The group arrives in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (or Livingston, Zambia). Check in at a wonderful hotel. The first day of our Great trip... Relax after your flight. Take a walk along the falls and get wet from the splashes!
We will see the waterfalls from both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Waterfall day and motorboat safari.
We start the morning with a walk along the Victoria Falls. Then, those who wish can bungee from the bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe, lie in the devil's font right on the edge of the falls (availability depends on the season), or fly over the falls in a helicopter!
After lunch we cross the border and find ourselves in Botswana - a country-zoo under open air.
We are waiting for a safari on a motor boat along the Chobe River, where you can swim up to the animals and take pictures very close. We will observe hippos, elephants, crocodiles, antelopes and other animals.
The main elephant of the planet and the Baobab forest.
Morning in Africa starts well with a safari on the nat. Chobe Park, which is home to the largest population of elephants on the planet, and even the largest elephants.
This country is amazing - if in Russia we usually see cows on the side of the road, here elephants and giraffes are often commonplace! After the morning safari, we drive around the country and drive to the baobab forest. We are staying in houses right in the middle of the baobabs! Delicious dinners, photos with giant trees.
Breakfast with meerkats, salt marsh.
We'll have to get up early, because today we sit on jeep safari and go to breakfast with meerkats - funny animals that look like little people. In parallel with the meerkats, we admire a giant salt marsh, similar to Uyuni in Bolivia. At 360 degrees we will see the vastness of white salt! In some months, the salt marsh is covered with a thin layer of water and then the sky merges with a thin surface of water.
In the afternoon, transfer to the capital of the Okavango Delta. Scenic flight over the delta (optional)
Okavango Delta.
This is the largest inland delta of the planet, which never has an outlet to the ocean. The river splits into 5 branches and dissolves in the Kalahari Desert. It is home to a huge number of animals. All the Big Five can be seen here. It's like National Geographic programs, only live!
You now have a choice:
1. Go on a safari deep into the delta for a day and spend the night right among the animals! You will not have a fence, and you cannot move more than 100 meters from the camp. Open jeep safari.
2. Go on a boat safari - Mokoro dugouts. Authentic, swampy, meditative. Hiking safari with local guides
3. Just relaxing in the town with comfort is important if you need to save money.
Return from the Wild and interact with the Bushmen.
The Bushmen are the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. They have preserved the most ancient language on earth, consisting of "clatter", and they are also of a different race - they look more like Mongoloids than Negroids.
And although civilization takes its toll, we will still visit them, talk, learn about their way of life and herbal medicine.
Hello Namibia!
After spending the night with the Bushmen, we set off towards the new state - Namibia! We will cross the Kalahari Desert and find ourselves in the capital - Windhoek. Here we will comfortably stop for one night, so that the next day we will go to meet the pearl - the Namib Desert, with the most high dunes on the ground.
The road to the Namib Desert.
Transfer to the Namib Desert. Walk in a small canyon typical of these areas. Watching the sunset overlooking the red dunes, lilac rocks.
We go deep into the desert, walk through the dead forest.
We set off to meet the dawn on the red and yellow dunes. They are among the tallest in the world here! Those who wish will be able to climb over the desert on hot-air balloon or by plane (optional).
Then we sit down in jeeps and on all-wheel drive we go into the dead forest - business card Namibia!
After lunch, we head south to the grandiose Aus Valley with alien Martian views.
Atlantic and surreal day.
Namibia is washed by the cold Atlantic Current. Penguins live here and Seals... The wind is cold and salty. You can’t say that Africa is here. Today we will just get to the small and picturesque town of Luderitz on the coast. We can eat fresh oysters and wash them down with champagne. If the weather favors, it is possible to go out on a catamaran to the Penguin colonies (optional).
On the same day, we will visit a ghost town, half covered with sand. Once upon a time there lived German prospectors - diamond miners, but the deposit dried up and the city was forgotten. Now there are abandoned schools, hospitals and residential buildings, half covered with sand.
The African Grand Canyon and the Orange River.
Today we will see another miracle of our Planet - the second largest canyon in the World and the first canyon in Africa. You want to stay here for a long time, and the views are fantastic and alien.
After the Canyon, a relaxed evening on the banks of the Orange River. Here you can swim or canoe.
Africa is the second most populous continent, more than 1.1 billion people live here: a huge number of nationalities, languages and cultures. Among the conflict and poor countries, there are also quite peaceful, safe and interesting 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 has been torn apart for ten years not so long ago. Civil War... However, since 2002, significant changes have taken place in Sierra Leone and today it is already ranked among the peace-loving countries according to the Global Security Index (GPI). Sierra Leone is considered one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world, and the life expectancy of the local population is 57 years, which is not bad by African standards.
