Africa

I've been twice, and it's where I'd send most first-timers. It has Europe with Cape Town. We stayed at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa and at the V&A Waterfront, and then flew to the bush.

For safari, I've stayed at MalaMala, Tanda Tula, and Kapama, all in the Greater Kruger area. MalaMala shares an unfenced border with Kruger National Park, and it's where I watched that lion family on my very first day.

Traveling with young kids? Madikwe and the private reserves of the Eastern Cape give you the Big Five without malaria.

Best for: first safaris, families, and anyone who wants food and wine with their wildlife. Safari is best May to October, and Cape Town is best November to March.

Wide open, no fences. I stayed at Tuba Tree in the Okavango Delta and King's Pool in the Linyanti, and they felt like 2 different trips: one on the water in a mokoro, one on land in a game vehicle.

Botswana has the best elephants you'll see almost anywhere (outside Amboseli). The camps are much smaller, and you hop between them on light aircraft. I usually pair Botswana with South Africa.

Best for: couples, return safari travelers, and anyone who wants privacy. June to October is peak, and November to March is the lush green season.

I stayed at Mahali Mzuri in the Masai Mara. Kenya is the one you can do completely on its own: you can fly nonstop from JFK and back, and with its milder climate you can go almost any time of year.

But it's basically ONLY safari. If you want a city or wine country in the mix, that's South Africa. If you want a beach, we add the Seychelles at the end.

Stay in a private conservancy beside the Mara for fewer vehicles at every sighting. Add Amboseli for elephants with Kilimanjaro behind them, or Laikipia for rhino conservation.

Best for: first safaris, families, photographers. The migration is in the Mara about July to October.

Tanzania is the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, and most of the Great Migration's yearly loop. I haven't stayed there myself, so I plan it with partners I trust and with what my clients bring home.

Like Kurt and Randi Sue. I planned their birthday safari through Kenya and Tanzania, and at every hotel they were greeted with welcome notes, wine, and cake. They were so floored they sent me photos every single time.

Here the month decides the camp. Calving season in the southern Serengeti runs about January to March, and the river crossings up north run about July to October. Zanzibar's beaches are an easy finish.

Best for: migration seekers and multi-generational families (multi-gen is our jam).

Rwanda is an hour with a family of mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. It pairs naturally with a few nights in Kenya or Tanzania.

Plan for 2 gorilla treks if you can. The first is overwhelming in the best way, and the second is when you actually take it in. The hikes can be steep and muddy at altitude, trekkers must be at least 15, and permits are limited, so we lock them in early.

Best for: wildlife lovers and conservation-minded travelers. Treks run year-round, and the trails are easier June to September and December to February.

Namibia is red dunes at Sossusvlei, desert-adapted elephants and rhino in Damaraland, and wildlife lining up at Etosha's waterholes. The distances are huge, so fly between regions. The small-plane view over the dunes is half the fun.

Best for: second safaris, photographers, and adventurous couples. May to October.

I've been to Victoria Falls once, on the Zambia side. 2 nights there is an easy add to South Africa or Botswana.

And after a week of before-sunrise game drives, a few days on the beach lets it all settle in. The Seychelles pair with Kenya, Zanzibar with Tanzania, and Mauritius with South Africa or Botswana.