Luke Powers is a passionate traveller, always keen to explore new destinations. But mostly he enjoys exploring his own back yard: greater Cape Town. He loves a slow road trip on backroads, with plenty of time to meet the locals and take loads of photos. He lives in Cape Town and revels in every detail of this popular layered city, especially the City Bowl and surrounding mountains. He is a bit addicted to running, especially on trails. What else? He has a fascination with junk stores, flea markets and left field collectables. He is constantly searching for the perfect cup of coffee and croissant.
What is it that you do exactly?
I am the Managing Director of Africa Bespoke. This means that I am involved in the day to day operations of the business. This includes sourcing new business,dealing with some enquiries, managing and updating the website, blog and socialmedia aspects, marketing, plus going site inspections and educational of our preferred properties. Never a dull moment.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Planning travel for our clients: plotting the trip, pitching it perfectly, matching it to the person’s likes and needs, plus putting it together so that the result is seamless travels. I also really enjoy dreaming up exciting new journeys by combining interesting destinations and activities. Africa has so many unique aspects to explore.
What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?
Rovos Rail - I recently took this legendary luxury train from Victoria Falls to Pretoria. What a treat! It really is a superb experience, with every detail thought of, incredible service, fine cuisine and the most scintillating wine list one can imagine. Hard to beat just whiling away the hours in the Observation Car reading a novel, talking or playing backgammon to the rhythmic clickety clack of the train.
Jinja, Uganda - Lived in a tent overlooking the White Nile River for 3 months whilst working for a river rafting outfit. We live a simple life on the equatorial forest-lined river banks with the mighty Nile flowing past below, red earth in between my toes. Good beer fantastic people, great memories.
Sabi Sabi Selati Lodge - The Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve is hard to beat. Legendary for its Big Five sightings, it delivered my Big Five dream: a world class leopard sighting. We were guided by a ranger who charming raconteur with and unsurpassed knowledge of the fauna and flora.
What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?
Tough question as I love my food and restaurants, plus we are lucky to have so many good ones to choose from in the Cape. I would have to say wild boar hunting stew and roast pheasant in Italy, near Rome. Cooked by my Italian cousins and eaten in a medieval village atop a hill. Hard to describe the authentic vibe and tastes.
Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?
A few years ago in Brazil we were in a small surfing beach village near Salvador, called Itacare. There were very few travellers around, so every day we shared the beach with a small band of English speaking travellers, which included a couple of good looking girls. English speaking girls were a rare find in Brazil, so the singles amongst us got a lot of flak for not chatting them up. No brainer, right? Nothing happened of course, until a couple of days later when the penny finally dropped and we suddenly realized it was none other than Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Kate Bosworth and Orlando Bloom! Our single mates were then forgiven for not attempting their best chat up lines on these Hollywood A listers.
What currently ranks highest on your travel wish list?
Nepal – for some incredible trekking and whitewater kayaking.
Thank you for taking part in our interview, Luke. Your responses make for an enjoyable read.
Are you tired of the predictable kind of getaway where each moment is a copy of somewhere else and truly forgettable? Are you aching for a “once in a lifetime” experience that stays with you for years? Then stop looking at brochures for Bermuda or some Greek isle, and consider something on the adventurous side for a change. Why not try a luxury African safari for a week, and then relax with your favorite cocktail beverage on some beachside resort of your choosing. The experience will ignite your senses and give you a new appreciation for why so many love the continent of Africa.
Depending upon your personal tastes and definition of “luxury”, there are basically three ways to go on this outing. The most adventurous among us will most likely desire a true “tented” safari in the wilds of Uganda, Rwanda, or Tanzania. These trips can be tailored to your liking and involve living in the wild, pitching tents each day at a new site, and roaming about viewing the local “inhabitants” in all their glory. For a tamer version, select a travel package to Kenya on the Masai Mara plain. Balloon over the Great Migration and go on picture-taking journeys, before and after wining and dining at your central lodging location. However, both of these journeys require special shots and malaria pill regimens, including mosquito netting protective gear.
