Traveling through Africa. Your trip to Africa: instructions for use. Safari in Tanzania

Africa. Distant, mysterious, inaccessible, but so desirable. It’s strange, but we hear about Africa almost from birth. Of course, this is all Chukovsky: “Children don’t go for a walk in Africa,” “Aibolit” and “Stolen Sun.” Later Hemingway: "The Green Hills of Africa" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Nelson Mandela again with his struggle. Eh, Jah? Ras Tafari I, Selassie I Ay-n-Ay…

Africa. Distant, mysterious, inaccessible. My journey there was long and strange. It all started in the mountains. I first heard about the “7 Summits” climbing program back in 1995. The idea was to

climb the highest peaks of all seven continents and parts of the world. A very ambitious and attractive idea, I must say. That year, just a group of climbers from Yekaterinburg and Perm went to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain (volcano) of the Black Continent. Then I could not afford such a trip, but the dream lit up in my soul with a small spark and began to smolder, waiting in the wings.

A few years later, a financial opportunity arose. I called the most famous and only expedition organizer in Yekaterinburg at that time and asked about Africa. “There are no people on Kilimanjaro. Let's go to Alaska, let's go to McKinley (6194 m) - the highest mountain North America" "But, right there

It’s probably cold..." “So you should dress warmly.” And instead of hot Africa, I went to the snows of Alaska. A couple of years later: “Is anyone in Africa?”, “No, but there is a group in South America on Aconcagua (6962 m) - highest peak" "I'm going." A couple of years later I got a call: “We’re going to Australia to climb the highest mountain - Kousciuszko (2224 m). And we’ll also stop by New Zealand.” At least it’s warm there - “I’m going.” Then there was highest mountain Europe - the Elbrus volcano (5642 m) and only in 2006, exactly 10 years later, the spark of a dream could finally flare up into the flame of the Journey.

So we went to Africa. The event program included climbing Kilimanjaro (5895 m), a safari in National Parks and several days in Zanzibar. All this happened on New Year from 2005 to 2006. As a result of this expedition, I even had a personal exhibition at the Metenkov Photographic Museum.

What is the way - what is the road . Apparently it’s not that easy for me to get to Africa. We've been going for days now. Ekaterinburg - Moscow - Dubai - Nairobi. We celebrated the New Year 2006 in United Arab Emirates somewhere between the plane and the airport. Short New Year's Eve at the hotel and back to check-in. What is today's date? Is it still January 1st? It can’t be: we’ve been driving for ages. Happy New Year!

"Merry Christmas! Happy new year!” - black children shout to us as we drive a minibus through squalid villages. Someone congratulates, someone shows the fact... Happy New Year! We are traveling from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to Moshi, a town at the foot of Kilimanjaro.

To be honest, there are simply no first impressions of Africa. Is it unusual to feel like a white person among a black population? The journey from Nairobi to Moshi is not short. The road goes through a sun-scorched savannah. The landscape is sad.

The road is quite good. Someone saw a zebra. Everyone clung to the windows, but they had already passed. Towards evening we arrived at the border of Kenya and Tanzania. Wooden shed, $50, passport stamp.

Tanzania immediately struck me as expensive. European class track! Highest quality road surface, curbs, signs, markings. Special ceramic tiles in the asphalt cause noise in the tires and warn the driver that he is approaching the side of the road, a turn or a pedestrian crossing. Marvelous! There are few such roads in Russia now, but then... The guide accompanying us explained that these were Germans

built a road here as compensation for the colonial period.

That's it.

Closer to midnight we finally arrived at the place. The bus drove through some gates and stopped. The hotel is several two-story houses among the trees. There is little lighting. In the dark we went to the reception. Distributed by numbers. The hotel staff grabbed the backpacks and carried them to the rooms. My backpack remained. I threw it over my shoulder and wandered into the darkness after those who had gone ahead. There are clear savings with lighting. I was making my way in the darkness among the bushes, when suddenly a man appeared in front of me; a black man in a raincoat and with a Kalashnikov at the ready! My heart skipped a beat. "Oops!" - I think, “I got it!” The man took the key from my hand and beckoned me to follow him.

“Ugh, you damn thing. Apparently a security guard." This is true. He led him to the house and disappeared into the darkness. There was no more strength left and everyone fell asleep.

In the morning, I finally managed to look around. The hotel is quite decent. With garden and swimming pools. Our goal, Kilimanjaro, is visible in the distance:

We had breakfast, repacked, left unnecessary things in the storage room and, closer to noon, drove to the entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park. There are several routes on Kili. Ours was the simplest - Marangu. We went through the checkpoint and registered. There is pre-launch bustle all around: some belongings are being packed, porters are dismantling loads, something is being weighed, re-hung, and shifted. We stand on the sidelines. The porters place the trunks on their heads and go forward. We go next.

The first day of the journey is quite short. We are walking along the road through the tropical forest. It's cool in the forest. We have two guides with us. One is in front, the other is behind. The first one walks deliberately slowly and doesn’t let anyone go ahead: “Field field,” he tells us: “Hush, don’t rush.” This is right. Almost no one has acclimatization, plus there are many who are in the mountains for the first time. Let's go slowly. "Jumbo!" - those who descend greet us in Swahili, “Jumbo!” - we tell them in response. Stop in an hour. Another hour later we came to a clearing with several huts. This is the Mandara camp (2700 m). Everything around is cultured and well-maintained. Toilets, washbasins, large dining room. It looks like a pioneer camp, only the kiosk with beer does not fit into the familiar picture.

It got dark quickly. We are almost on the equator, but in the Southern Hemisphere. Showed people the Southern Cross. The cook prepared dinner: soup, omelet, flatbread, some fruit, tea. After dinner - jokes, whiskey, preference; the evening flew by unnoticed. We slept on the second floor, or rather in the attic, with the dining room side by side on the floor.

