s safari romance

A Safari Romance: release date, cast, trailer and everything we know about the Hallmark movie

Andrew Walker goes wild in his latest Hallmark movie.

The Hallmark Channel Summer Nights 2023 programming event continues with A Safari Romance starring Andrew Walker ( Three Wise Men and a Baby ) and Brittany Bristow ( Holiday Date ). Here's everything we know about the latest Hallmark Channel original movie. 

A Safari Romance release date

A Safari Romance premieres Saturday, August 12, at 8 pm ET/PT on Hallmark Channel. This is just one of the movies that is part of the network's Summer Night's program, which also includes Making Waves .

As of this writing there's no release date for the UK. 

A Safari Romance plot

Here's the official plot of A Safari Romance from Hallmark Channel: 

"Megan is a research scientist living her dream in South Africa pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethology, while working as a ranger on a nature reserve. When Tim, an American theme park designer, arrives to capture footage for an immersive, safari-themed attraction, Megan serves as his guide. As they explore the savanna and observe giraffes, elephants and lions in their natural habitats, they open up to each other about their dreams and begin to grow close. Things are going well until Amy, a woman from Tim's past, arrives to take over the project. Amy's reckless disregard for rules puts Megan's job at risk and threatens Megan and Tim's budding romance. Megan, knowing that Tim will soon return home, is also wary of giving her heart to someone who lives half a world away — but she may find that love is an adventure worth taking."

A Safari Romance cast

Andrew Walker is a Hallmark Channel mainstay with over 20 Hallmark movies to his name. Some of his most popular movies include A Dream of Christmas , Bottled with Love , My Christmas Family Tree and the hit 2022 holiday film Three Wise Men and a Baby .

Brittany Bristow started acting at a young age, appearing in feature films like Perfect Pie and Blizzard . In addition to her roles in TV and film, she's also the host of National Geographic's Wildlife Quest .

A Safari Romance also stars Simoné Pretorius ( Hotel ), Samke Makhoba ( Surviving Gaza ), Maxx Monticoe ( Happiness Ever After ) and Nthati Moshesh ( Human Cargo ).

A Safari Romance trailer

Take a look at the preview of A Safari Romance below:

How to watch A Safari Romance

A Safari Romance airs exclusively on Hallmark Channel, which is available in most cable packages. If you've cut the cord, there are several options to access Hallmark Channel including Sling TV , FuboTV , YouTube TV , Hulu with Live TV , Philo , Frndly TV, DirecTV Stream and Vidgo.  

Thanks to a deal with Peacock , you can also watch A Safari Romance on the streaming platform. 

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Sarabeth joined the What to Watch team in May 2022. An avid TV and movie fan, her perennial favorites are The Walking Dead, American Horror Story , true crime documentaries on Netflix and anything from Passionflix. You’ve Got Mail , Ocean's Eleven and Signs are movies that she can watch all day long. She's also a huge baseball fan, and hockey is a new favorite.  

When she's not working, Sarabeth hosts the My Nights Are Booked Podcast and a blog dedicated to books and interviews with authors and actors. She also published her first novel, Once Upon an Interview , in 2022. 

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A Safari Romance

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A Safari Romance (2023 TV Movie)

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Hallmark’s A Safari Romance: All Shooting Locations and Cast Details

With Leif Bristow at the helm, Hallmark’s ‘A Safari Romance’ is a romantic comedy movie that follows a humble wildlife biologist named Megan Henry, currently working on a project to protect the exotic wildlife in Africa. Soon, she gets visited by a theme park designer named Tim Ericson, and she serves as his guide while he captures footage for an immersive safari-themed attraction. Exploring giraffes, elephants, and lions in their natural habitats leads to them exploring each other’s dreams.

Just when Tim and Megan begin to get close, a woman named Amy from his past takes over the project and halts the budding romance between the two. Moreover, her reckless nature and complete disregard for rules put Megan’s job at risk. Since Tim is about to return home, she feels wary of falling for someone who lives half a world away but realizes that love is all about taking risks. With the backdrop of the breathtaking African savannah grasslands in the movie, the viewers are bound to be curious about the actual filming sites.

