I admit, I always thought that safaris in Africa were for the rich. Or for those who save all year from paycheck to paycheck, and then blow it all down to the last penny on a trip. Both options were not for me. I’m not rich, but I don’t know how to save all year. After all, in a year you want to travel abroad not just once, but several times. What to do if you are not Abramovich, but want to see African nature in all its glory for little money? What if you don't have $250 for a night at a lodge in the Masai Mara, or an extra $1,200 for a 3-day safari in the Serengeti? How to show a fat fig to those who are much richer than you, and see even more than them, while paying several times less than them? I decided to prove all this first of all to myself by traveling around Africa.
Planning
...And Dyrkin seductively stuck out his plump cheeks from behind his desk. Not understanding anything, Korotkov smiled askance and shyly, took the candelabra by the leg and, with a crunch, hit Dyrkin on the head with the candles. Blood dripped from his nose onto the cloth, and he, shouting “guard,” ran away through the inner door.
- Ku-ku! - the forest cuckoo shouted joyfully and jumped out of the Nuremberg painted house on the wall.
- Ku Klux Klan! - she screamed and turned into a bald head. - Let's record how you beat the workers!
Fury took possession of Korotkov. He swung the candelabra and hit the clock with it. They responded with thunder and splashes of golden arrows. The long john jumped out of his watch, turned into a white cockerel with the sign “outgoing” and dashed through the door. Immediately, behind the inner doors, Dyrkin’s cry rang out: “Catch him, the robber!”, and the heavy footsteps of people flew from all sides. Korotkov turned and started to run...
Well, let’s say we won’t beat the travel agent. Maybe just a little bit, on the butt, and only if the butt allows it. But you shouldn’t cooperate with mass tourism if you want a cheap and cheerful trip to Africa. A nice girl may sincerely want to help you. But, firstly, the level of professionalism of travel agents is often below par (fortunately, there are exceptions, but rarely), and secondly, they work on a percentage of sales. Why should she look for you cheaply, because this is her bread. And the third point. Travel agents are convinced that if you are going to Africa, you are a millionaire, and you definitely need to be given a complete ride, emptying your pocket as much as possible. This is not a tour to Hurghada for $199, where bargaining is appropriate. From their point of view, the nouveau riche and the new Russians are coming to Africa. The last point is that travel agents are not flexible. They are often not friendly with geography, and only resell someone’s trips without going into the essence of the issue. The choice is very limited. What, you want to go to Masai Mara and then fly to Cameroon? Horror, we don’t sell Cameroon (if the girl has even heard of the existence of such a country). But we have Zanzibar. What, have you already been there? Hmmm, then maybe you should go to Pattaya? Like that.
So we're done with travel agents, and let's move on -
Flights
The issue of tickets to Africa is not at all trivial. You can fly to Johannesburg or Nairobi for $500-700, or for $1500. It all depends on two things: seasonality and airline promotions. And also your ability to bypass various kinds of intermediaries. I have three favorite airlines in Africa, whose websites I regularly study from time to time: Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and Egypt Air. All of them often issue promotions where you can fly from Moscow to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya for very little money.
Boarding the Ethiopian Airlines plane in Cairo. I'm standing on the left with a huge blue backpack
The first two (Ethiopians and Kenyans) do not fly from Russia, but fly from Cairo, where you need to get to. I found tickets from Cairo to Dar Es Salaam on the Ethiopian website for $376 (South Africa cost $480, which is also cheap) round trip via Addis Ababa. All that remains is to fly to Cairo, and there are many options. The same Egypt Air and Aeroflot will take you to Cairo for $320-380 in both directions. In total, we come up with an amount of 700-750 dollars from Moscow (add 150-250 dollars if flying from other cities) to South Africa.
My route through Africa in December 2009
The second question is more complicated. This is a safari organization for little money. And here you need theoretical knowledge and days spent on the Internet. First of all, forget about the hyped tourist spots like Arusha in Tanzania. Yes, the beautiful parks of the Serengeti and Masai Mara are wonderful, but they will rip you off there. We ask ourselves the question - what do we expect from Africa? Nature and local color, right? Then choose to visit those national parks where:
1. It is not necessary to travel far over rough terrain, and there are acceptable roads,
2. There are no crowds of tourists,
3. You can rent a car yourself and see the parks in it, saving on so-called game drives (jeep safaris),
4. Cheap and cheerful overnight stay
A poor country is not a cheap country
In addition, it is very important to understand an important thing. A poor country is not cheap. As my friend, who spent a year in Africa working in a hospital in the Congo and traveled to 28 countries on the continent, jokingly says: “Africa is fantastically cheap for those who are willing to ride a donkey for days and sleep in a hut. If you have 2-4 weeks of time , and you want to know and move, then keep your pocket wider." Well said. Take the beautiful country of Zambia, with its unique Luangwa Nature Reserve. How long do you think it will take by bus from the capital of the country, Lusaka, to Luangwa, which is 500 km to the north? Did someone say all day? You are wrong. About 50 hours on an absolutely dead dirt road through the jungle. You will go crazy from this trip, and then it will take a day or two to come to your senses. It costs money to recover because it's paying for extra days at the lodge, which aren't cheap. Any step you take to the side entails serious costs. An air ticket costs significantly more than a bus, $180 (bus - $40), but you save time. And time is money. We arrived early in the morning in Luangwa, dropped our things at the lodge, and immediately started the safari. For general knowledge of the park, 3-4 days are enough, that’s 3 nights in the lodge. On average, a lodge will cost $150-200 for two, or average up to $100 per person. For 3 nights you will pay $300 + $180 air ticket = $480.
Now let's compare a trip on a cheap but exhausting bus. After 2 nights without proper sleep in a jam-packed lorry (a hybrid of a bus and a truck, a type of shift vehicle), you will arrive at your destination exhausted. Your bus will look something like this (the photo shows the Lusaka-Mvufe regular bus):
Exhausted, you stomp to the lodge and fall into bed. Bam! The first night, and minus $100 from your vacation budget, and most likely 2 nights, because such buses arrive at an extremely inconvenient time. Already lost $200. We add the original $300 for 3 nights in the park, and we come out to $500. And with the plane $480. Pretty much the same. The question is asked - why pay more and travel with discomfort, if you can pay the same and fly like a king?
