Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for africa
Camels and Crocodiles
By Linda Tancs
The Guelta d’Archei is a Saharan guelta (oasis) in the Ennedi Plateau in northeastern Chad. Surrounded by towering cliffs, it’s a centuries-old pitstop of sorts for caravans of camels that have been herded to the water to wade and drink. More than just a watering hole, the locale also serves as their bathroom (or loo, if you like), which results in algae blooms for fish to feed on. The fish, in turn, are food for the crocodiles, the other primary animal found there. Trips there usually comprise a four-day journey across the Sahara from N’Djamena. The trek is challenging and there are no marked trails on the hike to the guelta.
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An African Amphitheatre
By Linda Tancs
A hikers’ paradise, Royal Natal National Park in South Africa is best known for its Amphitheatre. Park of the Drakensberg escarpment, it’s a massive cliff face that spans 3 miles and reaches nearly 1,700 feet. One of the world’s tallest waterfalls cascades from the clifftops, feeding the Tugela River below as it heads east to the Indian Ocean. You’ll find an abundance of trails to explore on foot and on horseback with a comprehensive guidebook available for visitors, so take your time. Accommodations include a lodge, cottages and chalets.
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Kenya’s Grand Canyon
By Linda Tancs
The Marafa Depression is a vast canyon-like area resulting from soil erosion located near Malindi, Kenya. Known locally as “Hell’s Kitchen,” the view is actually heavenly. It’s a sandstone gorge punctuated with crayon box colors like red, white, orange and pink that are particularly luminous when mirrored by the sun at sundown. That’s why many tours will be timed to take in the sunset. Be sure to take a guided tour of the canyon, and don’t forget your camera.
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The Dunes of Dorob
By Linda Tancs
Sea and sand meet at Sandwich Harbour along the Atlantic coast of Namibia. One of the area’s key attractions are the sand dunes backing the coastline, rising in many cases to over 300 feet. Historically a commercial fishing and trading port, legend has it that the name derives from an English whaler, the Sandwich, that operated in the area in the 1780s. The scenic locale is now part of Dorob National Park, a conservation area running from Walvis Bay to the Ugab River.
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Kalahari Sands
By Linda Tancs
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a national park formed from the merger of South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Botswana’s Gemsbok National Park. It’s a vast wilderness area stretching for over 14,000 square miles in the Kalahari, boasting five sands ranging in color from red in the dunes to yellow-brown in the riverbeds along with fossil river valleys and grasslands. Wildlife is abundant, including over 170 species of birds, several species of antelope, the famous black-maned Kalahari lion, jackal, brown hyena and wild cats. The park is also completely unfenced, allowing for wildlife to move freely along the ancient migration routes so necessary for their survival in the desert. The main entry and departure point between South Africa and Botswana is at the Two Rivers/Twee Rivieren gate, which also has camping facilities, chalets, shops and a restaurant.
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Crystal Clear in Malawi
By Linda Tancs
The crystal-clear waters of Lake Malawi are legendary. One of the deepest lakes in the world, its southern expanse is dominated by Lake Malawi National Park, the first freshwater national park to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Scientifically, it’s important for its fish diversity, with 1,000 species half occurring within the property and estimated as the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world. It also boasts more than 350 species of mbuna (rockfish) endemic to the region, a population considered of equal value to science as the finches of the Galapagos Islands or the honeycreepers of Hawaii. Boats are available for hire, and the fish will feed from the hand.
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Top of the Nile
By Linda Tancs
The “top of the Nile” is where you’ll get the best view of Murchison Falls in Uganda, where the water powerfully squeezes through a narrow 22-foot crevice in the rocks to plunge over 131 feet below into a 164-foot radius pool. The falls are so spectacular that the national park of which it is a part is named for it. A three-hour, round-trip tour to the bottom of the waterfall will give you an opportunity to observe lots of local wildlife, like the shoebill stork, hippos and crocodiles. And you might even see the dwarf giraffe that was found in the park.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Falling in North Africa
By Linda Tancs
The highest natural waterfalls in North Africa, Ouzoud Falls in Morocco is a stunning respite from the summer heat of Marrakech. Emptying into the El-Abid River gorge, the tiered cascades tumble from a height of 360 feet into a natural amphitheater of rugged, red-colored rock cliffs. To get there, you’ll journey high into the Atlas Mountains, passing through Berber villages and beautiful scenery. Even the name of the falls derives from Berber culture, meaning “the act of grinding grain.” You’ll enjoy several view points of the falls, including from restaurants along the falls’ path.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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South Africa’s Spice Route
By Linda Tancs
Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest city, established in the 1600s as a refueling station along the Spice Route for eastbound ships. The story goes that ancient mariners would blow their horns to signal their arrival at Cape Town harbor, inviting farmers to trade. That spirit is captured today along the modern Spice Route, a tourist destination in Paarl featuring arts and crafts, local wines, draft beer and dark chocolates. The artisans chosen to participate in the route represent the best of the culture, art and taste of South Africa. The site is just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town’s city center.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Art in Zimbabwe
By Linda Tancs
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe is a gallery in Harare (and other locations) dedicated to the presentation and conservation of Zimbabwe’s contemporary art and visual heritage. Part of that heritage is Shona sculpture, an ancient, stone-working tradition that has emerged as a contemporary artistic movement. It takes its name from the Shona tribe, a collective of similar groups of people who are the largest in Zimbabwe. Much of the stone is locally sourced and belongs to the Serpentine family. Among other collections, the gallery boasts a permanent exhibition of exquisite stone carvings.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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