Interesting notes about traveling in Africa. Travels in West Africa. Should I go or not? Roads, hotels and animals

From Brest I have already hitchhiked about 70,000 kilometers, driven to Nepal, the Republic of Tyva, Georgia and a bunch of other places European countries. She recently returned from a massive 157-day trip to Africa - on a budget of $1 a day. Is there life for 17,000 Belarusian rubles, how to hitchhike correctly and how to approach life knowing that you have cancer, Tanya told 34travel.

Tanya's story

I studied rather boringly, as an economist. Initially I assumed that it was not for me, but my parents insisted. I have always been a creative person: I danced, twirled fireworks, and studied medieval culture. Traveling is one of the greatest pleasures for me. We have a huge beautiful planet, and I’m not ready to live my whole life in one city or one country. For the last two years I have been constantly on the road and am almost never at home.

I found out that I have a tumor quite recently - at the end of September. That it is thyroid cancer - in early October. Of course, I was offended, and I didn’t understand why. But I won’t say that I was depressed for a long time. I remember how after the operation everyone was brought to the ward crying, and I asked to put headphones in my ears and kicked my legs to upbeat music, although it was painful to move. If we cannot change the situation, we must change our attitude towards it!

Cancer made me realize that I was also at risk. Therefore, the desire to travel opened up even more

Cancer made me realize that I was also at risk. Therefore, the desire to travel opened up in me even more. Yes, there are a few lifetime restrictions, but it's not as bad as it could be.

I am a chronic parasite. During my life, I officially worked for exactly a month. From time to time I take on some part-time jobs - writing, taking photographs, conducting opinion polls. When I travel, I play the guitar and draw. And since hitchhiking is quite inexpensive, traveling is often even cheaper than living at home. It’s expensive and expensive for me to stay in Brest - I’m forced to travel somewhere, but it turns out cheaper and much more interesting! For example, I left for Moldova for ten days with ten dollars, and returned with fourteen.



Tanya in Africa

In Africa I visited 5 countries - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Namibia. All countries are very different from each other.

Uganda. A land of fun, carelessness and joy. This is where the real “Hakuna Matata” is. There are songs and dances in the streets until late at night, people are everywhere, aunties are frying and steaming delicious cheap food. Noise, din... An ideal country for experiencing truly African life. They didn’t hear about hunger and lack of water there, and when I told them how poorly they live in the imagination of Belarusians, the guys were surprised!

Kenya. At first we were afraid of it: a lot of beggars, ugly guys in woolen hats and jackets, when it’s +40 outside, dirt, garbage, stench... But this is only in the suburbs of Nairobi. And you gradually get used to the garbage. There are a lot of animals right next to the roads. Zebras, giraffes - all this is Kenya. Red sand, Indian ocean, mango.

Tanzania. Here, alas, the rainy season caught up with us. Therefore, we only stayed in Tanzania for two weeks. We visited Kilimanjaro Park. It was amazing to see this legendary mountain with my own eyes. Here we were taken to the very heart of Maasai culture - a real village.

Zambia. Country-forest. There are very, very few people here! You can drive 400 km along the road and not see a single person. Here and there there are houses sticking out in the forest. After East Africa, where there is something to eat at every turn, in Zambia we were literally starving: 2 boiled eggs, 2 tomatoes, 2 buns - our entire daily ration. Sometimes even this was not the case. But Victoria Falls makes up for everything at once!

Namibia. I don't have words to describe this country. So diverse nature, life, culture, people, animals! It would seem that everything is here - desert, wild forest, various tribes, the architecture of old German cities. God, these are the coolest sunsets in the world! And the baked goods are the coolest too!

Hospitality

Africans amazed me with their openness and friendliness. When I was planning to travel, I was afraid that I, as a white man who colonized them, would be hated or at least disliked. And they were very sincere! Of course, the drivers periodically tried to profit from us, but even they helped us when they realized that we had no money. The Africans checked us into hotels, invited us to their homes, fed us, and sometimes even gave us money.