Country selection
Do you want cheap and interesting? To you in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that these are the most expensive countries in Africa. Nonsense. These are the most civilized countries in Africa with well-developed infrastructure and services. And first-class nature. And prices are not only not higher than in Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda-Ethiopia and others, but, as a rule, they are lower. You need a good road network where you can drive a rental car, and motels where you can stay inexpensively. It's all there. Compare with other poorer countries. Let's take the already mentioned Zambia. The roads are terrible and you need a 4x4 vehicle, which will cost you from $200 per day. In South Africa, the same car will cost $50-60 per day, and a simpler type, for example a Toyota Corolla, will cost $35-40. Remember what I said about the quality of roads? So, even with a simple city car you can visit the gorgeous national parks of Etosha and Bwawata in Namibia, Kruger in South Africa, or Chobe in Botswana.
Accommodations
Now for the night. In these three countries there is a luxurious network of motels and inexpensive lodges priced at $50-70 for two places with amenities in the room, air conditioning and TV. In Tanzania, for example, you have a different choice: either $120-150 for an option similar to the South African one, or $15-30 for a terrible cesspool with mosquitoes.
Actually, my experience traveling in Africa in December 2009
First of all, I decided that I would look at nature in Botswana and Namibia. As the play progressed, fate brought me to Zimbabwe, where I also saw the wonderful Hwange National Park, but I’ll tell you about that another time. So, Botswana as a starting point for the national parks of southern Africa. I book a car on the website Avis.co.za, where a Toyota Corolla 1.6 sedan costs $53 per day without any volume restrictions. Next, I study sites dedicated to Chobe National Park, which starts right from the town of Kasan, where I plan to stay:
In terms of tourism, Caprivi is interesting because of three rivers that cross it in different places: Zambezi, Chobe and Okavango. Everywhere is full of animals and practically no tourists. And what’s even more pleasant is excellent roads, cheap tickets to the parks ($4 won’t bother you much, right?) and inexpensive overnight accommodation in nature. Note that in neighboring Botswana, on these same three rivers, a whole tourist infrastructure has developed, and those who travel there are those wearing hats with brims a la Livingston and million-dollar show-offs, and then photographs in the style of “I am in front of an elephant. Me, after returning to Moscow, in front of my dacha. Me against the backdrop of black women with boobs. I got drunk on vodka and am lying in bed." You don’t have thousands of dollars to spare, are you bothered by an overnight stay for 400 dollars a day? Then forget about the Okavango on Botswana territory. You have a direct path to the Caprivi.
After crossing the border, we had a 3-hour drive west to the Okavango River and Popa Falls (yes, that's right - Popa). And there is also the Bwawata National Park. In the isthmus's only town, Katima Mulilo, you'll pay a Namibian toll of about $24. When leaving the country, you will be checked to see if you have a toll receipt. The town is absolutely unremarkable, except that you need to refuel and buy groceries here. And then there is the border with Zambia, and besides, the gate to the upper part of the Zambezi Basin and the Ngonye Waterfalls, which can be reached, but only by jeep, having overcome 140 km of washed-out dirt road on Zambian territory. And no public transport. Taking into account the fact that it will be almost impossible for you to find a rental company willing to allow you to take their car to Zambia, a visit to Ngonye Falls turns into an exciting quest.
Roads, hotels and animals
The trails in Namibia are good. The limit is 120 km/h and there are almost no cars, giving you the opportunity to cover long distances in a minimum of time. I confess, I exceeded the speed and drove 150-160 km/h.
But after some time, we witnessed a serious accident with a victim, after which I did not exceed the speed limit until the very end of the trip -
The refrigerator was carrying frozen meat, as much as 8 tons. In the African heat, after just a couple of hours of not working, the freezer smelled horribly of rotten meat. However, I don’t want to discuss this episode. I’ll just say one thing - the driver of the truck was speeding at about 150, and fell asleep at the wheel. Science for all sorts of Schumachers.
National Parks and Lodges
With this I finish the story about the Caprivi, and we cross the border to Botswana, which will be a separate story -
Other reports about Africa:
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 in 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 going to Africa?”, “No, but there is a group to South America on Aconcagua (6962 m) - the 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 the highest mountain in Europe - the Elbrus volcano (5642 m) and only in 2006, exactly 10 years later, the spark of a dream could finally flare 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's Day 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 New Year 2006 in the United Arab Emirates somewhere between the plane and the airport. A short New Year's Eve at the hotel and back to check-in. What date is today? 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! The 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. They have obvious 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. The movement of motor vehicles in the Park is prohibited. 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. The black sky is all diamonds of 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 handy! 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 went further to Uhuru Peak - the highest point of the Kilimanjaro volcano. 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 bless 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 cool! 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 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 before 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 go on a little 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 in 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. Open air dining room. 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 positions in society 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 nevertheless they 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 rocking on the waves, snow-white sand of the beach, coconut palms on the shore. Amazing picture!
The plane landed at Stone Town Airport. Stone Town is the 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 left for the 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 suggested taking a ride on a junk on the sea and seeing white sharks, which, according to him, were 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 on 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 (turtle reserve), 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. In town? 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. Local residents flocked to the water: 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! What for? 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 of the barrier reef could be seen in the distance. 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 it was in the 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. "This is 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. A snow-white towel over our hand. We almost fell off our chairs from surprise. We leafed through the menu. This is there, that’s not. We made an order: “Bring everything you have.” He nodded his head and ran away. The bartender wasn’t there for a long time. We drank another 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 ketchup and bow arrows were made intricate pattern. Well done man! Totally unexpected and very exotic! The dishes were soon served. Everything was fresh and very tasty. 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. It is very interesting. People also went to turtle island. Me not. 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 us!
Alexander Verevkin
Tanzania-Ekaterinburg
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 natural reserves, such as the Gala rainforest or the Outamba-Kilimi National Park, clean beaches on the Atlantic coast, and its capital Freetown is the 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 crime rate.
However, no one promises that baboons will not attack you, so during a safari it is recommended not to feed these warlike monkeys or even smile at them. In general, there are a lot of animals in Botswana; for example, it is home to the largest population of elephants in the world.
