Finding travel magic in Africa

Imagine looking into the eyes of a gorilla, in the wild, or seeing lions and leopards in their natural environment. As Julia Morgan says, it’s a magical experience and one that you’ll never forget. In this edition of You’ve Been Where, Julia takes us on safari in Africa and it’s a trip you’ll be itching to take yourself after reading this.

We love hearing about the travel experiences of our friends, family and readers of  AllAbroadAU. We pick up so many tips and find out new places to travel to. We thought you might like to hear about their adventures too. So in this section we turn the website over to you, our travel family.

Read on for travel tips from the people that help inspire our adventures.

Who are you and what do you do for a living?

Hi, I’m Julia. I am a business consultant that supports health services in improving processes and efficiency.

Where is home?

I have recently moved back to my hometown of Adelaide, South Australia.  Previously, I lived in Mildura, Victoria for 18 years. It’s so nice to be back by the ocean again.

Where have you been? When did you go?

I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively throughout my life. My most recent adventure was in February 2025 where I travelled to Kenya, Uganda and Madagascar over a four-week period. This was my third trip to Kenya but my first to Uganda and Madagascar.

Who did you travel with?

As a solo traveller, I joined a three-week trip organised by  Raw Africa Eco-Tours  in collaboration with professional photographer  Adrian Duncan (photographer half and joint founder of  AllAbroadAU). 

I did the Photo Safari Kenya, with the Uganda extension. Raw Africa Eco-Tours also then organised a further week in Madagascar for me and another traveller.

What were the highlights of your trip?

There were so many highlights, the whole four weeks was extraordinary. I could talk for hours about the whole trip but I’ll just mention a few of the highlights.

One of the main ones was that Raw Africa Eco-Tours partners with incredible local guides who bring the country alive with their knowledge, experience and stories. Jaros was one of our local guides in Kenya. Apart from being very personable and great company, Jaros had an extraordinary ability to spot wildlife everywhere we went. This meant we not only spotted the Big 5 easily, we also saw other interesting animals that I have not seen before, like the African wildcat in Samburu National Park. Every safari was an exciting adventure.

Another highlight was having a professional photographer on hand. While I have loved taking photos for many years, my technical ability was very limited. Adrian was very patient and supportive and helped me greatly improve the quality of my photos. My memories are now supported by some beautiful photos, which I am very proud of. 

A significant highlight of my time in Kenya was at Elephant Bedroom Camp, a luxury camp, on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, in the heart of Samburu National Reserve. This was one of the most relaxing and immersive places I have stayed in Africa.  

We were there for three nights and did amazing safaris every morning and evening.  In between the safaris, we had time to relax at the camp. During one of these times, I was relaxing in the private plunge pool on the deck of my luxury tent. No phone, no technology, just me, the cooling water and the sounds of the African bush. Suddenly, a whole troop of vervet monkeys decided my deck was a great place to hang out.  

So, there I was, sitting in a plunge pool, sipping on a beer, chatting to a family of monkeys. I got the distinct impression they were just as amused with me, as I was with them. A memorable moment indeed.

One memory that will stay with me forever is the gorilla trek in Uganda.  

We did this in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, in the Virunga Mountains. It was an early start to the day; gorillas don’t believe in a sleep in! The first part of the trek was a steep walk through the farming community at the base of the mountains up to the start of the national park. Here, we met our guide and picked our porters (highly recommended – not only do they carry your belongings and help you with literally every step in tough terrain, the USD$20 payment goes directly to the community).

After a beautiful, traditional welcome dance by locals, we made our way into the jungle.   We trekked in steep, muddy terrain, all the while our guide kept in radio contact with the trackers up ahead. After about three hours, we were told the gorilla family were nearby.  

First, there was a short, steep trek across a small valley. This is when the adrenaline really kicked in. Despite the tough terrain, I felt like I had grown wings and was now flying across the vegetation with ease. Finally, it was time to see gorillas in the wild, something I had dreamt about for 30 years.  

The next 60 minutes was one of the most magical of my life.  

There I was sitting in the dense vegetation, just metres from the gorilla family. They are so incredibly human-like. The way the mother gently caressed her suckling baby. The way the mischievous teenager playfully teased the older female. The way the enormous silverback laid on his back with several family members close by, touching, grooming, relaxing.   

Looking into their beautiful eyes was like looking into my own soul. I was taken aback at how emotional I became and how easily the tears flowed. All too quickly, our time was up and we had to make our way down the mountain again. I left a piece of my heart on the mountain that day.

What did you least like about your trip?

Group dynamics can be challenging when on organised tours and travelling with strangers. But, being a veteran of this type of travel, I have learnt not to let other travellers’ drama effect my enjoyment. Fortunately, this was only a small factor on this trip and before long, we were no longer strangers but firm friends.

Do you have any funny stories from your travels?

On our second day in Nairobi, we visited the Kenya Cultural Centre to see music and dance showcasing the different traditional cultures from across the country. One of my fellow travellers was an Australian woman in her 70’s. I very quickly realised she was full of life and eagerly joined in with the dance whenever possible.  

Just watching her sheer joy and energy, as she teasingly interacted with the performers, had me laughing the whole time. Needless to say, the locals loved it too.  

She taught me to always live life to the fullest.

What was the food like?

Honestly, to me African food is not something to write home about. However, on this trip, the places we stayed provided the most delicious food.

Did you learn anything about yourself or the world on this trip

I always learn something when I travel. It is one of the reasons I love it so much. On this trip, I learnt that I am physically more capable than I realised. Before I did the trip, I was very worried about my ability to do the gorilla trek. However, as it turns out, I managed the four-hour trek with relative ease. Not only that, I followed it up with two other jungle treks in the days immediately after. Where there is a will (and a beautiful porter), there is most definitely a way.

In terms of the world, I was reminded once again that happiness has no bearing on the number of possessions we have. Africans are some of the poorest people in the world, yet their ability to easily laugh and engage is infectious.

Would you recommend others travel here? Why/Why not

There is a reason I keep returning to Africa. It truly has my heart. The mix of extraordinary wildlife, colourful culture and engaging, resilient locals make it one of the most memorable and unique places on earth.  

I will be back.

Do you have any tips for people thinking of travelling here?

Open your heart, go without expectations and just let the magic of Africa in.  It will not disappoint.

Been somewhere interesting lately? Drop us a line, we’d love to share your tips.

Read more adventures from our AllAbroadAU family in our  You’ve Been Where? series here.

Read about our amazing adventures in Africa here.

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