We traveled in Kenya for about a month, and only slept in a tent once or twice - we were constantly being accommodated somewhere. They rarely invited people into the house - they were embarrassed by their poverty

In general, Africans have a strong sense of responsibility for those they have “tamed.” And this is despite the fact that in their concept, white people are fabulously rich and came to Africa to relax and spend money. We traveled in Kenya for about a month, and only slept in a tent once or twice - we were constantly being accommodated somewhere. We were more often accommodated in inexpensive hotels - seeing that we were white, the Africans wanted to accommodate us better. They rarely invited people into the house - they were probably embarrassed by their poverty, or they were simply uncomfortable. Not far from the sources of the Nile, in a small town, we made friends with the chief of police and on the way back we stopped by to visit him for a few days.

Africa also amazed me with its greenery: there are many familiar trees and field grasses there. I was expecting more exotic species. In general, in my mind, this continent was a semi-desert: heat, palm trees, blacks sitting in loincloths and eating bananas. It turned out that in Africa there is big cities with skyscrapers, where locals wear business suits and ties and eat in expensive restaurants.



Hitch-hiking

For the first month, the three of us traveled with a friend and a friend. Fortunately, in East Africa This is fine. The situation when a truck is driving, there are five people in it and the three of us with backpacks are taken there - this is the norm. The problem of “no space in the cabin” does not exist for African drivers at all.

The main feature of traveling in Africa is that you are a “mzungu” - a white man who, in the concept of Africans, flies planes and drives jeeps. Besides, there is no such thing as hitchhiking! They give each other a lift - but for money, because public transport there's not enough for everyone. Therefore, when you get into an African’s car, the first thing you need to do is explain why the hell you, a white man, ended up on the road, and without any money. This is a big shock for them. It is advisable to repeat several times while you are driving that you have no money and will not be able to pay.

When you get into an African's car, you need to explain why the hell you, a white man, ended up on the road, and without any money.

Once we even had a case when we argued with the driver and he even called the local police and convened a people's court. The driver drove us some absolutely ridiculous distance and demanded a lot of money. We were indignant. In the end, the elder sorted everything out, making sure that we warned the driver that we would not pay.

Another strange pattern: small white broken down cars in Africa are always paid. We installed it in a couple of days and didn’t stop them anymore.


Robbery

Once we were robbed in Africa. A common thing that happens very often to people traveling. The only interesting thing is that this did not happen in the poorest areas of some criminal Nairobi. We were robbed during the day, in the center of the capital Windhoek, in Namibia, 200 meters from the main police station.

My friend had to get into a fight. He took back his passport; however, after that he himself had to be stitched up in the hospital

It was on a hill, so there were no people nearby. Two black guys with knives simply approached us and politely asked us to give up our backpacks, warning that they would not touch us if we gave everything up ourselves. But, seeing my fellow traveler have a camera in his backpack, they got cold feet from our loud screams and began to run away. My passport was in my backpack. A friend had to catch up with them and start a fight. He got his passport back, however, after that he had to file it himself in the hospital. But scars only decorate men.




Budget

I spent 157 days in Africa. And, of course, the question that worries everyone: “How much money did you spend?”

For flights - $630, for visas - $200, for other expenses (food, travel in cities) - about $230. Total - $1060.

They gave us another $98. Thanks to all these kind people! We spent an average of $1 a day. I won’t say that you can feel comfortable with this amount, but we didn’t die of hunger.

Of course, we were often treated to food by the drivers and our hosts. For a dollar a day you can eat generously but modestly. For example, in Uganda you can buy 20 bananas and 6 flatbreads, this food will be enough not only for a day, but for three! There we spent 30 cents a day and felt great. It’s good that there was water in the pumps everywhere, otherwise the problem is that a liter bottle of water costs just $1.

In Namibia, as in a more civilized country, it was not possible to live on a dollar, here we spent about three, but I can safely say that we did not deny ourselves anything!

In Kenya, with this money you can buy 4 large and ripe mangoes, which is enough for me for a day. It all depends on your preferences; it is quite possible to eat simple African food (mashed bananas or corn porridge) and fruits. If you want to eat a piece of meat every day, of course, this amount is not for you...