Sierra Leone has many beautiful nature reserves such as the Gala rainforest or Autamba-Kilimi National Park, clean beaches on the Atlantic coast, and its capital Freetown is 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 features of both the Tswana people and the Bushmen, or because the Botswana people understand the economic contribution that tourists make, but one way or another, there is a very low crime rate.
True, no one promises that baboons will not attack you, so during the safari it is recommended not to feed these warlike monkeys and not even smile at them. In general, there are a lot of animals in Botswana; for example, it is home to the largest elephant population in the world.
One of the popular tourist attractions, along with a safari to the Kalahari desert and visits to national parks, has been the search for ancient treasures hidden from the colonialists in the Gchvihaba caves since the 30s of the last century. Until now, no one has found the treasure, but the caves themselves with amazing stalactites up to 10 meters long are worth going to the north of the country for them.
3.
Ghana was named the safest country in Africa by the Global Security Index in 2008 and has been at the top of the ranking ever since. Internal conflicts are rare in the country and it has peaceful relations with its neighbors. The tourists here are very friendly and speak English with them - this is official language Ghana.
Here you can visit numerous reserves with elephants, antelopes, monkeys and other exotic animals, visit the ruins of the castles and fortresses of Cape Post and Elmina, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and spend time on clean, uncrowded beaches.
4.
This country in Southwest Africa is an oasis of stability and security on the troubled black continent. It was discovered quite late (in 1878) by Europeans, quickly emerged from all internal and external conflicts and is now one of the richest African countries.
Here is the most ancient desert on earth - Namib, the legendary Skeleton Coast, many national parks, the crash site of the largest Hob meteorite, the second largest after the Colorado Canyon, and much more.
Do not miss:
Namibia has good highways, and the tourist train The Desert Express runs between the capital Windhoek and resort town Swakopmund, making stops at notable places along the way.
5.
Uganda is considered a safe country for foreigners by both GPI and public tourism opinion. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it is not customary here for merchants and barkers to pester people, possibly due to the fact that the share of the urban population in the country is only 13%, and the main attractions are not located in villages.
Tourists in Uganda have a lot to see: one of the oldest in Africa national park Queen Elizabeth, the Entebbe botanical garden, where the first film about Tarzan was filmed, the Rwenzori mountain range - most likely, they were called the Mountains of the Moon by the ancient Egyptians. Here they go sailing on Lake Victoria and rafting on the Nile, which originates in Uganda.
If locals here they do not cause much trouble for tourists, then you need to be careful with animals, especially if you see an elephant with an elephant calf. By the way, Uganda is located on the main migratory route of northern birds: eagles, cuckoos, swallows, kites and many of our usual birds winter here.
6.
Cape Verde or Cape Verde is an archipelago off the west coast of Africa. Calmness, serenity, relative cleanliness and an acceptable level of service (European companies are investing in local tourism) await tourists here, in the homeland of the famous singer Cesaria Evora.
The islands have enough picturesque landscapes: extinct volcanoes, mountain ranges, where you can go trekking, flowering meadows, which are just a walk. But the main feature of Cape Verde is, of course, the ocean - it is used at full capacity: from beaches with black volcanic sand, continuing diving to shipwrecks and ending with windsurfing, schools of which are on every island, but the island of Sal is especially famous for them.
7.
8.
The inhabitants of Tanzania are friendly and smiling, but, as elsewhere, travelers should not lose their vigilance - there are enough robbers here. But in Tanzania, there are still many tourists who come here without fear. Here, in the homeland of Freddie Mercury, there is something to see.
First, the volcano Kilimanjaro, to the top of which there are numerous hiking trails... Secondly, the island of Zanzibar - resort place, where the most beautiful, founded by the Arabs in the 9th century, is located Stone city... From here they go on spice tours, during which you can cut cinnamon and taste unfamiliar spices. Thirdly, the famous Serengeti National Park, which occupies a huge area and where more than three million large wild animals live.
Fourthly, biosphere reserve Ngorongoro, located in a 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 not found anywhere else.
There are many natural parks and protected areas on the island. The largest reserve is Tsingy de Bemaraha, which, like many others, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The country is rich beautiful beaches; Traditionally, it is believed that swimming on the west coast is safer - there are fewer sharks.
Take a look at this:
10.
Zimbabwe is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa: it is here, on the border with Zambia, that famous waterfall Victoria. In Zambia, by the way, there are fewer tourists, so those who prefer a more secluded environment are recommended to admire the miracle of nature there.
This is definitely worth seeing:
In Zimbabwe, the nature conservation structure works very well and there are unusually many animals here, even for Africa, therefore hunting is allowed in some places (almost everywhere on the continent it is already prohibited).
In addition to countless national parks, there is also a unique historical site - the stone ruins of Greater Zimbabwe: a pagan temple complex built over a thousand years ago.