A Safari Romance Filming Locations

‘A Safari Romance’ was filmed in South Africa, specifically in Cape Town, Broederstroom, and the Limpopo Province. As per reports, principal photography for the romantic movie commenced in May 2023 and wrapped up by the end of the same month. Now, without further ado, let’s traverse through the wildlife where the protagonists find love and get a detailed account of all the specific locations that feature in the Hallmark movie!

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Cape Town, South Africa

Reportedly, the shooting for many important scenes of ‘A Safari Romance’ took place on location in Cape Town, South Africa’s legislative capital and oldest city. Situated on the shore of Table Bay, it is popular for its harbor, natural setting, and landmarks, including Cape Point and Table Mountain, some of which supposedly feature in the backdrop of a few scenes. Other than the Hallmark romance, the city has hosted the production of numerous film projects over the years. Some notable ones include ‘ The Giver ,’ ‘ The Kissing Booth ,’ ‘ Redeeming Love ,’ ‘Ryan’s Daughter,’ and ‘The Last Post.’

Other Locations in South Africa

For shooting purposes, the director and his team also traveled to other locations across South Africa, including the Lion & Safari Park at R512 Pelindaba Road in the village of Broederstroom. The established tourist destination offers a wide range of activities you can indulge in, such as animal interactions, self-drives, and guided game drives. Visitors can also hand-feed a selection of animals, such as giraffes and ostriches.

Moreover, Mabula Game Lodge at Rooiberg Road Rhinosterhoek Spruit in Mabula Private Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province served as yet another pivotal production location for the romantic drama movie . Just a two-and-a-half hour’s drive from Johannesburg, the Mabula Game Lodge offers a variety of landscapes filled with animal, bird, and plant life, which is captured beautifully for the movie by the director and his team.

A Safari Romance Cast

Brittany Bristow essays Megan Henry, the wildlife biologist in the Hallmark movie. The multi-talented Toronto-born actress has played notable roles in different productions like ‘Perfect Pie,’ ‘Blizzard,’ ‘Shadowtown,’ ‘Kiss and Cry,’ ‘The Marijuana Conspiracy,’ ‘ Holiday Date ,’ and ‘ The Love Club .’ So, with numerous film credits under her belt, she is a recognizable face in the industry for many viewers.

Meanwhile, Andrew Walker plays the character of Tim Ericson, the theme park designer in the movie. After impressing on his debut performance in ‘A Bride for Christmas,’ Walker has portrayed various leading roles in more than 20 movies, including ‘A Dream of Christmas,’ ‘ Bottled with Love ,’ ‘ My Christmas Family Tree ,’ ‘ Christmas on My Mind ,’ and ‘The Perfect Catch.’ You might also recognize him from his roles in a few TV shows, such as ‘Against the Wall,’ ‘Without a Trace,’ and ‘ER.’

Read More:  Where Was Hallmark’s Love in the Maldives Filmed? Who is in the Cast?

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A Safari Romance: Cast & Characters Explained, Release Date, Time, Plot, Where to Watch & Other Details

Megan Henry, a grounded wildlife biologist, is the lead character in the Hallmark Channel movie A Safari Romance. It tells the story of how she is forced into working with Tim Ericson, a theme park designer, to build an extravagant safari attraction. Megan and Tim start developing feelings for one another while they are working together, but their unique histories and the competing demands of their jobs put a strain on their ability to be together. A Safari Romance has a cast that is led by the charismatic Andrew Walker and the talented Brittany Bristow and is set to captivate audiences with its unique blend of adventure and emotion.

Release Date:

The release date of “A Safari Romance” is August 12. As the summer night’s air is filled with the promise of adventure and love, “A Safari Romance” promises to be a cinematic escape that resonates with the wild and tender aspects of the heart. 