Photo - Tanya Gendel

Africa is the second most populous continent; more than 1.1 billion people live here: a huge number of nationalities, languages ​​and cultures. Among conflict-ridden and poor countries, there are also quite peaceful, safe and interesting ones for tourists. Many travelers are familiar with countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. And we will tell you about where you can have a pleasant time south of the Sahara in this article.

1.

Perhaps the most unexpected state on this list is Sierra Leone, which not so long ago was torn apart for ten years Civil War. However, since 2002, Sierra Leone has undergone major changes and today it is already ranked among the peace-loving countries according to the Global Security Index (GPI). Sierra Leone is considered one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world, and the life expectancy of the local population is 57 years, which is not bad by African standards.

Sierra Leone has many beautiful nature reserves, such as the Gala rain forest or the Outamba-Kilimi National Park, clean beaches on the Atlantic coast, and its capital Freetown is oldest city V West Africa.

2.

Leader in security on the African continent. Whether this is due to the fact that peace and tranquility are one of the main characteristics of both the Tswana people and the Bushmen, or because the Botswanans understand the economic contribution tourists make, one way or another there is a very low crime rate.

However, no one promises that baboons will not attack you, so during a safari it is recommended not to feed these warlike monkeys or even smile at them. In general, there are a lot of animals in Botswana; for example, it is home to the largest population of elephants in the world.

One of the popular tourist attractions, along with the Kalahari Desert Safari and visiting national parks, since the 30s of the last century, the search for ancient treasures hidden from the colonialists in the caves of Gchvihab has been considered. No one has found the treasure yet, but the caves themselves with amazing stalactites up to 10 meters long are worth traveling to the north of the country for.

3.

In 2008, Ghana was identified by the Global Security Index as the most safe country Africa and has remained at the top of this ranking ever since. The country has rare internal conflicts and has peaceful relations with its neighbors. Tourists here are treated very friendly and speak English - this is official language Ghana.

Here you can visit numerous reserves with elephants, antelopes, monkeys and other exotic animals, visit the ruins of castles and fortresses of Cape Post and Elmina, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and spend time on clean, uncrowded beaches.

4.

This country in South-West Africa is an oasis of stability and security on a turbulent dark continent. It was discovered quite late (in 1878) by Europeans, quickly emerged from all internal and external conflicts and is now one of the richest African countries.

Here is the most ancient desert on earth - the Namib, the legendary Skeleton Coast, many national parks, the site of the fall of the largest Hob meteorite, the second largest canyon after the Colorado and much more.
Do not miss:

Namibia is quite good highways, A tourist train The Desert Express runs between the capital Windhoek and resort town Swakopmund, stopping at particularly noteworthy places along the way.

5.

Uganda is considered a safe country for foreigners by both GPI and public tourism opinion. This may be due to the fact that it is not customary here for traders and barkers to pester people, perhaps due to the fact that the proportion of the country's urban population is only 13%, and the main attractions are not in the villages.

Tourists in Uganda have a lot to see: one of the oldest in Africa national park Queen Elizabeth, Botanical Garden Entebbe, where the first Tarzan film was filmed, the Rwenzori mountain range - most likely, it was them that the ancient Egyptians called the Mountains of the Moon. They practice here sailing on Lake Victoria and rafting on the Nile, which originates in Uganda.

If local residents here they do not cause much disturbance to tourists, but you need to be careful with animals, especially if you see a mother elephant with her baby elephant. By the way, Uganda is located on the main migration route of northern birds: eagles, cuckoos, swallows, kites and many familiar birds spend the winter here.

6.

Cape Verde or Islands Cape Verde- an archipelago off the west coast of Africa. Calmness, tranquility, relative cleanliness and an acceptable level of service (European companies are investing in local tourism) await tourists here, in the homeland of the famous singer Cesaria Evora.

The islands have enough picturesque landscapes: extinct volcanoes, mountain ranges, where you can go trekking, flowering meadows where you can just take a walk. But the main feature of Cape Verde is, of course, the ocean - it is used to its full capacity: starting from the beaches with black volcanic sand, continuing with dives to shipwrecks and ending with windsurfing, schools of which are on every island, but the island of Sal is especially famous for them.

7.

8.

