FIELD NOTES

Today’s travelers are seeking depth over distance: journeys that foster connection, respect local cultures, and prioritize comfort without compromise. Across the world’s most inspiring destinations — from Africa’s wild landscapes to Asia’s ancient kingdoms — this shift has redefined how we explore together, blending discovery with purpose and access. Explore five trends shaping the future of group travel, and see how Bushtracks’ upcoming journeys are leading the way in this new era of immersive exploration.

Walking safaris take travelers beyond the vehicle and into Africa’s wild heart — where every track, sound, and scent tells a story. Explore how this slow, sensory form of safari began in Zambia and continues across Botswana and beyond. Featuring insights from Bushtracks Founder David Tett’s 2025 walking journey.

Meet Tristan Allan-Reynolds, a professional safari guide at Tanda Tula in South Africa’s Timbavati Reserve. Raised between city life in Durban and the wilds of KwaZulu-Natal, Tristan brings deep conservation knowledge and heartfelt storytelling to every safari. In this interview, he shares how guiding on foot shaped his approach, why connection matters as much as wildlife sightings, and how his podcast Heart of the Wild brings Africa’s bush to listeners around the world.

Guides sit between wilderness and traveler — storytellers who transform sightings into stories and connect landscapes to people. More than field experts, they are interpreters of the wild: weaving together ecology, culture, and history to reveal Africa’s layered beauty. In their hands, each safari becomes a living classroom.

In March 2027, Bushtracks invites a select group of travelers to join us on an exceptional new journey: Timeless Lands, a privately guided expedition across the Indian subcontinent led by renowned historian, award-winning naturalist, and filmmaker Toby Sinclair, alongside our Founder & CEO David Tett.

Most people think of “eco-travel” as simply choosing a lodge with solar panels or skipping plastic water bottles. But the science behind it runs deeper — into biology, climate systems, psychology, and even economics.

We left Johannesburg on a Federal Air Grand Caravan, flying at low altitude over the plateau and descending into the legendary Mala-Mala. There, the incredible Mike climbed into all our hearts, gently guiding us into the rhythm of the African bush.

Travel has the power to transform landscapes — for better or for worse. In South Africa, where wildlife and communities live side by side, the stakes of tourism are especially high.

The climate is upside down. Pollution is stealing our air, our water, and even our emotional well-being. Some days, we’d be forgiven for thinking that we—humans—are the most toxic force we can apply to any pristine landscape. On those days, it feels easier to simply curl up under the duvet in collective embarrassment and disenchantment. 

Luxury travel has many interpretations. For some, it’s about the finest lodges or seamless private air travel. At Bushtracks, we believe true luxury lies in meaning — in traveling with purpose.