In the morning, breakfast and back on the road. "Field field". "Jumbo!" - “Jumbo!” The forest thins out and we enter the zone of alpine meadows:

The wide road leads us into the distance. Soon strange plants began to appear:

Neither grass nor tree. The guide calls them Sinicia. They say these are endemic plants - they grow only on the slopes of Kili. Later I read the name: Dendrorosinicia or Dendrosinicia. Grow in groups:

or one by one:

In general, we walked and walked and in 4 hours we arrived at the next camp - Horombo (3700 m). We were accommodated in triangular houses:

They really resemble the pattern of zebra stripes:

The walk was quite pleasant and useful, as we climbed above 4000 meters. Necessary acclimatization before climbing. We returned to camp. Lunch, whiskey, preference, dinner, whiskey, preference. The jokes are over.

In the morning, breakfast and transfer to the next camp. The weather is unclear: there are clouds and it is not clear whether it will rain or not. Of course, I would like to go to the mountain if the weather is good. The road leads us into the foggy distance through the thickets of Sinitsii:

Closer to lunch, the clouds lifted and we saw Kilimanjaro:

Gradually the vegetation ended and we entered the high mountain desert zone. The trek from Horombo camp to Kibo camp (4700 m) is quite difficult and tiring. It is felt, however, that acclimatization is insufficient. Nevertheless, we move forward. Several victims of altitude sickness are being transported down. The locals adapted a wheel and shock absorbers to the stretcher - it turned out to be something like a wheelbarrow into which they put the unfortunate climber and run down so that he does not die.

In general, climbing Kilimanjaro, despite the apparent simplicity of the route, is quite an extreme undertaking. You need to prepare for it. Work out, run cross-country, go hiking. Plus height. 5895 meters is no joke. Health must be excellent. Heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, musculoskeletal system. Oh, here come some German grandmothers, grandfathers, fat American men... They are taken downstairs on carts. Movement of mechanical vehicles prohibited in the Park. At least die.

But it seemed like our team had gathered in battle and everyone reached Kibo’s hut. Stone house with many rooms and bunk beds. Checked in. I advised those who were in the mountains for the first time to take a walk up, and went to bed, since the exit would be at night. People went and came back. Not everyone went. Some people were killed by the miner. They lie without strength and emotions. It looks like not everyone will go upstairs... Dinner, a drop of whiskey, bed.

Harsh light, noise, din, clattering of dishes... It seems that you have just fallen asleep and are already getting up; I really don’t want to... Nevertheless, we get up and get dressed. We were fed some soup, our backpacks had been packed since the evening. Since the evening? So it’s still evening! Time 23-00. We go out for the assault.

The headlamp picks out a yellow circle under my feet from the darkness. We go up the path. Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. Step by step in the pitch darkness somewhere upward. Black sky everything is in the diamonds of the stars. Unfamiliar constellations cover the celestial sphere of the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Cross indicates where South is. We pass a stone on which the numbers are written in paint: 5000. Meters above sea level, presumably.

It doesn’t seem to be cold, but the body feels somehow chilly. I'm trying to walk faster to warm up - "Field". The group stretched out. The fireflies of headlamps loom ahead above and behind below. I walk at my own pace - not fast, but confidently. It's getting colder. Fingers and toes are freezing. I look - there is a stream among the stones. This means the temperature is above zero; why is it so cold? But because acclimatization is weak; the body lacks oxygen, it produces more red blood

bodies for delivery to the organs of O2, the blood thickens and does not pass into the capillaries, causing the body to experience oxygen starvation and produce even more hemoglobin... Insufficient acclimatization. But what can you do! The edge of the crater is already visible above. Wow, it means it's dawning! Indeed, in the pitch darkness the outlines of the slopes began to emerge.

Height 5500 meters. To the right, part of the Big Dipper Bucket appeared from behind the slope! Wow! From such a height you can look beyond the equator! The North Pole Star is not visible, but almost the entire Ladle is visible. Both the Cross and the Ladle. I've never seen anything like this before.

Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. It's dog cold. Of course, you won’t be able to freeze when the temperature is above zero, but walking without feeling your fingers and toes is not very pleasant. The sky is turning gray. Someone has already reached the edge of the crater and is shining a flashlight down. Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. In the predawn darkness I climb to the edge of the crater of Mount Kilimanjaro. Gilmans Point (5685 m).

The guide hands you a cup of hot tea. Very useful! And a glass of cognac. Oh, this is just wonderful! The cognac instantly spread like a hot wave through the body. The numb fingers became warm, the cheeks glowed red. Great! You can move on!

I was about to put on my backpack, when I froze, amazed by the beauty - the Sun was rising over Africa:

Clouds flowed like a wide river into the valley separating Kilimanjaro from Mawenzi (5334 m) - the second highest peak in Africa.

While we were admiring the sunrise, it finally dawned and it became possible to look around.

Inside the crater, on the southern side, a small glacier was discovered:

Here they are - the legendary sgega of Kilimanjaro:

Having thoroughly enjoyed the views, we moved on to Uhuru Peak - highest point Mount Kilimanjaro. The path led to the left. We walked among lava rocks and scattered rubble. The stones underfoot were covered with frost:

This is the breath of a volcano. He sleeps, but steam rises from the depths of the earth through cracks and freezes with frost outside.

Someone was already descending from the peak that was visible ahead:

A little more, and here it is - the top!

The highest point in Africa is Uhuru Peak 5895 meters above sea level! A dream come true! Uhuru means Freedom.

It is difficult to describe in words what you experience when you reach the top. There are, perhaps, simply no words for this.

The journey from Gilmans Point to the top took 45 minutes. I tried to call home. There seemed to be a connection, but the call did not go through. God be with him. Stone from the top into the backpack. Traditional photo for memory:

Descent from the volcano cone along scree slopes. It's not difficult if you know how to run on loose soil. A little over an hour and I'm down. After some time, people began to arrive. One of the guides came. He said we could sleep a little in the hut; until 12-13 o'clock. I looked at my watch - it was 9-00 in the morning. And it felt like it was already evening.

We were fed soup and I fell asleep with pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.