The storyline unfolds around Megan, portrayed by Brittany Bristow, a dedicated research scientist pursuing her passion in the lush landscapes of South Africa. With her role as a ranger on a nature reserve, she’s living her dream while immersing herself in a Ph.D. program in Ethology. When Tim, an American theme park designer portrayed by Andrew Walker, enters her world, an unexpected connection forms.

As the two get into the African savanna, witnessing majestic creatures like giraffes, elephants, and lions in their natural habitat, their hearts open up. Sharing their dreams and aspirations, a deep bond blossoms between them. However, their newfound affection faces a tumultuous test with the arrival of Amy, a woman from Tim’s past, whose disruptive actions jeopardize Megan’s job and the tender romance that’s begun to flourish.

A Safari Romance Cast & Characters Explained:

The cast of “A Safari Romance” includes an array of exceptional individuals. Andrew Walker , a familiar face in films for the Hallmark Channel, once again brings his charming and charismatic presence to the big screen. Walker’s portrayal of Tim gives the character depth and makes him more approachable than he would be otherwise. His past work includes more than 20 Hallmark movies. 

Brittany Bristow, who got her start in the acting profession at a young age and is best recognized for her work as the host of National Geographic’s Wildlife Quest, shines in the role of Megan. Her performance brilliantly depicts both the resoluteness and the fragility of a scientist who is caught between her ambitions and the things that matter to her heart.

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Simoné Pretorius, Samke Makhoba, Maxx Monticoe, and Nthati Moshesh play supporting roles in the drama that is unfolding. Their performances add layers of mystery and passion to the story as it progresses.

Where to Watch A Safari Romance?

As the savanna becomes a backdrop for love and self-discovery, Hallmark Channel remains the exclusive home for “A Safari Romance.” Cable subscribers can indulge in this heartwarming tale as it airs. If you want more options, you can watch it on Sling TV, FuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Philo, Frndly TV, DirecTV Stream, and Vidgo. All these offer access to Hallmark Channel. Furthermore, a delightful surprise awaits on the Peacock streaming platform, where “A Safari Romance” can also be enjoyed, extending the reach of this endearing tale.

Watch the trailer here:

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A passionate content writer who eats, breathes, and sleeps movies, series, and anime. With a knack for storytelling and a deep love for interesting stories, I dive into the world of entertainment to bring you exciting articles, reviews, and insights. When I'm not glued to my screen, you'll find me binging the latest releases or debating fan theories with fellow freaks. Lights, camera, wordsmithing action!

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How Hallmark Execs Surprised Andrew Walker Before He Filmed ‘A Safari Romance’

T he Hallmark Channel premiere of  “A Safari Romance” on August 12, 2023, holds special significance for longtime network star Andrew Walker.

With more than two dozen Hallmark movies under his belt, Walker revealed to Heavy in a recent interview — conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began — that his latest project marks the first time he’s received top billing on a Hallmark call sheet. While it’s a subtle behind-the-scenes detail that most fans aren’t even aware of, Walker explained why the distinction was “really special” to him during filming.

Andrew Walker Credits Female Executives & Talent With Changing the Landscape at Hallmark

Hallmark Brittany Bristow and Andrew Walker in “A Safari Romance”

Since his first Hallmark movie in 2012, “A Bride for Christmas,” Walker has played the lead romantic interest opposite many of the network’s most popular female stars including Lacey Chabert , Nikki DeLoach , Autumn Reeser and Jodie Sweetin . And in doing so, he’s accustomed to them receiving top billing in Hallmark’s female-centric storylines.

But for the first time ever, Walker told Heavy, he was surprised to learn he’d been given top billing for his latest movie, “A Safari Romance,” in which he stars opposite Brittany Bristow. Though being listed as the second star on Hallmark movies’ call sheets has never mattered to him, he said, Walker couldn’t help but notice how meaningful it felt to be considered the lead.