One of the popular tourist attractions, along with 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 ranked as the safest country in Africa by the Global Safety Index and has remained at the top of the rankings 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 the official language of Ghana.
Here you can visit numerous reserves with elephants, antelopes, monkeys and other exotic animals, visit the ruins of castles and fortresses of Cape Post and Elmina, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and spend time on clean, uncrowded beaches.
4.
This country in South-West Africa is an oasis of stability and security on a turbulent dark continent. It was discovered quite late (in 1878) by Europeans, quickly emerged from all internal and external conflicts and is now one of the richest African countries.
Here is the oldest desert on earth - the Namib, the legendary Skeleton Coast, many national parks, the site of the fall of the largest Hob meteorite, the second largest canyon after the Colorado and much more.
Do not miss:
Namibia has good driving routes, and the tourist train The Desert Express runs between the capital Windhoek and the resort town of 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 Queen Elizabeth National Park in Africa, the Entebbe Botanical Garden, where the first film about Tarzan was filmed, the Rwenzori mountain range - most likely, the ancient Egyptians called them the Moon Mountains. Here they go 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 the Cape Verde Islands is 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 potential: from beaches with black volcanic sand, continuing with dives to shipwrecks and ending with windsurfing, the 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 numerous hiking trails lead. Secondly, the island of Zanzibar is a resort place where the beautiful Stone Town, 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 the colossal (21 km in diameter) crater of an extinct volcano. It is home to about 25 thousand different animals and has the highest concentration of predators in all of Africa.
9.
Madagascar is a separate continent in miniature: it is so unlike Africa or any other place on earth. There are amazing landscapes here, and 80% of the living animals and plants are found nowhere else.
The island has many natural parks and protected areas. The largest reserve is Tsingy de Bemaraha, which, like many others, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The country is rich in beautiful beaches; It is traditionally believed that swimming on the west coast is 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 the famous Victoria Falls are located. 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: a pagan temple complex built more than a thousand years ago.
Tourists planning a trip to Africa must have all vaccinations; a list of them is usually available on the embassy website. Even in those countries where vaccination is not required for travel, you must take anti-malarial tablets, and start taking them before the trip. It is strictly forbidden to use raw water even for brushing your teeth.
Are you going on a trip? Don't forget about
Having traveled through 8 countries of West Africa and acquired some knowledge about this region, I decided to collect in one place general thoughts about traveling around it. In general, some of these theses will apply to all of West and Central Africa, and some to the entire continent.
1. Let's be honest. Traveling around Africa, and especially along its western promontory, is, to put it mildly, not easy and is not for everyone. If you haven’t been anywhere in particular before, then Africa is definitely not the place to go. There are more than enough reasons for this. 
2. I visited the following countries: Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote D'Ivoire. To one degree or another, the contents of this post apply to all these countries with the exception of Morocco - this state does not fit into the general African trend at all, being much more civilized, interesting and convenient for travel.Well, it is known that Morocco is Africa purely geographically. 
3. Is Africa terrible? Yes Yes Yes! Almost every African population is not equipped in any way, and is also overflowing with garbage and dirt. A day's walk through an African city is sometimes comparable in the amount of dirt and germs obtained to a visit to a city dump somewhere in Europe, Russia, or Latin America. On average, you have to do laundry here 1.5-2 times more often than in other parts of the planet. 
4. Household unsanitary conditions. If you don't have the opportunity to wash and sanitize your hands regularly (and in Africa you usually won't), then you are at risk. Insidious microbes are waiting for you. 
5. Prices. Africa is a very expensive region to travel. For an ignorant person, it may seem strange that impoverished countries, where 80% live below the poverty line, can be expensive, but everything is logical. Very little of anything other than food is produced here (and food is often imported from Europe or neighboring African countries), and terrible logistics, terrible roads, and customs duties make most of the goods that we are accustomed to, which form an integral part of our everyday life, insanely expensive. 
6. Africa's motto: "Long and poor quality! But expensive". Be prepared for the fact that hotels, transport, catering and much else provide shitty quality services at prices close to European ones. In principle, it is possible to find something decent (which will also have some problems), but the prices will be generally astronomical. 
7. Local population. In fact, I’ve heard the saying that “if you’re not already a racist, you just haven’t been in Africa for long.” I haven’t become a racist, I’m still for the fact that all people are equal, but, frankly speaking, sometimes blacks are catastrophically annoying. With his meticulous pestering, tactlessness, laziness. 
8. Everything in Africa is organized ugly and chaotic. Don’t plan too many things in one day, you won’t have time to do them anyway, or you won’t be able to do them. Always prepare for the fact that there will be delays and inconsistencies along your route, and always allow extra time for them. 
9. I already wrote about that. What was written applied, admittedly, mainly to the not entirely black Mauritania, but still. I will repeat the key point:
Africa is a difficult continent. Africa teaches you to be tolerant of dirt, teaches you to overcome your traditional physical aversion to many things, kills excessive disgust, leaving only cold prudence: whether this or that thing can really harm your health or not. But that’s not even the main thing... Africa constantly poses the question to you: who you really are, and forces you to prove your beliefs in practice.
And now I will add the following. White, by definition, is a rich, snickering mister, a bag of money who is obliged to share every sneeze with the poor blacks. You encounter deception, inflated prices, begging, and selling all sorts of unnecessary things and services here several times more often than in all other countries of the 3rd world. 
10. Naturally, representatives of official services (police officers, border guards) are prone to the same extortion of money, sometimes actively, sometimes cautiously (but I was lucky here, I only encountered this a couple of times). Ordinary citizens will simply want money, for example, for taking photographs of them, but children will simply want money for meeting you. 
11. Is Africa dangerous? Yes Yes Yes! The list of problems that can happen here is incomparable to any other country. The main danger, perhaps, is tropical diseases, primarily malaria. 
12. In fact, this is not a question that should be joked about. Almost all of Africa is “infected” (with the exception of the extreme south and north). But malaria has different forms and levels of its spread. In West Africa, the most terrible form of Plasmodium Falciparum is widespread, from which you can die within a few days if you do not start treatment on time. Therefore, you have to constantly think about protection from malaria-carrying mosquitoes! 