Tourists who are going on a trip to Africa must definitely do all vaccinations, a list of them is usually available on the embassies' website. Even in those countries where vaccination is not required for travel, you need to take antimalarial pills, and start taking them even before the trip. It is strictly forbidden to use raw water even for brushing your teeth.
Going on a trip? Don't forget about
Africa. Distant, mysterious, inaccessible, but so desired. Strange, but we hear about Africa almost from the very birth. Of course, this is all Chukovsky: "Do not go children to Africa for a walk", "Aibolit" and "Stolen Sun". Later Hemingway: "Green Hills of Africa" and "Snows of Kilimanjaro". Again, Nelson Mandela with his fight. Huh, Jah? Ras Tafari I, Selassie I Ay-n-Ay ...
Africa. Distant, mysterious, inaccessible. My journey there was long and strange. It all started with the mountains. For the first time I heard about the 7 Summits climbing program back in 95th year. 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 Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain (volcano) of the Black Continent. Then I could not afford such a trip, but the dream was kindled 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 organizer of expeditions in Yekaterinburg at that time and asked about Africa. “There are no people on Kilimanjaro. Let's go better to Alaska, let's go to McKinley (6194 m) - the highest mountain in North America. " “But, in the same place
cold, probably ... ". "So you dress warmly." And instead of hot Africa I went to the snows of Alaska. A couple of years later: "Is there anyone in Africa?", "No, but there is a group in South America to Aconcagua (6962 m) - highest peak". "I'm going." A couple of years later, I received a call: “We are going to Australia to the highest mountain - Koustsyushko (2224 m). We'll also drop by to New Zealand. " It’s at least warm there - “Food”. Then there was another highest mountain Europe - the volcano Elbrus (5642 m) and only in 2006, exactly 10 years later, the spark of a dream could finally flare up into the flame of Travel.
So we went to Africa. The program of the event included climbing Kilimanjaro (5895 m), safari in National Parks and several days in Zanzibar. All this happened on New Year from 2005 to 2006. As a result of this expedition, I even had a personal exhibition at the Metenkov Photographic Museum.
What a way - what a road ... Apparently it's not easy for me to get to Africa. We have been driving that day. Yekaterinburg - Moscow - Dubai - Nairobi. We met the new 2006th year in United Arab Emirates somewhere between the plane and the airport. A short New Year's Eve at the hotel and again for check-in. What's the date today? 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 drive 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 white among the black population. The path from Nairobi to Moshi is not a short one. The road goes among the savannah scorched by the sun. The landscape is dull.
The road is quite decent. 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 dollars, stamp in the passport.
Tanzania was immediately struck by the road. European class track! The highest quality roadbed, curbs, signs, markings. Special ceramic tiles in the asphalt cause noise in the tires and warn the driver that he is approaching the curb, a bend or a pedestrian crossing. Marvelous! There are not many such roads in Russia now, but then ... The guide accompanying us explained that they 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 entered a gate and stopped. The hotel is a few two-storey houses among the trees. There is little lighting. In the dark we went to the reception. Distributed by numbers. The hotel attendants grabbed their backpacks and carried them through the rooms. My backpack remained. I threw him on my shoulder and wandered into the darkness after those who had gone ahead. They have clear savings with lighting. I am making my way in the darkness among the bushes, when suddenly a man appeared in front of me; black man in a raincoat and with a Kalashnikov assault rifle at the ready! My heart skipped a beat. "Oops!" - I think, "Hit!" The man took the key from my hand and beckoned for him.
“Ugh, you fucking. The guard seems to be. " And there is. He brought 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. In the distance, our goal is visible - Kilimanjaro:
We had breakfast, repacked, left unnecessary things in the storage room and towards noon drove to the entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park. There are several routes on Keely. Ours was the simplest one - Marangu. Passed the checkpoint, registered. Around the prelaunch fuss: some belongings are packed, porters are sorting out the goods, something is being weighed-outweighed-shifted. We stand on the sidelines. The bearers put the trunks on their heads and go forward. We follow.
The first day of the journey is not long at all. We go along the road through the rainforest. It's cool in the forest. We have two guides with us. One in front, the other closes. The first is deliberately slow and does not let anyone forward: "Polepole", - he tells us: "Hush, do not rush." It is right. Almost no one has acclimatization, plus a lot of those who are in the mountains for the first time. We go slowly, slowly. "Jumbo!" - those who descend, greet us in Swahili, "Jumbo!" - we say to them in response. An hour later, a halt. An hour later they came to a clearing with several huts. This is Mandara camp (2700 m). Everything around is cultured and well-groomed. Toilets, washbasins, large dining room. It looks like a pioneer camp, only the beer kiosk does not fit into the familiar picture.
It got dark quickly. We are almost at the equator, but in the Southern Hemisphere. He showed people the Southern Cross. The cook prepared dinner: soup, scrambled eggs, tortillas, some fruits, tea. After supper - jokes, whiskey, preference; the evening passed quickly. We slept on the second floor, or rather in the attic, on the floor side by side in the dining room.
