Dear Starry-Eyed travellers!
Welcome to the brand-new edition of our much anticipated Orion’s Belt; packed with news from Starry Starry Nights, a snapshot of what we have been up to of late.
What a year 2024 has been this far! We have had a wild first six months, in fact, due to much of our time having been spent literally offshore, travelling to some exciting destinations, this is our very first newsletter of the year – where has the time gone?
2024 is certainly proving to be a bumper year. Having said that, Africa seems to be the ‘it’ destination at the moment – and as a result, availability in southern and eastern Africa is a struggle; it seems many of the lodges are fully booked and are too experiencing a bumper year! Keeping that in mind, if you are looking to travel to Africa on safari next year, we do recommend that you get in touch with us, sooner than later, to start exploring your options. We wish you a fantastic mid-winter (for our southern hemisphere) or mid-summer (for our northern hemisphere) friends.
Conrad was most fortunate to be part of the Expedition Team on a unique expedition earlier this year. It spanned over 7000 nautical miles and probably won’t be repeated in coming years. It started in Ushuaia, the southern-most city near Cape Horn in Argentina, and then sailed to Antarctica, heading east and northwards, taking in the Falklands, the amazing South Georgia (The Serengeti of the Seas), all the while, showing off its remarkable wildlife.
We then set off through ‘uncharted’ waters, towards Gough Island and the famous Tristan da Cunha, the fabled volcanic island termed the “most isolated inhabited island on Earth”. We managed to land there, a feat many people have not managed to do! It was momentous.
After that, we ventured northeast and spent two days at Napoleon Bonaparte’s last resting place, St Helena Island. Again, a most glorious island. Continuing northwards the ship got permission to dock at Ascension Island, permission not often granted by the US and UK military bases stationed there. All in all, one of the most unique, memorable expeditions imaginable.
How does one describe my experience of what has been widely regarded as ‘The Best Dive site on Earth’? I had expectations and I had pre-conceived ideas, but I did not expect to be utterly blown away by Indonesia’s Raja Ampat – off the great island of New Guinea. The estimated 200 islands are so magnificent, so untouched, so crammed full of critters and that’s before we even ventured under water!
The coral is untouched, the sea-life just phenomenal and the personal ‘mega-ticks’ Flamboyant Cuttlefish and Wobbagong sharks, just indescribably incredible. Then there were the tiny, cute dwarf-sea horses. I will stop trying to describe this place and rather dazzle you with photos, above and below the water.
The utterly remarkable live-aboard we chartered for our group, named The Coralia is a hand-made mahogany Indonesian boat, which sleeps only 12 people, super-comfortable, with a crew of 22! I certainly think it was one of my life’s ultimate expeditions. We are planning to charter this incredible vessel for a ten day exploration in 2026, exclusively for Starry Starry Nights guests.
As we write this, we are practically heading out of the door, to once again, travel to our most beloved place on Earth, the original “Garden of Eden” – the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Is it Africa’s ultimate safari destination? We certainly think so. We will let the photographs of two safaris, which we led over the past 7 months, woo you. New lodges are upping the ante in terms of offerings for all levels of comfort & price points; they remain authentic and real, retaining the essence of what Africa is all about.
We have some amazing safaris planned for 2025, including Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, and Ethiopia. Details to follow in the up-coming months. It seems that multi-generation safaris are a thing of the future. There is nothing like taking one’s grand-kids on safari, that is for sure – memories to last a lifetime…
The new camps that we will be visiting in the coming days are Kiri by Mashaba Safaris and Tawana by Natural Selection. Both these companies are our very favourites in Botswana, they are owner-run and truly spectacular in every way, situated in one of the best wildlife areas the world has to offer. These two companies are hands down, our preferred partners in Botswana.
With out a shadow of a doubt, the insanely wonderful live-aboard that we just experienced, the M/V Coralia in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. From the 6 gorgeous fully serviced and air-conditioned cabins, to the sensational crew that took care of our every need for 11 days, including housekeepers, Dive Masters and chefs, it was an utter revelation. Starry Starry Nights plan to charter her in 2026, we would love for you to travel with us, to experience what is truly the best dive and snorkel area in the world, so please watch this space…
I have known Darrel Bristow-Bovey for many years. He is a highly respected, astute, deeply emotional and caring South African journalist and author. His writings have featured in some of the largest newspapers and top journals in Africa. His newly released book is somewhat of an epiphany. Called “ Finding Endurance – Shackleton, my father and a world without end” is getting rave reviews. And so it should.
It is a rich tapestry of prose, a gloriously described history of the finding of the most revered ship since the Titanic (Shackleton’s Endurance was found two years ago in the Weddell sea by a multi-country team onboard our South African Icebreaker, the I/B Agulhas II at 3000m depth). But is also a personal journey into his life and relationship with his father. I loved this book…it will transport you back to Africa, I highly recommend it.