For less hassle and medical concerns, fly the extra mile to South Africa and the Kruger National Park. No pills or shots required, and a side trip to Cape Town and the nearby wine country would be an excellent way to finish the trip. [Editor's note: this is not correct! Please note that whilst many South African parks are malaria free, two of them are not - these are Kruger National Park and Mapungubwe National Park. Thank you to @WildernessEnc for pointing this out.] There are a plethora of resorts that will compete for your patronage, but the standout for many has been the MalaMala Game Reserve. Noted as a “blueprint” for all safari providers, the enormous reserve offers a photographic opportunity unlike any other to observe the “Big Five” (Lion, Elephant, Water Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhinoceros) and capture them on film for a lifetime.
A typical journey begins with landing on an isolated airstrip, while the local Kudus and Springboks welcome your arrival with gazing stares from a distance. Next stop is your luxury lodge and individual sleeping cottages. After a welcoming cocktail and hors d’oeuvres, it is off to the wild for your first ride in the bush. You and four of your compatriots will sit in an open-top rover while the driver and tracker drive over hill and dale in search of anything that moves. Your eyes will soon adjust to picking up any movement hundreds of yards away, although at first, you will be astounded by the tracker’s ability to spot clearly camouflaged animals a mile away.
The intensity of these daily journeys, morning, noon, and night, will heighten your senses to an amazing level that can only breathe life into memory cells long forgotten to exist. With each return to home base, you will dine and drink away the hours discussing what “miracles” you have witnessed – a pride of lions eating their kill, a cheetah chasing down its prey, or a herd of elephants crashing through the brush, all within a few feet of your rover.
The animals have become accustomed to the presence of rovers, but do not stand up or exit the vehicle. If you break the “silhouette”, then you will get their attention. Leaving the security of your vehicle is not a good idea, so stay in the rover!
Beaches are nice, but a safari will stir the passions of your soul. Start planning now!
Of all the sights one might uncover on an African safari, for me, perhaps the most haunting and memorable is an encounter with a Ugandan Mountain Gorilla.
Few experiences can compare to the sheer wonder and humbling awe of witnessing these creatures in the wild. It was the famous American naturalist George Schaller who said that, ‘No one who looks into a gorilla’s eyes – intelligent, gentle, vulnerable – can remain unchanged, for the gap between ape and human vanishes, we know that the gorilla still lives within us’.
Indeed Schaller articulates the revelation quite beautifully and tellingly; observing lions, elephants, leopards and rhinos is an undeniably exhilarating and privileging event, but there is something more, something almost ethereal that clouds these elusive beasts. It is this otherworldly sense that resounds so achingly when the moment arrives that you come face to face with a distant relative at once so alien and yet so familiar. With less than 800 Mountain Gorillas remaining in the wild scattered across small regions of Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC the impetus to see these animals, learn from them and in doing so understand their plight has never been greater. The main threats to the species arise from loss of habitat for human settlement or farmland and poaching or abduction for research, private housing or for zoos.
Uganda is itself a country in transition. Although the first association you might make with the nation is the infamous figure of Idi Amin, a character whose charisma and brutality were served in equal measure, today Uganda is a forward thinking and progressive community. The capital city of Kampala is in fact one of the safest cities in Africa and although common sense should always prevail, tourists can freely peruse the markets and urban walkways with little bother.
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of the country’s most renowned gorilla habitats and a must see for anyone planning a trip to Uganda. Nestled south of the grand Rwenzori Mountains near the DRC border the park comprises 331 sq km of dense jungle and forest (hence the name) and provides a home not only for almost half of the world’s Mountain Gorilla population but an incredible variety of other mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Of the family communities that exist within the forest four are available for tracking and groups of no larger than eight people are permitted per day into the forest to limit the impact of tourism on the fragile ecosystem.
Even further south in an exposed peninsula of land bordered by the DRC and Rwanada, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s second primate haven and although a tenth of the size of Bwindi, boasts a spectacular catalogue of species, of course including the resplendent Mountain Gorilla. The spectacular geography of the region is dominated by three extinct volcanic cones which rise up impressively from the plains and it is these partly forested slopes that provide an ideal habitat for the Mountain Gorilla. Only one family of gorillas in the park is habituated although this is a relatively large group of 9 animals including 2 impressive silverbacks.