Closer to noon they woke us up, fed us and we went down. On the way, he clarified who did not ascend. It turned out that not everyone reached the top. Some didn’t get out at all, some turned from 5000, and some only reached Gilman’s Point. But overall the result is good - about 80%. Even very good, considering that there are only three participants with experience in high-altitude climbing, and the rest are in the mountains for the first time.

Down is not up. We walk downhill with a confident step and arrive in Horombo in 2 hours. Another Russian group from Kemerovo, led by two legendary climbers, was found in the camp. They wish us Merry Christmas. But it’s really already January 7th!

At dinner, the Siberians presented us with a 5-liter bottle of whiskey on a special rocking stand. Happy Mountain and Merry Christmas. Guys! I respect you! With such a presant there is no time for preference. “Eh frost, frost...”, “Black Raven...”. The bottle is kind of bottomless. Long after midnight, we swayed and went to our houses.

I feel a little uneasy in the morning, after yesterday. But you still have to go. We have breakfast and head down. The body is gradually returning to normal. In about three hours we got to the entrance to the National Park - Marangu Gate. Here is our entire route (and me):

Participants and porters approach. The cook cooked an amazing goulash with meat, potatoes and bananas. Someone thought of throwing the unfinished bottle downstairs. Very good! We ate, drank, gave tips to the guides and porters, and said goodbye to them.

We load into the minibus and go to the hotel. We went to our numbers. You need to stretch a little after the Mountain. In the evening there is a festive dinner. A representative of the host company issues certificates to everyone confirming that they were at the top (for those who did not reach the maximum height). Cheerful gatherings after dinner. We were at the top - we have the right!

In the morning we go on safari. Several participants are leaving for home. Muscovites. Affairs. We take them to Kilimanjaro airport and go on safari. Instead of a minibus we have jeeps. Land Cruisers and Land Rovers with removable roofs. The safari program includes visiting three National Parks: Lake Manyara, Serengetti Valley and Ngorongoro Crater.

The super road soon ended and the jeeps began to dust along the dirt road. Wild animals began to appear:

We are strictly forbidden to get out of the jeeps. And here are the indigenous people, the Maasai, walking around the savannah completely fearlessly:

They look extremely colorful: bright clothes, earlobes pulled down to the shoulders, beaded earrings and bracelets. Men always carry a stick or a spear. However, they rarely go. Mostly they sit under trees:

If there is a tree, then a Masai is sure to sit under it:

Probably because it’s midday and very, very hot. The sun is just flattering. So they hide in the stunted shadow:

On the way, we decided to stop at a Maasai village to take a closer look at the locals. The village is a fence made of thorny acacia branches with a single entrance to the perimeter. Inside, along the fence, there are houses made of branches and straw, plastered with clay and manure. In the center there is a kind of maidan where the Maasai keep cows. The village is not entirely authentic. Built near the road to lure tourists and cut dollars. So be it, but the Maasai are real! They charged us $10 and we went inside the village.

It turned out that for $10 they would also show us a show. While the Maasai were preparing for the performance, I quietly walked away and took a few photographs.

But he was caught by a man who claimed that he was the leader:

And he was escorted to the place of performance. Everything was already ready there. First, the women sang a Maasai folk song in chorus. Then the men gathered in a semicircle and began to stomp and rhythmically pronounce: “Ykh-Ykh-Ykh-Ykh...”. Suddenly one of them jumped out into the center and started jumping up and down:

Jump high. Very high! It even felt like he was hanging in the air for a moment. Amazing sight! Having had their fill, the men went home, and the women set up an impromptu market. We were offered bracelets, beads, earrings, Masai sticks, dishes and even traditional spears with a wide blade. It’s interesting: before, white people came here and exchanged their lands from the Maasai for beads, but now the Maasai exchange white people’s dollars for beads. This is the cycle.

The people plunged into bargaining, and I into photography. The Maasai cheerfully took pictures if you bought something from them and turned away if you didn’t. I bought various trinkets ($1-$2) and took photos:

At the end they brought us to a hut on the outskirts:

They said it was a school and asked for donations for the education of Masai children. It was all naive and comical, so no one spared a couple of dollars.

Maasai men came out to see us off:

We said goodbye to them, disinfected ourselves with antibacterial wipes and moved on to Lake Manyara.

We arrived at Lake Manyara National Park in the evening. They say that animals are active only in the morning and evening, and the rest of the time they either hide from the sun or sleep.

Lake Manyara is a relative concept. There is no lake as such at all; some kind of swampy plain in places and forest along the edges.

Apparently the lake is only a lake during the rainy season. It's dry season now. It's a little annoying. “Boss, will there be animals?” I worry and ask the manager, “They will be, they will be - don’t worry.” The drivers removed the roofs from the jeeps and we drove into the forest. At first the beast was not visible; only huge piles of dung indicated that there were elephants somewhere here. We drove a little further into the interior and suddenly, unexpectedly, an elephant came out of the thicket right in front of our car:

The driver stopped immediately. The elephant crossed the road and disappeared into the bushes. It was great! The safari has begun! The jeeps moved on. There were more and more animals. Elephants grazed peacefully by the side of the road:

Giraffes roamed in the bushes:

Zebras were grazing in the clearing:

Hippos lay in dirty puddles:

The views all around are simply stunning:

There don’t seem to be many animals, but they exist. They live for themselves, graze; We are driving, I take pictures of them. Very interesting, actually. I just genuinely liked everything. However, the safari was not very long. Soon it began to get dark and we left the National. park to a neighboring village for the night. We were accommodated in some hotel in tents in a clearing on the shore of the pool. The cook prepared dinner. We celebrated the first day of the safari and went to our tents.

The next day we didn't get up very early. We swam in the pool, had breakfast and went to the Serengetti Valley National Park. The path there, I must say, is not close. It feels like 300 kilometers. And all on a dirt road. Heat, dust, mirages on the horizon... The Masai were amazed. No, no, one of them will meet. They go somewhere to themselves. There are no settlements or villages around them, but they go. Spear on the shoulders, hands on the spear and go. There is no water, dry land all around, wild animals, and they are coming...

