A grand adventure in Africa

Agatha in Africa

Arriving from Madeira to Cape Town, Agatha had already tussled with a bout of sea sickness. But the skies had cleared, and the world seemed transformed. Over the coming weeks, she would embark on a whistle-stop tour through some of the most sublime landscapes on earth.

These were the sights and sounds that would inspire The Man in the Brown Suit (1924), a murder mystery whose protagonist – Anne Beddingfeld – travels from a London tube station to the streets of Cape Town (sound familiar?). Locations like Bulaweyo and the Zambezi had featured in her own African odyssey, and your trip will follow closely in her restless tracks.

Going coastal in Cape Town

For the first days of your African adventure, you’ll drink in the sights of the city and its resplendent coastline.

Like Agatha, you’ll stay at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, taking some time to hit the waves at Big Bay (close to where Agatha herself first learned to surf). Later, you’ll take in the “lovely pine trees” and “winding roads” around Table Mountain, in Agatha’s footsteps.

She would also spend much time in the city’s galleries and museums – an experience that we’ve recreated (for the modern era) with a visit to the architecturally astounding gallery of Zeitz MOCAA.

There’ll be time for afternoon tea and games of bridge (she was an avid player), as well as a chance to echo Agatha’s time on the Cape Peninsula: from Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay to Fish Hoek. During her trip, Agatha visited the Cape’s sun-dappled fruit farms – an experience we’ve updated with a chance to raise a glass in the region’s world-famous winelands.

To the banks of the Zambezi

Nearing your journey’s end, you’ll travel to Livingstone and – beyond it – Tongabezi, your idyllic home on the romantic banks of the beautiful, meandering Zambezi River (which Agatha explored by steamboat). Like her, you’ll embark on your own sunrise sail.

From here, you’ll follow Agatha to the mighty Victoria Falls. She fell in love with its “great trees, soft mists of rain, its rainbow colouring”, remarking that it was one of her personal wonders of the world. There’ll also be the chance to set out on game drives, bush walks, and boating trips along this legendary waterway.

There’ll also be a moment to gather your thoughts during a glamorous afternoon tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel, where Agatha herself stayed during her trip.