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A few days ago, I was flying home from Malawi, watching the sun go down somewhere over Africa on my way to Addis Ababa. The tears came. I`m not afraid to admit it.

I went to Malawi to see and experience this country firsthand.

What I saw left me emotional. This is a country with very little. Resources are scarce, the government is broken, and there is not enough electricity and not enough clean water to go around.

And yet I was filled with an unexpected amount of inspiration and humility, because the people of Malawi are filled with joy. They are excited, welcoming, and proud of who they are.

Watching the light fade on that flight, I had to be honest with myself. Back home, in the routine of everyday life, I get caught up in wanting more and forgetting to be grateful. I knew this reality existed around the world. I clearly needed to be reminded.

I had so many feelings I couldn`t quite name. What I did know is that this trip happened for a reason.

Now I know what comes next. Andrew Burns Travel Co. will be hosting a Journeys By Andrew experience in Malawi, a true ABTC style trip. High quality accommodations, phenomenal guiding, and time for rest and relaxation on the water. Safari too. There will be a give back component built in, so you can see the villages, help the people, see the work of clean water firsthand, help plant trees, and help fund it all just by attending.

That day began 31 hours of travel home, with plenty of time to sit with all of it. I was thankful. I was excited. I was emotionally drained. And I chose to embrace all of it. Now that I`m home, those feelings haven`t faded. They turned into a plan.

If this moves you even a little, message me. I`ll be sharing dates and details soon, and I`d love for you to be part of it.

🇿🇲 This is not a safari you watch. It is one you live.

I just finished a week in Zambia`s South Luangwa, and it is the most alive I have felt in the bush.

It began with a border crossing on foot from Malawi to Puku Ridge, where I spent my first night in a star bed with hippos grunting below. At Chichele Presidential, set on one of the only hills in the park, I had a private vehicle and guide, and a sundowner on the river while zebra and antelope grazed in front of me.

Then I went deeper into the valley with Time + Tide. At Mchenja there are no solid walls, just a screen and a net between you and the bush. Wild dog puppies, leopard after leopard, and my first lion kill, six young brothers bringing down a buffalo right in front of us. Two days later we found them again on foot, with yet another kill.

South Luangwa is the birthplace of the walking safari, and I walked five miles between camps with an armed scout and guide. On foot you stop watching the landscape and become part of it. That walk ended with a boat ride across the river to Chinzombo, a private villa with my own pool and something grazing outside my tent on my last night.

Hot showers and private pools, yet never closed off from the bush. This trip is for the traveler who has done the classic safari and wants more.

Zambia is wild. If that is the safari you have been waiting for, message me and let`s start planning yours.

Now off to Malawi for a week of something really special. 🇲🇼