Curated Journeys, Thoughtfully Chosen
Welcome to a carefully considered collection of luxury escapes, selected for their exceptional design, experience, and value. Each journey featured here is handpicked from the world’s most respected resorts and cruise lines - chosen not simply for an offer, but for the feeling it delivers.
These selections are refreshed regularly and available in limited windows. If something resonates, it’s because it was meant for you - and timing, as with all beautiful things, matters.
Golden Horizons, Untamed Beauty, and the Luxury of Presence
Tanzania is romance written in vast horizons and unspoken understanding - a place where silence feels intentional and every moment is elevated by the land itself.
Here, time moves differently. Mornings begin with soft light spilling across the Serengeti, coffee poured slowly as wildlife wanders past your private terrace. Days are shaped by quiet anticipation - a lion emerging from the grass, a giraffe silhouetted against the sky - while evenings unfold by firelight beneath an endless canopy of stars.
Rooted in ancient landscapes and living cultures, Tanzania invites you into a deeper kind of presence. The Serengeti’s open plains stretch endlessly, while the Ngorongoro Crater reveals a world both dramatic and intimate - mist-laced mornings, extraordinary wildlife density, and the rare feeling of being entirely immersed in place.
One of the most unforgettable experiences is rising before dawn for a hot air balloon safari. You float silently over the plains as the world awakens below, touching down for a Champagne breakfast set in the bush. Afternoons are reserved for rest and reflection, followed by golden-hour game drives that end with a refined sundowner - linen chairs, a perfectly chilled drink, and the sun slipping below the horizon in tones of amber and gold.
But Tanzania is also deeply personal. It’s luxury lodges where service is intuitive and unspoken. It’s candlelit dinners beneath the stars, Maasai stories shared by the fire, and evenings wrapped in quiet indulgence as the sounds of the savannah surround you. It’s the thrill of witnessing the Big Five together - and the stillness of simply sitting side by side, letting the moment linger.
Why I Love It
Wild Romance: Intimate safari lodges and tented camps designed for privacy, presence, and uninterrupted views.
Unfiltered Connection: Few distractions, minimal crowds, and moments that invite genuine togetherness.
Signature Experiences: Hot air balloon safaris, crater descents, and front-row encounters with East Africa’s most iconic wildlife.
Cultural Depth: Meaningful Maasai encounters that bring heart and humanity to the journey.
Effortless Luxury: Thoughtful service, elevated dining, and seamless transitions between adventure and rest.
January Sweet Spot
January is one of Tanzania’s most elegant seasons. The landscape is lush and green following the short rains, wildlife viewing remains exceptional, and the Serengeti feels expansive and serene. Calving season begins in parts of the southern Serengeti, drawing predators and creating dramatic, life-filled scenes. Days are warm yet comfortable, skies are often clear, and camps feel especially intimate - a perfect balance of vibrancy and calm.
Whether it’s your first safari or a return guided by curiosity and refinement, Tanzania offers something quietly transformative - shared moments of awe that deepen connection and linger long after you return home.
This isn’t simply a journey.
It’s an invitation to slow down together - to be present, to feel deeply, and to remember.
This is safari at its most refined - intimate, immersive, and intentionally designed for travelers who want more than a checklist of wildlife sightings. Every detail of this journey has been curated to deliver unparalleled access, comfort, and perspective in the most iconic game parks and reserves of East Africa.
With guaranteed departures to Africa and never more than 16 guests, this experience remains exclusive, personal, and uncompromising - every time.
Why This Safari Is Different
Never More Than 16 Guests
Small by design and exclusive by intention, each departure is limited to a maximum of 16 guests. This ensures personalized service, quieter game drives, and a more intimate connection to the land, wildlife, and fellow travelers.
Guaranteed Departures to Africa
Once you’re confirmed, your journey is set. These safaris operate with guaranteed departures, offering peace of mind and the confidence to plan without uncertainty.