Residents of Tanzania are friendly and smiling, but, as elsewhere, travelers should not let their guard down - there are plenty of robbers here. But there are still many tourists in Tanzania who come here without fear. Here, in the homeland of Freddie Mercury, there is a lot to see.

Firstly, the Kilimanjaro volcano, to the top of which there are numerous hiking trails. Secondly, the island of Zanzibar - resort place, where the most beautiful city founded by the Arabs back in the 9th century is located Stone City. From here they go on spice tours, during which you can grind cinnamon and try unfamiliar spices. Thirdly, the famous Serengeti National Park, which occupies a huge area and is home to more than three million large wild animals.

Fourthly, the Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve, located in a colossal (21 km in diameter) crater extinct volcano. It is home to about 25 thousand different animals and has the highest concentration of predators in all of Africa.

9.

Madagascar is a separate continent in miniature: it is so unlike Africa or any other place on earth. There are amazing landscapes here, and 80% of the living animals and plants are found nowhere else.

The island has many natural parks and protected areas. The largest reserve is Tsingy de Bemaraja, which, like many others, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The country is rich beautiful beaches; It is traditionally believed that swimming on west coast safer - there are fewer sharks there.
Take a look at this:

10.

Zimbabwe is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa: it is here, on the border with Zambia, that famous waterfall Victoria. In Zambia, by the way, there are fewer tourists, so those who prefer a more secluded environment are recommended to admire the wonder of nature there.
This is definitely worth seeing:

Zimbabwe has a very good conservation structure and there are unusually many animals here even for Africa, so hunting is allowed in some places (almost everywhere on the continent is already prohibited).

In addition to countless national parks, there is also a unique historical site - the stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe: pagan temple complex, built over a thousand years ago.

Tourists planning a trip to Africa must have all vaccinations; a list of them is usually available on the embassy website. Even in those countries where vaccination is not required for travel, you must take anti-malarial tablets, and start taking them before the trip. It is strictly forbidden to use raw water even for brushing your teeth.

Are you going on a trip? Don't forget about

On this journey, real adventures await you - the kind that you read about in books about brave pioneers and tireless seekers of beauty. During the trip you will find out what secret is hidden Indian Ocean and get to know its inhabitants. You will experience the culture of African tribes and enjoy local sunsets against the backdrop of the cosmically beautiful deserts of Namibia. Take a ride on a real safari and witness how the most dangerous predators on our planet hunt. You can take a selfie with flamingos and spend time in the company of penguins on the ocean.

This is one of our most unforgettable and unpredictable routes.

What will we do on the tour?

This trip is organized by a small group of up to 8 people and involves meeting and communicating with interesting people.

Here you will find many activities that are considered extreme (of course, all this is optional).

Roadtrip is independent travel by car. It is considered one of best options, as it gives you complete freedom of movement and creates a special atmosphere for the trip.

This format guarantees an unforgettable experience and will allow you to see all the best and interesting places in a way that ordinary tourists will never see them.

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Detailed program


How will the trip go?

Day 1. Cape Town

Our journey begins in Cape Town (South Africa) with meeting the whole group over a warm dinner.

Day 2. Cape Town

After an early breakfast, the group will split up: the bravest ones will go on a shark dive, where they will be able to view the famous jaws from an arm's length distance. For those who do not dare to do this, we suggest going to sightseeing tour around the city and up Table Mountain for some crazy views. In the evening, everyone will visit wine farms, and after dinner we will have the opportunity to spend time in one of the best whiskeys in the country.

Day 3. Cape of Good Hope

Immediately after breakfast we will go to that narrow piece of land that the African continent points towards Antarctica. Towards the Cape of Good Hope. The transfer will pick you up directly from the hotel, and will be waiting for you at your place. walking along the ocean coast, where you will have the opportunity to watch penguins and fur seals. In the evening you return to the hotel.

Day 4. Windhoek

We will get up early and fly to Windhoek. 3 hours of travel - and you are in the very big city Namibia. At the airport you will pick up the cars that will continue your journey. A colorful road trip through Namibia awaits you to Sossusvlei, where along the way you will stop to walk along the desert dunes. ​In the evening, after dinner, enjoy stunning views in the middle of the desert and spend the night at the lodge in anticipation of the most photogenic places on the planet.