13. It might not be so scary if malaria were the only natural danger in Africa. But alas, there are more than a lot of nasty things here: Ebola, hepatitis, dysentery. However, the real danger of Ebola, I believe, is greatly exaggerated, the chance of encountering it is minimal (it is common only in the Guinea region), but everything else can happen if you do not take precautions. I’m not yet talking about AIDS and all sorts of sexually transmitted diseases (but this is relevant for those who love all sorts of adventures with local representatives of the opposite sex). Yes, it’s quite possible to simply get poisoned by low-quality food here. 
14. Another problem is anthropogenic. Africa is the most turbulent continent in terms of all kinds of political disturbances. Coups d'etat, civil wars, separatism, rebels here in every second country. Of course, the real danger of getting caught in a firefight is minimal: most likely, if, suddenly, a civil war happens, you will find out about it and simply will not go to this country. But all this results in increased suspicion of the special services, spyphobia, document checks, brainwashing for photographing something “strategic”. 
15. But. The main thing, however, is not this. All these difficulties could be survived if there was something for it. And here we come to the main problem: there is not much to see in West Africa! 
16. Let's look at this point in detail. There are basically no interesting cities in Africa outside of the northern Arab countries! Well, that is, of course, there is something, Dakar is interesting in some way, and even in the provincial Ouagadougou you can find a lot of interesting things; a number of cities with colonial buildings can be found throughout the mainland. But these are clearly not the cities for which it is worth rushing to go there; they are worth visiting, perhaps, along the way, if you find yourself in those parts. 
17. Antique ruins meet, and right here, in West Africa! Something is even included in the UNESCO list. But, objectively, there are not very many of them, and even now a significant part of them are located in territories controlled by the rebels. 
18. Nature. This is, perhaps, the main reason why people generally go to Africa. But even here there is an ambush. Firstly, the most interesting nature is still in East Africa, and partly in South Africa. In the West, everything is much sadder and more monotonous. And, secondly, any interesting places are located in the territories of national parks, where entry costs a fortune, access is possible only by transport, with a guide, etc. 
19. After all, this is so logical: since rich white gentlemen are ready to pay a lot of money for a safari, then why not take it from them. The fact that not all whites are equally rich does not occur to Africans, especially since the poor practically do not get there (although, I believe that even if it occurred to them, little would change). 
20. In West Africa, if you wish, you can see elephants, crocodiles, lions, hippos and monkeys. Well, that is, the very animals with which we have associated Africa since childhood. But for this you will have to spend a lot of time and, especially, money, without any guarantee that you will meet the animals you are looking for. Let’s multiply the equation by the quality of African service, which in this case cannot be avoided in any way (situations are quite real when lazy guides spend half the paid time lying around and smoking bamboo) and calculate the ratio of costs to the impressions received. 
21. In general, the problem of accessibility of wildlife in Africa is quite acute. I think it’s worthwhile to be concerned about developing technology to penetrate national parks, bypassing posts and imposed guides, or minimizing their harm. Here, however, you automatically face the problem of transport, which also needs to be solved somehow. Because even if visiting the national park without it is not prohibited, this does not eliminate the need to move around a fairly vast territory. How? There is, of course, no public transport there; walking on foot takes a very long time, is difficult and ineffective. Well, you have to somehow get to the park itself, but they are always away from civilization. In West Africa, for example, the entrance fees themselves are not very high, but the main costs will be for guides and transport. 
22. However, West African parks are considered less interesting than East African ones. There are fewer animals here, it is more difficult to meet them, but they are cheaper, the only advantage. I have never been to any national park (with the possible exception of Abuko Park in the Gambia, but it is tiny; you can completely walk around it in an hour). Although, probably, for the sake of scientific knowledge it would be worth visiting one of them. 
23. What to say West Africa is not a region you want to visit a second time. This doesn’t mean that you regret the first one; on the contrary, it’s very interesting to see it all. So, out of 8 countries, only two aroused the desire to come again, and the first and last: Morocco and Cote D’Ivoire. I wrote about Morocco, but Côte d’Ivoire beckons because I never saw its capital, Yamoussoukro, with the largest temple in the world. Well, in general, it’s somehow more positive there than in other countries. 
24. In general, of course, it’s even convenient. In fact, I liked the vast majority of countries before, and I would visit almost all of them again. But this is not so simple, especially if they are far away! But there are also unvisited countries, of which there are even more. It turns out that the process is generally endless, and almost the whole world will always be in sight. And then, finally, countries appear where you no longer need to go. 
25. Another such moment. There are no cool “tricks” in African countries. Well, just what makes one feel nostalgic for the country upon returning. Some special food, drinks, establishments, some aesthetic moments such as carpets, local music. Most countries in the world have these features: falafel in the Middle East, lagman and pilaf in Central Asia, tagine in Morocco, hammams in Turkey, tea houses in China, meat in Mongolia, mate in Argentina, salsa and tango there, samba and other catchy pop music in Brazil, etc. Well, that is, not necessarily food, but these pleasant little things that are an integral part of everyday life, which you always remember with such warmth, and if you find yourself in the country, you always go for them first. And in Africa there is nothing like this! Life here is as simple and primitive as possible. The food, in principle, is not particularly tasty and quite expensive, the drinks include instant coffee and tea in hundred-gram glasses, the music here is generally primitive and disgusting - disgusting, dull poppycock, and Afro drum playing is rare and, in general, difficult to understand. Therefore, there is nothing left to miss here when you return home. 
27.
- If you are sensitive to dirt, poor living conditions, terrible service, if comfort and coziness are important to you, do not go to West Africa!
- If your first priority is traveling to interesting cities with a rich cultural program, do not go to West Africa.
- If you are a fan of traveling through beautiful nature: walking in the mountains, rafting down rivers, wandering through the jungle - do not go to West Africa (jungles, however, still exist in a reduced form in the countries of the Gulf of Guinea).
- If you like relaxed travel, relaxation and downshifting, lying on the beach, then don’t go to Africa in principle (anywhere!). Although, objectively speaking, even in West African countries there are enough European downshifters. 
28. But who should really go to ZA is
- lovers of all sorts of rare semi-wild peoples.
- fans of proletarian, rural and very simple life, who do not bother with comfort.
- geographers, geoproctologists and “collectors” of countries.
- adventurers, adventure seekers, everything new and unusual. 