Unmatched Guide Expertise
Our elite safari guides are masters of the land -deeply knowledgeable, intuitively skilled, and trusted to deliver extraordinary Big Game encounters across East Africa’s most celebrated reserves.
Prime Wildlife Access, Year-Round
Stay in luxury safari camps and lodges tucked into the most uncrowded, game-rich sectors of the Serengeti. These carefully selected locations allow for exceptional wildlife viewing throughout the year - without the crowds.
Front-Row Game Viewing
Every guest enjoys an unobstructed, front-row seat on all morning and afternoon game drives. Our custom 6-passenger open-top safari vehicles ensure space, comfort, and optimal viewing for photography and observation.
Hot Air Balloon Safari & Champagne Breakfast
Drift silently over the Mara at sunrise as the savannah comes to life below. Touch down to a beautifully prepared Champagne breakfast in the bush - an iconic safari moment few ever forget.
Ngorongoro Crater Advantage
Our intimate luxury lodge near Ngorongoro Crater allows you to descend earlier than most visitors, offering a quieter, more private game-viewing experience before the day’s traffic begins.
Cultural Encounters with Meaning
Step beyond the game parks and into authentic cultural experiences that provide deeper insight into East African life - thoughtfully curated, respectful, and enriching.
What’s Included
This is a fully immersive, concierge-level safari experience where every detail is seamlessly handled.
11 nights in luxury lodges and elegant safari camps
Daily morning & afternoon game drives
Hot air balloon safari with Champagne breakfast
32 meals throughout the journey
Choice of wine or beer with lunch and dinner
All ground transfers
2 safari transfer flights
All gratuities included, excluding safari guides
Answer the Call of the Wild
Request private details for this extraordinary safari journey.
Some journeys go beyond scenery and indulgence.
They invite reflection. Belonging. A deeper understanding of the world - and of self.
Soulful Experiences by AmaWaterways are thoughtfully curated river cruises and land journeys designed to celebrate Black history, African heritage, and the global African diaspora - all while delivering the signature elegance, comfort, and service AmaWaterways is known for.
These voyages bring together like-minded travelers in extraordinary destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, offering immersive experiences that highlight culture through art, music, cuisine, storytelling, and history. From private excursions led by knowledgeable local experts to meaningful cultural encounters woven seamlessly into each itinerary, every detail is intentional.
Expect refined accommodations aboard beautifully designed ships, regionally inspired cuisine paired with local wines, and enriching excursions that reveal stories often overlooked - all enjoyed within a welcoming, community-centered atmosphere.
What Sets This Experience Apart
Cultural Immersion with Purpose
Each journey is designed to spotlight Black and African heritage through curated excursions, historical exploration, and authentic cultural engagement - creating moments that are both educational and deeply moving.
Luxury, Elevated
Spacious staterooms and suites, impeccable service, and AmaWaterways’ signature farm-to-ship dining ensure comfort and sophistication at every turn.
A Like-Minded Community
Soulful Experiences are created for travelers who value connection - to place, to history, and to one another — fostering a shared sense of belonging throughout the journey.
Exclusive Inclusions
Select departures feature special programming such as Juneteenth celebrations, cultural performances, and cuisine crafted by award-winning chefs - experiences you won’t find on standard itineraries.
Destinations That Tell a Story
Soulful Experiences span some of the world’s most compelling regions, including the rivers of France, Egypt and the Nile, Colombia, Southeast Asia, and Africa - with itineraries that blend iconic landmarks with culturally significant sites and local perspectives
Begin Your Soulful Journey
Inquire about Soulful Experiences and curated departures.
For travelers who believe that cuisine is culture - and that the most memorable journeys are tasted as much as they are seen - Food & Wine Enthusiasts sailings by AmaWaterways offer a richly layered way to explore the world.
These thoughtfully designed river cruises place gastronomy at the heart of the experience. As you glide through Europe’s most celebrated wine regions, days unfold with vineyard visits, cellar tastings, and market-to-table discoveries, while evenings are reserved for refined dining and expertly paired wines on board.