Breakfast in the morning and on the road again. Polepole. "Jumbo!" - "Jumbo!" The forest is thinning and we are entering the zone of alpine meadows:
The wide road leads us into the distance. Soon strange plants began to come across:
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: Dendrocrest or Dendrosinicia. Grow in groups:
or one by one:
In general, we walked, walked and in 4 hours we arrived at the next camp - Horombo (3700 m). We were settled in triangular houses:
Really resemble a zebra stripe pattern:
The walk was quite pleasant and useful, as we climbed above 4000 meters. Necessary acclimatization before the ascent. We returned to the camp. Lunch, whiskey, preference, dinner, whiskey, preference. The jokes are over.
In the morning breakfast and transfer to the next camp. The weather is incomprehensible: the clouds are overcast and it is not clear whether it will rain or not. Of course, I would like to go up the mountain in good weather. The road leads us into the misty distance through the thickets of Sinicius:
Towards lunchtime the clouds rose 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, nevertheless, that acclimatization is insufficient. Nevertheless, we are moving forward. Several mountain sickness victims are being carried down. The locals adapted a wheel and shock absorbers to a stretcher - it turned out to be something like a wheelbarrow, into which a would-be climber is put and running down so that he does not die.
In general, climbing Kilimanjaro, with the seeming simplicity of the route, is quite an extreme affair. You need to prepare for it. Train, run cross-country, go hiking. Plus the height. 5895 meters is no joke. Health must be excellent. Heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, musculoskeletal system. And, here are some grandmothers, German grandfathers, American fat men ... They are then taken down on carts. Mechanical movement Vehicle it is prohibited in the Park. At least die.
But, we seem to have a fighting team and everyone reached the Kibo hut. Stone house with many rooms and bunk beds. We settled in. I advised those who were in the mountains for the first time to take a walk up, and fell asleep, because the way out was in the night. The people went and returned. Not everyone went. Some were knocked down by the miner. They lie without strength and emotions. It looks like not everyone will go upstairs ... Supper, a drop of whiskey, sleep.
Harsh light, noise, din, clatter of dishes ... It seems that just fell asleep, and already get up; how much you do not want to ... Nevertheless, we get up, dress. We were fed some kind of soup, our backpacks were collected in the evening. Since the evening? And now it is still evening! Time 23-00. We leave for the assault.
A headlamp picks out a yellow circle underfoot from the darkness. We go up the path. Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. Step by step in the pitch darkness somewhere up. Black sky all in diamonds of stars. Unfamiliar constellations cover the celestial sphere of the Southern Hemisphere. The South Cross indicates where the South is. We pass the stone on which the numbers are written in paint: 5000. Meters above sea level, presumably.
It seems to be not cold, but the body is somehow chilly. I'm trying to go faster to keep warm - Polepole. The group stretched out. Headlamp fireflies loom above and below. I walk at my own pace - not fast, but confidently. It's getting colder. Fingers and toes are cold. I saw a stream among the stones. This means the temperature is above zero; why is it so cold? But because acclimatization is weak; the body does not have enough oxygen, it produces more red blood
corpuscles for delivery to the organs of O2, the blood thickens and does not pass into the capillaries from which the body experiences oxygen starvation and produces even more hemoglobin ... Insufficient acclimatization. But what can you do! The edge of the crater is already visible above. Wow, it means it's getting light! Indeed, the outlines of the slopes began to be drawn in the pitch darkness.
The height is 5500 meters. On the right, from behind the slope, a part of the Big Dipper Bucket appeared! Blimey! From this height you can look beyond the equator! The North Pole Star is not visible, but the Bucket is almost all. Both the Cross and the Bucket. I have never seen anything like it.
Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. Dog cold. Frost, of course, will not work at above-zero temperatures, but walking without feeling fingers and toes is not very pleasant. The sky is turning gray. Someone has already reached the edge of the crater and is shining down with a flashlight. Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. In the pre-dawn haze, I climb to the edge of the Kilimanjaro volcano crater. Gilmans point (5685 m).
The guide holds out a cup of hot tea. Very handy! And a glass of cognac. Oh, this is just wonderful! The cognac instantly spread through the body in a hot wave. Numb fingers warmed, cheeks flushed. Fine! You can go further!
I was about to start putting on my backpack, as I froze, amazed by the beauty - the Sun was rising over Africa:
The clouds flowed like a wide river into the valley separating Kilimanjaro from Mavenzi (5334 m) - the second highest peak in Africa.
While admiring the sunrise, it was finally dawn and it became possible to look around.
Inside the crater, on the South side, a small glacier was discovered:
Here they are - the legendary Kilimanjaro Sgega:
Having admired the open 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 rubble placers. The stones underfoot were covered with frost:
This is the breath of a volcano. He sleeps, but steam rises through the cracks from the bowels of the earth and freezes with frost outside.