“It was really special for me,” Walker said. “I’ve always just assumed (I’d be second). My manager told me … ‘Alright, so you’re doing this movie ‘A Safari Romance’ in South Africa and oh, by the way, they’re making you number one on the call sheet.’ I was like ‘What!?'”

“Not that it matters,” Walker continued, “but it’s just a little nod, a little feather in the cap. It’s just (Hallmark) saying ‘Hey, Andrew, you know, we believe in you now and we want you to carry this movie.'”

Walker attributes that subtle but meaningful recognition to the nearly all-female executive team that oversees Hallmark Media, saying that they’ve made a concerted effort in recent years to not only expand the diversity of its talent and storylines, but to make sure its talent feel valued.

Though Hallmark Media president and CEO Wonya Lucas recently announced that, after three years at the helm, she’ll step down from her role at the end of 2023, she is one of multiple executives Walker mentioned as creating “the best place and the best time for all of us” to work.

“These female execs are all shepherding this company to where it is today,” Walker said. “The women that are running this network are all strong women that are so talented and have done such incredible things from the (networks) they’ve come from.”

In addition to praising Lucas’ leadership, Walker said Lisa Hamilton Daly , a former Netflix executive who’s now Hallmark’s executive vice president of programming, “has been the one that’s really changed the landscape of Hallmark over the last two years.” Walker credited Daly with advocating for pushing the envelope with 2022 projects that broke the mold of a typical Hallmark movie, from the Rockettes-themed “A Holiday Spectacular” to the comedy “Haul Out The Holly” to Walker’s blockbuster hit “Three Wise Men and a Baby” alongside Paul Campbell and Tyler Hynes.

Walker also gave props to marketing exec Annie Howell, talent relations exec Maureen Barrett, and programming development executives Samantha DiPippo and Liz Yost, along with the network’s top actresses, for Hallmark Media’s ongoing success. In July, Hallmark was the most-watched entertainment cable network , drawing 22 million “unduplicated viewers” during its Christmas in July promotion.

“All these women are the ones that are really behind it all,” he said. “It’s inspiring because it is a female-centric network. (They) have really put it on the map and made it what it is.”

Andrew Walker & Brittany Bristow Filmed ‘A Safari Romance’ in South Africa

In May, Walker spent more than a month in South Africa , first going on an actual safari with his wife, Cassandra Troy, and then filming “A Safari Romance” with Bristow and her parents. The script was written by her mom, Agnes Bristow, and the movie was directed by Leif Bristow, whom Walker called an “Energizer Bunny.”

In “A Safari Romance,” Bristow plays a research scientist living her dream in South Africa pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethology while working as a ranger on a nature reserve. Walker plays Tim, an American theme park designer, who “arrives to capture footage for an immersive, safari-themed attraction” with Megan serving as his guide.

The cast filmed and stayed in KwaZulu-Natal at the Phinda Private Game Reserve , home to lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos, as well as 436 bird species. During down time, Walker told Heavy, the Bristows arranged for the cast and crew to immerse themselves in the community, including spending a day renovating a local school. Walker said the school serves 66 students with just one teacher and that they painted the main classroom and built playground equipment for the school.

“A Safari Romance” premieres on August 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Hallmark Channel in the U.S. and on W Network in Canada.

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This article was originally published on Heavy.com

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A Safari Romance streaming: where to watch online?

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A wildlife biologist working on fostering the protection of wildlife in Africa is forced to team up with a theme park designer who wants to create an over-the-top safari attraction

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You know it when you see it: here are some movies that got sex scenes right.

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It is a happy coincidence that our "What makes a good sex scene?" episode came out in the same week as Challengers, a film about a romance triangle in the tennis world starring Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and (not pictured) Mike Faist. Niko Tavernise/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures hide caption

It is a happy coincidence that our "What makes a good sex scene?" episode came out in the same week as Challengers, a film about a romance triangle in the tennis world starring Josh O'Connor, Zendaya and (not pictured) Mike Faist.

