So first, a bit about me. I’m Giles, a 26 year old travel blogger from the UK blogging on gilesmeetsworld.com. Last year was lucky enough fulfill my dream of traveling around the world, quitting my full time London job to visit 18 countries across 5 continents. The final leg of my trip was a camping group tour through Africa lasting 40 days, driving from Cape Town to Nairobi. We traveled through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania (including Zanzibar) and Kenya. It was without doubt one of my all time travel highlights so this post is just a taste of why you should make Africa your next travel destination.
The Experience
Admittedly Africa probably isn’t on the top of most people’s travel lists. I went to Sub-Saharan Africa as I wanted to go somewhere different, go somewhere which wasn’t on your standard gap year route, experience new things, push myself out of my comfort zone, and most of all, travel in a way that felt like an adventure.
Africa certainly didn’t disappoint. From the moment I landed in Cape Town, looked out of my hostel window and saw Table Mountain in all it’s splendor, I was treated to so many incredible experiences you just wouldn’t find elsewhere in the world.
Africa has some of the most beautiful species of animals and wildlife in the world, some of the most stunning landscapes you may have not even heard of, and some of the most friendly and inspiring people you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting.
In 40 days I traveled over 10,000 miles, experiencing cities, desert, river deltas, lakes, canyons,white sandy beaches, not to forget the Serengeti (think Lion King) and so much more. I experienced the scorching heat of the Namib desert whilst climbing a 170 metre high sand dune, came face to face with lions mere feet away, and sat on the edge of the Victoria falls. This is just a taste of some of the once in a lifetime things you can experience here.
Wildlife
For many people, this is the most common reason to come to Africa, to go on safari and game drives and see some of the incredible wildlife it has to offer. We were lucky enough not only to just see it, but we were immersed in it through camping in national parks un-fenced off from wildlife.
We would have hippos and elephants make their way through the campsite at night, have hyenas calling out all around, and have buffalo casually strolling over to block our toilet facilities. We sat watching a water hole in Etosha national park, whilst Giraffes, wilderbeest, and rhino all came to take a drink.
I saw some of the world’s most beautiful and breathtaking animals in my 40 days, and saw them in their natural habitat right where they should be. There really is no substitute.
Landscapes
I’ve briefly touched on a couple of landscapes in Africa but the amount of natural wonders you can see, and the sheer size of it all is something to behold. I’ve mentioned it above, but sitting in the ‘devils pool’ on the edge of the Victoria falls (see main pic) has always been on my travel bucket list, and it really didn’t disappoint.
The water is shallow enough and rock formations such that you can safely sit right on the edge of the falls poking your head right out.
On top of this: we visited Fish River Canyon, the second biggest canyon in the world behind only the Grand Canyon; stayed on Zanzibar in Tanzania with its sparkling white beaches and aquatic life; we climbed sand dunes and explored the Namib desert; stayed in the Okavango river delta traveling by traditional dug out canoe to make our way past hippos to camp on a small island; saw and did game drives in the Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti; and swam in Lake Malawi with some of the friendly locals. I could go on and on and on about how much there is to see and do here, most of which I never expected.
Summary
So in summary, I don’t actually work for the Africa tourist board, I just saw and did SO much in such a short time that I can’t speak highly enough of my experience. Having been to other places in my travels that become overrun with tourists and have the local culture diluted somewhat, traveling through these seven countries you get a real experience that feels like an adventure. In my time in Africa I was pushed out of my comfort zone and learnt more about myself than anywhere else I’ve traveled, and for that Africa will always be a special place for me.
If you enjoyed this post, I’ve got lots more on the rest of my trip and other experiences here, and here is part 1 and part 2 of my Africa travel journal with plenty more on my time there. Thanks for reading and happy traveling!
As always, thanks for stopping by, folks! I hope you enjoyed reading my latest collaboration. See my post on published on Giles’ page, writing about “My Firsts in Central America!”
Have a safe night, and safe travels. Also, Happy Halloween!