AmaWaterways’ culinary distinction is anchored in its membership in the prestigious La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and Tables et Auberges de France, ensuring regionally inspired cuisine crafted with exceptional technique and locally sourced ingredients. Complimentary fine wines flow with lunch and dinner, while specialty experiences elevate the journey - from hands-on truffle hunting in Provence to Belgian chocolate workshops, cooking demonstrations in Lyon, and exclusive tastings led by passionate wine hosts
Select departures are guided by renowned wine professionals - North American sommeliers, vintners, or European wine experts - who enrich the journey with tastings, discussions, and curated pairing dinners that deepen your understanding of each region’s culinary identity.
What Makes This Experience Exceptional
A Celebration of Taste
From truffles and artisanal cheeses to Old World vineyards and modern wine estates, each itinerary is designed for travelers who savor detail, craftsmanship, and flavor.
Immersive Wine Experiences
Hosted wine cruises offer guided tastings, vineyard excursions, and thoughtfully curated onboard pairings led by knowledgeable experts.
Refined River Cruising
Spacious staterooms, impeccable service, and beautifully designed ships create a relaxed yet elegant backdrop for discovery.
Cuisine with Integrity
Fresh, locally sourced ingredients prepared onboard - with menus that reflect the regions you’re sailing through, not generic cruise fare.
Journeys Designed for Enthusiasts
These sailings attract travelers who appreciate conversation, curiosity, and the pleasure of sharing exceptional food and wine in beautiful places.
Savor the Journey
Request private details on upcoming Food & Wine Enthusiast sailings and curated itineraries.
This is Europe at its most romantic - experienced slowly, thoughtfully, and in exceptional comfort.
Cruising the Rhine from Amsterdam to Switzerland is a journey through four countries and centuries of culture, where cobblestone streets, storybook towns, and dramatic river scenery unfold effortlessly from the water. Designed as an intimate small-group experience, this voyage blends refined river cruising with immersive onshore exploration - all guided by expert local insight.
From Amsterdam’s canals and Dutch Masterpieces to Germany’s medieval castles and vineyard-lined riverbanks, each day reveals a new layer of Europe’s cultural soul. Walk the historic streets of Strasbourg, stand beneath Cologne’s soaring Gothic cathedral, sip regional wines in Rüdesheim, and glide through the Rhine Gorge - one of the most scenic stretches of river in the world. The journey concludes in Switzerland with alpine panoramas, a mountaintop ascent of Mount Pilatus, and indulgent moments of chocolate and lakeside elegance in Lucerne and Zurich
Travel is elevated throughout by the intimacy of a maximum of 24 guests, private transfers, and curated experiences that go beyond the expected - including museum access before opening hours, specially arranged tastings, and thoughtful touches that remove the friction from travel entirely.
What Makes This Journey Exceptional
Intimate by Design
A maximum of 24 guests ensures a relaxed, unhurried experience with personalized attention throughout.
Expert-Led Exploration
A Resident Tour Director and knowledgeable local guides bring history, art, and culture vividly to life.
Iconic Experiences, Thoughtfully Curated
From a private canal cruise in Amsterdam to wine tastings, historic brasseries, and alpine ascents, every moment is intentional.
Refined River Cruising
Sail aboard the Amadeus Riva, a contemporary river ship featuring panoramic windows, French balconies, elegant public spaces, and a serene onboard atmosphere.
Seamless Luxury
Private airport transfers, gratuities (excluding Tour Director), luggage handling, laundry service, and 24/7 on-call support are all included - allowing you to simply be present.
Explore Europe, Effortlessly
Request private details and availability for this exclusive Rhine journey.
Kareena L. Sweat, CCC
Founder & Owner
Wanderlust Escapes Travel
704.412.1824
Time2Wander@Wanderlust-Escapes-Travel.com