What makes a good sex scene? It can be easier spot bad sex, but Aisha Harris, Christina Tucker, Ronald Young, Jr. and I tried to focus on the good this week on Pop Culture Happy Hour. You can listen to our full conversation here. (We didn't originally plan for this episode to run the same week as our episode about Challengers , which is out in theaters now, but it's a happy coincidence, since that film has gotten a lot of attention — probably too much, relative to its other merits — for the sex scenes involving its three leads. It's really very good .)

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Watch a tense romantic triangle play out on the tennis court in 'challengers'.

It's often very obvious when a sex scene is bad, just like when a sex scene in a book is bad. It can get so uncomfortable to watch that you have to leave the room (and not in a way that feels true to the story). One of my personal tells for a bad sex scene is when all I can think about is how hard the actors are trying to persuade me that the characters are having a good time. For example, there has been much good discussion in recent years about Showgirls being a more interesting and competent project than it originally got credit for, but in that one pool scene (if you know it, you know it), all I can see is the effort.

Lauren Bacall And The 'Sex? What Sex?' Kind Of Movie Sex

It's not always as clear which scenes are good . That's partly because they serve so many different functions, all of which look different, and all of which can be effective. Furthermore, you don't want to confuse whether a sex scene is used well in a film with whether it's hot to you personally, despite the fact that there is overlap between those considerations.

In the 'Last Dance,' Magic Mike leaves his thong-and-dance routine behind

Here's what I mean: When Aisha talks about the sequence near the beginning of Magic Mike's Last Dance , it's not irrelevant that the scene is, to her (and to me), hot. But it also makes sense in the context of the film and the franchise, partly because of the way it sets up the power dynamic between Mike (Channing Tatum) and Max (Salma Hayek Pinault). Mike is older now, he knows more, and the way he approaches a lap dance is actually different than in earlier movies.

And not all good sex scenes are hot in the same ways. The one I mentioned in the episode, from the romantic drama Love & Basketball , is sexy, yes. But it's also a scene between young adults (the talented basketball players Monica and Quincy, played by Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps), and as such, it incorporates a tentativeness that's not present in Magic Mike's Last Dance , to say the least. As Ronald pointed out during our discussion, that sex scene is quite different from one that takes place later in Monica and Quincy's relationship, when they're older and know each other better. That certainly feels true to real life, but it's not always reflected in Hollywood films, where I would tentatively estimate that 90% of on-screen sex is more idealized and thus less intimate than real-life sex, in part because it isn't allowed to change over the course of a relationship.

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'like it or not, we live in oppenheimer's world,' says director christopher nolan.

Even further from the hotness of the lap dance scene is Ronald's pick: the imagination of Kitty Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt) running wild in Oppenheimer. While her husband (Cillian Murphy) is being interrogated, she pictures him having sex with his mistress, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). It goes by quickly enough that it might seem like a Christopher Nolan flourish for flourish's sake, but it serves the purpose of letting you feel her pain over her husband's affair. Her relationship with Robert doesn't look especially romantic in the film, let alone sexually charged; she finds herself consumed by the idea that he was having hot sex with this other woman, and she locks eyes with her vision of a naked Tatlock and finds herself tormented. It's not really the intent of the scene to titillate the audience, just to give specificity to the shape of Kitty's preoccupation with the affair.

What makes a good sex scene?

Christina raised another really important point, which is that sex scenes also collide with viewers at very specific moments. Her example from Bound , and the scenes between Violet (Jennifer Tilly) and Corky (Gina Gershon), touches on (among other things) her own history. It's an underappreciated aspect of the sex-in-movies discourse: representation matters in these scenes as much as anywhere else. I always wish I saw more sex scenes in movies that featured a broader variety of body types; it's still really rare to see ones that feature anybody who is even average sized. This is one of the reasons I'm curious about the upcoming season of Bridgerton , which places its focus on the gorgeous and curvaceous Penelope (Nicola Coughlan).

