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Leaving behind the gleaming salt plains of Lake Assale, after witnessing the sunrise, we begun the drive toward the heart of the Danakil...

Lake Assale which is also known as Lake Karum lies in the heart of Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, a region known for its otherworldly landscapes and extreme climate. Its surface, often reflecting the sky in pale hues, creates a visual calm in an otherwise harsh environment despite temperatures that can soar above 50°C, Situated at approximately 120 meters or 400 feet below the sea level, this hypersaline lake is surrounded by vast salt flats that stretch across the horizon. A

From Lalibela, I boarded a short flight to Gondar, a city often called the Camelot of Africa . Nestled in Ethiopia’s northern highlands,...

For years, Ethiopia called to me with its ancient allure, but nothing stirred my curiosity more than the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela — a UNESCO World Heritage site and a marvel carved out of a monolithic stone. Perched in the Lasta Mountains of northern Ethiopia, this highland town offers breathtaking views and the portal to visit the ancient churches carved directly into the rugged terrain. Flying out of Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines, I landed at Lalibela’s quiet ai

Addis Ababa, the vibrant capital of Ethiopia, is the heart of a nation home to over 126 million people. This high-altitude city is at approximately 2,355 meters (7,726 feet) above sea level — one of the highest capital cities in the world. From its bustling markets and historic cathedrals to its role as the diplomatic hub of Africa, Addis Ababa offers a compelling glimpse into Ethiopia’s rich cultural mosaic and its growing global influence. I arrived there in May, and the we

The second highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kenya, rising over 5 kilometers. In terms of beauty, it is the first, according to Kenyans. It has three peaks, Batian (5,199 meters (17,057 feet)), Nelion (5,188 m (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 m (16,355 ft)). Batian and Nelion are technical climbs needing crampons, ice-axe, harnesses, cables, hooks etc. The Lenana peak can be climbed with a hike.   I planned on a 4-day trip which would allow me to climb up the Sirimon ga

Towards the southeast of Kenya, very close to its border with Tanzania is the Amboseli National Park. Kenya’s Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and Maasai Mara are other fantastic game parks. What sets Amboseli apart is the huge variety of birdlife in it besides the wildlife. I was driving from Maasai Mara to Amboseli non-stop starting at 6:30am and passing Nairobi at about 10:30am. I was blessed with great weather and was nearing the turnoff to the unpaved road to Amboseli. I saw a gr

One of the big attractions of Kenya is the Maasai Mara National Reserve. I wanted to visit it and heard that people can do a game drive as a self-drive, and that seemed very intriguing. In the past, I had gone to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara in Tanzania, where I always had a tour operator take me on such drives. I was told that a 4x4 was required to go on this game drive. In Nairobi, I was able to negotiate a 7,000 Kenyan shilling a day Nissan XTrail rent

Roughly about a 120km from Nairobi downtown is the Nakuru county which has the Eburru forest. I decided to do this hike and the tour operator asked to meet at 5:30AM in Nairobi. We left punctually and picked up more people on the way until there were about 20 people on the mini bus. Driving through beautiful, wooded areas that were visible after an hour or so out of Nariobi, we saw views of a couple of rift valleys. The road to our destination was well paved for the first 100

Besides Mahe, two other islands people like to visit in Seychelles are Praslin and La Digue. The 's' in Praslin is silent. It is a bigger island than La Digue but much smaller than Mahe. Seychelles has a picture of Coco de Mer in most places including hotel rooms and in art which is displayed everywhere. Coco de Mer is a species of coconut, but has two halves with a shape of the heart. It is illegal to have a Coco de Mer in your possession. Only licensed handlers are allowed

Forty years ago, three brothers wanted to enjoy life and they started distilling rum from the sugarcane in Seychelles for personal consumption. Over the years, it blossomed into a full blown distillery that supplies rum to 50 countries and makes over two hundred thousand liters of this stuff daily. They offer a free tour and a paid tasting, I joined them for both these events. The old ancestral house serves as the reception area, museum and the tasting venue. They display a

Over 23 years ago, I went to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and ventured to do a scuba dive. A huge catamaran took me in the ocean for two hours from Cairns and arrived at the barrier reef dive site. Although I did not know how to swim, I was allowed to dive. The dive instruction went smoothly, and I went underwater. Things were going well until I fully realized that I was underwater with no ability to breath other than the pipe in my mouth. I worried what would happen i

Mahé hosts the capital, Victoria, of the country of Seychelles , which is an archipelago with about 155 islands. It has just about 100 thousand citizens, and in my opinion, it is one of the most expensive countries to visit. It is frequented by Europeans who desire to escape the frigid local weather in favor of the warm, balmy days and easy access to beaches and ocean all year round. Seychelles is the smallest African country. February is the wettest season and being here in

The city by the North Atlantic, about 400 km south of Casablanca is the city of Essaouira, which has very chill vibe, is right by the ocean, and is beloved by tourists. Driving towards it, you can see the whole city from a distance and it looks very inviting. The city has a port area, has city walls and a medina. Next to the medina is the fisherman's area where the locally caught fresh fish is displayed. There are fish and seafood of various kinds on offer. One fisherman had

I had been driving in Morocco for over 1,000 km and had many experiences which were mostly with friendly and helpful people. From Casablanca to Rabat to Tangier, the driving was mostly on toll roads, and driving was very fast with occasional stopping for tolls. The highways are very well-maintained. Driving from Tangier to the Erg chebbi desert was mostly on national highways which are smaller, sometimes single lane, and little bit bumpy. The journey to Marrakesh was also

The sixteenth century Madrasa built by Sultan Abdullah Assaadi in Marrakech was an ancient destination for scholars in various fields including religious sciences. It is a stunning monument to visit. The visit costs a ticket priced at about $5. The entrance is very ornate, and it gets more and more beautiful as one goes inside the Madresa. The Ibn Yusuf Madrasa is considered as a historical treasure and a testament to the genius of Moroccan ancestors in architecture and decor

On a beautiful morning, I started from Marakkesh on a hi Atlas Mountain hike, which started at Imlil and proceeded to Imnane Valley. The trip organizer picked me up from the hotel, and drove almost an hour and a half to the starting point of the hike where another guide met me. It was 10 AM by this time and the sun was out although it was a little chilly outside. The guide got a bottle of water for me and we started off. The starting point was at about 5,500 feet and it was a

The Erg Chebbi desert is very close to the border between Morocco and Algeria. Touring it provides a great opportunity to see the nomadic tribes, like the Berbers as well as to see their ancient traditions, like gathering water from the desert. To get to the Erg Chebbi desert needs driving all the way to the east of Morocco, which is anywhere from 10 to 15 hours of drive depending on how many stops you take. Most hotels and kiosks around that area offer a 3 to 4 hour driving

At the desert hotel/tent site in Erg Chebbi , Merzouga desert, tourists are offered a sunrise camel ride for 200 dirhams which seemed like a great way to spend a morning in the desert. At 7:30am, the dromedary camel and its keep were ready and waiting. It was cold, about 4C, so holding on to the metal rod on top of the camel's saddle seemed hard, especially since I was not wearing any gloves. Soon I was comfortable enough to ride the camel without holding on to anything and i

Anywhere in Morocco, when you sit down for a meal, the first thing they bring to your table is some Hobs bread, a plate of olives, and some mint tea. The traditional Moroccan dish is cooked in a Tagine and therefore the dishes are named based on what is in the Tagine, e.g. Seafood Tagine. The Tagines are made of clay and have a cover. The food ingredients are place in the based and cooked in an oven. The restaurant I saw in Casablanca had a lot of Tagines placed neatly in the