Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow us

  1. Home
  2. Trip Ideas
  3. Safaris
  4. How to Recreate Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ Video on Your Next Safari

How to Recreate Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ Video on Your Next Safari

By Nikki Ekstein ,  Nikki Ekstein and Stephanie Wu and Stephanie Wu
September 01, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: via YouTube
Before the release of Taylor Swift’s latest video, Wildest Dreams, all we knew was that it starred the dreamy Scott Eastwood, son (and lookalike) of actor Clint Eastwood. In true Taylor fashion, there were a ton more surprises once the video was unveiled at the VMAs. Directed by Joseph Kahn, Wildest Dreams recreates an Old Hollywood film shoot in Sub-Saharan Africa. It celebrates the beauty of a safari, and all proceeds will go to the African Parks Foundation of America. “We just found out over the weekend we were beneficiaries, and of course we are thrilled,” a spokesperson said via e-mail.

Related: 10 Amazing Affordable Safaris

We spoke to T+L’s A-List Agents and other experts on how to recreate the safari of Taylor’s dreams. Do read on.
Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Place to See Giraffes

Credit: via YouTube

The Giraffe Manor in Kenya has become an icon for a reason. Go the insider route and ask for the Karen Blixen suite, where you can feed the black-tongued mammals from your bedroom window, says Cunningham (who loves giraffes so much, she named her first daughter after one). We recommend opting for something less formal than a yellow ball gown.

1 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Victoria Falls

Credit: via YouTube

The dramatic Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must-visit on any southern African itinerary. To maximize your time there, spend the night at the historic (and recently renovated) Victoria Falls Hotel, a 10-minute walk away. Between May and October, the daring can hire a guide to hike the mile-wide waterfall, and make their way to the Devil’s Pool—a spot at the edge on the Zambian side, where you can stand, sit, or swim in a rock lip overlooking a 100-meter drop. Have a little more time? A-List agent Sandy Cunningham recommends booking the Dog House at Tongabezi, a sprawling villa that (despite its name) offers one of the most coveted vantages in the area—its three decks open up onto the Zambezi, with nothing but a few feet of elevation between you and the snoring hippos below.

2 of 13

3 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Place to See Elephants

Credit: via YouTube

The great, sweeping landscapes of the Serengeti offer the perfect backdrop for elephant-spotting. Stay at the new Roving Bushtops, the second property in the region by luxury-minded Bushtop Camps—its six-butler-appointed, futuristic-looking tents can literally relocate to offer the best possible views of the pachyderm herds.

3 of 13

Advertisement

4 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Get a Tricked-Out Tent

Credit: via YouTube

The completely secluded tented River Camp, by the Njageteck River in the Masai Mara, is casually furnished with owners Richard Roberts and Liz Fusco’s collectibles—in a picture-perfect way that looks just like Taylor’s film set. There’s a resident lion pride that’s known to frequent the area, so there is a good chance of seeing them up close.

The year-old Mwiba Lodge, right next to the southern Serengeti, is slightly less casual but has all the amenities a pop star would expect. Set among stone boulders, near the Arugusinyai River, the 10 tented suites (which can be connected) each have a private pool, a roaring fireplace, day beds for sunning, a soaking bath, and insane views of the Great Migration.

4 of 13

5 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Charter a Plane

Credit: via YouTube

Lisa Lindblad, one of T+L’s Super Agents and an overall Africa expert, recommends a small company called Boskovic Air Charters for sky-high views of the Big Five throughout Eastern Africa. There’s also Tropic Air, a company based of of Nanyuki, Kenya, for helicopter tours, she says. Their Cessna 182 has the old-school feel of Taylor’s plane, and is ideal for just one or two passengers. Both offer unparalleled views of the savannah—often dotted with herds of wildebeest, buffalo, zebras, and more.

5 of 13

6 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

See the Great Migration

Credit: via YouTube

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no single time of year to catch the Great Migration in action. Says Lindblad: “Herds take a circular migratory route from Southern Tanzania up into Kenya and back down again,” which means that you can spot them 12 months of the year if you’re strategic about location. Her top choice: the Masai Mara in July.