In the afternoon we finally arrived in the Serengetti:

As I understand it, the Serengetti differs from the rest of the savannah by the presence of umbrella acacias there:

As you know, the Masai Mara and Serengetti valleys extend over two hemispheres - Northern and Southern and two states - Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. The animals that live there migrate from North to South and back twice a year, following the rainy seasons and, accordingly, water, grass and meat, depending on who eats what. January is the dry season in the Serengetti and those herds of antelope that are shown on Animal Planet graze in the Masai Mara. But there are plenty of animals in the Serengetti too. Most Impala Antelopes:

Lots of zebras:

And elephants:

We drive along specially paved roads, look at everything and take pictures.

Or rather, it’s just the three of us taking pictures. Film Adepts; For the rest, their digital devices and batteries have long been depleted, and there is nowhere to recharge them. We go and take pictures of everything:

There are cars with groups from other countries. In fact, it is completely international. During forced stops:

We talk with fellow tourists and share our impressions. Drivers also find out from each other who saw who, where and who and take “their” tourists to interesting places. Of the big five, we have only seen elephants and giraffes so far. The driver finds out that a leopard has been spotted somewhere. This is a rather rare animal. We're going somewhere. A cluster of cars, Germans with meter-long lenses on the most modern cameras, spotted skin in the bushes. They stand and wait. Tourists - when it comes out, the leopard - when the tourists leave.

I photographed a baboon in dry grass:

And we moved on. Despite the dry season, there are many animals. It’s probably still right to travel to Africa during the dry season. For climbing Kili - definitely! There are quite a lot of animals, but there are absolutely no malarial mosquitoes and tsetse flies. And dry heat is easier to bear than wet heat. Meanwhile, the driver showed us a pride of lions:

The king of beasts lounged near the carcass of a buffalo, and the lionesses lay peacefully to the side:

It was a watering hole. Various animals periodically came there and drank water. Various antelopes, zebras, elephants. We even saw a hyena, but it was already getting dark and it was dark to take pictures. A pride of lions was also located near the watering hole. In the bushes, a young lioness was rumbling tormenting the carcass of a zebra. A disgusting sight. I won’t even post photos...

It was getting dark. Our other jeeps arrived. The driver asked: “Finish?”, we nodded and he took us to the camp. Two or three turns and we stopped in a small clearing. "Finish".

Uh-uh! What a finish! Are we going to spend the night here??? “Yes-Yes...” Uh-uh! And the fence??? Mesh, lattice, cage??? There are wild animals all around... The truck with the kitchen and tents is already here. The guide and drivers chuckle at our confusion and begin to set up tents. “We must,” I say, “take a tent in the center!” The extreme ones will definitely be devoured at night...”

The sun is setting. The Marabou storks settled on the acacia tree for the night:

Sunset in the Serengetti Valley. Beautiful and solemn.

We walked through the clearing. Camping, several gazebos - canteens, a large water tank, toilets a little to the side. The water is warm, almost hot. They washed off the dust by pouring water on each other from the ladle.

Almost in the dark, the rest of our jeeps arrived. Stunned people poured out of them and began vying with each other to tell how a lioness killed a zebra in front of their eyes. The spectacle apparently made a strong impression on the guys. They waved their arms, shouted, interrupted each other. We had to urgently “disinfect” them, after which the people calmed down a little and a storyteller was appointed, who said that after our jeep left, a herd of zebras came to drink. The lioness, who was sitting in the bushes and was already eating a zebra, left her prey, crept up between the jeeps to the herd and picked up another striped horse. And they also say that a predator kills only if it is hungry! No one filmed anything, because the batteries of photo and video cameras were completely discharged, but the bloody scene shocked everyone to the core. In fact, people rarely witness such a hunt. It turns out that we were very lucky. But looking at the impression the scene of the hunt for the guys made, I don’t even know if I would like to be there, in their place, and see all this...

Meanwhile, it became completely dark. Several more groups arrived at the clearing. Everyone settled in tents and went to the dining gazebos. The cooks prepared dinner. It turned out that the camp was still guarded: rangers with rifles were walking around the perimeter. After dinner, we sat for a long time under some tree, in the light of lanterns (lighting a fire is prohibited), sipped whiskey, listened for the 25th time to the story of the lioness’s hunt, and shared our impressions. Long after midnight, two sleepy, swollen and shaggy French women came to us and asked us to take them to the toilet, otherwise they were very, very, very scared. We were also scared, but volunteers were nominated for this noble cause by drawing lots.

Night in the savannah... This is cool!

The night passed without loss. Early in the morning we get up, have breakfast and do some more safari. Antelopes, zebras, elephants, giraffes, baboons. We didn’t meet any lions. Around noon we set off on our way back. A couple of hundred kilometers along a dusty road of sun-scorched savannah and we arrived at the Ngorongoro Crater National Park:

The crater is really huge. It is difficult to even imagine the forces that led to the formation of such a huge crater. While the other jeeps were waiting, I bargained with the Maasai who approached us (see photo above) for a spear for $20. There it is; standing in the corner by the battery, pleasing to the eye...

Finally, all the cars are assembled and we are rolling down the serpentine road. The Maasai are driving a herd of cows to meet us. We wait for the cows to pass and move on. Cows in Africa are kind of small; like our calves, only with adult horns and a larger hump. The Maasai calmly graze them in the National Park:

Wildebeests graze nearby:

And the lions rest:

We drove somewhere across the entire crater. Along the way we stopped and looked at various animals and birds. We came across:

Boar warthog:

We soon arrived at the lake shore and stopped there for lunch. Hippos swam in the lake:

Eagles circled in the sky:

We threw pieces of bread from the dry ration into the top, and the eagles grabbed them in flight. Beauty! But life in Africa is not so rosy:

After lunch we went to the so-called “Hippo Pool” to watch hippos:

Of course, this should have been done better before lunch - the stench there is incredible! But the hippos are hilarious:

Here are some more birds:

When it became impossible to breathe these “aromas” anymore, we went to leave the crater. At the very edge of the forest we saw an elephant with huge tusks:

Apparently it was a very, very old elephant.