Someone was already descending from the top, which was visible in front:
A little more, and here it is - the peak!
The highest point in Africa is Uhuru Peak 5895 meters above sea level! The dream has come true! Uhuru means Freedom.
It is difficult to describe in words what you feel when you reach the top. For this, perhaps, there are simply no words.
The trip from Gilmans point to the summit took 45 minutes. I tried to call home. There seemed to be a connection, but the call did not go. God bless him. Stone from the top into a backpack. Traditional photo for memory:
Descent from the cone of the volcano along the talus slopes. This is not difficult if you know how to run on the loose. A little over an hour and I'm downstairs. After a while, the people began to catch up. One of the guides came. He said we could get some sleep in the hut; up to 12-13 hours. I glanced at my watch - it was 9-00 in the morning. And it felt like it was already evening.
We were fed with soup and I fell asleep with pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.
Closer to noon, we were woken up, fed and we went downstairs. On the way, he clarified who did not climb. It turned out that not everyone reached the top. Some didn’t come out at all, some turned from 5000, and some only reached Gilmans point. But in general, the result is good - about 80%. Even very good, considering that there are only three participants with high-altitude climbing experience, and the rest are in the mountains for the first time.
Down is not up. We go downhill with a confident step and arrive at Horombo in 2 hours. Another Russian group from Kemerovo, led by two legendary climbers, was discovered in the camp. They wish us a Merry Christmas. But the truth is already January 7th!
During dinner, the Siberians showed us a 5-liter bottle of whiskey on a special rocker stand. Merry Christmas and Mountain. Guys! Respect! With such a presenter, there is no time for preference. "Eh frost, frost ...", "Black crow ...". Some kind of bottomless bottle. Long after midnight, swaying, we dispersed to the houses.
A little uncomfortable in the morning, after yesterday. But you still have to go. We'll have breakfast and go downstairs. The body is gradually returning to normal. About three hours we went down to the entrance to the National Park - Marangu Gate. Here it is our entire route (and me):
Participants and porters approach. The chef cooked a funky goulash with meat, potatoes and bananas. Someone guessed to lower the unfinished bottle. Very good! We ate, drank, handed out tips to the guides and porters, said goodbye to them.
We load into a minibus and go to the hotel. We went to the numbers. You need to stretch a little after the Mountain. Gala dinner in the evening. The representative of the host company issues all certificates confirming that he was at the top (for those who did not reach - max height). Cheerful gatherings after dinner. We were at the top - we have the right!
In the morning we go on a safari. Several members leave for home. Muscovites. Affairs. We bring them to Kilimanjaro airport and go on a safari. Instead of a minibus, we have jeeps. Land Cruisers and Land Rovers with a removable roof. The safari program includes visits to three National Parks: Lake Manyara, Serenghetti Valley and Ngorongoro Crater.
The super road ended soon after and the jeeps covered the dirt with dust. Wild animals began to come across:
It is strictly forbidden for us to get out of the jeeps. And, here are the indigenous people - the Maasai, walk the savannah completely fearlessly:
They look extremely colorful: bright clothes, earlobes pulled to the shoulders, beads, earrings, bracelets. Men always go with a stick or a spear. However, they rarely go. Mostly sit under trees:
If there is a tree, then a masai must sit under it:
Probably because it is noon and very, very hot. The sun just flattens. Here they are hiding in a stunted shadow:
On the way, we decided to stop by a Masai village - to look at the locals better. The village is a thorny acacia fence with a single perimeter entrance. Inside, along the fence, there are houses made of branches and straw, plastered with clay and manure. In the center is a kind of maidan, where the Masai keep cows. The village is not entirely authentic. Built near a road to lure tourists and cut dollars. Even so, but the Masai are real! We were charged $ 10 each and we entered the inside of the village.
It turned out that for $ 10 we will also be shown a performance. While the Maasai were preparing for the performance, I quietly walked aside and took some photos.
But, he was caught by an uncle who claimed to be the leader:
And transported to the place of performance. Everything was already there. First, the women sang a Masai folk song in chorus. Then the men gathered in a semicircle and began to stomp and rhythmically pronounce: "Yh-Yh-Yh-Yh ...". Suddenly one of them jumped into the center and started jumping up and down:
Bounce high. Very high! There was even a feeling that he was hanging in the air for a moment. Awesome sight! Having jumped a lot, the men went home, and the women opened 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 with the Maasai for beads of their land, now the Maasai exchange the dollars of white people for beads. Here is such a cycle.
The people plunged into bargaining, and I into photography. The Masai happily take pictures if you buy something from them and turn away if not. I bought various trinkets ($ 1 -2 $) and took a photo:
At the end we were still brought to a hut on the outskirts:
They said it was a school and asked for donations for the education of Masai children. All this was naive and comical, so no one regretted a couple of dollars.
