deadvlei. Hoanib for the Skeleton Coast and desert elephant. Sonop if you want something more design driven. Add Etosha for classic game, or Damaraland to track rhino on foot.

Good to know: Nothing in Namibia is close to anything else. We either set up a sensible self drive route or link the lodges by light aircraft, and we never book a single night in one place. It travels well alongside Cape Town at the start or Victoria Falls at the end.

Send us your dates and the kind of trip you're after, and we'll plan the route.