You know we love remote, right? And we don't mean the thing that turns on the telly or emotional distancing. We mean those off-the-beaten-track parts of Africa that hardly anyone knows about where humanity takes on new meaning and every-day life seems inconsequential and meaningless. You with us? Well, with two new, exciting destinations now part of the Zafaris offering, we can take you where no-one (well, hardly anyone) has gone before... the final frontiers of Africa! 

Yes, it's a tad Star Trek but we know you appreciate our unique brand of safari humour. So, let's talk Congo and Ethiopia - the latest additions to the Zafaris stable of stunning safari stops south of the Sahara!

We've included them because we think the expedition-style safaris they offer represent some of the last chances to drop off the map on this fabulous, crazy, beautiful continent of ours. 

And dropping off the map is a good thing, because it gives you the chance to do a complete reboot to John (or Jane) Doe 1.0 and connect to the planet beneath your feet in 100% authentic ways, leaving "normal" far behind and finding incredible adventure and magical calm in pure, unadulterated and incredibly different kinds of African wilderness. 

Here's how...

The heart of Africa

The Congo... It's a name that conjures up visions of fit young men with long hair swinging on vines while yodelling, with naught but a loincloth to cover their modesty.

Yup. We know. The Tarzan trope is part of the legend of the Congo Basin - home to the great equatorial rainforests that lay at the continent's centre, second only to the Amazon in size and importance. It's a jungle out there, and one you can now readily explore with us...

Through incredible African rainforest experiences, it's possible to spend time in the Republic of Congo's jaw-dropping Odzala-Kokoua National Park as well as the Dzanga Sangha Special Reserve and Sangha Concession in the neighbouring Central African Republic.

These truly special places are home to the western lowland gorilla, forest elephant, forest buffalo and the two arboreal species of African pangolins, as well as the elusive giant pangolin, along with some of the most rare, endemic bird species in the world. 

In other words, the Congo rocks the safari casbah, with multiple encores and standing ovations. The rainforest is the star of the show here, along with the ancient tribes who call it home, still pursuing simple, hunter-gatherer lifestyles with traditions handed down over countless millennia. 

In the Best Supporting Destination roles are the incredible forest clearings, or bais, where hundreds of forest elephants and other mammal and bird species gather en masse and the network of rivers and waterways that interrupt the verdant landscapes, allowing for exploration by boat or kayak. 

The lodges we use are simple in structure, blend effortlessly into their environment, and offer exceptional hospitality, all of the necessary comforts and no small amount of understated, naturally orientated and effortless luxury. They also support exceptional conservation and community programmes that make them poster children for sustainable tourism at its finest. 

So, into the forest you will go, to lose your mind and find your soul. And we'll make sure you do it in style and come back to that "normal" world we live in with a different view of what life is all about. Deal?

The horn of Africa

Well, actually, Ethiopia - the biggest country in this distinctive geographic protuberance that juts out into the Gulf of Aden, the southern part of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Check Google Maps to orientate yourself! 

Ethiopia is an African anomaly in that it has never been colonised (the Italians only occupied it during World War II) and it's the oldest, independent nation on the continent.

All of which means you can get great pizza and pasta (like, seriously good in the capital of Addis Ababa) and there's lots of history on offer. As well as coffee, because this is the ancestral home of the humble cup of Joe.

But it's Ethiopia's incredible, breathtaking landscapes, unique wildlife and fascinating people that make it an outstanding and distinctively different safari destination.

We focus on two remote and diverse regions - the Bale Mountains south-east of Addis and the Omo Valley in the country's south-west - and offer unique expedition-style safaris to both. 

The Bale Mountain expeditions revolve around one of Ethiopia's most famous inhabitants - the Ethiopian wolf, the world's rarest canid and Africa's most endangered carnivore.

That's right, the cousin of the creature snoring at the bottom of your bed is on the safari hotlist and with an estimated maximum of just 500 left on the planet, it's on global conservation hotlists too. 

Staying in a unique and fully equipped mobile tented camp with just four tents and a central mess tent, located in a valley with one of the highest concentrations of wolves, you also explore an Afro-Apline eco-system quite unlike any other in Africa, ranging from high plateaux to juniper woodlands and open savannahs. All of which is (again) completely different to our second Ethiopian location - the Lower Omo Valley.

This is where you'll find the inimitable Lale's Camp, tucked away beneath a canopy of tamarind trees on the banks of the Omo River. With just seven, stunning en-suite tents and dining and lounge tent, Lale's is the vision of legendary Ethiopian guide Lale Birwa, born in the neighbouring Kara village of Dus.

Lale's Camp offers a home base from which to explore this cultural melting pot and spend time with the Kara, Hamer and Mursi people who call this region home.

Add in the opportunity to encounter unusual wildlife species like Guereza colobus and Gambian sun squirrels and learn more about the history and tribes that make this part of Ethiopia so special, and you know you've got a safari winner on your hands.

Combine it with an Ethiopian Wolf expedition and you get to experience a side of Ethiopia that hardly anyone else has seen.