1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  Hippos are the third-largest land mammals, and among the most dangerous animals you’ll find in South Luangwa.

  WHERE: 400 miles/644 km northeast of Lusaka. NORMAN CARR SAFARIS: Tel 260/216-24-6025; www.normancarrsafaris.com. Cost: 7-night safaris from $2,650 all-inclusive (off-peak, which is during emerald season), $3,360 (peak). FLATDOGS CAMP: Tel 260/216-24-6038; www.flatdogscamp.com. Cost: from $190 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), $235 (peak). When: closed mid-Jan–mid-Mar. BEST TIMES: Dec–Mar (emerald season) for birding; Jun–Sep (dry season) for walking.

  So Close and Yet So Far

  TONGABEZI SAFARI LODGE

  Livingstone, Victoria Falls, Zambia

  Just 10 miles or so downstream from the Tongabezi Safari Lodge is the thundering Victoria Falls (see below); although you cannot hear its roar, you somehow feel its power. Tongabezi itself is a place of tranquility, built along the banks of the Zambezi River, where the gentle waters offer no hint of the violent dive ahead. This is no average bush camp: There’s a riverside swimming pool, four-poster beds, and bathtubs set upon verandas for luscious sunset views. Tasteful natural furnishings one could describe as “high bush” decorate the 11 thatch-roofed houses and cottages. The Tree House is just that—tree trunks literally burst through its floor. The open-air Honeymoon House and its forest-hugged patios make couples feel as if this is their own private Africa, while the Dog House is hardly worthy of the metaphorical name, featuring both a sunken bath and stone fireplace. It all adds up to the perfect romantic base, enhanced by invigorating morning bush and bird walks, gentle canoe trips, and sundowners on a dhow. To explore the Zambezi further, take a wild, whitewater rafting trip through the ancient gorges, or stay at one of the five chalets on Tongabezi’s private Sindabezi Island, a small patch of trees and sand just a short boat ride away. You can also soar over the falls in a helicopter or, if you’re particularly courageous, in a microlight, a gliderlike conveyance equipped with seats and a propeller.

  WHERE: 10 miles/16 km upriver from Victoria Falls. Tel 260/213-327-468; www.tongabezi.com. Cost: cottages, $470 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), $565 (peak). BEST TIMES: during the end of the rainy season in Mar–Jun, the falls are at their greatest flow, but the weather can be hot and wet; Jul–Sep offers mild temperatures and the most opportunities for game viewing and activities on and in the water.

  The Smoke That Thunders

  VICTORIA FALLS

  Zambia and Zimbabwe

  Victoria Falls is every bit as monumental and magnificent as you imagine, its noise greater than a million migrating wildebeests, its mists visible from 40 miles away. Europeans first set eyes on it in 1855 during an expedition led by Dr. David Livingstone, the Scotsman who came to Africa in 1840 as a medical missionary but who earned his fame when he led quixotic journeys in search of the Nile’s source. The natives call the falls Mosioa-tunya, which translates as “the smoke that thunders,” but Livingstone thought it deserved something more regal (and British), so he named it in honor of his queen, who, sadly, would never see it.

  The falls are a mile wide, spanning the breadth of the Zambezi River. As they crash from a height of 360 feet—twice that of Niagara (see p. 929)—they create a delicate, endless shower of rain and rainbows, or (if the moon is bright and full enough) lunar rainbows that drift in and out of view. At dawn and dusk the sky, water, and mist take on hues of pink and orange, especially during the wet season from March to May, when the cascades are at their greatest capacity and the spray vaults 1,000 feet into the sky and is visible from miles away. It is easy to imagine Dr. Livingstone’s awe as he wrote: “On sights as beautiful as this, Angels, in their flight must have gazed.” Today’s heart-stopping “Flight of the Angels” refers to jaunts over the falls by helicopter, single-engine plane, or microlight aircraft (basically a hang glider with seats and propellers). Just as thrilling is the whitewater rafting at the foot of the falls: The white-knuckle rapids are some of the most exciting in the world, with plenty of Class IVs and Vs. You can also sign up for a visit to Livingstone Island (where Dr. Livingstone first set up camp), traveling by boat to this big chunk of land that splits the falls in two. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll stop for a three-course meal that comes with a view and sound effects you won’t soon forget.

