Sharon Schneider

This journey emerged from 40 years of returning to these exact coordinates where Africa’s heartbeat is strongest. These aren’t just luxury lodges—they’re conservation victories where poached wastelands became elephant highways, where local communities became wildlife guardians, and where your presence directly funds the protection of Africa’s last wild places. Every sunset here carries the weight of transformation. Every meal tells a story of resurrection. Every encounter reminds you why we must preserve what is irreplaceable.

Luxury travel to Africa's pristine wilderness isn't merely about escaping. It's about a strategic homecoming to our biological blueprint. The electromagnetic frequencies of untamed landscapes, the circadian entrainment with sunrise and sunset and the profound experiences of awe combine to create what neuroscientist Dr. Joe Dispenza calls "elevated emotional states" that facilitate deeper healing and transformation. What makes African safaris uniquely powerful is their ability to meet us exactly where we are across different life transitions. From the budget-friendly adventure-seeking energy of our twenties and early thirties to the reflective wisdom of our eighth decade, these journeys offer precisely calibrated experiences that respond to our changing neurobiological needs. Below, I explore the combination itinerary of Cape Town and an awe-inspiring safari thoughtfully aligned with five pivotal life transition points in our human evolution. Based on my own life experience, as I mature through life's crossroads, I match the vibrancy of the mother city and the healing rhythms of pristine nature at these distinct and important ages and stages of our human development. This creates not just memories, but meaningful recalibrations in our life's journey.

Exploring the volcano-punctuated highlands of Rwanda is high on many’s bucket list. This is for the all-important reason that Rwanda is home to approximately one-third of the world’s total mountain gorilla population.

The global population of mountain gorillas is estimated to be around 1,000 individuals. Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park hosts about 300–350 gorillas. The rest of the population is found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, as well as the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

But Rwanda's primate circuit extends beyond the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park. For the permit price of $100 per trek, explore Volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest National Park for other endangered primate species including chimps, Colobus and Golden Monkeys. I’ve summarized below how you might do this at three different price-point options. Pinnacle, premium and classic.

You're fed up with cold and wet. Why not fly south for the silly season and experience the magic of my selection? Although mostly year-round destinations (apart from Antarctica) each one shares a brief and extraordinary period (November through February) where you're afforded the opportunity for life-changing events and experiences. The carefully curated locations below offer the ultimate bucket-list adventure. It brims with opportunities to awaken your senses and immerse yourself in the serenity of the natural world. Swim in Devil's Pool on the edge of the largest curtain of water, see Victoria Falls, enjoy summer sunsets over the Atlantic in Cape Town, sipping on the world's finest wine. Fly into Antarctica to experience a 24,000 emperor penguin breeding colony and the geographical South Pole. Swim with the ocean's big 5 off the Bazaruto Archipelago.

Blessed to have grown up in Africa, I’ve explored the pristine natural world throughout my life. My first memories are in the bush (on safari). Every life transition in my 50 years has a memory attached from my first broken heart, high school graduation, marriage, children, mourning and celebration. My happy place is where I go to draw strength and realign. My passion is to share a life-changing experience of Africa with you and the world.

Namibia has had a special place in my heart since my first visit as a young girl. I remember wanting to drive on every single road in Etosha Pan, and I think we just about did. The salt pans gave this safari experience a silver halo glow. The animals were unique, even if they were the usual suspects from parks I was so accustomed to in South Africa. The lions had a white wash, as did the elephant and rhino. But I was completely taken in by the sheer size and power of the eland, an antelope I wasn't familiar with, as well the accuracy with which the Oryx was able to knock a stone thrown at its giant spear-like horns (and its bravery) - my first encounter of one was at a waterhole with the Gemsbok, as we know them, on one side and a huge lion on the other.

But that's not all Namibia has to offer. A completely unique safari is just the icing on the cake. Namibia is an awe-inspiring land of extremes, with ancient dunes as high as skyscrapers drawing photographers and explorers in from across the globe to marvel at their majesty.

In my weeklong, Namibia scoop, you'll get to experience the best of the country from the iconic Deadvlei and Sossusvlei dunes in the south, a gorgeous stopover around Winghoek area in the middle to keep the travel experience founded in pleasure and then Etosha Pan and an Uber luxe and unique safari on the salt pans of the north.