Day 5. Sossusvlei

You will meet the morning in the middle of the desert - as far as possible from civilization. We will go to the national park, where we will spend the whole day in the most picturesque desert dunes of Namibia. You will visit the Dead Valley, famous for its petrified camel acacia trees. See the most popular and visited of the Namibian dunes - the famous dune number 45. In the evening we return to the lodges. Get ready - dinner will take place under the most starry sky of your life.

Day 6-7. ​​

Sossusvlei - Swakopmund

​​​Early breakfast - and again on the road. On the way to Swakopmund we will stop in the Tropic of Scorpio and the Moon Valley, the landscapes here are very reminiscent of lunar craters and seas. Upon arrival in Swakopmund, leaving your things at the hotel, go to the museum of some of the largest crystals in the world, and then for dinner at the best establishment in the city, where they serve the freshest seafood of the morning. The next day you will have a trip to the Sandwich Dunes, a boat trip with the opportunity to watch dolphins and an excursion to Walvis Bay. In the evening you have rest and free time. Day 8.

​​​After an early breakfast, we set off further for adventure. Our route will run along the Skeleton Coast to Cape Cross, where you will have the opportunity to walk along the shore in the company of fur seals. ​Next we head to the village of the Himba tribe to see with our own eyes how the tribe lives, carefully preserving the traditions of its ancestors. How they get water, how they teach their children, how they react to changes in the vast world that surrounds them. Afterwards you will be able to touch distant history, you will have the opportunity to see with your own eyes the cave paintings of the Bushmen. In the evening you will head to your hotel where you will spend the night in the middle of wild nature.

Day 9-10. ​​Etosha Park and Irindi

The day we will spend in one of the largest national parks in Namibia. IN national park In Etosha you can see endangered animals. On the safari, which will take place in the evening of the same day, you can see herds of valley and mountain zebras, giraffes, blue wildebeests, lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals, long-eared foxes, warthogs, badgers, and ground squirrels. The next day in the morning we will go on another unforgettable safari in Irindi. You will find all the African Big Five animals that live in a relatively small area of ​​the reserve.

Day 11 Windhoek

Today you go to Windhoek airport, hand over your cars, say goodbye to all participants and fly home happy, full of emotions.

Included in cost

  • Accommodation in 3-4* hotels, conveniently located along the entire route
  • Air flight Cape Town-Windhoek
  • Off road car rental in Namibia
  • Russian-speaking escort throughout the route
  • 2 days safari in Namibia
  • Cape Good Hope
  • Lion Mountain
  • Tribes of Africa
  • Transfers
  • Boat trip to see the dolphins
  • Online logistics support
  • Unforgettable adventures

Not included in price

  • International flight at the beginning of the trip and at the end of the trip
  • Nutrition
  • Car fuel in Namibia

Flights

Guest requirements

Driver's license preferred (but not required)

Additional services

Additional 2 days to Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls and Johannesburg

  • Shark Dive | Price: $500

Travel expert

This person created this route for you. Knows all the secrets and features of this trip, from the beginning to the end.

Traveling is his lifestyle. He has a real love for active and extreme travel. Visited almost all continents.

Why are you going to Africa? People really didn’t understand why spend money on some incomprehensible Kenya and Tanzania, when they had already long ago been discovered, explored and developed for comfortable rest Dominican Republic, Maldives and Thailand. I would be glad not to reinvent the wheel, but I couldn’t. I have been zombied since childhood. And the BBC is to blame for everything (in the sense of the British Broadcasting Corporation, not Air Force) and Nikolai Nikolaevich Drozdov.

Photos and text by Yakov Oskanov1. Like many (I would like to believe that I am not alone) boys of my childhood, I loved watching the television program “In the World of Animals”. One of the programs showed a BBC film about the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. I tried to find this film on the Internet, but apparently it was not fate. I don't remember the content of the film at all. I only remember the final shots, where a herd of hippos runs into the lake early in the morning and Nikolai Nikolaevich’s voice: “Hippos are returning to their native element.” If anyone doesn’t know, no one drove the hippos out of there, they just graze at night, and in the morning they hide from the heat in the water. But it was filmed so cool and edited with such pretentious music that it seemed as if the hippos had been wandering in the desert for twenty years and finally found their Promised Water.

