After breaking off the African mainland about 180 million years ago and splitting from the Indian subcontinent some 90 million years later, Madagascar has developed its wholly unique ecosystem in splendid isolation. Ubiquitous African wildlife, such as monkeys, elephants, and big cats, never lived here—instead, this jungle-dripping island is home to lemurs, chameleons, and thousands of rare birds, many of which exist nowhere else on Earth. Miavana, a plush private island retreat just off Madagascar’s northeastern coast, combines wilderness adventures with toes-in-the-sand relaxation. The resort’s turquoise-striped helicopters bring guests on lemur-spotting trips and picnics in ancient baobab forests, while water-based activities include whale-watching expeditions and scuba dives around rainbow-hued coral reefs. Back at the resort, sprawling, garden-clad villas come with heaps of privacy and deliver in-room spa treatments and candlelit beach dinners at the drop of a hat.
See the Serengeti from above
Photo: Getty Images
As one of Africa’s most wildlife-dense areas, Tanzania’s Serengeti is an excellent—and wildly popular—destination for safari first-timers. During the high season, tourist Jeeps can seemingly outnumber the park’s animal residents, though—so it pays off to seek out its crowd-free corners. Among them is the adjoining Grumeti Game Reserve, a 350,000-acre sprawl on the Serengeti’s western wildlife corridor, where safari stalwart Singita has pitched up a constellation of camps and lodges. Sasakwa Lodge is the ritziest of the bunch, a contemporary take on an antiques-filled Edwardian manor with wide-angle views over the endless savanna sprawling out below. The Hillside Suite is its crown jewel, with two wooden outdoor decks, a private rim-flow pool, and floor-to-ceiling doors and windows framing those eye-popping Serengeti sunsets. Game drives and bush walks are part of the package, of course, but consider signing up for a hot air balloon safari to truly woo your other half.
Cross the continent on a luxury train
Photo: Rovos Rail Tours