Six months ago we landed in Southern Africa with a plan to travel the continent far and wide. Now we have traveled through South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia capturing some of the best photos of Africa by air.
Africa is a continent jam-packed with staggering natural beauty, so we never missed a chance to throw our drone in the sky. Here is what six months in Southern Africa (with a layover in Seychelles), looks like from above.
Photos of Africa from the Sky
Free State, South Africa
We spent three months in South Africa and one of our first stops was in the Free State. This was taken while we were exploring the Drakensberg mountains.
Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
Mozambique may be one of the most underrated destinations in Africa. One of our most memorable days in the country was when we hired a local dhow to take us out to Bazaruto Island.
Maletsunyane Falls, Lesotho
A must for me was seeing Maletsunyane Falls while we were in Lesotho. We drove all around the “Kingdom in the Sky” before ending up at the 192-meter high waterfall. If you want a waterfall all to yourself, head to Lesotho.
Maputo Elephant Reserve, Mozambique
We had just entered Mozambique from Swaziland. We had no cash on us, no SIM card, and to make matters worse we didn’t have a 4×4 vehicle. Someone had to pick us up outside the Maputo Elephant Reserve to drive us through the sand terrain, but it was all worth it for this sunset.
Namib Desert, Namibia
We had briefly seen the Sahara while in Morocco. Regardless, when we saw the Namib Desert in the proper light for the first time we were absolutely speechless.
Chapman’s Peak, Cape Town
I mentioned that we were in South Africa for three months out of the year. Can you believe that almost two of those were spent in Cape Town? The city was just so gorgeous we never wanted to leave!
Maputo Special Reserve, Mozambique
It may be hard to believe, but the only people we saw on the Southern Mozambique coast were local fishermen. No crowds of tourists or annoying beach vendors – just pure serenity.
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Chobe National Park has over 50,000 elephants. We got to catch this herd taking a bath in the river.
Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
Another shot of the clear blue waters that make up the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique. Did you know this is one of the last places in the world you can spot Dugongs?
Drakensberg Amphitheatre, South Africa
It was an exhilarating and almost terrifying hike to the top of Mont Aux Sources in the middle of Winter. However, this unreal view is what all the fuss is about.
Moremi National Park, Botswana
We got to Moremi National Park right as the rainy season began in Botswana. During the rainy season animals become difficult to spot as the bush becomes very thick and they don’t have to travel to watering holes to drink. We were lucky still got to see all the wildlife before they got too deep in the bush.
Sossusvlei, Namibia
We woke up at 4:30 am to race into the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Groggy eyes and weary heads we still said it was worth it to watch the sunrise all by ourselves.
Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
Lake Kariba is the largest man-made lake in the world! It splits Zambia and Zimbabwe in the North and has a vibrant eco system.
Kalk Bay, Cape Town
To break away from the city life in central Cape Town we escaped to Kalk Bay for a weekend. Watching the fishermen and busy harbor never got boring!
Cape Town, South Africa
If there was one thing I didn’t like about Cape Town it was weekend traffic. However, we used to live in NYC so traffic like this never seemed that bad.
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
We were able to delve deep into the NamibRand Nature Reserve when we stayed at the luxurious Wolwedans for five nights. This shows just how isolated one of their camps are in the desert.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
We had our morning coffee beneath a herony in the Okavango Delta. At first, they were skeptical of the drone – I think they got used to it after awhile though!
Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
The elephant populations in Zimbabwe are huge. This guy hung around our camp on the lake the entire time just grazing and loving life.
Zambezi River, Zambia
We spent a night at one of the top eco-lodges in Africa. Located right on the Zambezi River is the sublime Sindabezi Island.
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Fish River Canyon is the largest Canyon in Africa and is one of the most visited attractions in Namibia. We arrived midday at the canyon and almost melted away from the heat. We returned later with a couple of cold beers to watch the sun go down.
Mahe, The Seychelles
Not Southern Africa, but we stopped here on a week long layover before landing in Johannesburg. I have never seen such a lush paradise before.
Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
We wanted to avoid the police roadblocks while driving in Zimbabwe, so we went deep into the African jungle in order to reach our destination. Who knew Zimbabwe was so gorgeous?
Moremi National Park, Botswana
I had to include this because of the Giraffes curious expression. He was neither scared or nervous of the drone – he just kept looking at it like this.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Taken just after sunrise on the Okavango Delta – one of the most incredible places on earth for wildlife.
Sedudu Island, Botswana
Sedudu Island is situated on the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia. The land has been disputed between the two nations and even led to an armed conflict. However, it now belongs to Botswana who keep preserved as part of Chobe National Park. Everyday we spent on the Chobe this massive herd of Buffalo was there to greet us.
Kalahari Desert, Namibia
Hi, Charlie! (That’s our awesome Land Cruiser). He is out gateway to Africa and takes us everywhere we need to be. Here he is just chilling in the Kalahari.
Southern Mozambique
This isn’t about a specific place in Mozambique. For all it matters, is somewhere along the coast in the south. It demonstrates another example of how untouched parts of Mozambique really are.
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
That’s a dazzle of Zebra in the distance. It’s amazing how these animals adapt and live in such inhospitable environments.
Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
This shot was taken on Christmas Day. A group of us took a “booze cruise” out to watch the sun go down. Not exactly a white Christmas!
Mahe, The Seychelles
My favorite drone shot from the Seychelles. To me, it really captures the essence of the islands and how badly we need to save places like these!
Plan Your Trip to Africa
- Travel Insurance: We don’t travel without travel insurance and neither should you. You never know what can happen while traveling so it’s best to be prepared. HeyMondo provides excellent short-term and long-term travel insurance plans.
- Travel Waterbottle: When we’re uncertain about the water supply we use our Grayl Purifier. It’s come in exceptionally handy around Africa.
- Camera Gear: Chances are you’ll want a camera for your trip to Africa. We love the Sony RX100V for a pocket-size camera and the Fujifilm XT-4 for a professional camera. Check out our favorite cameras for Africa.
- Safari Clothes: Lightweight, beige, and moisture-wicking clothing are great for traveling Africa. See our favorite safari clothing here.
- Safari Hat: A good hat is both stylish and functional.
- Safari Bag: A durable bag is ideal for traveling around Africa.
- Safari Pants: We recommend neutral-colored pants as they’re great at hiding dirt and can match most shirt colors.
- Safari Shirt: Shirts like these are lightweight and keep the bugs away!
- Boots: While you don’t need to wear sturdy shoes every day, at least one pair of safari boots will make your trip nicer!
- Travel Adapter: You’ll need a special travel adapter for traveling to Africa. Get one before you get there so you don’t pay a premium on the ground.