Masai men came out to see us off:
We said goodbye to them, disinfected ourselves with antibacterial wipes and drove on to Lake Manyara.
We arrived in Lake Manyara National Park in the evening. They say that animals are active only in the morning and in the evening, and the rest of the time they either hide from the sun or sleep.
Lake Manyara is a conditional concept. As such, there is no lake at all; some swampy plain and forest at the edges.
Apparently the lake is a lake only in the rainy season. Now is the dry season. It's a little annoying. "Chief, will there be animals?" The drivers removed the roofs from the jeeps and we drove into the forest. The beast was not seen at first; only huge heaps of dung indicated that elephants were found somewhere here. We drove a little more into the depths, and suddenly, unexpectedly, right in front of our car, an elephant came out of the thickets:
The driver immediately stopped. The elephant crossed the road and disappeared into the thickets. It was cool! The safari has begun! The jeeps drove on. There were more and more animals. Elephants grazed peacefully by the side of the road:
In the bushes giraffes roamed:
Zebras grazed in the meadow:
Hippos lay in the muddy puddles:
The views around are simply amazing:
There are not many animals, but they are. They live for themselves, graze; we are driving, I photograph them. Very interesting, actually. I just really liked everything. However, the safari was not very long. Soon it got dark and we left Nat. park in a neighboring village for the night. We were accommodated in some hotel in tents on a clearing on the shore of the pool. The chef has prepared dinner. We celebrated the first day of the safari and went to our tents.
The next day we got up not very early. We swam in the pool, had breakfast and drove to the Serengeti Valley National Park. The path must be said there is not close. Feels like 300 kilometers. And all on a dirt road. Heat, dust, mirages on the horizon ... Amazed the Masai. No, no, but some of them will meet. They go somewhere for themselves. There are no settlements or their villages around, but they are walking. Spear on the shoulders, hands on the spear and go. There is no water, dry all around, wild animals, but they are coming ...
In the afternoon we finally arrived at the Serengeti:
I understand that the Serenghetti differs from the rest of the savannah by the presence of umbrella acacias there:
As you know, the Masai Mara and Serengeti valleys extend over two hemispheres - the 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. There is a dry season in the Serengeti in January and those herds shown on Animal Planet graze in Masai Mara. But there are plenty of animals in the Serenghetti too. Most Impala Antelopes:
Many zebras:
And elephants:
We drive along specially paved roads, watch and take pictures of everything.
Rather, we only take pictures of the three of us. Film adepts; the rest of the digital devices and batteries have long been exhausted, and there is nowhere to recharge. We go and take pictures of everything:
There are cars with groups from other countries. In fact, it is a complete international. During forced stops:
We talk with fellow tourists, share our impressions. Drivers also find out from each other who, where and who saw and take "their" tourists to interesting places... Of the Big Five, we have seen only elephants and giraffes so far. The driver finds out that a leopard has been seen somewhere. This is a fairly rare animal. We're going somewhere. A cluster of cars, Germans with 1-meter lenses on the most modern cameras, spotted skin in the bushes. They stand and wait. Tourists - when they stick out, leopard - when tourists leave.
I photographed a baboon in dry grass:
And we drove on. Despite the dry season, there are many animals. Perhaps it is still the right thing to travel to Africa in the dry season. For climbing Kili - definitely! There are a lot of animals, but there are no malaria mosquitoes and tsetse flies at all. And dry heat is more easily tolerated than wet heat. Meanwhile, the driver showed us a pride of lions:
The king of beasts sprawled near the buffalo carcass, and the lionesses lay peacefully on the sidelines:
It was a watering hole. Various animals periodically came up 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. There is also a pride of lions near the watering hole. In the bushes, a young lioness rumbling tore at the carcass of a zebra. Disgusting sight. I will not even publish a photo ...
It was getting dark. Our other jeeps drove up. The driver asked: "Finish?", We nodded and he took us to the camp. Two or three turns and we stopped at a small clearing. Finish.
E-uh! What a finish! Are we going to spend the night here ??? "Yes-Yes ...". E-uh! And the fence ??? Grid, lattice, cage ??? All around the same wild beast ... The truck with the kitchen and tents is already here. The guide and drivers, laughing at our confusion, begin to set up tents. “It is necessary,” I say, “to occupy the center of the tent! The last night will definitely be devoured ... ".
The sun goes down. Marabou storks sat on the acacia for the night:
Sunset in the Serengeti Valley. Beautiful and solemn.
We walked across the clearing. Camping, several gazebos - dining rooms, a large water tank, toilets a little to the side. The water is warm, almost hot. They washed off the dust, pouring each other from a ladle.