  The Zambezi serves as the natural barrier between Zimbabwe and Zambia, with a bridge connecting the two countries that is also a stage for bungee jumping. On the Zimbabwe side is the venerable Victoria Falls Hotel, open since 1904, an elegant grande dame redolent of the Edwardian era and within walking distance of the falls. On the Zambia side is the newer Royal Livingstone Hotel, whose graceful Colonial architecture and furnishings evoke an earlier, romantic age of exploration. Vervet monkeys and zebras roam the broad lawns that reach down to the river while, inside, guests dine and lounge beneath chandeliers in an open-air bar-lounge.

  WHERE: 443 miles/713 km west of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare. VICTORIA FALLS HOTEL: Tel 263/13-44751; in the U.S., 800-745-8883; www.lhw.com/victoria. Cost: from $265. ROYAL LIVINGSTONE HOTEL: Tel 206/21-332-1122; www.royal-livingstone-hotel.com. Cost: from $700. BEST TIMES: Falls are heaviest Mar–Jun; Jul–Sep also considered optimal.

  A Landscape Wild and Weird

  MATOBO NATIONAL PARK

  Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe

  Huge granite masses—seamed, split, shaped, and sculpted by time and the elements—form an array of giant whalebacks, fanciful castles, knobby outcrops, and precariously balanced boulders that extend for thousands of square miles through the Matobo Hills (or the Matopos). This bizarre landscape so bewitched British financier and statesman Cecil J. Rhodes (after whom the republics of Zimbabwe and Zambia took their former name of Rhodesia) that he arranged to be buried here. No one leaves the 170-square-mile Matobo National Park—Zimbabwe’s first—without spending an awe-inspiring moment at the site of his hillside grave, which Rhodes named “View of the World.”

  Believed to have been formed some 2 billion years ago, the otherworldly formations have been considered a center of spiritual power since the first hunters and gatherers created rock art here some 30,000 years ago. This is one of Africa’s largest concentrations of cave paintings, their quality and quantity as impressive today as the area’s wildlife. Many depict the rhinos, both white and black, that still live here in great numbers. Also found living here are leopards, cheetahs, and some 200 species of birds, including the world’s largest number of raptors, among them black eagles, hawks, and owls.

  Hidden away in this vast, natural rock garden is the Big Cave Camp, which accommodates just 16 guests in a 2,000-acre wilderness right outside the national park. Anything your hosts don’t know about the area’s geography, art, and wildlife isn’t worth learning. The rooms they offer are A-frame huts of granite and thatch, built to stay cool during the sweltering summers. Drinks and tales are served around an open fire pit that stays lit well into the night, and if you’re lucky enough to be there when a full moon illuminates the rock configurations, you’ll understand why Rhodes could never leave.

  WHERE: 30 miles/48 km south of Bulawayo. BIG CAVE CAMP: Tel 272/1-914-0966; www.bigcave.co.za. Cost:$120 per person, all-inclusive. BEST TIME: Apr–Sep, after the rains, when large numbers of animals collect at waterholes and temperatures are cooler.

  ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

  Rain Forest Sanctuary That Meets the Sea

  MASOALA NATIONAL PARK

  Madagascar

  Accessible only by boat or multiday trek, Masoala National Park is Madagascar’s best-kept secret, even though, at 840 square miles, it is the largest of the country’s national parks. Established in 1997, Masoala is located on an incisor-shaped peninsula in the northeast corner of the island and is home to 10 of the island’s 30 species of lemurs, which range widely in color and appearance; the most beautiful, the red-ruffed lemur, is not found anywhere else. But perhaps the strangest lemur, which can also be spied here, is the nocturnal aye-aye, an enchanting little creature with bony fingers, batlike
ears, and the long, bushy tail of a squirrel. The small island of Nosy Mangabe, now part of the park, was designated a reserve in the 1960s specifically to protect the aye-aye; it is also home to a large collection of leaf-tailed geckos, pygmy chameleons barely an inch long, ancient Malagasy burial sites, and rock carvings left behind by Dutch sailors who visited in the 16th century.