I also remember my mother, sharing her impressions of the film with me, and said that, perhaps, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro - real paradise for a zoologist. I still believe that all zoologists who behaved well during life end up in the Serengeti after death. And the most righteous are in Ngorongoro. In those years, I still dreamed of becoming (and dying) a zoologist, and therefore for me Tanzania began to personify the quintessence of everything unrealistic, where I wanted to go. I never became a zoologist, but Ngorongoro remained a beacon of childhood dreams in my hardened adult soul.

1. Let's fly


The fact that I did not become a zoologist has its advantages. The boring routine work that I do allowed me to earn money for a trip to the blessed lands of the African savannas. Despite the fact that both Ngorongoro and Serengeti are located in Tanzania, it was decided to also visit Kenya. Firstly, because two countries are more interesting to visit than one, and secondly, rhinoceroses. Yes, yes, you didn’t think so. I wrote exactly “rhinoceros”. Some people love sexy brunettes, some love Burgundy wine DRC Romanée Conti 1934, some love cars a la Lamborghini Aventador, but God made me fall in love with the thick-skinned megafauna of tropical countries. Those. I like all big animals. Not by taste, of course, but by appearance. And not in the sense in which people like sports cars, and certainly not in the sense in which men (and some women, too, for that matter) like sexy brunettes. I just love watching these powerful giants. Africa is home to three animals that I wanted to see most: the elephant, the rhinoceros and the hippopotamus. True, it turned out that in the time that has passed since I watched that memorable program “In the Animal World,” Africa has significantly lost its supply of rhinoceroses. There are only black rhinoceroses left in Tanzania, and even then only a few. But it turned out that in Kenya there is a national park where white rhinoceroses are bred. So what? That's right - we decided to add Kenya to our route. Moreover, a hundred miles is not a detour for a mad dog.

2. Great Rift Valley. It contains all the national parks of Kenya and Tanzania that interest us.

3. Let me note right away that not everyone in our company dreamed of seeing rhinoceroses since childhood. I prepared dessert for these people - beach holiday on Zanzibar, glorified by Chukovsky. The sea, palm trees, sun loungers and freshly squeezed pineapple juice - this is the carrot that I had to dangle in front of everyone who was not ready to endure a week-long race through the African savannas. The result is the following route, on the basis of which I plan to write a number of essays.

4. We arrived in Nairobi early in the morning, but did not enter the city itself. I didn’t want to waste time exploring urban landscapes. The first point on our route was Lake Nakuru National Park. This is the very place where white rhinoceroses meet white people. By the way, this perfect place. We immediately fell in love with it, and we fell in love with it. We met rhinoceroses. And as a bonus, there are Rothschild giraffes and a leopard. The guide said we were lucky. We didn't argue.

6. On the way to the Masai Mara National Park, we stopped at Lake Naivasha. For lovers of bird photography, this place is definitely a godsend. I have never seen such an abundance of birds anywhere. It seems that all the water birds in the world flock to this lake in order to watch the photographers in natural environment their (photographers’) habitats. Within two hours, I ran out of flash cards, despite the fact that I deleted the unsuccessful pictures right on the spot.

8. Then we arrived in the Masai Mara, and he fascinated us. Unfortunately, our car broke down there, so the essay will contain a lot of thoughts about boredom, loneliness and the endless African steppes. I swore, threatened, begged, exhorted - all in vain. The car was not repaired until the evening. With animals in the national park it is much better than with mechanics and spare parts. This was the most unpleasant moment of our trip. If only because this day cannot be compensated in any way. The program was designed in such a way that it was necessary to move on. On the other hand, there is a motive to return to the Masai Mara again. But we managed to shoot something.

9. What would Masai Mara be without the Masai?

Then we went to Tanzania. We crossed the border, switched to a Tanzanian car, and headed for the Serengeti. Yes, the same one where hippos run into their native element in the morning. What can I tell you? If you love nature even a little, then the Serengeti will seize you with sacred ecstasy, you can be sure. It is beautiful, very beautiful and the feeling of the beauty surrounding you is simply intoxicating. You find yourself inside the scenery for the cartoon “The Lion King”. By the way, we even drove past Pride Rock, from which they painted the rock on which the lions lived in the cartoon.