Looking for 'nomance': Study finds teens want less sex in their TV and movies

Good sex scenes are like any other kind of good filmmaking, honestly: it comes down to execution with purpose and care, done relative to whatever the function of the scene might be.

Whether that's spiciness or conflict or relationship growth or (as in the case of Bound ) setting up a steamy neo-noir story that wouldn't be the same if it weren't hot as heck, form follows function, ideally.

This piece also appeared in NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what's making us happy.

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Explore nearby places

• Likino-Dulevo
• Ivanteyevka
• Orekhovo-Zuevo
• Semyonovskoye
• Ivanovskoye
• Rumyantsevo
• Dzerzhinsky
• Sovkhoz Imeni Lenina
• Dolgoprudny

All related maps of Moscow

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• Map of Mytishchi
• Map of Putilkovo
• Map of Razvilka
• Map of Khimki
• Map of Dzerzhinsky
• Map of Sovkhoz Imeni Lenina
• Map of Dolgoprudny

Moscow throughout the year

• Moscow in January
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Looking for day-by-day itineraries in Moscow?

Get inspired for your trip to Moscow with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:

• 1-Day Moscow Itinerary
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Best attractions in nearby cities

• Top things to do and attractions in Khimki

Best restaurants in nearby cities

• Where to eat: the best restaurants in Mytishchi
• Where to eat: the best restaurants in Khimki

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THE 5 BEST Moscow Safaris

Safaris in moscow.

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• District Central (TsAO)
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• Good for Couples
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• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

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• The Best Parks In Moscow

The Best Parks In Moscow, Russia

The parks of Moscow, Russia, are the big green lungs of the city, where you can relax from the eternal hum of roads, work and noisy neighbors. Here is our selection of the best parks for a memorable afternoon.

Gorky central park of culture and leisure.

One of the oldest culture and leisure amusement parks in Russia, Gorky Park was created on the banks of the Moscow River in 1928. It is a perfect place for an active holiday, with lots to do – it even has several shooting ranges. Most notably, the original layout has remained intact to the present day. Gorky Park is always full of people: in the colder months fans of a winter skate queue patiently in order to go on the ice skating rink. In summer many visitors simply have lazy strolls along the alleys of the most famous park in Moscow. Golitsyn Pond is equipped with a boat station, where you can hire a pedalo or catamaran.

Museum-Reserve Tsaritsyno

Vorobyovy Gory

Vorobyovy Gory can be described as a huge green mass, lying on the bank of the Moscow river. The park can be seen at the exit of the metro station of the same name. Vorobyovy Gory features a high jump platform, which points to its history tied with sports facilities. Near the top of the jump, there is a viewing platform, which is visited by an enormous flow of people with cameras and easels. The panoramic view shows off the wonderful skyline of Moscow, the river, Luzhniki Stadium, Novodevichy Monastery, St Andrew’s Monastery and skyscrapers of the Moscow City complex. If you head towards the building of Moscow State University, in front of it you will spot an alley with the busts of great scientists and a lovely pond. The park also features wonderful slopes and access to the waterfront. Here you can enjoy nature and solitude, paint landscapes or read classical literature.

MSU Botanical Garden Aptekarskiy Ogorod

Aptekarskiy Ogorod is not quite a park but an oasis away from the stone and concrete of the city. At the beginning of 17th century Peter I decided to build a herb garden on this site. With that decree began the stormy history of the garden, which in Soviet times was essentially abandoned. Now it is a small cozy garden, and a lovely place to go during lunch or visit on a romantic date. The park features dozens of attractive, bright colors which cannot be found anywhere else in Moscow, and a beautiful pond dotted with water lilies. There is a shop with rare plants, where you can buy rare seeds of American blueberry or bog oak. During the winter the park hosts festivals of ice sculptures. In spring, exhibitions of orchids are perfect events for admiring their blossoming and a variety of floral crops. In the summer you can simply enjoy teasing fish in the pond, and sitting on a bench admiring the colorful nature.

