Located in southern Kenya, near the Tanzanian border, Amboseli National Park is more than an afterthought to the great Mount Kilimanjaro on the horizon. It has the “Big 5” of African animals to witness on safaris, large elephant herds, and is home to the proud Maasai tribe. Not to mention plenty of options for a few nights’ stay, from lodges to luxury camping.

The landscapes of Amboseli National Park range from the seemingly endless savannahs to the woodlands of acacia trees, to the swamps created by the runoff of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Impossible to overlook, Mt. Kilimanjaro is approximately 30 miles away. Views of this almost 20,000-foot-high mountain capture the attention and curiosity of travelers and locals alike–images memorialized in the minds of all who bask in the present scene. And particularly for those who enjoy photography.

It’s a new destination and a new kind of resort for Club Med, which will be hunting for big-spending tourist game in South Africa. In 2026, it will open its first resort there—plus an accompanying luxury Game Lodge that offers a Club Med-branded luxury safari experience. And in another new tack, there’s even the very first Club Med Surf Club.

The beachside Club Med Tinley will be in Tinley Manor, an area known for its Bottlenose dolphins, on the Dolphin Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It’s a lesser-known province for tourists, known for its warm climate and stunning white-sand beaches. The surf-lifestyle themed property will include 342 rooms, 64 suites, and a convention center.

Guests also will have the opportunity to go on a Big Game safari in Northern Natal, based in the new 80-room luxury lodge Club Med is building, a 3.5-hour drive or 40-minute flight away.

Club Med Tinley will feature design, entertainment and food and beverages inspired by the location, climate, and cultures of Southern Africa, in both Premium rooms and Exclusive Collection accommodations.

Like all properties in the chain, it will offer family activities, land and water sports, and a kid’s club with tailored facilities and certified staff, as well as the Surf School at Club Med. Wellness enthusiasts will find an “indulgent spa,” fitness center, yoga school, and adult-only Zen pool and bar.

Club Med Tinley is a collaborative partnership between Club Med and the Collins Residential Consortium. Its sustainability efforts include a “Bye Bye Plastic Program,”  Green Globe sustainable tourism certification and eco-certified construction, and a partnership with Agrisud, a not-for-profit group designed to incorporate products from local businesses in its supply chain.

Wildlife reserves in Africa that offer safaris to incoming visitors are not mere tourism concessions. They are, without exception in my experience, ultimately about conservation and about saving the great charismatic wildlife of Africa from extinction.

The Eastern Cape province in South Africa used to be one of the richest wildlife zones in Africa in terms of diversity, according to Joe Cloete, CEO of Shamwari Private Game Reserve in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

“Then man arrived in 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, Read the rest of this entry »

When I was in India I took an elephant ride. It’s an attraction that is offered tourists in countries such as India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The elephants were decoratively adorned with colorful weavings. I sat over the shoulders and rocked with the movement as the elephant walked up a hillside toward a temple. It was a thrill to be on the back of such a big, wonderful animal that was generously allowing me to ride on his back. I felt gratitude and friendship for the gentle giant.

I admit, I didn’t give it a lot of thought. It was just a few moments of one day on a 10-day tour. I took the ride, enjoyed it, and then moved on to the next thing on my itinerary. Then one day I met Stephanie Shaw, the corporate liaison for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and I realized what should have been obvious to me in the first place. Of course. Why did I ever think that an elephant would work a day job carrying humans around on his back constantly of his own free will, hour after hour, day after day?

When I learned the story behind the elephant rides, I felt ashamed of myself for being so insensitive to the animal. I was sorry for having participated in it, for helping to perpetuate the practice of selling elephant rides, which requires a kind of captivity and treatment I can hardly bear to imagine.

I assume others who take the rides are like I was. They saw the elephant ride attraction and went on it, not thinking that much about how it came to be that the world’s largest land animal would be submitting itself to serving as a taxi at a tourist attraction Read the rest of this entry »

After a year of being locked down, it’s understandable that people may want to double up on their bucket list trips to make up for lost time. But Africa and Antarctica in the same trip? That seems a stretch.

When I first learned that two tour operators, Wilderness Safaris and White Desert, joined forces to offer two trips that combine an African safari with an Antarctic expedition, my reaction was that the combination was incongruous at best. In my mind, they seemed to be two separate worlds, almost like two opposite poles of experience. But, when I looked closer, I found that it makes perfect sense. Read the rest of this entry »