10. We met Pumbaa's wife.

11. They bent the wildebeest...

12. You’ll bend this fig. Even the lions are afraid of him.

But the most indescribable experience of the trip is spending the night in the middle of the savannah. Camping, a fire and a wild savannah outside the circle outlined by the fire. There are no reflections of distant cities, no noise, only stars, flames and sounds of nature.

13. Our camp. View from our tent.

14. Dawn in the savannah.


Then our path lay in Ngorongoro, but on the way we decided to stop by the Olduvai Gorge. The place is quite interesting. And for anthropologists, it’s a cult in general. The fact is that it was here, according to a large number of scientists, that a branch of primates was formed, which subsequently gave birth to the species Homo sapiens, one of whose representatives is now writing these lines.15. Olduvai Gorge.

When we approached the edge of the Ngorongoro crater, we simply cursed with delight for about five minutes. Even those who went to Tanzania for Zanzibar. The scale of the titanic crater was amazing! We took a few memorable photos and went to the hotel to spend the night. We spent the whole day in this wonderful place. For me personally, this was the highlight of the trip. Then the impressions began to descend. But that doesn't mean it was completely boring.

16. Panorama of the crater.

17. Typical landscape inside the crater.

18. Well, what about an essay about Africa without an elephant?

19. There is a small tropical forest in the crater

20. Then we arrived in Arusha and flew to Zanzibar. The flight passed without incident. And thank God! Adventures in flight are not my thing. I also had plans on the glorious island of Zanzibar. If anyone thinks that I am capable of lying on the beach for a whole week, then they are mistaken. My maximum is two days in a row of beach holidays. And then on the condition that the beach will be picturesque, or there will be a coral reef in shallow water where you can snorkel, or rather, in a mask. No, not in the Venetian carnival.

I honestly endured for two days, and then dragged the whole company to Stone Town - the only city in Zanzibar. I knew that this was an old colonial fort, which was included in the World Heritage and is protected by UNESCO. To be honest, it doesn’t matter if it’s guarded. Everything entrusted to the Zanzibaris cultural heritage- in a deplorable state. After Sri Lankan Galle, Stone Town seems like a garbage dump. However, in some places it really is a dump. But colorful. Fans of genre photography would be stuck in it like flies in molasses.

22. “Shipyard” in Zanzibar.

23. Fish market.

The Island of Prisoners is also nearby. There have been no prisoners there for a long time, but there are giant turtles. In fair quantities. Available at arm's length. The highlight for me was of course the Jozani Rainforest. Firstly, in principle, it’s not often that I get to visit tropical forest. And secondly, there you can photograph rare endemic colobus species, and to be precise, Kirk's red colobus species. The colobus monkeys (thank you, dear ones!) did not disappoint and allowed themselves to be properly captured on camera. I wanted to persuade others to night excursion jungle (see nocturnal primates), but was sent amicably. I didn’t want to go into the forest at night myself. If only because I have a rather expensive camera and lens with me, with which I can hang around alone in wild places with low level life is unreasonable.

24. Portrait of a colobus.

We were also going to see the mangrove forest. And they even swam to him. But we were stuck in the middle of the ocean. And even on a fragile boat, hollowed out in a solid tree trunk. This is worth a separate essay, especially since I made a video. There will be something to laugh at.

25. During low tide it is no wonder to run aground.

The days flew by quickly, I managed to scuba dive, photograph the surrounding area, and visit the famous Rock restaurant. In the end, the beach holiday was frankly boring and I already wanted to go home.

26. The famous restaurant “The Rock”.

27. I dreamed of quickly downloading photos to my computer and starting writing essays. Now my dream has come true. To be honest, I feel a little empty now, because... I really didn’t want to go anywhere as much as to Tanzania. But that's okay. I will study the world; by the way, I haven’t been to America at all. Neither in the North nor in the South.

Well, for now I will dream of hippos in their native element - in the Serengeti...

The group flies to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (or Livingston, Zambia). Check in to a wonderful hotel. First day of our Great trip. Relax after your flight. Take a walk along the waterfall and get wet from its spray!