  Some of the world’s healthiest coral reefs are found in Tampolo Marine Park, off the west coast of the peninsula, while farther offshore, in Antongil Bay, thousands of humpback whales congregate to breed from June to September. Watch them breech and spray, listen for the males’ eerie song, and, in August, look for calves accompanying their mothers. Although Masoala National Park makes up only 2 percent of Madagascar’s landmass, approximately 20 percent of its plants exist here, including many little-known varieties: Four out of five of all plant and animal species that live in Madagascar are found nowhere else on the planet. Despite its protected status, Masoala Park still suffers encroachment from loggers (especially those looking to harvest ebony and rosewood) and lemur hunters. Sustainable tourism, as practiced by the lodges within the park, helps combat these illegal practices.

  Native to Madagascar, the endangered red-ruffed lemur is found only in Masoala.

  WHERE: Maroantsetra, at the northeastern tip of Madagascar. HOW: Morondava-based Remote River Expeditions offers customized itineraries. Tel 261/20-95-52347; www.remoterivers.com. U.S.-based Wilderness Travel offers 15-day trips that include the Masoala. Tel 800-368-2794; www.wildernesstravel.com. Cost: from $4,695. Originate in Antananarivo. When: May, Sep, and Nov. BEST TIMES: Aug–Sep for drier weather and whales calving and orchids blooming; Sep–Nov for birding.

  Expedition into the Eighth Continent

  RAFTING THE MANGOKY RIVER

  Madagascar

  One of the best ways to experience Madagascar, with its limited and primitive roads and lack of tourist facilities, is by paddling the calm waters of the Mangoky River to the island’s remote and seldom visited southwest corner. A beautiful and wild region, it also reveals that the mini continent of Madagascar is a veritable laboratory for evolution. More than 30 species of lemurs and 8,000 species of plants are found only on this island, which is also home to 3,000 species of butterflies, seven species of baobab trees, and half the world’s chameleons. You’ll get plenty of chances to disembark and explore the diverse ecosystems here—from misty rain forests to dry, deciduous woodlands to harsh and beautiful spiny forests, where massive baobabs mingle with cacti and strange, barbed plants. Knowledgeable, passionate guides will point it all out and get you some face time with the lemurs, including the tall (and very vocal) Indri indri, the rubriventer (red-bellied) lemur, and the nocturnal bush baby. Visits to markets provide a glimpse of day-to-day life and the chance to meet the Malagasy people who inhabit the riverside settlements.

  At the end of each of the wonder-packed days of rafting along the river, sandbar camps are set up under the evening sky and dinners are cooked over an open fire. After all the paddling is done, those wishing to extend their visit with a beachside retreat will find a warm welcome at Chez Maggie in Morondova, where a charming collection of bungalows and chalets is set within gardens and sand. Being so close to the Tropic of Capricorn ensures that the spectacular sunsets will linger through the whole length of your first rum-and-lime.

  HOW: Remote River Expeditions offers 13-and 21-day trips, of which 7 days are spent rafting on the Mangoky River. Tel 261/20-95-52347; www.remoterivers.com. Cost: from $2,560. Originate in Antananarivo. When: departures May and Jun. CHEZ MAGGIE: Tel 261/20-95-52347; www.chezmaggie.com. Cost: from $50.

  Delicate Masterpieces of the Indian Ocean

  THE MALDIVE ISLANDS

  Maldives

  Made up of 26 atolls scattered across the Indian Ocean from north to south in a shape that resembles an exclamation point, Maldives is a fragile wonderland of white sand, palms, lagoons, reefs, and Hockney-blue seas. Of the 36,000 square miles it covers, less than 1 percent is land. If the sea level were to rise just a few feet, its nearly 1,200 tiny, flat-as-a-tabletop islands would be gone; don’t underestimate the urgency when those who have been there suggest that you see the world’s lowest-lying nation before it’s too late.

  Each resort—there are almost 100—occupies a private island and is dedicated to showing off its own jewel of the sea. Divers and snorkelers revel in the easy access to miles of coral gardens in shallow, crystal-clear waters. They come in search of small, colorful creatures like unicornfish, harlequin sweetlips, and glassfish, as well as hulking reef sharks and manta rays. Above the water, visitors enjoy everything from deep-sea fishing to kayaking, or simply reading, snoozing, and contemplating one’s enormous good fortune in a hammock with a view.

