Product Manager Alison first went to Africa 17 years ago on an adventure to the Serengeti, and instantly fell in love. Since then, she's been back time and time again. There are a multitude of reasons why, but here are just a few in her love-letter to a breathtaking continent of culture, wildlife and unforgettable memories.

 

Whether you want to climb it or simply look onto this graceful giant it doesn’t matter – it’s a beautiful mountain seen from afar or on its slopes. Its snowy summit soars up into the clouds and forms a perfect backdrop for the elephant herds on the plains of Amboseli National Park in Kenya and several of the Tanzanian parks. Kilimanjaro has become a classic African icon, which is even seen in The Lion King. If getting to the top is your thing then I can assure you that the views and exhilaration of summiting are worth every step of the hard work it entails. It is the highest mountain in Africa and it is also surprisingly achievable with some fitness and a bucket load of determination (I did it, and trust me I’m no fitness freak - I like good food and wine!). And you will also be accompanied by porters singing to you, smiling and fist-bumping your efforts all the way up the 5895 meter ascent! 

 

From mighty elephants and lions to the majestic baboon, African wildlife is incredible. I was lucky enough to go on my first safari when I was just 25 years old, which was in the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. My reaction to the first sightings really surprised me – butterflies in my tummy, my adrenalin pumping and heart racing – as the elephant looked up at us and turned calmly and walked past. Simply incredible. And many years on I still get the same feelings. In Botswana recently a lion was hanging out next to the vehicle - I could hear her softly breathing and almost smell her, my heart was pounding and I was still as a statue not wanting to break the spell. I would love for more people to go and witness this amazing wildlife and have these experiences. It is so humbling to be among such precious creatures and walk among their lands, and it has certainly made me more passionate about ensuring their habitat and species are in existence for hundreds of years to come.

 

An excellent safari tradition, a sundowner is a cool beverage, usually a G&T, a beer, or fruit cocktail that is sipped as the sun goes down. It is a very civilised affair and an exceedingly pleasant experience when on holiday. It can be taken anywhere – it’s just important to take some time to enjoy the African sun as it sets. One of my favourite memories is stopping in the safari land cruiser for a sundowner on the plains of Savuti in Botswana watching the antelope in the golden grasses. We simply got out of the vehicle, put crisps in a bowl on the cruiser bonnet and got drinks out of the cool box – brilliant. It can also be enjoyed at camp in the Serengeti, sitting around the campfire when you've returned from a game drive, or at the lodge with an icy fruit cocktail.

I would be remiss not to add the breath-taking scenery to my list of why I love Africa. It’s just so vast, and for anyone from England this immenseness is always staggering and gives a fantastic sense of freedom. On top of that is the warm weather. I love warm climes, and in many places and seasons, it’s cool enough at night to require a fleece layer – which makes sleeping pleasant. For me, stepping out of the safari vehicle with the warm sun on my neck and hearing the constant buzz of the cicadas whilst watching giraffe or zebra walk across grasslands with a scattering of landmark flat umbrella shaped Acacia trees is total bliss, and gives me a sense of peace, calm and wholesomeness. Of course there is also a plethora of other landscapes: exciting hills and mountains, forests like in Uganda where the Mountain Gorillas live, the sand dunes of Sossusvlei in Namibia, and river and fluvial systems such as the gigantic Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.