We climbed in jeeps to the edge of the crater and drove to a clearing for camp. The tents are already set up. Dining room under open air. A large barrel of water and showers are very useful! While we were sorting into tents and standing in line for a shower, an elephant came out of the forest and began to drink water from a large barrel:

He got drunk and left. And SMS messages went to Russia that there was an elephant walking around our camp. While everyone was staring at the elephant, Marabou storks crept up to the tents from behind and began rummaging through our things. But, unlike the elephant, the guides drove them away with sticks.

After some time, we were fed dinner. It quickly became dark, as is usual in the equatorial zone. And it became somehow unexpectedly cold. The altimeter showed 2400 m. We reached into our trunks for jackets and sweatshirts, which had already been stuffed to the very bottom after the ascent. At least we had clothes, but those European tourists who arrived only for a safari had nothing but shorts and T-shirts. There was a fire pit in the center of the clearing and the guides lit a large pioneer fire. For half the night we sat around the fire and bawled songs to the entire savannah.

In the morning we woke up to the noise of screams and inhuman screeching! The guides chased warthogs around the camp, which came to profit from our scraps. We laughed at the situation, then washed up, had breakfast and drove back to Moshi.

Along the way we were taken to a store selling ebony crafts. Everything there was somehow expensive. On the way there, we spotted a wild market and, having done a lot of bargaining, bought ebony trinkets and other Maasai products.

By evening we returned to Moshi. Tomorrow we were scheduled to depart for Fr. Zanzibar.

Another night of gatherings with a group that has finally become friends. I have always been amazed how strangers with very different interests, views on life, and social status become good friends during joint ascents.

After breakfast we go to Kilimanjaro airport. He's nearby - 30-40 minutes. Our team still has 2 (minus two). They're going home. Muscovites. Affairs. The airport is small but neat. There is a metal detector frame at the entrance. The Masai jewelry with which we hung ourselves rings like the aborigines. Let's uncover ourselves. We've passed, I'm putting on countless bracelets again. We're about to land right away. There's another frame there; I uncover myself again to the friendly laughter of my friends.

The flight is less than an hour, but they still bring lunch: a hot dog and a can of beer. Soon the edge of the African continent and the surf line of the Indian Ocean appeared below. The shore is uncomfortable: rocky steep shores, high waves, white foam of the surf. We are flying over the ocean. Soon the color of the water below changed: instead of muddy milky, the ocean became blue-turquoise; emerald shallows appeared. The plane is landing. Coastline, unreal-colored water, long dugout boats with white triangle sails swaying on the waves, snow-white sand of the beach, coconut palms on the shore. Amazing picture!

The plane landed at Stone Town Airport. Stone City- capital of Zanzibar. It used to be an independent state and a center of the slave trade during the colonial era. After African states gained independence, Zanzibar united with Tanganyika to form the state of Tanzania (Tan-Zania).

We are greeted. Let's get on the bus. We ask the guide to take us to some supermarket for “disinfectant”, which began to come to an end, but it turned out that elections had just taken place (with a crazy election fight, with clashes, shooting and casualties; this fight was even covered on the Central Television and almost forced us to abandon Zanzibar), “Good” won and now there is a holiday in Zanzibar and all shops are closed. What can you do, we will solve the problem on the spot. We're going to the hotel. The road goes along the outskirts of Stone Town. Shacks, white houses, workshops, shops selling junk. Every possible surface is covered with portraits of former candidates. Soon the signs of the city ended and the road wound through the tropical forest. After some time we went to East coast and headed south.

We drove for quite a long time, among coconut palms and white coral sand, and finally arrived at a certain village of white houses with thatched roofs. It turned out to be our hotel (for the life of me, I don’t remember the name). Not at all presentable at first glance. We settled in a bungalow. Inside there were a couple of beds, a shower-toilet, and a refrigerator. No electricity, no running water.

They gathered in the courtyard: several crooked stationary umbrellas, homemade sun loungers, they wanted to make a complaint to the manager. However, the turquoise ocean, snow-white sand, and coconut palms gave us the feeling that we were in Paradise. Swimmed in the ocean - definitely Paradise! And the boss is our good old friend... The boss put out a bottle of tequila. Someone saw a lime tree on the way, someone went to the dining room for salt. They took everything out, poured it, licked it, salted it, drank it, and ate it. Raaaay! “Let’s go, let’s take another swim...” “Oops! Where is the sea??? “This is not a sea, this is an ocean...” “Yes, never mind! Where is the water? There was no water:

The ocean is gone. Low tide. Everyone turned to the leader. He threw up his hands, saying he definitely had nothing to do with it, and poured more tequila for everyone. It's amazing how quickly everything happened. It seems like we just took a swim, and now we see a snow-white desert, albeit with puddles and algae. Barrier Reef. Children jumped among the puddles and collected some seafood:

The territory of our hotel was fenced with a flimsy fence made of crooked sticks. Apparently, having heard that they had brought tourists, local black people flocked to the fence. They behaved quite peacefully and did not go beyond the fence. Except for one boy; he said that he would be our assistant, he would always be there and we could ask him for anything. Fine. We asked him to drive away the onlookers and, believe it or not, he drove away! Hakuna Matata - no problem. Despite the heat, the boy was dressed all in black, plus he was completely black, for which he immediately received the nickname: Black Broker. We asked him about the sea. He said that the sea comes and goes on a schedule twice a day and we have a couple of hours before high tide. Hakuna Matata. We decided to devote these hours to gluttony and went to our dining room:

There we ordered a wide variety of seafood dishes. Yes-ahh... I have never seen such an abundance of lobsters, crabs, shrimp, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, mussels, not to mention fish, for such ridiculous money.