The rest of our jeeps drove up almost in the dark. The crazed people dumped out of them and began vying with each other to tell how the lioness killed the zebra in front of them. The spectacle apparently made a strong impression on the guys. They waved their hands, shouted, interrupted each other. We had to urgently “disinfect” them, after which the people calmed down a bit and a narrator was appointed, who told that after our jeep left, a herd of zebras came to the watering hole. The lioness, who was sitting in the bushes and was already eating a zebra, left the prey, crept between the jeeps to the herd and lifted up another striped horse. And, they also say that a predator kills only if it is hungry! No one was filming anything, since the batteries of the 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 ours are 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 ...
In the meantime, it was finally dark. Several more groups came to the clearing. All settled in tents and dispersed to the dining-gazebos. The cooks prepared dinner. It turned out that the camp was still guarded: rangers with rifles were walking along the perimeter. After dinner, we sat for a long time under a tree, in the light of lanterns (it is forbidden to light a fire), sipped whiskey, for the 25th time listened to the story of the lioness's hunt, shared our impressions. Far after midnight, two sleepy, swollen and shaggy French women came to us, and asked to accompany them to the toilet, otherwise they are very, very, very scared. We were also scared, but volunteers for this noble cause were appointed by lot.
A night in the savannah ... It's awesome!
The night passed without loss. Wake up early in the morning, breakfast and some more safari. Antelopes, zebras, elephants, giraffes, baboons. Lvov was not met. Closer to noon, we set off on our way back. A couple of hundred kilometers along the dusty sun-scorched savanna and we arrived at the Ngorongoro Crater National Park:
The crater is really huge. It is difficult even to imagine the forces that led to the formation of such a huge crater. While the rest of the jeeps were waiting, I bargained from the Masai who came up to us (see photo above) a spear for $ 20. There it is; stands in the corner by the battery, pleases the eye ...
Finally, all the cars are assembled and we roll down the serpentine. The Masai are driving a herd of cows to meet us. We are waiting for the cows to pass and move on. Cows in Africa are somehow small; like our calves, only with adult horns and a large hump. The Masai graze them calmly in the National Park:
Wildebeest grazing nearby:
And the lions are resting:
We drove somewhere across the entire crater. On the way, they stopped and watched various animals and birds. We came across:
Boar warthog:
We soon arrived at the shore of the lake and stopped there for lunch. Hippos swam in the lake:
Eagles circled in the sky:
We tossed pieces of bread from a dry ration to the top, and the eagles grabbed them on the fly. Beauty! But life in Africa is not so cloudless:
After lunch we went to the so-called "Hippopo Pool" to watch hippos:
Of course, it should have been better done before lunch - the stench is incredible! But hippos are hilarious:
There are also birds:
When it became impossible to breathe these "aromas" anymore, we drove to the exit from the crater. At the very edge of the forest, they 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 the clearing for the camp. The tents have already been set up. Outdoor dining area. A large barrel of water and showers are very handy! While we were sorting out 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 went to Russia that we have an elephant walking around the 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 a while, we were fed dinner. It got dark quickly, as is usual in the equatorial zone. And it became somehow unexpectedly cold. The altimeter showed 2400 m. We climbed into the trunks for jackets and sweaters, which were already tucked into the very bottom after the ascent. We at least had clothes, but those European tourists who arrived only on safari, besides shorts and T-shirts, didn't have anything. There was a bonfire in the center of the glade and the guides lit a large pioneer bonfire. For half the night we sat around the fire and bawled songs all over the savannah.
In the morning we woke up from the noise of screams and inhuman screeching! The guides drove around the camp of the cobans of the warthogs, who came to take advantage of our scraps. We laughed at the situation, then washed up, had breakfast and drove back to Moshi.
On the way we were taken to a shop selling ebony crafts. Everything there was somehow expensive. On the way, we spotted a wild market on the way "there" and, having done our fair share of bargains, bought ebony trinkets and other Masai products.
In the evening we returned to Moshi. For tomorrow we were scheduled to leave for about. Zanzibar.
One more night gatherings of the finally friendly company. It has always amazed me how unfamiliar people with very different interests, views on life, position in society, become good friends during joint ascents.
After breakfast we drive to Kilimanjaro airport. He is near - 30-40 minutes. There are 2 more in our team (minus two). They are going home. Muscovites. Affairs. The airport is small but tidy. At the entrance there is a metal detector frame. The Masai ornaments that we used to hang around like the aborigines are ringing. Let's uncover. Gone, putting on countless bracelets again. Immediately we go to the landing. There is another frame; again uncovering the friendly laughter of friends.