29. But still, I feel that my story turned out to be completely gloomy, that this is some kind of ass of the world, so it is impossible not to highlight the positive aspects of African reality. The main thing is that, no matter what, It's quite possible to travel here! It’s not so trashy, terrible, impossible to live here. There are numerous everyday difficulties, but, in general, there is nothing here that would require some kind of incredible heroism. Perhaps it exists in Central Africa. And here, you go and go. 
30. Safety. This is a very pleasant aspect, especially for those who have traveled to Latin America. Indeed, most African countries are quite calm and peaceful. Yes, they will annoy you with requests and begging for money, but violent cases of taking it away are extremely rare here. And outside of large cities like Cape Town, Lagos or Nairobi, it is quite calm. Even in Dakar and Abidjan you feel much calmer than, say, Rio or Medellin. In other places, you can generally calmly walk through all sorts of homeless slums without fear of getting into any problems there. 
31. Color. Here's what, but at least eat this. The reality here is so bright and varied that it completely compensates for the lack of any interesting objects. These include women in all sorts of Afro dresses, carrying giant bales on their heads, and minibuses hung with all sorts of bags on three sides, or with goats on the roofs, and markets, where sometimes a real Babylon reigns, and donkeys with sheep grazing in front of elite hotels. In Africa you will often sing the song “I know for sure: the impossible is possible.” 
32. In Africa, elements of all sorts of ancient tribal cultures have been preserved; here you can really see some ancient tribal rituals, and they are carried out not for the amusement of tourists, but according to traditions. Or just even all sorts of dances or holidays in the countryside are in themselves something unique that you will never forget. 
33. Rituals and holidays, by the way, is the second good reason to go to Africa in principle. But here, as with national parks, everything is very difficult and there are many pitfalls. Firstly, in order to get to a wedding, holiday or ceremony, you need to know where and when they are taking place, and then somehow get there. In cities, of course, you won’t find such brightness, although anything can happen; interesting weddings are also held on the outskirts. Secondly, it is advisable to make sure that this is a real ritual, and not a show for tourists, which they sometimes watch. The problem is that the line between the first and second categories is very blurred, they can be carried out by the same people at different times, and sometimes the presence of a tourist can simply stimulate it to be carried out earlier (of course, financially). Those. they would have held it anyway, but not when you arrived, but a week or two later. And it’s not clear how to feel about this - on the one hand, everything seems to be authentic anyway, on the other hand, you brought your influence into the existence of this society and somewhat disrupted its usual way of life. In general, be that as it may, such a study of African ethnography will require enormous preliminary preparation. Most people are unlikely to bother with this, and then they can only hope that they will be lucky enough to come across something like this by chance, as happened to me in Gambia. 
34. And the above-mentioned flavor of ordinary life is very impressive. I’m even afraid that after what I’ve seen here, there won’t be much sticking around here anymore. Already in Latin America and the Middle East it is much less pronounced. 
35. But over time you get used to it. And then, taking into account all the negative aspects described above, it becomes really boring and sad if you don’t find or do anything interesting. This is what happened to me towards the end of the trip, when I really got tired of Africa and really wanted to go home. Because it’s been virtually the same thing for a month now. 
36. Unpredictability and adventure. Be that as it may, no matter how you go to Africa (civilized or wild), no matter what you focus on (cities or national parks), your trip will be filled with surprises, surprises, pleasant and not so pleasant, but definitely an integral part of the journey. 
But in general?
37. Well, you’ll probably ask: so you didn’t like it? Why then go to this hole in the world at all? I will say that in principle I try not to operate with the categories “like”/“dislike”. In any case, they are not decisive. I'm interested in everything, but it won't necessarily be pleasant. I am interested in life in Argentina, I go there and I like it there. I am interested in life in Mali, I go there and, for example, I don’t like it there, but I have already received knowledge about Mali, and that is enough for me. 
38. Will I go to Africa again, and in particular to West Africa? Yeah, that would be nice. I probably won’t spend time on the countries I’ve visited, but there are still many others left: Guinea, Liberia, Togo-Benin, Niger, etc. It would be interesting to see them too, and my existing experience of traveling around the region will allow me to better prepare for these countries. 
39. I heard from my colleague Alexander Volkov ( wolfgrel
) the thesis that Africa leaves no one indifferent. Only some, having arrived here, turn up their noses and swear that “never set foot again,” while others simply go crazy about this continent, rave about it, and they are drawn and drawn to Africa again to return. Apparently I’m a rare person who finds himself in the middle and my attitude here is quite moderate: I’m not going to go crazy about Africa, but I would quite like to come here someday, and more than once. However, it is absolutely true that Africa did not leave me indifferent. In terms of the power of impressions, this trip surpasses most of the previous ones. Just a mathematical expectation of aspects that influence the desire to come again just above zero somewhere :) 
40. Whatever you say, Africa evokes a lot of emotions, Africa is a constant drama. It may be hard for you here, disgusting, disgusting, but you definitely won’t be bored, well, at least at first. Therefore, if you are able to experience all the difficulties it contains, and also if this emotional aspect of the journey is primarily important to you, you will definitely not regret coming here. 
While Europe has long been explored and explored, and Asia has become a common destination for exotic travel, Africa still remains a blank spot on the map of most travelers. This continent is shrouded not only in an aura of mystery, but also, importantly, in stereotypes and prejudices. But you can and should go to Africa, because it represents a whole world, new and unknown. The main thing is to get rid of illusions and properly prepare for the trip.
Why go
Why go to Africa? This is the first question you need to ask before traveling to this continent. There are not many places in Africa for the usual beach holiday. And those that exist cannot offer a sufficiently high level of service or affordable prices. There are also few architectural landmarks and cultural sites in African countries. These are the consequences of wars, internecine conflicts, colonization and, in general, the inability of Africans to preserve their cultural and historical heritage. Of course, every country on the continent has attractions, but their number and degree of preservation cannot be compared with the countries of Europe and Asia. But Africa will definitely surprise you with its national parks, where you can see wild animals in their natural habitat, beautiful and diverse nature, tribes with their unusual and exotic appearance and unique way of life.
