Africa

Yacht expeditions > Destinations > Africa

Untapped opportunities

From island hopping in East Africa to organising one of the largest rhino translocations as part of a client trip, we’ve put together some of the continent’s most ambitious experiences.

On this page, we’ve picked out a few sample destinations and experiences, whether that’s marine research with Netflix documentarians in South Africa, first-of-their-kind beach setups in Madagascar or island hopping in West Africa.

Throughout, a yacht allows our clients to explore beyond traditional infrastructure, from tracking the Sardine Run’s sharks to uncovering deserted beaches in Tanzania.

However, these are just sample experiences and destinations – get in touch to hear how we’re able to add value across the continent.

Featuring imagery taken on Cookson Adventures trips

Yes, there are superyachts and helicopters. But they’re tools – tools to access moments and opportunities that most of the world will never know exist.

Article on Cookson Adventures, July 2025

Madagascar

Having evolved in isolation from the mainland, Madagascar is home to the genuinely unique. And, with such diversity barely connected by traditional infrastructure, yachting here opens unprecedented access. We’ve seen guests enjoy breakfast in baobab tree forests, been among the first to explore cave systems and pioneered new heli routes. Think dips in secret waterfall pools and dinners on golden-sand beaches. That’s without mentioning dives with seasonal humpbacks or treks with those iconic lemur primates.

Tanzania

Yachting in Tanzania opens up one of the planet’s last remaining wild coastlines and fantastic Indian Ocean island hopping. There’s Zanzibar’s Swahili culture, swims with mantas off Mafia, and dives among Pemba’s technicolour coral walls – as well as top big-game fishing throughout. Back on the mainland, paddleboard through vast mangrove systems to spot dugongs and swinging monkeys or explore Saadani National Park. It’s home to four of the Big Five and wildlife can even be spotted on the beach. We’ve also got extensive experience in using helis here, taking in the country’s natural world wonders – from the Serengeti to blood-red Lake Natron.

The Sardine Run

South Africa

Perhaps for an African circumnavigation, coincide with the millions-strong winter migration of sardines on South Africa’s eastern coastline. A yacht offers the chance to track and witness this phenomenon from deck as thousands of dolphins and sharks blitz through shimmering schools of fish as Bryde’s whales explode into bait balls. The wildlife experiences continue outside of this – swimming with Cape fur seal colonies, cage-diving with great whites and lending a hand in conservation efforts, including shark tagging. We also know some incredible coastal dune treks to secret waterfalls.

Bijagos Archipelago

Guinea Bissau

This scattered chain of 88 tropical islands is one of the least-visited and most ecologically intact groups on Earth. Without infrastructure, a yacht is the only way to explore properly – pausing at golden beaches, traditional matriarchal villages and one of the Atlantic’s most important green sea turtles nesting sites. Kayak through mangroves in search of crocs and monkeys or track rare saltwater-adapted hippos with naturalist guides. World-class sport fishing also abounds.

With colleagues hailing from east and southern Africa and Henry Cookson beginning his career in travel organising horseback safaris, Africa has always been part of our DNA. Here, we’ve set up incredible encounters with cape fur seals in South Africa, pioneered heli projections to remote natural wonders and platformed rhino translocations as part of our clients’ journeys.

That’s why we’re excited about the wider opportunities for yacht adventures in the region, whether for a charter or owner-led circumnavigation.

In Madagascar, bypass an almost non-existent infrastructure to showcase an otherworldly ecosystem, trekking with lemurs and dining among iconic baobab trees. Or, use your vessel to follow South Africa’s sardine run to marvel as dolphins and copper sharks attack the migration in incredible numbers.

Then, there’s Guinea Bissau’s UNESCO-listed island chain – the Bijagos Archipelago. With no accommodation or connections, use your yacht to hop between white-sand beaches, discovering uninhabited islets, turtle nesting sites and a unique culture. On the other side, Tanzania’s own tropical islands reward with surprising marine life, 19th-century sultanates and, of course, world-wonder safari off the mainland coast.

After all, we’ve got the expertise in these remote regions, from successful projects in Yemen to world-first sub dives in the polar regions.

Of course, that also means excellent pairing with ground operations. Perhaps that’s going behind the scenes of conservation programmes on an epic private conservancy or a private-island stay in Madagascar with heli trips out to white-sand setups.