When you think of this West African country, food might not be the first thing to come to mind. However, cuisine plays a major role in its culture, and there’s rarely a social gathering not accompanied by culinary delights. Lizzie Williams gives us a taste of some of the nation’s traditional dishes The variety of peoples and cultures within...
An insider’s overview from the experts at Steppes Travel. Why visit? They say that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the country around which all other African countries revolve and that you can only truly know Africa if you know the DRC. Two-thirds the size of Western Europe and home to nearly 300 different languages and tribes, the...
John Gunn lives in London, spending much of his time working with social start-ups and entrepreneurs. Fascinated by the unique culture of entrepreneurship he has seen in Rwanda, he partnered up with his sister Cate (a professional photographer) and a Kigali-based social business accelerator (African Entrepreneur Collective) to create a coffee table book that shines a light on Rwanda’s...
Namibia has always been a favourite with Travel Africa readers. It is unlike any other destination on the continent, offering first-time and experienced safari-goers alike something new and interesting. We can’t get enough of it either, which is why we’ve run an article on Namibia in nearly every one of our 75 issues. Because it is so vast, it...
An insider’s overview from the experts at Steppes Travel Why visit? A land of grassy plains, rift-formed lakes and pinnacle-like volcanoes, Tanzania’s exciting landscape is carpeted with wildlife to match. The Serengeti — with its iconic migration — and the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater capture most attention. But Tanzania’s appeal extends far beyond these, with baobab-strewn Tarangire, wild Selous and...
For inexperienced visitor Steuart Laing, being independent made his Uganda adventure all the more memorable The road to Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park might not be paved with gold, but it is paved with fresh tar. China recently funded the highway and supervised its construction. Today tourists flock to the Murchison Falls National Park to see wildlife that, over...
Nick Buys of Nature Travel Namibia gives his insight into the Namibian capital Day trip If you have a spare day in Windhoek and love being in the bush, why not visit the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary, about 45 minutes from the city? Book a tour to learn more about their ongoing effort to protect Namibian big cats....
The Republic of Congo has officially created its fifth national park, lending protection to great apes, forest elephants and other threatened wildlife. The new Ogooué-Leketi National Park spans 3,500 sq km, and forms a transboundary protected area of more than 5,500 sq km with Batéké Plateau National Park in neighbouring Gabon. The area is a unique patchwork of large...
Verney’s Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe In a remote, private concession in the central south-eastern part of Hwange, Verney’s Camp opened in May 2018 with ten spacious tents set around a waterhole, surrounded by teak trees. With all the comforts expected at a high-end, all-inclusive safari camp — a pool deck overlooking the waterhole, bedtime hot-water bottles, warm and...
Oh, to be on foot in the bush! Brian Jackman describes the joy of a walking safari Lions were roaring when the first grey light of dawn seeped over the Chindeni Hills. But when the sun appeared, casting long shadows through the trees, the cats fell silent as the day came alive, their distant voices drowned out by the...
Some say that the end of the rainy season — March and April — is the very best time to visit Namibia. Here’s why: Fresh grasses and flowers burst into bloom, transforming landscapes which at other times of year appear barren. The display peaks in April. The clouds that you’ll see at this time add an extra dimension to...
An insider’s overview from the experts at Steppes Travel Why visit? With a feeling of untamed nature, Zambia is a country that draws people back, time and time again. To many, a Zambian safari represents the ‘real Africa’ – a still undiscovered wilderness where exploration on foot reaps the greatest rewards. From the plains of Liuwa and the savannah...
Instead of driving South Africa's coastal Garden Route, try the alternative Route 62, which takes you through immense stretches of Karoo farmland interspersed by delightful country towns and roadside stores. Here, as Cindy-Lou Dale finds on a stopover in Cradock, you will get a feel for the pulse of the country's rural heart. When I tell my petrol pump attendant...
Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson recently returned from a week-long visit to this small East African nation. Here’s what she made of it. (All images by Nicky Dunnington-Jefferson). Why Burundi? It is little known and little visited; and there’s no guide book. “Where’s that?” asked the lady on the other end of the telephone when I applied for travel insurance. I explained:...
With unparalleled landscapes, wildlife and historical treasures, the only difficult thing about planning a trip to Botswana is figuring out what you’re going to have to put off until next time. Here are some suggestions for possible itineraries to enable you to maximise your time. Watery classic (10 days) Maun >> Okavango Delta >> Chobe National Park Day 1...
Few national parks offer better opportunities for wildlife photographers than Zambia's South Luangwa, either from a walking safari, an open vehicle or a photographic hide. The range of wildlife, the dense populations of many iconic species, and photogenic scenery combine to offer an abundance of good material. We bring you this selection of stunning images from Peter Geraerdts, who...
Phil Clisby gets nostalgic. After all, this is what we call the ‘Africa bug’. The alluring smell of herbs; music blaring from a house; goats bleating. The lap of the water on the shore; the long stretch of untouched sand. The splash of a paddle in the water; the freshness of the air. The heat of the sun, the...
Many of us love the idea of throwing our cares to one side and heading off into the mountains. Sometimes, however, we are a little less sure about what we should take and the often-simple precautions necessary to keep ourselves safe. Here, Alan Palmer, who has been trekking in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains for more than 30 years, passes on...
An insider’s overview from the experts at Steppes Travel Why visit? Rwanda is still, without a doubt, the best place in the world to go mountain gorilla trekking. Walking in the Virunga Mountains in the shadow of giant, prehistoric plants as the mists clear to reveal a family of gorillas is incomparable. Gorillas aside, Akagera Park and Nyungwe Forest...
Looking for a quiet weekend out of Cape Town, Janine Avery found herself drawn to a little rural town encouragingly called Darling. And if your curiosity has also been piqued, here are her top tips to help you make the most of it. Detour 15km off the popular West Coast Road that runs from Cape Town to Langebaan and...