Izmaylovsky Park

Izmaylovskiy Park of Culture and Leisure is a combination of nature and grounds for outdoor activities and cultural entertainment. Whenever possible, Muscovites try to get to the park to breathe in the fresh, clean air. Izmaylovsky Park was created in 1931, and since then its green doors have been open to visitors all year round. Spending a day out in the park with the family has became one of the good traditions for residents of Moscow. The park resembles more of a genuine forest, with green trees, rotten stumps covered with moss and lichen overgrown with tall grasses.

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips , compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips .

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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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Watch CBS News

In one woman's mysterious drowning, signs of a national romance scam epidemic

By Jim Axelrod , Sheena Samu , Andy Bast , Matthew Mosk , Sari Aviv

Updated on: April 21, 2024 / 11:19 AM EDT / CBS News

The scammer who drained Laura Kowal of her $1.5 million nest egg and sent the widowed healthcare executive on a path that ended with her death in the Mississippi River, hundreds of miles from her western Illinois home, called himself "Frank Borg."

Frank drew Laura into a relationship after she connected to his profile on the popular dating website Match.com. Over months of giddy cellphone calls and in hundreds of florid emails, Frank manipulated her by drawing on publicly-posted details of her life to forge a bond, then induced her to invest with his online trading firm. As her skepticism grew and love waned, he strong-armed her into helping him dip his hands into the accounts of other victims.

"She had all these buckets full in her life, my mom did," said Kelly Gowe, Laura's daughter. "But there was this one bucket that was missing… and that was companionship. ... And that's ultimately where we're at now, is because of that."

This increasingly common pattern — a modern spin that combines emotionally exploitative catfishing schemes with fast-moving investment and crypto scams — has served as the leading edge of an epidemic of pernicious scams targeting users of dating apps and websites. U.S. Justice Department and FBI officials told CBS News there is a public account of the toll: more than 64,000 American victims in 2023. But multiple experts told CBS News that those numbers significantly under-represent the true scope.

"They may be embarrassed that they have been victimized in this way," said Arun Rao, who oversees the Consumer Protection Branch at the U.S. Department of Justice. "They may be ashamed. They may be afraid to tell their friends or family." 

With so many cases going unreported, he said, it is a national crisis unfolding largely in secret.

The human cost is likely more severe than law enforcement can quantify. Senior FBI officials told CBS News a striking number of cases are ending with victims dying by suicide.

"They shouldn't feel embarrassed or ashamed," Rao said. "These are sophisticated fraudsters who are preying on the human desire for affection. For connection with another person. And they are manipulating [victims] … using sophisticated technology."

Dating sites a "hunting ground" for scammers

A year-long CBS News investigation has found a growing number of federal agents, local police and online security experts believe the law enforcement response has, to date, failed to address the problem. The financial toll of known losses has swelled, from $500 million in 2019 to $1.14 billion last year. 

Our investigation has found:

• Local police officials from across the country are deeply frustrated by the lack of options to address the steady flow of complaints they receive, often from the adult children of divorced or widowed victims who have struggled to navigate the unfamiliar world of dating apps. 
• Federal agents struggle to keep pace with scammers who are often operating in plain sight in West Africa and South Asia. 
• Scammers have had increasing success in leveraging the promise of love to strong-arm victims into becoming unwitting co-conspirators, creating a legal mess for investigators who must decide how to treat victims who have openly committed fraud at the behest of the scammers, helping perpetrators launder funds swindled from others.
• Law enforcement and security experts from dating and social media sites told CBS News those apps have been a "hunting ground" for scammers, and the industry has struggled to effectively curtail the problem. Several former insiders at the publicly-traded company with the largest market share, Match Group , criticized its record for protecting customers. Match Group CEO Bernard Kim defended the company's performance, telling CBS News: "We invest a tremendous amount of capital, incredible talent on trust and safety. It is the first and foremost top priority for us as an organization."