Where to go
Geographically, Africa is divided into five regions: northern, southern, western, eastern and central. North Africa includes all countries of the continent on the Mediterranean coast. South Africa includes countries in the south of the continent from South Africa to Angola and Zambia. West Africa includes countries located south of central Sahara and bordering the Atlantic Ocean. East Africa is the countries in the east from Sudan to. And the countries located in the heart of the African continent (from the Central African Republic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo) make up the Central Africa region.
In each region there are countries that are more interesting, safe and easy to travel, and there are those that it is better to avoid traveling to for one reason or another. For example, in North Africa, many have already visited, Egypt and, but Algeria and Libya, for obvious reasons, are deprived of the attention of tourists. In West Africa, it is worth visiting Ghana and Mali, but avoid traveling to Nigeria.
The most popular destinations among travelers are South Africa, Kenya and. Tourism in these countries is developing rapidly, more travel opportunities are appearing, the choice of tours and routes is becoming wider, and more and more local travel companies are offering their services for organizing safaris and other trips. At the same time, these countries retain their original culture and true African exoticism and flavor.
When to go
The winter months (November to March) are considered the most suitable for visiting most African countries. During this period, most of the continent receives little rainfall, and there is no need to worry that the rainy season will interfere with travel. This is also true for South Africa, since these months are summer on the other side of the equator.
A trip to Africa can be timed to coincide with one of the most interesting events. For example, in early January, immediately after the new year, the annual festival of African music Festival Au Desert is held in West Africa. This festival is interesting because it takes place over several days in the open air right in the Sahara Desert. But for wildlife and safari lovers, you can go to Kenya or Tanzania from July to October to catch The Great Wildebeest Migration.
How to get there
Flights to most African countries are operated by major airlines in Europe (,) and Asia (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways). These airlines do not operate direct flights from Moscow. One way or another, travelers will have to take transit flights, the time for which will have to be included in the route and travel plan. The most convenient connections and favorable fares to a number of African countries are offered by Turkish airlines and Egyptair with transfers in Istanbul and Cairo, respectively. And here transit flights can play into your hands: both airlines offer convenient and profitable connections with short waiting times or, conversely, with the possibility of departure to your final destination within a day. In this case, the airline offers passengers hotel accommodation, breakfast, transfer and sometimes city tours (). Thus, you can choose a convenient flight and transit option and visit another city. And the absence of the need to apply for a visa to Turkey or Egypt simplifies the task even more.
Direct flights from Moscow to Kenya (Nairobi) are offered by Aeroflot. In addition to Nairobi, Aeroflot operates flights to other African capitals: Algeria, Tunisia, Casablanca and Accra (Ghana). The budget company Airberlin (closed) also flies to Nairobi and Johannesburg (South Africa) from Moscow (also in transit).
You should be prepared for the fact that a flight to any African country will be quite expensive: on average, it is 35-45 thousand rubles, depending on the destination and the airline. Whatever flight method you choose, before buying a ticket you should always pay attention to promotions ( public VK), special rates and special offers from airlines. For example, Air France organizes ticket sales to African countries that were once colonies of France: Algeria, Senegal, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and others.
Preparation: vaccinations and paperwork
When the purpose of the trip has been determined, the country has been selected, and the air tickets have been purchased, it’s time to take care of all the necessary documents.
- Visa. Carefully study the migration and customs rules of a particular country. Visas for some countries are obtained very quickly, while others will take time to obtain. For example, to obtain an Angola visa you need a standard set of documents (application form, passport, tickets, hotel reservation confirmation, etc.) and up to two weeks of time. But getting an Algerian visa is much more difficult: this country has an extremely strict visa regime for citizens of most countries in the world. Visas for Uganda, Ethiopia and a number of other countries can be issued at the border (at airports or ground checkpoints). It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the rules for obtaining a visa on arrival in advance, as in some countries entry permission is not issued at land checkpoints.
Some states (Kenya, Senegal and others) have introduced an electronic visa processing system, in which all necessary documents are submitted via the Internet on a special portal, and the applicant receives a visa by email. The received entry permit must be printed and presented at the border.
By the way, there is Unified East African Visa, which allows stay in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and free movement within these countries without obtaining national visas of these states. This visa is issued only at the consulates of Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda; This document is not issued at the border or online. - Vaccinations. To visit most African countries, you must be vaccinated against yellow fever. Moreover, you must obtain an international vaccination certificate. This document is often asked when crossing the border, and it may also be on the list of documents required to obtain a visa. The certificate is issued on the day of vaccination at the vaccination point (in Moscow this is the Central Vaccination Point at Clinic No. 13). In addition to vaccination against yellow fever, it would be a good idea to get vaccinated against typhoid fever and hepatitis A, information about which will also be included in the certificate. But recommended vaccinations may vary by region.
- Permissions. Visitor permits may be required to visit some sites in some countries. For example, travel to some cities in Eritrea requires similar permits, which are issued by the country's Ministry of Tourism. It is necessary to find out in advance whether any special documents are needed for certain objects on the compiled route, as well as where and how they can be issued (in advance via the Internet or during a personal visit upon arrival in the country).
- Insurance. Don't neglect or skimp on. There are no special insurance requirements for visiting African countries. The main thing is to pay attention to whether the selected insurance company issues insurance to this region with the required amount of coverage.
- Documentation. It is worth finding out in advance whether foreigners need to register with the police station or migration service upon arrival in the country. If this is necessary, it would be a good idea to take with you the documents that may be needed for this (photo, copies of passport pages, copy of visa, etc.). These same documents will be useful when crossing state borders by land, especially if visas to these countries are issued at the border.
Safety: real dangers and stereotypes
There is a common belief that Africa is an extremely dangerous place. Of course, some of the common stereotypes have a basis, but, in fact, everything is not as scary as it looks in the eyes of the public. To ensure your own safety, it is enough to follow simple and well-known rules of behavior. As elsewhere, in African countries you need to politely communicate with local residents, ask permission to take a photo, and pay more attention to the laws and norms of behavior in a particular country. This will save you from possible problems with the police or locals. Corruption is very widespread in African countries. In relation to foreigners, this may manifest itself in the imposition of fines, services, inflated tariffs for certain services, or an attempt at extortion. Therefore, you should not provoke conflicts and ambiguous situations associated with violation of order, laws, norms of behavior, rules of movement around the country and crossing borders. This will save you from lengthy proceedings and extortion of money.