As darkness fell, the sea came. The Black Broker also came. He offered to ride a junk on the sea and see white sharks, which, according to him, are visible and invisible in the sea behind the reef. Hakuna Matata. Hesitantly, we went down to the water. He asked to wait, ran away somewhere and arrived in a dugout boat under a leaky triangular sail. A kerosene lamp hung at the top of the mast, illuminating the flimsy structure of the ocean-going vessel with scant light. The captain, who was also a sailor, smiled at us with snow-white teeth in the night and puffed on a huge rolled-up cigarette with a painfully familiar smell. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. The captain couldn’t stand it and laughed with us. “No-No-No!” No white sharks! On such and such a boat! This is a one way road. Hakuna Matata. We gave the captain-sailor a couple of bucks for the run and he sailed off somewhere into the darkness, rolling with laughter.

We returned to the restaurant. There's a new batch of lobsters. Lunch smoothly turned into dinner. Our leader discussed with the manager of either the hotel or the host party possible excursions on the island. We were offered several trips: to Stone Town (its historical part), Turtle Island (a turtle sanctuary), Kizim-Kizi (a place where you can swim with dolphins) and something else. Personally, I read about all this and decided at home that I would go to Kizim-Kizi. The people partially decided to go to Stone Town in the morning. To the city? From the sea? In January? Bring some disinfectant. Hakuna Matata.

We returned to the hotel. There was electricity and water. The small refrigerator tried to cool the beer from +40 to at least +20, but did not have time. We sat a little longer on the sun loungers, listening to the sound of the surf, and went around the bungalow. Some people ended up sleeping on the street. Hakuna Matata.

In the morning after breakfast, some of the people left. A few people remained. At about 10 am the tide began to ebb. Reached for the water local residents: men naked to the waist, women wrapped from head to toe in bright scarves (Islam predominates on the island), barefoot children. The adults loaded into dugout junk boats, hoisted the sails, and set sail with the ebbing tide. The kids saw them off and scattered around

coast. 15 minutes of busy bustle and silence: no ocean, no people - low tide. Someone entered the house; no water, no electricity. Really! Why? Everyone went to sea... Hakuna Matata.

We decided, while it wasn’t too hot, to take a walk along the exposed shore:

They walked and walked and came to strange plantations:

Pegs with ropes stretched on them, algae growing on the ropes:

The view is absolutely surreal. Women feel the seaweed, sort it out, wash it in puddles and put it in bags:

"What is this?" Women cover themselves with a scarf from the gaze of infidels and remain silent. However, the landscape and views around are simply out of this world:

The edge was visible in the distance barrier reef. The sails of junks loomed there. Apparently the men were fishing, and the women were tending to the sea gardens.

We returned to our little hotel and lounged in the shade on sun loungers. Hakuna Matata. Black Broker supplied us with delicious fruits. The light breeze was pleasantly refreshing. The smell of the sea. The whole environment evoked simply heavenly sensations in my soul.

Hakuna Matata. Closer to one o'clock in the afternoon the breeze intensified. A noise was heard from the direction of the reef. Tide. The ocean came right to my feet. Powerful and confident.

Along with the ocean came the boats. The men unloaded boxes of fish, lobsters and huge (up to 2 meters) squid. Women are bags of sea grass. The seafood was quickly taken away somewhere, and the seaweed was dumped on the shore directly on the fine coral sand to dry. It’s strange: the women washed every twig very carefully, and here they washed it into sand. Someone remembered that there is such a thing called Agar-agar. Apparently this is it.

However, it is also possible for lunch. Shall we look for a new place? We went along the shore. Hotels like ours, restaurants. A canopy made of palm leaves, a makeshift bar counter, several rickety tables and chairs. A young man in Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt sits in the corner and reads a crumpled newspaper. “Is this a restaurant? Will you feed me?" “Yes, yes! Please come in and have a seat! Here's the menu..." While they were seating themselves, the man disappeared. I wish I could at least give him some beer... We looked behind the counter - there was a refrigerator, there was no hot beer in it. We opened it, sipped, relaxed. Our bartender showed up. In black pants, a white shirt with a bow tie, really barefoot. We had a snow-white towel over our hand. We almost fell off our chairs in surprise. This is there, this is not. We made an order: “Bring everything you have.” a couple of beers until he returned. He returned with fish, lobsters, squid, chicken and a piece of meat. He changed his clothes behind a translucent screen and began to fry and steam it all. Then he changed his clothes again and placed in front of us large plates on which he made ketchup and onions. intricate pattern. Well done man! Served the dishes very unexpectedly soon. Everything was very, very tasty. The bill was less than $10 per person.

Well done man, made me happy! Left a generous tip. However, we had lunch for 3 hours. We say to the owner-bartender-waiter: “My friend, you prepare dinner for us, and we’ll come up at eight o’clock so as not to wait...”. “Sorry,” he smiles embarrassedly, “but you have just eaten all the food in this village. There is nothing else. Come tomorrow, we’ll get something for you...” That’s it!

The next morning I took one of my best photos:

It's called "We Are Photographers." In 2007, this photo took first place in the Epson photo competition. My favorite photo."

Then there was a trip to Kizim-Kizi and swimming with dolphins. This is very interesting. People also went to turtle island. I don't. More and more he sat on the shore under a palm tree and looked into the distance. The boundless distance of the sea-ocean...

Three days flew by like one. Zanzibar is paradise, but it's time for us to go home. Early in the morning we were taken to the port of Stone Town. Not without incident they boarded the ship. We sailed to Dar Es Salaam. We sat until evening in the park of some hotel. We moved to the airport and flew home. To cold and snowy Moscow and further, to simply icy Yekaterinburg.

A dream come true. The journey took place. I was there, it seems, not for long, but Africa remained in my heart forever.

Many thanks to our leaders: Sergei Kofanov and Lyudmila Korobeshko. Best wishes to all of ours!

Alexander Verevkin

Tanzania-Ekaterinburg

This continent has probably attracted many of you since childhood. Ancient tribes, wild animals, unique nature and familiar words - Kalahari, Zanzibar, Serengeti. All this is Africa. Unfortunately, as tempting as this continent is, it also discourages travelers. Disease, crime, danger of being eaten. These horror stories were also instilled in us from an early age, but fortunately, not all of them are true. In this article we will tell you how to independently organize a trip to the most popular African countries, what you must do before the trip, how much money to take with you and what you should really be afraid of.

