Take a walk on the wild side in Zambia. Your adventure begins at Victoria Falls, where 540 million litres of water thunder over a precipice each minute. Next, try your luck at glimpsing another of Africa’s wonders, the white rhino, while hiking upriver past zebras and giraffes in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. After catching a flight a thousand kilometres to the north-east, you’ll meet with an expert guide who will lead you through South Luangwa National Park on foot.
Your next five days will be spent tracking elephants, giraffes, hippos and lions through some of the most pristine land on the continent under their watchful eye. Dust and heat might become the norm, but nights will be spent in luxury. And as you watch wildlife wander by your canvas tent at Tena Tena Camp (the name translates to ‘temporary home’), you’ll wish you were a permanent fixture.
Most people associate Uganda with wildlife safaris, not summiting peaks. But a trek through the Rwenzori Mountains to the crest of Margherita Peak offers both. Take your first steps through montane forest, where you’ll spot chimpanzees and, if you’re lucky, L’Hoest’s monkeys, distinguished by their characteristic white beards. Then feel the burn as you begin the steep ascent; first, along a winding path deep into thickets of bamboo, and again through Namusangi Valley to sheer cliffs and thundering falls.
When you reach Bamwanjara Pass, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic vistas of glacial lakes below and snowy peaks above, and perhaps a sighting of the endemic scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird. Then, under the cover of darkness, boost yourself up frost-free rocks before making the final scramble to the summit of Margherita Peak and its jaw-dropping views.
Everyone else is on safari, so you’ll have this unique slice of Uganda all to yourself.
With its ancient cities, arid deserts and mountains steeped in history, Morocco is a haven for the intrepid traveller. And on Byroad Travel’s 17-day Moroccan Mosaic tour you’ll see all its greatest hits. Get lost in the maze of 9,500 streets and alleys in the world’s largest medina in Fez and sample plump olives at the Djemaa el-Fna market in Marrakech.
Leave the well-trodden path behind and delve into towns like Salé, which once harboured Berber Muslim pirates; Chefchaouen, an otherworldly city awash in blue; and Tétouan, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed town at the foothills of the Rif Mountains near the Mediterranean Sea. In the evenings, ride by camel across Saharan dunes or simply look to the star-studded sky before snuggling up in a boutique kasbah with the sweet scent of mint tea to lull you to sleep.
SUV, RV, scooter, 1970s Volkswagen Beetle – anything goes during the annual Put Foot Rally. And entrants can expect the same loosey-goosey approach when it comes to almost every element of the race, which the coordinators declare is definitely “not a race”. A lack of organisation, resources and a general mentality of insouciance is held in high regard on this “roughly, sort of, in the region of 8000-kilometre” rally, and responsibility for organising the route, accommodation, food and insurance rests with you. Meander through six southern African nations – South Africa (Cape Town is the starting point), Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique – stopping at six different checkpoints for six different parties in 19 days.
The goal of Put Foot is to leave a charitable footprint behind through its foundation. Money raised goes to providing school shoes for children and helping to save endangered animals, some of which you may encounter during your travels. NB: do not feed the wildlife, or allow the wildlife to feed on you.
It’s possibly the most flagrant display of animal cruelty I’ve ever witnessed. Moments after being tenderised mercilessly with a blunt-edged instrument, the victim is thrown onto a searing metal grate above a bed of hot coals. There, it’s pricked, prodded and tossed about until it’s barely recognisable.
Grid patterns score its flesh and sea salt is flung into its wounds. Who knew such abuse could be so mouth-watering?
In South Africa, the braai – an Afrikaans word meaning to grill – is the perfect excuse to gather with friends and family. With South Africa’s chequered history, you could say it brings the country together.
Even Heritage Day, a public holiday celebrated on 24 September each year, is affectionately known as Braai Day.
The love of meat cooked over an open fire, traditionally fuelled by wood and often charcoal (but never gas) is something all South Africans share. It cuts through ethnicity, race and class. In the 11 official languages spoken in the Rainbow Nation braai is the only word recognised by all. Where Australians have MasterChef, South Africa has Ultimate Braai Master.
The bloodied carcass being thrown around our braai is a sirloin fillet, though cuts of ostrich, bok (antelope) and wildebeest aren’t unheard of, particularly in rural areas up north. Sharing the grill is an unsightly curl of boerewors (farmer’s sausage), similarly flung around with reckless abandon. Each skin has been stuffed with minced beef, pork or lamb and seasoned by a fiery blend of herbs and spices introduced by seventeenth-century Asian slave labourers. It smells great, tastes better and looks truly awful.
I’ve anticipated this meal since I flew into Johannesburg two weeks ago. For seven years I lived in the Middle East, often socialising with South African expats and gorging on barbecued slabs of marinated beef, lamb and chicken. Here in their homeland, though, the opportunity for me to indulge in a braai has, thus far, proved elusive.
The problem is that I’ve been holed up in various five-star establishments. Diddums, you say. But while I’ve certainly enjoyed their indulgent offerings, the buffet dinners served up night after night lack the intimacy of a backyard cookout.
On this particular evening I’m standing on the patio of a friend’s cottage in the Cape Town seaside suburb of Fish Hoek. The sound of ocean breakers can be heard dispersing against the sand two blocks away and the last burning vestiges of sunlight reflect in the clouds, much like the charcoal embers glowing beneath the boerewors. Another Capetonian friend from those years in the Arabian Gulf brandishes a pair of tongs, clasping our meal as a heron might a fish.