The itinerary is perfectly paired with Cape Town. South African local airline, Airlink has a daily flight (or two) into Windhoek. Properties recommended in the itinerary offer transfer flights from Windhoek, making it a completely seamless experience threading this all together. (It can also be combined with neighboring Botswana and the Okavango Delta and/ or Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.)

Africa is a magical location that some people only choose to visit once as part of a "bucket list" experience. If you're going to do it, then do it well. I'll guide you to the top five locations from my 40 + years of firsthand experience as a native South African who grew up in the bush and visiting locations across Africa for my annual school holidays throughout childhood and into adulthood. Even though I'm now a seasoned traveller having explored every continent, Africa is still my favourite location on the planet. I can't wait to share my big five locations with you, as well as the easiest ways to access them.

Staying at Singita Ebony Lodge in Sabi Sands has been a dream for many years and then one day, as if by magic, it came true. There's a special kind of magic in how properties of this calibre rise up to meet the needs of guests preemptively and effortlessly. It's in how one is made to feel like you're home. Among friends. It just so happens that these friends are storytellers, custodians of the land and animals, wisdom keepers and intuitive nurturers.

If you’re scratching your head looking for a stunning location for that special event or celebration with a group of near and dear ones, consider these.

Although remarkable in service and luxury (sustainability focussed, eco-aware and active in conservation and local community development initiatives) these jaw-dropping show-stoppers are often available for exclusive use in time frames that cannot be matched anywhere in Europe, America and the Caribbean. Why? People often perceive Africa to be a distant, remote location with uncertainties and too many travel miles, when in fact these perceived challenges are easily mitigated. Firstly, direct flights operate from locations in the US, Europe and around the globe, making Cape Town and Johannesburg the perfect launching off point for some of the most epic bucket list, one-of-a-kind locations. Being south of the equator, it’s beach-perfect weather and vibey in Cape Town as the snow starts to fall up north. Service excellence as well as unparalleled luxury come at more competitive price points. Especially when booking for a group in an exclusive use situation. And again, the fact that forward planning years in advance is also not a requirement here.

(Let me know when you need to travel and I will find the perfect itinerary for you and your group)

As an African expert, born and raised in South Africa, I’m well-traveled across the continent. I’m a passionate “bush lover” aka: safari queen. So I have lesser-known destinations up my sleeve to blow you away. That said, I also love to educate and inform regarding tropical island paradise locations. It's often surprising to the discerning traveler that we have such a diverse selection of biomes on offer in Africa and Southern Africa in particular.

Here is my selection of the best of the best. As well as how you’ll access these locations for a little more peace of mind that I have all the details well in hand.

Two weeks in South Africa is the perfect amount of time to truly engage with two tourist hot list faves (& my two favorite places in the world by far): The Kruger National Park and Cape Town. Both locations are super easy to access independently with direct flights connecting Cape Town International with The Kruger National Park (Skukuza Airport) making it the perfect combination for an all round "best of both" experience at any price point. This itinerary has been curated to inspire the discerning traveler who is seeking to experience the best of these locations. Hotel suggestions have been included to ensure that travelers can enjoy a luxury experience at two distinct price points, so be sure to check out the hotels listed below. Cape Town is vibey, trendy and unquestionably one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a plethora of mind-blowing activities to delight a diverse range of interests, tastes and moods. World class hotels, restaurants, wineries, hikes, extreme activities (like climbing or descending Table Mountain, white shark cage diving, sky diving and helicopter flips over the pristine peninsula) or less adrenaline-fueled activities like Table Mountain's cableway, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Historical Robben Island tours and visiting colorful Bo-Kaap. Whats more is that all of this action is super accessible using the City Sightseeing Bus service that loops on repeat through the gorgeous contours of Cape Town and the Peninsula throughout the day, seven days a week 365 (or six) days a year, so you can pick and choose when and what to do and see during your stay! I suggest nine days to absorb the energetic pulse of Cape Town as well as the beauty of the surrounding areas, after which it will be the perfect time to slow down and surrender to the rhythms of nature for five days of deep restoration. Here, nature is doing what nature does; at its own pace and rhythm. Each time I've passed through the gates of Kruger, it's felt like I’m plugging back into source. Five days in one of the many luxury lodges available across a diverse range of price points means deep nurturing for your body, mind and soul. Delicious food and drink, daily sunrise and sunset game drives as well as bush walks with incredible guides who are bonded with this landscape and its animals (because of a deep sense of pride and custodianship) are the nuts and bolts of this unique safari experience that creates a space where one wants for nothing and appreciates everything. All of this combined helps to transform your five day safari into a spiritual experience. An added bonus, is Kruger's year round good weather. If it's too hot, there’s always a plunge pool nearby. If there’s rain, it brings with it a welcome relief and a rich velvet carpet of green rolled out in time for lambing season for the impalas, zebras and the wildebeests.