We will see the waterfalls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides.

Waterfall day and motorboat safari.

We start the morning with a walk along the Victoria Falls. You can then bungee jump from the bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe, lie in the Devil's Pool right on the edge of the falls (availability depends on the season) or fly over the falls in a helicopter!

After lunch, we cross the border and find ourselves in Botswana, an open-air zoo country.

We will have a safari on a motor boat on the Chobe River, where you can swim up to the animals and take pictures very close. We will watch hippos, elephants, crocodiles, antelopes and other animals.

The main elephant farm of the planet and the Baobab Forest.

Mornings in Africa start well with a national safari. Chobe Park, here is the largest population of elephants on the planet, and even the largest elephants.

This country is amazing - if in Russia we usually see cows on the side of the roads, here elephants and giraffes are often a common sight! After the morning safari we drive around the country and go to the baobab forest. We stay in houses right in the middle of the baobab trees! Delicious dinners, photographs with giant trees.

Breakfast with meerkats, salt marsh.

We'll have to get up early, because today we're boarding safari jeeps and going to have breakfast with meerkats - funny animals that look like little people. Along with the meerkats, we admire the giant salt marsh, similar to Uyuni in Bolivia. At 360 degrees we will see the expanses of white salt! In some months, the salt marsh is covered with a thin layer of water and then the sky merges with the thin surface of the water.

In the afternoon – transfer to the capital of the Okavango Delta. Possibility of scenic flight over the delta (optional)

Okavango Delta.

This is the largest internal delta on the planet, which does not have access to the ocean. The river splits into 5 branches and dissolves in the Kalahari Desert. It is home to huge amount animals. All the big five can be seen here. It's like National Geographic shows, only live!

Now you have a choice:

1. Go on a safari deep into the delta for a day and spend the night right among the animals! You will not have a fence, and you cannot move more than 100 meters from the camp. Open jeep safari.
2. Go on a safari on Mokoro dugout boats. Authentic, swampy, meditative. Walking safaris with local guides.
3. Just relax in the city in comfort - this is important if you need to save money.

Returning from the Wild and communicating with the Bushmen.

Bushmen are the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. They have preserved the most ancient language on earth, consisting of “tsoking”, and they are also a different race - more similar to Mongoloids than to Negroids.

And although civilization is taking its toll, we will still visit them, talk, learn about their way of life and herbal medicine.

Hello Namibia!

After spending the night with the Bushmen, we set off to meet a new state - Namibia! We will cross the Kalahari Desert and end up in the capital - Windhoek. Here we will comfortably stay for one night, so that the next day we will go to meet the pearl - the Namib Desert, with the highest dunes on Earth.

Road to the Namib Desert.

Transfer to the Namib Desert. Walk through a small canyon, typical for these areas. Watching the sunset with a view of the red dunes and lilac rocks.

We are driving deep into the desert, walking through a dead forest.

We go to meet the sunrise on the red and yellow dunes. They are among the highest in the world! Those who wish will be able to rise above the desert to hot-air balloon or by plane (optional).

Then we get into the jeeps and go into the dead forest in all-wheel drive - business card Namibia!

After lunch we head south, to the grand Aus Valley with alien Martian species.

Atlantic and surreal day.

Namibia is washed by the cold Atlantic Current. Penguins and fur seals live here. The wind is cold and salty. You can’t even tell that this is Africa. Today we will just get to the small and picturesque city of Lüderitz on the coast. We can eat fresh oysters and wash them down with champagne. If the weather is favorable, it is possible to go on a catamaran to the Penguin colonies (optional).

On the same day we will visit a ghost town, half covered with sand. Once upon a time, German prospectors lived here - diamond miners, but the deposit dried up and the city was forgotten. Now there are abandoned schools, hospitals and residential buildings, half covered with sand.

The Great African Canyon and the Orange River.

Today we will see another miracle of our Planet - the second largest canyon in the World and the first canyon in Africa. You want to stay here for a long time, and the views are fantastic and alien.

After the Canyon, a relaxed evening on the banks of the Orange River. Here you can swim or canoe.

 

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