As elsewhere in the world, when traveling in Africa, you need to be attentive to your own belongings, money and documents. In most countries on the continent, theft is commonplace. Foreigners, especially whites, are considered rich by default, so robbing a white becomes almost a matter of honor for Africans. Of course, this does not apply to everyone without exception. But, admittedly, in undeveloped and poor countries with high levels of unemployment and corruption, such stereotypical thinking is common. Therefore, you should not take expensive things with you: electronics and equipment, gold jewelry. You should keep money and valuables with you, do not take out large sums on the street and keep an eye on your bag or backpack.
As for health, the same rules of sanitation and personal hygiene apply here as when traveling to Asia: do not drink raw water, avoid using ice in drinks (since it is most likely made from raw water), wash your hands more often, especially before meals, and refrain from buying and eating street food. In fact, very often street food turns out to be edible and you can try it. It is only important to be careful when choosing food. For example, bread flatbreads, popular in almost all countries, are quite safe, but it is better to avoid buying fried meat (usually small pieces of meat on a skewer), since due to the hot climate and inappropriate storage and processing conditions, the meat may be spoiled.
When traveling to tropical and equatorial countries, you need to be aware of natural dangers associated with climate, insects, animals, and so on. You should avoid visiting, especially on your own, without guides, rural areas, swampy areas, jungles, and so on. You cannot walk barefoot or in open shoes on the grass and ground, or try to touch animals, even ordinary cats and dogs.
Malaria. It is no secret that malaria is very common in tropical and equatorial countries. A large percentage of infections occur on the African continent. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine for malaria. That is, formally it exists, but is still being tested. It is too early to talk about whether there will be a certified malaria vaccine available to the population in Russia. Therefore, there is always a risk of infection. To reduce it to a minimum, it is important to remember that, firstly, you can protect yourself from mosquitoes (both ordinary and malarial) with ordinary repellents or tinctures with extracts of cloves (usually sold in pharmacies) and other natural substances whose odors repel insects Secondly, for an overnight stay you need to choose a hostel (hotel) that has a mosquito net hanging above the bed. It should be lowered as low as possible and cover the bed in such a way that there are no gaps and that the mesh does not come into contact with the body. Thirdly, it is important to remember that mosquito numbers increase with high humidity. This means that the risk of encountering a malarial mosquito increases near water bodies, in swampy areas and during the rainy season (where it is present). These factors must be taken into account when planning a trip and drawing up a route.
There is a lot of information and advice on the Internet about taking anti-malaria drugs as a preventive measure (Loriam, Malaron). It is extremely undesirable to take these drugs without a doctor’s prescription, and especially for preventive purposes, because, firstly, they do not provide an absolute guarantee that infection will not occur, and secondly, these drugs have a number of contraindications and a huge number of side effects. They also put a lot of stress, and sometimes complications, on the liver, since they contain large quantities of quinine. Remember that not all mosquitoes in Africa are malarial, and there may not be any infection at all during the entire trip. However, it should be borne in mind that the incubation period for these diseases lasts from several days to several weeks, and the first symptoms may appear after returning home. Therefore, if you feel unwell, you must consult a doctor and inform him that you have returned from African countries. As for medications, they should be taken only in case of illness. You can buy them in pharmacies directly in African countries. They are much cheaper there. A rapid test for malaria is also widely sold, which you can do yourself in a matter of minutes. Upon arrival in the country, it would be a good idea to immediately go to the pharmacy, buy a test and medicine, and have them with you for the entire trip, as well as bring them home in case symptoms of the disease appear after returning.
Money: cash, bank cards, currency
In what currency should I take money with me (euro or dollar)? Depends on the region. For example, eight countries in West and Central Africa, once French territories and now members of the African Financial Community, use a single currency, the CFA franc (CFA), which is rigidly pegged to the euro. Therefore, when going to this region, it is better to take euros with you, since the exchange rate will be more favorable. In other African countries, the dollar has become more widespread, although the euro is also in circulation. But in some countries you may encounter difficulties when exchanging currency, be it the euro or the dollar. For example, in Uganda, $100 bills older than 2000 are cheaper, and exchange offices, both official and unofficial, are reluctant to accept them. And in Kenya, hundred dollar bills issued before 2006 may not be accepted for payment or exchange. When exchanging currency in banks and exchange offices, you should pay attention not only to the exchange rate, but also to the commission that is often charged (for example, in South Africa).
Bank cards are not accepted everywhere. In more developed Kenya and Tanzania, cards can be used to pay in large hotels, supermarkets and safari agencies. In South Africa you can pay with a card almost everywhere. In smaller cities and less developed countries with much lower tourist flows, there are much fewer opportunities to pay by card or withdraw cash from an ATM. You can withdraw cash from your card at ATMs only in large cities. Sometimes withdrawing money from ATMs can result in the card being blocked, since Russian banks may perceive such transactions as suspicious (what if the card was stolen!). Therefore, you need to have cash on hand in case you cannot use your cards for some reason.
Sometimes you can pay in dollars (rarely euros) for individual services or goods. For example, in Kenya, a number of souvenir shops may accept American currency for payment. In this case, change will most likely be given in Kenyan shillings. With such a calculation system, you need to be especially careful, as they can be shortchanged. Also, dollars will be used to pay for organized tours around the country, safaris and entrance to national parks and other similar services. It is worth preparing approximately 100-150 dollars in small bills to pay for taxis, excursions, and tips.
Price level and costs
When planning to travel around Africa, you should initially be prepared for the fact that this is not a budget destination. Prices for transport, food in cafes and restaurants, and housing are almost comparable to European prices. Price levels vary from country to country. Ethiopia can probably be called the cheapest country on the African continent. But even here it all depends on what travelers are going to see and how to spend their time. In general, for a two-week trip to Africa, you will most likely have to budget at least 1000-1500 dollars per person, not counting the air ticket. Of course, if you are planning a safari in a national park, that’s what people come here for.