Cape Town is an iconic destination on most bucket lists — and if it's not on yours, you'd better add it quick! There's so much to see and do in order to fully experience all of Cape Town's wonder that I'd dedicate a week or more when planning your trip. What is less well known among even the most discerning traveler is that roughly two hours out from Cape Town — in several directions — will find you in jaw-dropping locations. You'd still be well within the province of the Western Cape, where roads are of a high quality and the people are some of the most hospitable, excellence-driven in the world.

There are parts of Australia where nature is in charge. Tourism is often seasonal. There is a reverence for the land and the seasons.

Places of pure wonder like the Nullarbor Plain stretching into eternity, the world's largest single exposure of limestone bedrock - 200,000 square kilometres or 770,00 square miles from east to west, South Australia to Western Australia.

Or the flood plains of the Mary River bordering the Kakadu National Park in the far Northern Territory, where geographically one is closer to the islands of Indonesia than the vast majority of Australia.

This is a land of extremes. A land of stories waiting to be told.

As school best friends traveling together for many years now, we love to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We're constantly seeking out beautiful properties in these incredibly noteworthy locations where there is a conscious awareness for the environment and the local community in which the properties operate. We love beautiful things, but it's important to know that there's a commitment behind the tourism to ensure it's sustainability and the preservation of our world for generations to come. We traveled to Angkor Wat Temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia from Ho Chi Minh City and then flew on to Hanoi, where we joined an exceptional cruise experience of the lesser commercialised Lan Ha Bay, Halong Bay. Which is now recognised in it's own right as a UNESCO World Heritage site. More on the details below.

Rwanda was recently named the safest country for solo travelers in Africa. It is also the sixth safest on the planet, according to a review conducted by a trusted travel website. This is testimony to Rwanda's miraculous recovery from its painful past, and the resulting success story that has emerged due to the newfound solidarity, impressive work ethic and warmth of its people.

The country is a mecca for the very best in luxury accommodation set spectacularly alongside deeply intimate, once-in-a-lifetime encounters with a rich abundance of endangered primates — not least of which are the gentle giant Mountain Gorilla. Less well-known but equally spectacular, the rare Golden Monkey (also Volcanoes National Park), and the Chimps and Colobus Monkeys of Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Get off the beaten track to maximize the experience of nature as well as luxury in three of my favorite locations: Iguazú Falls (Argentina, and also accessible from Brazil), Patagonia (both Argentina and Chile) and the Atacama Desert (Chile). In my opinion, this offers some of the best experiences South America has to offer, especially given the properties included in the itinerary below. There will also be some exquisite city scenes to kick things off in Buenos Aires, the Paris of the South, and mandatory wine-down time in Chile, too!

It’s not easy to abbreviate Southern Africa into a (just slightly more than) two-week itinerary. My passion is as vast and old as the Namib, (but that’s another itinerary. Point is, there’s so much more here). It’s exceedingly clear to me that once your love affair begins, you will be back for more. So for now, here’s the spark that ignites the flame. My Quintessential Southern Africa.

Embark on a three-night luxury rail journey from Pretoria to Victoria Falls, "the smoke that thunders" where you'll spend two glorious nights on the banks of the mighty Zambezi river.

Your private guide will take you across the border into Botswana. You'll have one of the most amazing experiences of a luxury safari on Earth, working with a system that has been around for a long time. This land is recognized by UNESCO as world heritage and extends over an area half the size of Belgium. 6,000km2 is permanent swampland and up to 12,000 km2 when flooded seasonally.

Then it's time for the obligatory wine down in Cape Town (2 nights) and Franschhoek (2 nights). If you like food, wine and coffee, Cape Town and Franschhoek are great places to visit. The foodie scene is as fertile and lush as the Okavango wetland in full flood.

Combining safari-style adventure, world heritage and undiluted beach glamor is what I do best. Hotels and properties included, pack a punch when it comes to purpose. Always founded on three pillars: conservation, community development and all-inclusive luxury experiences that's nothing short of transformative. Cambodia delivers on all fronts. Feast your eyes on this.