By: Martin Hosie 2026-06-09

Best Places to Visit in Morocco: Why Ait Benhaddou, Todra Gorge, and Erg Chebbi Dunes Stood Out on the Journey

Morocco isn't just a destination to observe; it is a country that demands to be actively experienced. Discover the best places to visit in Morocco in our honest travel guide. From scrambling through Ait Benhaddou and trekking through Todra Gorge to camping among the Erg Chebbi dunes, find out what makes this Encounters Travel journey truly extraordinary.

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By: Martin Hosie 2026-06-05

Uganda Safari Holiday: What We Loved About Tracking Chimps in Budongo Forest and Gorillas in Uganda

We booked a Uganda safari holiday, half hoping it would be good. What we did not expect was to stand in a rainforest in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, barely three metres from a mountain gorilla, completely speechless. This post is about that moment, and everything that led to it, from tracking chimps in Budongo Forest to watching the Nile thunder through Murchison Falls. If you have been wondering whether gorilla trekking in Uganda is worth the journey, the permits, and the mud on your boots, read on. We are going to be honest with you, the way a friend would be, not the way a brochure would.

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By: Martin Hosie 2026-06-04

Lebanon Travel Guide: How Ancient Sites and Extraordinary Food Turned One Trip Into a Journey Worth Repeating

Lebanon is one of those destinations that quietly rewrites everything a traveller thinks they know about the Middle East. This Lebanon travel guide is not a list of monuments. It is the story of how a single trip wove together Phoenician harbours, Roman ruins, cedar-scented mountain air, and a table that never seemed to empty, from creamy goat cheese fresh out of a Bcharre factory to wood-fired SAJ flatbread at dawn and bold reds poured straight from a Bekaa Valley winery. If you have been searching for a travel guide to Lebanon that treats food as seriously as archaeology, read on.

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By: Martin Hosie 2026-06-03

Best Month to Visit Cape Town: Why We Chose September to Begin Our Route Through the Cederberg, Namaqualand, and Into Namibia

Finding the best time to visit Cape Town depends on what you want from the trip, and for us, the answer was September, without a shadow of a doubt. We weren't just visiting Cape Town for the city itself. We were using it as the launchpad for a 20-day overland journey north through the Cederberg, across the wildflower-dusted plains of Namaqualand, and deep into Namibia and Botswana. Choosing the right month mattered enormously, not only for Cape Town's weather, but for everything that followed.

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By: Martin Hosie 2026-06-02

Best Month to Visit Botswana: Why August in Chobe National Park Delivered the Best Elephant and Buffalo Sightings of Our Safari

Planning a trip and trying to figure out the best time to visit Botswana for a safari? Whether you are drawn to the vast floodplains of the Okavango Delta, the raw wilderness of the Kalahari, or the legendary elephant herds along the Chobe River, timing your visit can make all the difference. This month-by-month guide breaks down what visiting Botswana looks like across every season, including why one August morning on a boat safari in Chobe National Park became the single most jaw-dropping wildlife moment of an overland journey from Namibia to Victoria Falls.

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Best Places to Visit in Morocco: Why Ait Benhaddou, Todra Gorge, and Erg Chebbi Dunes Stood Out on the Journey