Victim's daughter says her mother "was endangered"

The tragedy of Laura Kowal touches on every one of those alleged weaknesses, unfolding in ways that now sound painfully familiar to the experts who are immersed in finding a solution to the online scam epidemic.

Hundreds of emails between Laura and "Frank" detail a long con, in which Laura is drawn in with promises of love and manipulated into sending more and more money.

Mark Solomon, president of the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators , said Frank followed a familiar playbook used by scammers to manipulate their victims. 

"We don't blame a person that's on the side of the street and gets robbed with a gun pointed at them," said Solomon, who was the first to tell Kowal's story on the association's podcast, The Protectors , produced by Modified Media . "We can't do that to the victims of these frauds and scams either. These are professionals, they do it every single day. They're good at it."

The only anomaly in Laura's case, Solomon said, are the lingering questions surrounding her death. 

While several local detectives who investigated the final days and hours of her life appear persuaded that she died by suicide, they have stopped short of that formal finding. Her autopsy report, prepared in the days after her body was discovered in August 2020 floating in the river by a couple out fishing, says only that she died by "drowning."

Those who knew Laura best, however, believe the actions of her final hours are so incongruous with how she lived that she may have met her end at the hands of someone involved in the fraud.

Her daughter, Kelly Gowe, said she believes scammers, including the person using the pseudonym "Frank Borg," drove her mother to a point of feeling "like she was endangered. That she was going to die."  

"It's the scammers," she said. "It's the criminals behind those emails. It's Frank Borg… this character. He killed my mom. And everyone that is involved in this scam in any capacity, that's moving the money, that's placing a phone call, that's hitting 'enter' and 'send' on an email — they're all responsible for my mom's death."

An eerie letter that Laura left behind, buried in a file drawer and found while Laura was missing, leaves more questions than answers.

"You were right in your judgment of me," Laura wrote to her daughter. "I've been living a double life this past year. It has left me broke and broken. Yes, it involves Frank, the man I met through online dating. I tried to stop this, many times, but I knew I would end up dead."

The reach of scammers has widened, officials say

Over the course of this week, CBS News will tell Laura Kowal's story. And, through her story, the reports will re-examine a problem many in law enforcement now believe has been grossly underestimated. 

The head of the FBI's financial crimes sections, James Barnacle, said the reach of the scams has widened as overseas criminals have gained direct access to their targets: lonely Americans seeking a connection through social media and dating apps. 

Match Group, the largest company in the online dating space, has tried to keep pace, telling CBS News it is now swatting down 44 spam profiles per minute. "We're working really, really hard every single day to make sure that people are authentic," Match Group CEO Bernard Kim told CBS News. "That's the key to our platform."

An effort to rally a stronger federal approach has a growing number of advocates — among them, Laura's daughter, Kelly Gowe.

Last year, Gowe left her job with a farm supply company and has dedicated herself to sharing her mother's story as a cautionary tale. At a speech to a women's group in Iowa earlier this year, she urged financial institutions and law enforcement to do more to protect victims.

"It wasn't until I learned that I was going to have a daughter of my own that I knew that, one day, she would know the full story of how her grandmother passed away," Gowe said. "I want her to know that her grandmother's story has the ability to educate people and to promote change, and ultimately her grandmother's story can save someone's life. And that's now the responsibility that I carry, to do that."

More from the  CBS News Investigation :

• When her mother went missing, an Illinois woman ventured into the dark corners of America's romance scam epidemic
• Romance scammers turn victims into "money mules," creating a legal minefield for investigators
• As romance scammers turn dating apps into "hunting grounds," critics look to Match Group to do more

CBS News investigative reporters Pat Milton, Clare Hymes and Alyssa Spady contributed to this report.

If you or someone you know has been affected by a romance scam, please share your story with us at [email protected]

Jim Axelrod is the chief correspondent and executive editor for CBS News' "Eye on America" franchise, part of the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell." He also reports for "CBS Mornings," "CBS News Sunday Morning," and CBS News 24/7.

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