Gareth flips the meat and tosses it around the grill, ensuring it’s evenly cooked. Watching his constant jostling drives me nuts – I adhere to a less is best philosophy when it comes to steak – but I dare not challenge him. The man with the tongs wields the power and etiquette dictates that advice can be sought but not forced.
Potatoes baking inside a blanket of foil rest on the coals while appetisers are spread on an adjacent table. Sides of coleslaw, garlic bread and warm butternut pumpkin salad baked with cream and chakalaka, a much-loved local vegetable relish, are brought out to complete the meal. In northern provinces, they might also prepare pap – a maize porridge that can be eaten dry and crumbling or dampened with rich gravy.
Each of us cradles a cold dop, the Afrikaans word for drink. In this instance, the dop is a stubby, but it might just as easily be wine, especially around Cape Town, where bountiful ‘wine farms’ produce decent pinotages and sauvignon blancs for as little as AU$5 a bottle. Brandy is another local drop we forgo this night.
Whenever the Springboks rugby team is playing, or the Proteas cricketers, fans organise braais around them. You’re expected to be able to cheer on a national team with a full stomach here. But tonight the television stays off, and conversation hums around the hearth – what some here call the ‘African TV’.
For now, I’ll just cheer on the process. Their barbecue technique is unfamiliar, but that’s not to say they do it wrong. Far from it. When you can savour the beautiful South African climate with a cold dop in hand and the warm glow of the fire nearby – especially with old friends to keep you company – it’s impossible not to feel that this is how life is meant to be lived.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium butternut pumpkin
250ml cream
1 can Hot and Spicy Chakalaka*
METHOD
Peel and dice the butternut pumpkin, discarding the seeds. Place the flesh in a casserole dish and pour the cream and chakalaka over the top. Mix to make sure the pumpkin is evenly covered. Put the dish in a preheated oven set to 180°C for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Serve warm.
* Chakalaka is a curried tomato, carrot, capsicum and cabbage sauce available online from South African Products.
Any bar that has a giant, shiny disco ball as part of its décor means partying business. And disco balls are just the beginning. Cape Town’s recently renovated Grand Africa also boasts an enormous red lounge in the shape of some very luscious-looking lips, two huge lion statues and a floating love heart. Despite the audacious styling choices, the interiors are inviting and relaxing, complementing the wooden boardwalks that sit atop marshmallow soft sand and fairytale style day beds.
The incredible Table Mountain makes up Grand Africa’s backdrop while the Atlantic Ocean glistens out ahead. A wide-ranging menu (we recommend any of the seafood dishes) keeps the energy levels up for the DJ sets, which hit the decks from about 4pm during summer, while the cocktail menu keeps the party going. And as things heat up and the nights cool down, this playful, and a little bit cheeky, Cape Town beach club is the place to be.
Discover a side of Africa you may not be familiar with – one that’s devoid of lions and elephants – on an eye-opening tour through West Africa with Abercrombie & Kent. The 16-day West Africa: People Past & Present expedition explores the colourful nations of Ghana, Togo and Benin, which are renowned for sun-soaked beaches, lively colonial cities (there’s a strong European influence due to the gold and slave trades) and fascinating cultural rituals.
Highlights include attending a real-life voodoo ceremony and meeting a witch doctor in Togo, cruising Africa’s largest stilt fishing village in Benin, checking out Ghana’s Akwasidae Festival and meeting local artisans. It’s a charming insight into a version of Africa that doesn’t often make the brochure.
Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world, so there’s no better way of immersing yourself in the natural splendour of this island than by trekking through it for two weeks. Exodus Travels will lead you on an epic expedition through Andringitra, Isalo and Ranomafana National Parks (home to a remarkable array of endemic birds, frogs, reptiles and mammals), and you’ll also climb the country’s second-highest peak, Peak Boby.
The trips includes five days of hiking with full porterage anda couple more days of shorter walks, but a stopover at the gorgeous coastal town of Ifaty allows you to rest your weary feet. Of course, there’s also a visit to Anja Reserve to see ring-tailed lemurs, because there’s no way you can leave Madagascar without checking out these cute critters.
Prepare to eat your way through Morocco on what has to be one of the country’s most delicious tours. Your gastronomic journey, called Savory Spices and Souks, begins in Casablanca, before moving on to the fishing village of Essaouira, the High Atlas Mountains and Marrakech. Borrowing from Arabic, Berber, French and Spanish cultures, the local cuisine is a mouthwatering medley of pastries, grilled meats, soups and aromatic spices. And guess what? You’ll be sampling it all.
Other highlights include cooking classes, where you’ll whip up traditional meals like a fish tagine, plus stopovers at a women’s argan oil co-op, Bahia Palace and the Hassan II Mosque. There’s even a street food tour, because there’s no such thing as eating too much on this culinary adventure.
Located near the centre of Serengeti National Park, this camp is the place to be if you don’t want to work too hard when it comes to viewing wildlife. Its 15 luxury tents, complete with plunge pools on decks, are set at the heart of an area renowned for the annual wildebeest migration.
Even if you visit outside those months, you’ll be captivated by what you see on both guided safaris and walks. All year, the landscape surrounding Nanyukie has a high concentration of lions, leopards and cheetahs. You’ll never feel crowded here either – even the main tent, where guests gather for sundowners and meals, has lots of sitting areas both inside and out.
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