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A landlocked country completely contained within South Africa; Lesotho had been on my list for years. I finally paired the visit with nearby adventures in Uganda and Rwanda, stitching together a trip that crossed both altitude and culture. My original plan was to drive from Johannesburg, but websites warned me about the bureaucracy of taking a South African rental car across the border, the paperwork, the permissions, the cross‑border fees. I abandoned the idea of a road entr

Recently, I flew a chain of routes, Rwanda to Cape Town, then Lesotho, Eswatini, and onward to Europe. Each trip required a Johannesburg stop, the unavoidable hub of southern Africa. On one of those five connections, I had a nine‑hour layover, long enough to step outside the airport and explore. The first place I headed was the Apartheid Museum. My resourceful friend from Buffalo, NY rented a car for just $19 a day, giving us wheels to explore. In about an hour, we reached th

Eswatini is a small, landlocked kingdom tucked entirely inside South Africa, lying to the northeast of Johannesburg and just a few hours’ drive from the Gauteng heartland. It’s one of Africa’s smallest countries by area and population, home to roughly 1.2 million people and a GDP per capita of about USD 4,000. The country is ruled by King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, and while Eswatini holds parliamentary elections, its system is best described as a monarchy wi

I first became aware of Cape Town not through glossy travel brochures, but through headlines about its looming water crisis. In 2018 the city came perilously close to “Day Zero”, the moment when taps would run dry and residents would have to queue for water rations. Through strict conservation measures, innovative water management, and collective effort by its citizens, Cape Town narrowly avoided disaster. That resilience lodged the city firmly in my consciousness. Although I

Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” Rwanda is one of Africa’s most densely populated countries and sits just south of Uganda. After finishing my Uganda trip, it felt natural to continue onward by road, the Rwandan border is less than an hour’s drive from Kabale, making the transition between the two countries remarkably easy. The land border at Katuna has a small but efficient immigration post, and the entire process took less than fifteen minutes, thanks to my East Afri

More than fifteen years ago, a friend returned from Uganda raving about her encounter with mountain gorillas, and ever since, that experience has lived quietly but firmly on my bucket list. This year, the stars finally aligned. Once I decided to make the trip happen, I dove into the planning: researching routes, permits, and tour companies. I eventually found Encounter Africa through a simple web search; they offered a five‑day chimpanzee and gorilla itinerary priced at $5,40

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