Botswana, with a population of just over 2 million people, is one of the most sparsely populated countries on the planet. If it were a person, standing next to South Africa, boasting nearly 25 times that figure, it might feel inadequate. But the fact that it is so sparsely populated, more than anything, is an undeniable charm. There are few places in the world you can be comfortable with space – a sleepy city or …
Browsing: Africa
After travelling the length and breadth of the country, Heather (my camera assistant) and I headed out of Windhoek going south. It was long and dusty six-hour drive that took us through one of the most spectacular places in the world: mile high paprika-coloured dunes, lilac mountains, endless golden savannah grassland – all dramatically offset by a big sapphire blue sky.
Our tranquil granite and glass boutique-style lodgings – the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge – was …
Home of the mighty Pharaohs, Egypt has awed visitors from Alexander the Great to Napoleon. This vast nation is packed full of so much history that it can be difficult to decide what to see if your vacation is short on time. Bundle the best of Egypt into one week using the attractions below as a guide. This is a slice of the nation’s most riveting sights which even the speediest vacationers can achieve.
Egypt …
Cradled at the base of the Outeniqua mountain range – connecting west to east – is the Garden Route, Africa’s southern-most coastal road, leading from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. Here picture perfect villages with elegantly restored period homes under bright Bougainvilleas are abundant. Scattered along this stretch of prime real estate are eco-reserves, nature trails and private game parks, all living in harmony with nature, such as the Knysna Forests where you may be …
People will tell you there are tons of things to do in Mauritius.
Well, the Mauritian people will tell you that, then list dubious attractions like the stamp museum and a dodo skeleton. But trying to lure visitors to this gorgeous tropical island by conjuring up copious activities is missing the point. The point being that Mauritius isn’t the place to go if you want to do stuff. It’s the place to go to do …
Somewhat dishevelled in my saggy seated Bermuda’s, I passed through customs and sashayed into the arrivals hall at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport. A sign bearing my name was flashed by the chauffer sent to deliver the SUV I’d hired.
As I was low on time, a quick vehicle overview was conducted in the airport car park. It was a Nissan double-cab, kitted out for high-end self-drive safari excursions; it came complete with a roof …
Dear uninformed tourist,
I’m sorry for calling you uninformed, and I thank you for showing an interest in my home country of South Africa. Unfortunately, you tend to get some facts about the country a little bit wrong. So, before you ask me one of these questions for the umpteenth time, I thought I’d tell you a bit about what’s really behind the most common assumptions everyone makes about South Africa.
“How come you’re white …
In Arabic, Egypt is sometimes called Umm Al-Duniya, or the mother of the world. The Nile River, which waters the country, could give it some stiff competition for that title. Considered the world’s longest river, the Nile’s waters have fostered human civilization for thousands of years. No country knows that better than Egypt: The nation’s survival depends on the river, and has since the time of the Pharaohs. While the Nile is a reference …
The word safari is Swahili for travel, trip or journey. In the travel industry, safari refers to a type of travel that typically involves these elements:
At least one country in Africa Extensive sightseeing, with an emphasis on wildlife sightings An expert guide (although some self-guided safaris can be arranged, it is not recommended)For animal and nature lovers, few types of travel are as rewarding as a safari. Many who have been will tell …
Encountering the gorilla in its natural habitat is an extraordinary experience. The distinction between the observer and the observed is blurred, and you never know just how near the gorillas will venture for a closer look! For animal and nature lovers, the opportunity to meet a mountain gorilla face to face can prove to be the experience of a lifetime.
A gorilla safari is not for the timid traveler. It is an extremely active journey …
When you hear this phrase, the “bread basket” of the Roman Empire, a panorama of beautiful travel photos may spring to mind, from Greece, Turkey, Spain…
Surprisingly, these are the wrong postcards. The “bread basket” of the Roman Empire was their provinces in North Africa, covering vast swatches of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. While today’s Sahara desert is rapidly expanding, there are still areas of these countries where you can get an idea of …
We’ve all had it happen to us — you think you’ve packed everything you need for your vacation, only to discover at some point along the way that something, or several things, have been left behind. Or worse, your luggage gets lost altogether in the endless abyss of airline travel only to appear again (if you’re lucky) two weeks later, looking like it’s been to the moon and back, which it very well may have. …
If you’re traveling to Africa, chances are that the city of Cape Town is somewhere on your itinerary. The “Mother City” has long been the prime tourist spot in South Africa, but for those who’ve seen it more than once, the cold Atlantic seaboard of Camps Bay and Clifton beaches has started to seem a little too full of traffic jams and tourists, and a lot less appealing than it once was. Visitors from around …
Inspiration for your next trip can come from many places — websites, guidebooks, other people’s travel tales and even classic Disney cartoons. Those idealized landscapes, the sweeping opening shots set to iconic music — no trip could ever be as perfect as it seems in a Disney movie, could it? Here are seven trips to try out and see if life is as wonderful as art.
An African safari (The Lion King)
Perhaps …