Gorilla tracking can be an intensive but unbelievably rewarding exercise. Although there is a very good chance of seeing the animals, like any safari experience there can be no guarantees and a successful trip will require all of the skill and knowledge of your guides with a little bit of luck thrown. For the chance to witness one of the world’s most iconic creatures, a gorilla tracking tour can offer a truly unforgettable and unique experience.
Greg Fox is a Director at luxury travel specialists Mahlatini.
Love primates? Here’s another top 10 from Tripadvisor and this time they’re swinging from the treetops with the ‘top 10 places to monkey around’. Here’s the list:
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is situated in Nkuringo, Uganda, bordering the south-western corner of the impenetrable Bwindi National Park. The panoramic view of the Virunga mountain range the Great Rift Valley is the magnificent backdrop for the unique eco-lodge which sits high on a ridge at 2100m.
Ala Osmond is Managing Director of Exeter International, a recognized leader in upscale luxury travel to Eastern Europe and Russia and one of the few companies listed on both Condé Nast Traveler’s and Travel + Leisure’s list of top travel specialists for Russia travel as well as Eastern Europe.
What is it that you do exactly?
Luckily I don’t have a typical day. I could be designing an itinerary, speaking to a customer, dealing with a supplier, updating our website or visiting a travel agent. Our business has just entered its second year and the two most vital aspects are exposure and building a reputation. Service delivery and sales will always be our two biggest focus areas.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Two things – the first may be a cliché, but travelling! Secondly – seeing people change their perceptions about the destinations we specialise in. Especially Russia. It’s wonderful when people come home with a changed world view – hopefully we have played a part in that.
What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?
Water seems to be a theme…
1. A houseboat on lake Dal in Kashmir – magical.
2. A sleeping bag on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe, Uganda – madcap.
3. Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes – luxury!
What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?
A gala fundraising dinner for the Mariinsky Theatre and the Hermitage Museum served in the Jordan Hall of the Hermitage and hosted by Prince Charles. It was during the White Nights period in St Petersburg when the sun does not set. Everything was perfect from the weather, the company, vintage Champagne, beluga and a private performance by the stars of the Mariinsky in the Hermitage Theatre.
Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?
Apart from Royalty? A few Presidents and Prime Ministers and music industry stars; from GW Bush to Robbie Williams. All from my hotel days, mostly in St Petersburg, Manchester and Cardiff.
What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?
My dream is to have the time to explore South America – starting with Argentina.
Uganda has just two truly five star properties, the Kampala Sheraton Hotel and the soon-to-be-opened Kampala Serena Hotel, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it. Until now, five star ratings have been self-allocated rather than state-decreed. All this looks set to change, however, as the Ugandan Ministry of Tourism looks set to present a bill to parliament that will ensure greater scrutiny is put in place upon hotel classifications. Good on them – I’ve always felt self-accredited ratings are something of a nonsense.
Construction of the new Hibiscus Hotel is starting in Nakasero in Uganda. The 5-star hotel occupies the former site of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (formerly Uganda Television). Controversy surrounds the development, however, with concerns as to whether UBS will be able to continue transmitting from their new location, and with some parishioners from the nearby All Saints Cathedral vowing to fast to save the church from developments in the neighbourhood.
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Luke Powers is a passionate traveller, always keen to explore new destinations. But mostly he enjoys exploring his own back yard: greater Cape Town. He loves a slow road trip on backroads, with plenty of time to meet the locals and take loads of photos. He lives in Cape Town and revels in every detail of this popular layered city, especially the City Bowl and surrounding mountains. He is a bit addicted to running, especially on trails. What else? He has a fascination with junk stores, flea markets and left field collectables. He is constantly searching for the perfect cup of coffee and croissant.
Are you tired of the predictable kind of getaway where each moment is a copy of somewhere else and truly forgettable? Are you aching for a “once in a lifetime” experience that stays with you for years? Then stop looking at brochures for Bermuda or some Greek isle, and consider something on the adventurous side for a change. Why not try a luxury African safari for a week, and then relax with your favorite cocktail beverage on some beachside resort of your choosing. The experience will ignite your senses and give you a new appreciation for why so many love the continent of Africa.
Of all the sights one might uncover on an African safari, for me, perhaps the most haunting and memorable is an encounter with a Ugandan Mountain Gorilla.
Ala Osmond is Managing Director of 
This is post two of twelve in 
Uganda has just two truly five star properties, the