Travel calendar No. 08
August
The month it pays to travel elsewhere.
August in Europe is expensive and full. Outside Europe it is one of the strongest months of the year: Botswana at the height of the dry season, Rwanda in a dry phase that eases the trek, Indonesia in its most settled weather.
If you are free in August, do not spend that freedom on the Mediterranean.
Why this month
Why this month is special
In the Okavango the water is at its highest while the land around it is dry — a combination found nowhere else, and one that allows game viewing from a boat.
For gorilla trekking in Rwanda, August is one of the two dry windows. The paths are firmer and the climbs shorter.
Where to go in August when Europe is full?
Into the wild. Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania are at their strongest for game viewing while Patagonia rests. If you stay in Europe, plan away from the coast — the mountains and the north work, the islands rarely do. For families, a house with a pool and its own beach removes the strain, but those go a year ahead.
Noted by Pure Voyage
Pure Voyage Atlas
Where this leads
The Atlas connects what belongs together: the region, the collections, the right season and the houses that sit within the same story.
The Region
Related Houses
Within These Collections
Rooms and Suites
Where to go now
Recommended destinations
Three places whose high season falls in Europe's high summer.
Okavango Delta and Linyanti
Botswana
Water in the Kalahari — and very few people in it.
- Best time to visit:
- June to October
- Suggested length:
- Six to nine nights
Virunga volcanoes and Nyungwe
Rwanda
One hour with mountain gorillas that changes the rest of the journey.
- Best time to visit:
- June to September, December to early February
- Suggested length:
- Four to six nights
Sumba, Bali and the islands between
Indonesia
Seventeen thousand islands — you only need two.
- Best time to visit:
- May to October
- Suggested length:
- Ten to fourteen nights
Where we stay
Addresses that suit it
Camps and houses that should be booked early for these weeks.
Einzelhäuser — Krüger-Nationalpark, Südafrika
Singita Lebombo Lodge
Glass suites above the N'wanetsi river, game viewing across 130,000 hectares of private concession.
- Suits:
- First safaris and experienced bush travellers alike
- Suggested length:
- Four nights
One&Only — Vulkan-Nationalpark, Ruanda
One&Only Gorilla's Nest
A eucalyptus forest at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes, an hour from the gorilla trails.
- Suits:
- Travellers who want a demanding encounter with comfort afterwards
- Suggested length:
- Three nights, two treks
Einzelhäuser — Sumba, Indonesien
NIHI Sumba
Horses on the sand, a well-known wave and an island barely developed for tourism.
- Suits:
- Active travellers and families with older children
- Suggested length:
- Seven nights, arriving via Bali
On the move
Journeys this month
A route that opens up the continent slowly.
Through the month
Seasonal highlights
01
High water in the Okavango
Mokoro channels while the surrounding land lies dry.
02
Dry weeks in Rwanda
Better ground for trekking — and clearer views across the volcanoes.
03
Indonesia in settled weather
Sumba and Bali with dry days and a calm sea.
Read on
From the Journal
An Invitation
Once a month: hotels, new openings and travel ideas
One hotel that convinced us, with our advice on suite and season. The openings that actually matter. And a destination at its best right now. No offers, no advertising.