6 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Place to See Lions

Credit: via YouTube

A-List Africa specialist Mark Nolting sends his clients to Tanzania’s Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti if lion sightings are what they’re after. These areas are so dense with cats that one of his recent clients counted 133 lion sightings over the course of 10 days (he also checked off 10 sightings each of the even more elusive leopard and cheetahs). Maximize your odds of a similarly successful trip by scheduling your safari between June and March.

7 of 13

8 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Horseback Safari

Credit: via YouTube

Here’s an epic itinerary for a safari on horseback, courtesy of Sandy Cunningham. “Start at Campi Ya Kanzi, a gorgeous camp with some of the best food in Africa. Then ride up through Hemingway's hills, all lush green and filled with absolutely amazing views. Camp up here two nights and then head down onto the plains, where you can overnight at my favorite plains camp, the Ol Donyo Lodge, for a dose of five-star comfort to round out your adventure.”

Another approach: make your home base at the Singita Sasakwa Lodge, and you can spend each day exploring a different section of the property’s 350,000-acre reserve in the Serengeti—all on horseback. Why simply spot zebras and giraffes when you can ride the open plains right alongside them?

8 of 13

9 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stargazing in Africa

Credit: via YouTube

At Jack’s Camp, in Botswana, guests can have their sleeping bags unfurled directly on the salt flats, says Lindblad. There, they can gaze up at some of the world’s darkest skies, where the total absence of light pollution creates spectacular overhead displays. The experience, according to Lindblad, is practically like being on the moon.

The less daring option? Spotting constellations like the Southern Cross from powerful telescopes at the Belmond Khwai River Lodge. (Fun fact: the lodge also keeps night vision goggles on hand for guests who want to take moonlit safari drives.)

9 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Place to See Cheetah

Credit: via YouTube

Nolting says you can see the spotted species year-round if you know where to go. The Serengeti offers reliable sightings all year and may be your best bet, he says, but the Central Kalahari, in Botswana, offers a stunning backdrop of grassy flats and sand dunes that makes for extra-scenic cheetah-grams. (Stay at Wilderness Safari’s Kalahari Plains lodge for some of the most plush accommodations in the region, and the company will also coordinate a few days in the nearby Okavango Delta for a true dream trip.)

10 of 13

11 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

African Sunset

Credit: via YouTube

Everyone who has been to Africa, without exception, can go on at length about their favorite African sunset. (Can you blame them?) “There’s nothing like a sunset in the Serengeti, when a storm rages on one horizon and the sun sets on the other,” says Lindblad. “During dry season, the dust has a magical effect on the light…” Nolting votes for Zimbabwe—specifically citing the impressive vantage over Lake Kariba, where fish eagles congregate in the trees and create an unparalleled soundtrack of squawks and caws. Cunningham prefers Pride Rock, in Kenya’s Borana ranch. “It’s the exact place that Disney used as inspiration for the Lion King—and it’s every bit as incredible as they made it look. I took my kids there when they were 5 and 7 for an unforgettable experience.”

11 of 13

12 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Place to See Cape Buffalo

Credit: via YouTube

“Katavi National Park in Southern Tanzania is completely unspoiled, with very few crowds—it’s a true connoisseur’s park,” says Cunningham. Stay at the timeless six tent Chada Katavi Tented Camp, and you’ll spot enormous herds of buffalo on unforgettable walking safaris—especially if you go between the months of June and October.

12 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

How to DIY a Home Video

Credit: via YouTube

Can’t make it to Africa? Buy your own green screen kit for as little as $60 on Amazon. Add a little help from a video editing app like Final Cut Pro, and you can Instagram yourself on safari without stepping a foot onto foreign soil—just like Taylor did. Scott Eastwood not included in kit.

13 of 13

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Nikki Ekstein ,  Nikki Ekstein and Stephanie Wu and Stephanie Wu

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 13 Best Place to See Giraffes
2 of 13 Victoria Falls
3 of 13 Best Place to See Elephants
4 of 13 Get a Tricked-Out Tent
5 of 13 Charter a Plane
6 of 13 See the Great Migration
7 of 13 Best Place to See Lions
8 of 13 Horseback Safari
9 of 13 Stargazing in Africa
10 of 13 Best Place to See Cheetah
11 of 13 African Sunset
12 of 13 Best Place to See Cape Buffalo
13 of 13 How to DIY a Home Video

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

How to Recreate Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ Video on Your Next Safari
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.