Safari is the biggest expense item. And this is precisely what needs to be treated with great attention. Safaris are organized by local agencies, and their services are unlikely to be avoided. Firstly, because in most cases it is prohibited to be on the territory of a national park without a car and a guide, as it is simply dangerous due to wild animals. Secondly, a safari, as a rule, takes not one day, but from two to seven, depending on the route and the chosen national park. The cost of a safari varies and depends on the company, location, included services and number of days. On average, prices start from $130-150 per day per person. The price includes a car with a driver, a guide, overnight stays at a campsite or lounge, meals and entry fees to the reserve. Some companies also offer the services of a cook who will accompany you along the entire route, if the tour includes overnight stays in tents. Of course, the services of a cook will slightly increase the cost of the safari, but tents and other necessary equipment are included in the price. Drinks (water, juices, soda, beer) and tips for the driver, guide and cook will be paid separately. Tips are usually given in US currency at the rate of 5-10 dollars per person per day for each team member. The issue of tips should be discussed before the trip and it should be agreed what it will be - the total amount from the entire group or another form of incentive.
You can choose an agency for organizing a safari before leaving for Africa, contact it, clarify prices, information about the group being recruited and other organizational issues. In addition, very often such agencies offer their clients pleasant bonuses in the form of free transfer from the airport or free hotel accommodation for the night before departure for a safari. You can choose an individual safari for 2-4 people, or you can join a group and thereby slightly reduce the cost of the tour. By the way, you can always ask about the possibility of making a discount, and very often companies will accommodate you halfway. It is also possible to order a safari on site, at a hotel or guesthouse, of course, if the selected hotel (guesthouse, hostel) offers such services.
Transport
To travel around the continent, you can use the services of African airlines that operate flights between major cities in Africa. The cost of flights is quite high. For example, a flight from Dakar (Senegal) to Bamako (Mali) costs about 400 euros.
Another transport option is buses, both intercity and international, connecting the capitals and major cities of nearby countries. Here we are talking about the so-called “buses for locals,” that is, those that Africans themselves ride on. The cost of a bus ticket depends on the direction and region. For example, moving Dakar-Bamako will cost about 40 euros, but takes about 25 hours. In practice, this time increases several times. Firstly, because a stop is made at night, since the border crossing does not operate at night, and in general, buses do not run at night. Secondly, the fleet of vehicles is mostly very old, buses break down often, and repairs take a lot of time. In addition, most buses are very uncomfortable, cramped and crowded, with hard seats, which makes such long journeys very tiring. Bus departures may not coincide with the schedule: very often they depart as the cabin fills up. Therefore, when choosing buses for travel, you need to remember the inconveniences of this type of transport and add extra time to your route.
Within countries, intercity bus travel is not expensive. In Mali, for example, the average price of a bus ticket is 8-12 euros. In Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, there are railway connections between major cities, which makes moving around these countries more comfortable and faster. The average cost of a train ticket can range from $30 to $60.
Traveling around the city on public transport is accessible to everyone. For example, in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, matatu (analogous to our minibus) and boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) are very popular. The cost of travel on a matatu is less than on a boda-boda - about 1 and 3 dollars, respectively (depending on the country). Moreover, boda-boda are private cab drivers on their motorcycles, and bargaining with them is always appropriate, unlike matatu.
As for taxis, this is always the most convenient and fastest form of urban transport. But, as elsewhere, taxi trips are more expensive than regular buses and minibuses. For example, a taxi fare in Dakar (Senegal) costs an average of 30 euros, in Kampala (Uganda) – 25 dollars, and in Nairobi (Kenya) – from 40 dollars.
Hitchhiking, a favorite among many travelers in African countries, cannot be called popular. Firstly, giving someone a lift means providing a service, and in Africa they always ask for money for services. Especially when it comes to foreigners. Secondly, in some countries the situation with roads and, consequently, with vehicles is quite deplorable. For example, in the DRC there are very few roads as such on which cars can drive. And in Eritrea, due to the shortage and high cost of gasoline, cars are not popular. Thirdly, in African countries there are places that are either closed to foreigners or where visiting is not recommended (for example, war zones, military bases, etc.). Even the locals themselves often do not know that foreigners are not allowed to be in a particular place.
Where to live
Tourism in individual African countries is gaining momentum. At the same time, the choice of hotels and hostels for every taste and budget is growing. But still, the budget housing system has not yet been developed well enough to offer travelers accommodation that is affordable and of good quality. Prices for a double room in a guesthouse or hostel, like everything else, depend on the country, but on average it is 25-50 dollars. For example, in Kampala the average cost of a double room in a guesthouse is 25 dollars, in Nairobi - about 40, and on the island of Zanzibar - from 60. In Dakar, a double room in a hostel costs 25-30 euros, in Bamako and Mopti (Mali) - 20 euros . Of course, the average cost of housing is shown here, but it fully reflects the price level that can be expected in African countries.
What to eat
You can safely eat in cafes and restaurants, especially if there are a lot of foreigners in them. Of course, prices in such places will be much higher than in those where locals eat. By the way, locals in many ways prefer not cafes and restaurants, but street food, which not every foreigner wants to try. On the other hand, some street food is not very dangerous: for example, bread, flatbread, pastries, fruit. You should be careful when handling meat and fish. By the way, these are the most expensive products in many African countries. Always available and popular foods in Africa are: rice, millet, beans, sweet potatoes, chicken, eggs, bread, tortillas, pasta and vegetables. Simple dishes made from these products can be bought everywhere, both on street stalls and in cafes.
What to see
Africa is famous for its natural attractions - nature reserves and national parks, where you can see pristine nature, flora and fauna, waterfalls, mountains, volcanoes and deep rivers. There are protected areas worth visiting for the sake of natural beauty in almost every country. The largest and most famous are the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro in Tanzania, and Kruger in South Africa. This is where thousands of travelers come to go on safari, watch wildlife, and take spectacular photos.
Those who are more interested in history and African ethnology will be interested in traveling around Ethiopia and seeing the ancient cities of Axum and Lalibela, as well as visiting African tribes in the Omo River Valley. And those who are interested in the history of slavery can go to Senegal and visit the island of Gorée (Île de Gorée) with its slavery museum. It was from here that Africans began to be exported to the New World.
Africa can surprise even an experienced traveler. She leaves no one indifferent. Sometimes she repels you at first sight, and then nothing can change this feeling. And sometimes travelers fall in love with it right away and can’t help but come here again and again, discovering new pieces of this still unfamiliar continent.
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