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Let's start with preparing for the trip.

Trip to Africa: about illnesses

Yellow fever

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter most African countries. Muscovites can get vaccinated for free at City Clinic No. 5 at the address: 107052, Moscow, st. Trubnaya, 19, building 1 on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need a passport with registration and an insurance policy.

Those who do not have a residence permit can get vaccinated at the following addresses:

GKUZ Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 1Address: 195367, Moscow, Volokolamskoye Highway, 63Fax: +7 495 490-14-14
Tel.: +7 495 942-48-39

Price - 810 rubles
State Budgetary Healthcare Institution City Clinic No. 5Address: 107052, Moscow, st. Trubnaya, 19, building 1 Tel.: +7 495 621-94-65
Fax: +7 495 621-15-28

Price - 1700 rubles
Vaccination point No. 6 Federal State Budgetary Institution "Polyclinic No. 1" Department of the President of the Russian Federation Address: 119002, Moscow, Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, 26/28 Tel.: +7 499 241-01-90, 499 241-09-31
Price - 2550 rubles

Malaria

Yellow fever is not a real threat. The situation with malaria is much worse. There is no vaccination against it, and therefore you will have to buy preventive tablets such as Chloroquine (Delagil). You need to start taking it two weeks before your trip and two weeks after. But remember that all antimalarial drugs have a large number of side effects, and therefore it is better to avoid their use.

In fact, according to the experience of our colleague, there are practically no mosquitoes during the day, but in the evening you need to use repellent and wear long sleeves. If you do not neglect these rules, then nothing bad will happen.

Visas to African countries

Russian citizens require a visa to most African countries, but we are talking about popular tourist countries, so let's focus on a few.

Kenya. A visa must be issued in advance at the embassy, the cost is $50. Usually, obtaining a Kenyan visa does not cause any difficulties, but they may put a stamp exactly on the travel dates, so be careful.
Tanzania.
Uganda. A visa is issued upon arrival, the cost is $50 for three months.
Zambia. A visa is issued upon arrival, the cost is $50 for one month.
Zimbabwe. A visa is issued upon arrival, the cost is 30 dollars for one month.
Botswana. No visa required.
Namibia. No visa required.

Visa to South Africa

From March 30, 2017, Russians can travel to South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days. Before this, you had to pay $30 for a visa.

What to take with you

Repellent (local good means cost 3-4 times more than in Russia).
Powerful sunscreen (the equatorial sun never sleeps).
Discreet clothing (preferably khaki or sand-colored; women should not wear short skirts).
Headgear (Panama hat or baseball cap).
Insurance.

Myths

I will go to Africa and get Ebola. Not true. All of the above countries do not and never have had the Ebola virus.
Africa is a wild, uncivilized place. Not true. Africa has good internet and is inexpensive. mobile communications, huge amount restaurants for tourists and hundreds of hostels and hotels for every taste.
It's expensive to fly to Africa, I'll go broke on tickets. Not true. Very often you can buy tickets from, and for the price of tickets to Asia.
In Africa, I will be killed, raped and robbed (in that order) as soon as I leave the airport. No, that's not true. You need to be careful in large cities, especially in the capitals, since this is where everyone who wants easy money comes. The measures are the most common: be careful, don’t wave your camera or iPhone over your head, and don’t go into the slums. In general, the residents of the listed countries are very, very friendly, you can fearlessly turn to them on the street for help, and calmly get into a taxi. But there is one “but” - you are a tourist, which means you have money. And in African countries this is felt especially clearly. Be prepared for constant beggars, helpers, sellers of anything (and they don’t understand the words “don’t need, don’t want, no money”) and other annoying, but not dangerous people.

What is a must see in Africa and how much does it cost?

Safari in Tanzania

Login national park- 40-50 dollars. But we must not forget that if you go to the Serengeti Park, you will also have to pay for the Ngorongoro crater, and twice. And the safari itself will take at least two days, so you will have to pay twice for the Serengeti.

We are so accustomed to European comfort and service that the thought that on vacation we will have to protect ourselves from deadly insects and carefully study local customs in order to return home unharmed terrifies travelers from big cities. Vladimir Churkin traveled to a dozen “decent” countries, but having visited Africa twice, he said that the impressions of meeting lions, elephants, flamingos, hyraxes and colobus monkeys in their natural environment are worth all the hardships and dangers that await you along the way.

Safety precautions

What do you need to know when traveling to Africa? The first and most important thing is to get vaccinated. In Africa, it’s unlikely that anyone will ask you to show a certificate, but you need to do them for your own safety.

Vaccinations against yellow fever, tetanus and typhus are required. But there are no vaccinations against the most dangerous diseases that you can catch there, malaria and sleeping sickness.

Therefore, when you arrive, you need to look at the pharmacy to see what medications and antibiotics can cure sleeping sickness and malaria, and buy them right on the spot.

Just as not all mosquitoes carry malaria, tsetse flies, whose bite causes sleeping sickness, may not infect you. Three of us were bitten by flies, but fortunately everything turned out okay. Just be careful about how you feel, because sleeping sickness at first is very similar to a cold.

By the way, in Africa it is not recommended to wear white and black: these colors attract tsetse flies. It is better to wear something yellow, red or blue. It is also advisable not to wear flip-flops, but to wear high combat boots because of the abundance of snakes, scorpions and all sorts of unpleasant creatures underfoot. Exception - tourist places, where you can afford lighter clothes. Plan your route carefully, but be prepared for the fact that everything can go wrong if your car breaks down on the road, as it did for us. In Africa there is no winter and summer, there is a dry season and a rainy season. The most best time for a trip - in the off-season, when there is a lot of greenery and animals. This is the end of February - March, or in the fall, in October-November.

About transport

We traveled in a large group, took three jeeps without guides or escort, and traveled around African countries on our own. I was pleasantly surprised by the uninterrupted cellular connection. Telephones worked everywhere, even in the most remote corners. Sometimes, however, the SMS service was unavailable, but this is not the most necessary option on the road.

