Travel Trends Shaping Safari

& Luxury Journeys in 2026

                    A year shaped by thoughtfulness and intention

A New Year of Movement and Meaning

As 2026 begins, I find myself having a very particular kind of conversation. They unfold over long lunches, early morning calls between meetings, or voice notes sent while clients are in transit, already thinking ahead to what this year should hold. We talk less about ticking destinations off a list and more about how they want to feel when they arrive. Calm. Present. Grounded. Open.

That feeling is shaping travel in 2026. I hear it from clients who want fewer destinations, but journeys chosen with care. I hear it from families planning time together after busy years. I even hear it in my own reflections after time spent in the bush or far from a screen. Travel feels gentler this year. More intentional. Guided by meaning rather than momentum.

Deliberate, Slow Travel

What I am noticing most is a shift toward clarity. People want journeys that feel sincere and considered. They want to slow the pace and stay longer in one place. They want to understand and experience where they are, not rush through it.

Clients choose to spend several nights in one region of northern Botswana rather than racing between camps. They want time along the channels of the Okavango Delta to watch elephants cross at their own pace. In Kenya, they prefer longer stays in the Mara, allowing mornings to unfold slowly with their guide rather than chasing sightings.

This approach creates space for connection. With the land. With wildlife. With the people who call these places home. It also shapes experiences that continue to inform how people travel, gather, and spend their time once they are home.

The Rise of Thoughtful Adventure

Adventure still matters. It always will. What feels different is how it is experienced.

Walking safaris in Zambia have taken on new meaning for many of our clients. Moving quietly through South Luangwa with a guide who has tracked the same paths for decades brings a sense of humility and awareness. In Zimbabwe, canoeing along the Zambezi allows you to feel the current, the birds overhead, and the stillness between strokes.

Even aerial experiences feel more reflective. A private helicopter flight over the Namib Desert reveals patterns and textures that are impossible to see from the ground. The moment lingers because it offers perspective, not spectacle.

Unhurried wildlife encounters are part of this movement, too. Watching a pride of lions stretch in the early light of the Serengeti. Sitting with a herd of elephants in Amboseli as dust rises softly around them. These moments do not need commentary. They ask only for presence.

Considered Style

Clothing has become part of these conversations as well. People want to feel comfortable, composed, and prepared without overthinking what they pack.

Natural fibers lead the way. Linen and cotton during warm days. Wool for early mornings and evenings by the fire. Colors drawn from the landscape feel right. Olive. Sand. Soft stone.

A few pieces come up often when clients ask what works well on safari and beyond. A Barbour tailored long-sleeved shirt travels beautifully from city walks to evenings at camp, structured enough to feel polished, yet relaxed enough to wear without thought. Ralph Lauren’s classic fit linen cotton shorts feel effortless during warm afternoons and pair easily with a crisp shirt at dinner. For early game drives, Filson’s merino wool short-sleeve crewneck holds warmth before the sun rises, releases heat as the day unfolds, and remains comfortable even after long days outdoors.

These are pieces chosen for longevity and ease, items that travel well and ask very little of you once they are packed. They allow you to move through the day feeling settled and comfortable, keeping your attention where it belongs, on the place, the people, and the experience unfolding around you.

Intentional Gear and Packing

That same sense of intention carries through to the gear people choose to bring with them.

For wildlife viewing, I like to recommend the Swarovski Optik CL Pocket 8x25 binoculars. They are compact, light, and easy to keep close during a game drive or walk. They allow you to observe quietly without feeling weighed down. For those who enjoy longer viewing sessions, especially in open landscapes like the Kalahari or the plains of Tanzania, the Swarovski Optik AT Balance 18 to 45x65 spotting scope offers remarkable clarity while remaining manageable to travel with.

Bags matter too. I see more clients choosing fewer pieces, made well, and chosen with safari realities in mind. One I can recommend is the Bric’s X-Bag rolling duffel. It meets the size requirements for most chartered flights, and the discreet wheels make moving through airstrips and lodges far easier than carrying everything by hand. Paired with the Serapian double zip washbag in cachemire leather, unpacking feels simple and contained, even in a tent set along a riverbank. Each item has a role, nothing feels excessive, and everything earns its place.

Emotion as the Measure of Value

Beneath every bespoke itinerary lies an emotional intention. In 2026, that intention centers on connection, privacy, and exclusivity.

I hear clients describe the spaces they crave. A private deck overlooking the plains of Kenya’s Laikipia region. A secluded tent along the banks of the Zambezi in Zambia. Breakfast looking out across the Serengeti as the day begins. These moments create room to breathe.

They also want to engage respectfully with the places they visit. To listen. To learn. To support communities and conservation efforts that matter. This shapes where they stay and who guides them.

Above all, people want time that feels expansive. Days that are not rushed. Evenings that invite reflection. Travel that gently shifts something within.

As you think about the year ahead, I invite you to begin with a conversation. Share what you are longing for. We will listen carefully and shape a journey that reflects it.