Africa

Explore with active travel experts to some of the most stunning regions in the world. Join Backroads for spring bike rides in North America, summer hikes in Europe, fall safaris in Africa and winter adventures in South America. Get ready for an incredible year of travel!

I booked Backroads’ Tanzania Active Safari Tour, confident that we’d have the best possible itinerary for our African honeymoon. But I had no idea how wonderful it would be—or that the Backroads crew and our local hosts had a few surprises in store along the way.

From the infectious rhythms of Cuba’s iconic salsa music to the down-home pluckiness of Bluegrass by-the-fire in Kentucky, the live music on the trips below strikes just the right chord. 

Going on a wildlife safari in the African bushveld is an adventure many travelers have penned on their bucket list.

The moment we stepped out of the vans, we were absolutely swarmed with smiling, laughing and shouting children. Dani, one of the Backroads Trip Leaders, originally from Spain and one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, swam through the sea of children to get to me and said, “Hey man, you’ve got to fly the drone, the kids will LOVE it.”

We're excited to release our very first video to come from our Africa Active Safaris.

Game hunters in Africa originally coined the phrase "Big Five" to describe the five animals deemed hardest and most dangerous to hunt on foot: the elephant, lion, rhinoceros, leopard and buffalo. Because of their size, aggression, intelligence and speed, these animals were trophies that came with significant risk, and were therefore prized above all others. Safari operators now use that same phrase to describe the animals they know their clients hope to "shoot" with their cameras.

Looking through the window of the bus that was driving me from the airport through town, I understood this trip was going to be very different. I could see many people walking the dusty streets of the capital in oppressive heat, some of them carrying jugs of water on their head. For the first time of my life, I was in Africa.

Travel offers a deeper understanding of the world and I try as often as I can to make the leap from tourist to Insider. And that requires a commitment to always wanting to know and see more. To always asking questions and pausing long enough to listen to the answers, whether they come or not. It's just as much about the people attempting to provide the answer as it is about what exactly they have to say. And the folks that might answer honestly tend not to be the ones on the main avenue selling trinkets or day tours.

A hint of a sea breeze fills the air. The sky is a deep blue. From where I'm sitting I can see Table Mountain looming overhead. The waiter casually walks in and places my food in front of me. I look down, and I know I'm in for an exciting new culinary experience.