For those who are traveling for the first time and are afraid of extreme sports, you can take a car with a guide. In general, among those who travel to Africa, everyone, as a rule, is ready for extreme sports. If a person has a love of strong emotions in his blood, then he will like Africa. If he is accustomed to comfort and safety, then it is definitely better not to go there.

In Africa it is better not to travel at night: if the nights are cold, numerous animals go to the road to roost for the night to bask on the warm asphalt, so there are a lot of animals on the road. In the early morning, condensation accumulates on the asphalt, creating high humidity, which attracts thirsty animals; they come up to the road and drink from the puddles.

At night, it is also difficult to see large animals on the road. An elephant, for example, is not visible at all, since the headlights of a car do not illuminate it. It can only be seen about twenty meters away, as in the famous phrase that an elephant is the easiest one not to notice. By the way, all local trucks have a bumper on their bumper to soften the impact of a collision with an elephant.

It may happen that the car breaks down on the way. We lost almost a day while the locals were repairing the car, and in the end we had to drive to our accommodation in the night. This is dangerous not only because of the animals, but also because the traffic in many African countries is not right-hand, but left-hand. And if, out of habit, you move to the right, you can end up in the oncoming lane. In addition, local truck drivers like to use high beam headlights. I suspect that this is either a strange feature of local greetings on the road, or this is how they warn of danger.

About housing

The most convenient option is to book lodges, small houses with all amenities, gathered together in a protected area. At the same time, lodges are also the most expensive type of housing, especially in the territory national parks, where their cost can reach up to $250 per night in a single room. At the same time, you will still have to pay to enter the national park.

Before our trip, we thoroughly researched all possible accommodation options, so the lodge we stayed at for $70 for two was more of a miracle.

On our second trip, we rented three jeeps with tents attached to them, and slept only in tents, in campsites, the best of which are in the southern African countries - South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. You will have to pay about $100 to enter the territory of the camp sites. It is impossible to sleep in cars, and not at all because of the lack of amenities, but because of the strong noise of mosquitoes.

Just imagine - the squeaking of one mosquito sometimes prevents you from falling asleep, and then there are whole hordes of them. If you don't close the windows, you could suffocate.

About food

Perhaps our most striking gastronomic discovery happened in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, in one of the most famous restaurants in the world - Carnivore, famous for its meat dishes.

The menu there is more like a guide to a safari park: giraffe, antelope, wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, ostrich, buffalo, crocodile. In general, there is definitely nothing for vegetarians to do there. The kitchen is designed as an open fireplace in the center of the establishment, making cooking part of the attraction.

We tried crocodile meat there. Looks and smells like fish, but tastes like chicken. In Kenya, a hunting ban was introduced back in the 70s, so animals are specially bred on ranches before being sent to the plates of sophisticated meat eaters.

You can also try “monkey brains” in Africa. The name itself is terrible, but everything is much more harmless. This is just a fruit that looks like an orange, only larger. In Namibia, a local vendor sold these fruits by the roadside. At first we mistook them for oranges, but when we broke the hard shell, we discovered a viscous gray-brown mass that resembled a brain. The contents tasted like baked apples. We have never seen these fruits outside of Africa.

Actually, there were no special problems with food: there are many shops on busy roads. It is better to take something that does not spoil for a long time. We only had a refrigerator in one of the cars. You should definitely buy as much drinking bottled water as possible. Locals are immune to water from springs, but tourists should not take risks. One more interesting feature African continent: cola in stores is several times cheaper than regular drinking water. We arrived from our first trip having gained seven kilograms, because we mostly drank cola.

About animals

Once in Africa, stay away from hippos - the most dangerous animals on the continent. They can kill a person just like that, without reason. If elephants can attack when they sense danger, then hippos, as territorial animals, can simply attack as soon as they see a stranger on their territory. They run very fast, their clumsiness is only visible.

One day we were standing and looking at the hippos, and local residents came up to us and asked for money. But as soon as one of the hippos turned around, they took off.

I don’t know the exact statistics, but in Africa, hippos are the leading animals that kill people.

Going on a photo safari in national parks, be prepared that you may be fined about $1,000 for trying to get out of the car. You can lean out of the window, but you cannot get out of the car or step aside for your own safety. Wild animals are accustomed to cars; for them it is something inanimate, not dangerous and unsuitable for food. Man and machine are one. But as soon as the tourist moves away from the car, he turns into a snack.

Many tour operators offer hunting in Africa, but few people know that tourists hunt baited animals. It is useless to hunt wild ones there. Here, local residents involved in this business, rangers, feed and tame the animals.

If you have an extra 20 thousand dollars, you can come hunt an elephant. In my opinion, all this is very mean and low, because these animals are actually domestic animals. This is not a hunt where you need to track down prey; here the animals simply walk around, not expecting any danger from humans. They don't expect to be shot. It's like killing a cat or dog in the park.

Those who like to sleep should not go to Africa. To enjoy the local fauna, you need to get up before dawn. Only then can you find all the most beautiful predators and their potential victims in one place. So, for example, a group of zebras did not exactly coexist peacefully, but were at a dangerous distance from the lions. At the same time, both of them saw each other, but did not make any attempts to attack or escape.

We met hyenas and captured their angry faces. It turns out that hyenas only attack those who are shorter than them. Therefore, the local Maasai tribes place jugs on the children's heads or put high hats on them.

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 only recently found out that I have a tumor - 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 into 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! Here, it would seem, everything is desert, wild forest, various tribes, 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 expected 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 for. 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, although 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 by civil war for ten years. 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 - oldest city in 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 level crime.

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 safaris to the Kalahari Desert and visits to national parks, has been the search for ancient treasures hidden from the colonialists in the caves of Gchvihab since the 30s of the last century. 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 World Heritage UNESCO 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 after the Colorado Canyon and much more.
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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 need to see a lot: one of the oldest in Africa, Queen Elizabeth National Park, 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 the locals here do not cause any particular disturbance to tourists, then you need to be careful with the 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 plenty of 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 beautiful Stone City, founded by the Arabs back in the 9th century, is located. 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. Most large nature reserve 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.

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