  Native Maldivians inhabit not even one-fifth of the islands, and it is rare to meet a local aside from those employed by resorts. Tourism is vital to the Maldivian future, and many of the resorts are environmentally and socially responsible. The Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru—where 48 villas (each with an ocean view, four-poster bed, and private garden) stand just steps from the aquamarine water—prides itself on stewardship of the ocean and has established a marine lab that, among other efforts, protects sea turtles that nest on its beaches. The award-winning Soneva Gili by Six Senses, with its 45 over-water bungalows (some reachable only by boat) built from natural materials and open to sea breezes, blissfully operates under the oft-borrowed “No News No Shoes” mantra. It strives to achieve complete sustainability through ambitious preservation policies and educational programs with local communities. Both resorts are nothing short of island heaven; for confirmation, spend an afternoon being pampered at their world-class spas and open-air waterside dining venues. Unlike the majority of resorts accessible only by seaplane from the airport at Malé, the capital city and island, each is a 20-minute boat ride away.

  The Maldive Islands consist of a series of atolls, each one ideal for sunbathing or exploring the surrounding waters.

  WHERE: 250 miles/400 km southwest of India, spreading more than 500 miles north to south. BANYAN TREE VABBINFARU: Tel 960/664-3147; in the U.S., 800-591-0439; www.banyantree.com. Cost: from $900 (off-peak), from $1,600 (peak), inclusive. SONEVA GILI BY SIX SENSES: Tel 960/664-0304; www.sixsenses.com. Cost: from $1,000 (off-peak), from $1,600 (peak), inclusive. BEST TIME: Dec–Apr for driest days and clearest waters.

  Heaven’s Prototype

  MAURITIUS

  Mascarene Islands

  Thanks to an enlightened policy of ecotourism and preservation, this tiny, pear-shaped, volcanic speck of an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean remains unspoiled and intriguing. Independent since 1968, Mauritius is a 28-mile-wide microcosm of cultural diversity, an exotic mosaic of Indian, African, British, Continental, and Chinese influences. It’s a long way from anywhere, but people flock here, including European sun seekers, honeymooners, and those who unwind après safari at the island’s exquisite resort hotels.

  Mauritius can easily be separated into quadrants. In the north, you’ll find St. Louis, the capital. Congested on weekdays, it’s the place to be on weekends from May through November to catch Thoroughbred racing, the island’s most popular sport. A day at the Champ de Mars racecourse in Port Louis, one of the world’s oldest, borders on mandatory.

  In the east, along the Flacq coastline, luxury hotels line the gorgeous white sand beach. Even if you don’t stay at the One&Only Le Saint Géran, make reservations at the Spoon des Îles (Alain Ducasse’s first restaurant outside Europe) or chef Vineet Bhatia’s excellent Rasoi by Vineet. Both showcase the intricate flavors of the Indian Ocean. Golfers flock to the course here designed by Ernie Els at the Four Seasons at Anahita as well as to Le Touessrok’s Bernhard Langer–designed course across the water on Île aux Cerfs.

  Most visitors to Mauritius don’t make it farther south than the airport. Buck the trend. Take a road trip through the picturesque village of Mahébourg with its colorful old houses, then visit Vieux Grand Port. Its
ruins and monuments date back to the first landings of the Dutch in 1598 and hint at Mauritius’s dramatic past.

  The west, the most “African” part of the island, comes alive with sega music and dancing and is world renowned for deep-sea fishing. The best beaches are the public ones, especially on weekends, when Mauritian families turn up for boisterous reunions and feasts where all are welcome.

  With 200 miles of coastline, Mauritius is full of snorkel-perfect lagoons.

  WHERE: 1,120 miles/1,770 km off the east coast of Africa. ONE&ONLY LE SAINT GÉRAN: Tel 230/401-1688; in the U.S., 866-552-0001; www.lesaintgeran.oneandonlyresorts.com. Cost: rooms from $775 (off-peak), from $1,150 (peak); tasting menu at Spoon $145, dinner at Rasoi $100. FOUR SEASONS: Tel 230/401-3131; in the U.S., 800-819-5053; www.fourseasons.com/mauritius. Cost: from $600 (off-peak), from $950 (peak), includes golf; greens fees for nonguests from $250. LE TOUESSROK RESORT: Tel 230/402-7400; www.letouessrokresort.com. Cost: from $600 (off-peak), from $1,300 (peak), inclusive; greens fees from $250 for guests. BEST TIMES: year-round for good weather, but particularly Sep–Dec; Oct–Apr for deep-sea fishing; Dec for Derby Day.