LABA LABA

There’s a reason safari style has stood the test of time. Drawn from nature's palette, earthy tones like khaki, olive, beige and brown aren't just timeless, they're practical too. These natural shades help you blend into the landscape for a more immersive wildlife experience, keep you cooler under the African sun, and are less likely to attract biting insects than darker colours like black and navy.

The result? A wardrobe that’s comfortable, functional and effortlessly stylish, whether you're heading out on an early morning game drive or enjoying sundowners as the sun sets over the bush.

So, when packing for your next safari, leave the black behind and embrace nature’s colour palette. Trust us – your future safari photos will thank you.

📷Sofia Molinaro
📷Maé & Oré | Afrique & Defender
📷 Jeanne-mari Terblanche

There are no words that fully prepare you for your first hot air balloon flight. One moment you're standing in the pre-dawn chill, watching the balloon bloom against an ink-blue sky. The next, you're floating in a cathedral of silence as the sun cracks open the horizon and spills fire across everything below.

From up here, the Serengeti is alive in a way you can't see from the ground. A river snakes silver through the grasslands. Elephant move in slow formation, casting long shadows across a plain that feels impossibly small – while you feel impossibly lucky.

We offer this incredible experience at Jongomero, Laba Grumeti Art Lodge, and Out of Africa Legend – each a different landscape, a different light, but the same breathtaking wonder.

Today is National Giraffe Day, and at Mama Simba Lodge, it's an opportunity to celebrate our two very special residents - Sofie and Dolly.

Late last year we welcomed these two orphaned giraffes (who had lost their mothers at a young age) to Laba Mama Simba. With dedicated care (round the clock bottle-feeding) and giving them them the time to explore at their own pace, they have settled in extremely well and today they roam the grounds of Laba Mama Simba with confidence.

So on this day we celebrate their wonderful bond and their role as ambassadors for their species. As the world's tallest land mammal their presence here is a reminder of the interconnectedness that exists between all species, and the impact that compassion can have on the future of Africa's wild spaces.

Punda Milia is the Swahili name for the zebra, translating to "striped donkey"—a fitting name for one of Africa's most recognisable animals.

Every zebra carries a unique pattern of black and white stripes, much like a human fingerprint. These striking markings do more than make them beautiful; when a herd moves together, the stripes create an optical illusion that can confuse predators.

From the sweeping savannas and open grasslands to lightly wooded plains of Africa, zebras thrive in habitats where they can roam freely in search of fresh grazing. They are highly social animals and are almost always seen in groups, relying on the safety of numbers to protect one another, keep watch for danger, and care for their young. They form tight family groups known as harems, usually led by a dominant stallion with several mares and their foals.

These beautiful creatures recognise each other by their stripes and can travel for hundreds of miles in search of food and water.