Despite the unprecedented growth in its population, Africa remains the home of some of the world’s last wildernesses. Untouched, barely explored, the likes of Ethiopia’s Omo Delta see less than fifty people a year.
Since its inception, Journeys by Design has specialised in opening up these frontiers. The places on offer are raw, intensely beautiful ecosystems, and their preservation is our primary concern. As a result, while the accommodation and style of travel on offer is, in our opinion, among the best in Africa, we aim, when visiting these areas to leave them as we find them.
Life changing, unforgettable, safaris into these pristine frontiers are adventurous, highly unique, and, in truth, when compared to the rest of our portfolio, contain an element of risk. Turkana, in north west Kenya, is a case in point. Lake Turkana is the world’s largest desert lake, home to the biggest population of Nile crocodile in Africa, and its various lake parks are a world heritage site. Central Island is, in effect, an active volcano. Snakes and scorpions are to be found in its flats. The lake itself is subject to sudden, violent storms. There is still an element of lawlessness in these borderlands, with different tribes and clans intermittently quarrelling over land and grazing rights. The problems in Southern Sudan have resulted in refugee crises, and the refugee-host relationship in Turkana is not good. Turkana is a real frontier, on many levels. It is extraordinary, but it can also be dangerous.
Suited, therefore, to a particular type of traveller, places like Turkana make up a small percentage of our business, but are, in every sense, the most authentic wildernesses on our portfolio.