The Leopard Voyage Podcast: Exploring Africa's Best Destinations
A travel podcast that journeys through Africa, hosted by Diana Granoux. Season two features conversations with visionary lodge owners in Africa's remote and pristine regions, highlighting conservation, wildlife, and the challenges of running a lodge at the edge of the world. Season one explored South Africa's diverse experiences, from food and wine to wildlife, history, and culture. Each episode offers a vivid portrait of Africa's best destinations and the people dedicated to preserving them.
Episodes
Travel at the Edge: The Adventure of Odzala
Kristina Plattner of Kamba Africa transports us to the Republic of Congo's pristine Odzala-Kokoua National Park, home to the world’s second-largest rainforest. Hear the inspiring, pioneering story of how Kamba transformed a remote, untouched wilderness into a global leader in ecotourism—not just for conservation, but for community upliftment. Discover what it’s truly like to track the elusive
Seychelles: The Blue Safari Experience
Keith Rose-Innes co-founder of Blue Safari Seychelles joins us to explore Alphonse Island and the remote outer atolls of the Seychelles, a destination that consistently exceeds the highest expectations. Discover how Blue Safari successfully blends luxurious comfort with deep conservation, welcoming everyone from families and leisure travelers to the most dedicated anglers. You'll hear the fasc
Okavango Delta: Life on the Water’s Edge
Simon Byron, owner of the pioneering Beagle Expeditions, joins us for a deep dive into Botswana's Okavango Delta, a geological marvel where water never meets the sea. Learn why the Delta's unique flooding during the dry season creates one of Africa's greatest concentrations of wildlife, and discover how the country's successful high-cost, low-impact tourism model ensures an exclusi
Madagascar: The Island of Marvels
This extraordinary episode features Chris Roche, of Wild Expeditions and Masoala Forest Lodge. Discover why Madagascar is sometimes called the "eighth continent," and is a blend of Southeast Asian and African culture, a true natural laboratory of evolution, hosting 120 endemic lemur species—including the bizarre Aye-Aye and the largest lemur, the Indri, whose haunting, whale-like call is
Zambia: Africa’s Wild Heart
Tyrone McKeith of Classic Zambia joins us to discuss what is often called the last truly authentic safari destination in Africa - Zambia. Learn how the country’s vast, unfenced national park offers an unparalleled, uncrowded wilderness experience. Tyrone details the diversity of wildlife, including both iconic predators and rare antelope species, and explains why Zambia is the undisputed home of t
Southern Tanzania: The Ultimate Uncrowded Safari
Oliver Fox of Foxes Safari Camps, one of the pioneering operators in Southern Tanzania, joins us to uncover the secrets of the uncrowded wilderness found here. You’ll discover why places like Ruaha, Nyerere, and Katavi offer an immensely private safari experience, hosting just 20,000 visitors a year versus half a million in the north, and how this exclusivity allows you to feel more like an explor
Season Preview
A showcase of the 8 incredible guests who participated in this podcast series.
Series guests:
Scott Ramsay, Photographer
Ngoni Mtizwa, Sommelier
Jo Buitendach, Storyteller
Les Carlisle, Conservationist
DuduBloom More, Artist
Pavs Pillay, Marine Biologist
Sean Privett, Botanist
Marnus Scholly, Chef
Enjoy!
Marnus Scholly, Chef
South African cuisine is a unique fusion of many different external cultural influences, from Dutch and French to Indian and Malaysian flavours and techniques.
Marnus Scholly, executive chef at Tswalu joins us to share his insights into traditional South Africa food, his favourite local ingredients and the opening of Klein Jan at Tswalu.
Click here for Tswalu’s website and here for Klein Jan.
Visi
Sean Privett, Botanist
When you first look out over an expanse of fynbos in the Cape Floristic Region, it looks like a uniform expanse of green-grey scrub. You must take a closer look to see the diversity in plant, bird and insect life.
You need to touch, smell and taste the fynbos to truly experience it. Sean Privett, the director for conservation at Grootbos, joins us to explain more about the ecology of the fynbos.
C
Pavs Pillay, Marine Biologist
From the abundant marine life found in the cold Atlantic ocean, to the incredible diversity found in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, South Africa’s coastline is unique in many ways.
In this episode, passionate marine biologist, Pavs Pillay, shares stories about the animals that inhabit our ocean, from spectacular whales and sharks to charming penguins and turtles.
Click here for the World Wid
DuduBloom More, Artist
Emerging artist, DuduBloom More shares her journey as a young, black, female artist in South Africa. She is known for creating beautiful intricate works using textiles, and other mediums. A recurring theme in her abstract art is mental health.
Dudu’s first international exhibition with Berman Contemporary at 1 fifty-four in London was met with critical acclaim and we look forward to hearing much m
Les Carlisle, Conservationist
Les Carlisle, Group Conservation Manager for &Beyond has spent more than four decades working in conservation in Africa. &Beyond’s innovative approach to conservation, with a strong focus on community participation, is often regarded as a blueprint for international ecotourism.
We speak about the plight of Africa’s iconic animals such as the lion, elephant and rhino and what we can do to e
Jo Buitendach, Storyteller
Jo Buitendach is one of Johannesburg’s best guides. She was recognised as one of “10 of the World’s Top Tour Guides” in The Guardian newspaper in the UK, and also won an award from Vanity Fair Magazine in London for changing people’s mindsets with regards to travel in Johannesburg.
In this episode, she shares her passion for the city and its inhabitants, past and present including our most famous
Scott Ramsay, Photographer
Scott Ramsay is well known for his beautiful wildlife photography and his passion for Africa’s wild places. In this episode, Scott speaks about some of the remote locations he has travelled to in search of the perfect picture, and the patience you need to have when photographing African wildlife. He also gives us some practical tips for wildlife and landscape photography.
Click here for Scott’s we
Ngoni Mtizwa, Sommelier
The founder of Singita, Luke Bailes, has said “Excellence is in Africa”. This is certainly true of our wines. In this episode, Ngoni Mtizwa, a sommelier at Singita, joins us to explain why renowned wine critic Neal Martin has said South Africa is producing some of the best wine outside of France. We also explore the exceptional Singita wine experience.
Click here for Singita’s website.
Click he