Less than an hour's flight, however, they bring lunch: a hot dog and a can of beer. Soon below appeared the edge of the African mainland and the surf line Indian Ocean... The coast is uncomfortable: rocky steep shores, high waves, white foam of the surf. We fly over the ocean. Soon the color of the water below changed: instead of dull milky, the ocean became bluish-turquoise; emerald shoals appeared. The plane is landing. The coastline, water of unreal color, long dugout boats with white triangles of sails sway on the waves, snow-white sand of the beach, coconut palms on the shore. A stunning picture!
The plane landed at Stone Town Airport. Stone City is the capital of Zanzibar. Previously, it was an independent state and the center of the slave trade during the colonial era. After the African states gained independence, Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika and the state of Tanzania (Tanzania) was formed.
We are met. We load onto the bus. We ask the guide to take us to some supermarket for the "dizenfect", which began to come to an end, but it turned out that the elections had just taken place (with an insane pre-election struggle, with clashes, shooting and casualties; this struggle was even covered by 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 go to the hotel. The road goes along the outskirts of Stone Town. Shacks, white houses, workshops, old shops. All possible surfaces are covered with portraits of former candidates. Soon the signs of the city ended and the road twisted through the rainforest. After a while we drove to East coast and drove south.
We drove long enough, among coconut trees 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 presentable at all at first glance. We settled in a bungalow. Inside there were a couple of beds, a shower-toilet, a refrigerator. No electricity, no tap water.
Gathered in the courtyard: several crooked stationary umbrellas, homemade sunbeds already wanted to make claims to the head. However, the turquoise ocean, white sand, coconut palm trees made our souls feel like we were in Paradise. Swim in the ocean - like Paradise! And the leader is our good old friend ... The chef put out a bottle of tequila. Someone saw a lime tree on the way, someone went to the dining room for salt. They took out everything, poured it, licked it, salted it, drank it, ate it. Raaaaai! "Let's go, we'll bathe again ...". “Oops! Where is the sea ??? ". "This is not the sea, this is the ocean ...". “Yes, don’t care! 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 that he had nothing to do with it, and poured everyone more tequila. Wow, how quickly it all happened. They seem to have just bathed, but now we have before us a snow-white desert, though with puddles and algae. Barrier reef. Children galloped among the puddles and collected some seafood:
The territory of our hotel was fenced with a flimsy fence made of crooked sticks. Apparently, hearing that they had brought tourists, local black people reached out to the fence. They behaved quite peacefully and did not go behind the fence. Except for one kid; he said that he would be our assistant, he would always be there and we could ask him for anything. Okay. We asked him to chase away onlookers and he, you will not believe, chased away! Hakuna Matata - no problem. Dressed, despite the heat, the boy was in all 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 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:
They ordered a variety of seafood dishes. Yes-ahh ... Such an abundance of lobsters, crabs, shrimps, squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, baby fish, not to mention fish, I have never seen anywhere else for such ridiculous money.
At nightfall, the sea came. The Black Broker also came. He offered to ride a junk in the sea and see white sharks, which, according to him, are invisible in the sea beyond the reef. Hakuna Matata. We hesitated down to the water with him. He asked to wait, ran off somewhere and sailed on a dugout boat under a triangular sail full of holes. A kerosene lamp hung from the top of the mast, illuminating the flimsy structure of an ocean-going vessel with a dull light. The captain, who is also a sailor, smiled at us with snow-white teeth in the night and puffed with a huge cigarette-rolling, with a painfully familiar smell. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. The captain broke down and laughed with us. "No-No-No!" Not any white sharks! On such and such a boat! This is a one-way road. Hakuna Matata. We gave the sailor captain a couple of bucks for the run and he sailed away into the darkness, rolling with laughter.
We returned to the restaurant. There's a new portion of lobster in there. Lunch flowed smoothly into dinner. Our manager discussed with the manager of either the hotel, or the host, 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 something disinfectant. Hakuna Matata.
We returned to the hotel. There was electricity and water there. A 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 to the bungalow. Some of them stayed on the street to sleep. Hakuna Matata.
In the morning, after breakfast, the people partially left. Several people remained. Low tide started at about 10 am. Local residents reached for the water: men naked to the waist, women wrapped from head to toe in bright scarves (Islam dominates the island), barefoot children. The adults loaded into dugout junky boats, set sail and sailed away with the tidal wave. The kids saw them off and scattered around
the coast. 15 minutes of bustling 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 is not very hot, to take a walk along the bare shore:
They walked and walked and went out to strange plantations:
Pegs, ropes are stretched on them, algae grow on the ropes:
The view is absolutely surreal. Women feel the algae, sort it out, wash it in puddles and put it in bags:
"What is it?" Women cover themselves with a handkerchief from the gaze of infidels and are silent. Nevertheless, the landscape and views around it are simply not earthly:
The edge was visible in the distance barrier reef... The sails of junks were looming there. Apparently the men were fishing, and the women were looking after the sea gardens.
We returned to our 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 caused in my soul just heavenly sensations.
Hakuna Matata. Towards one o'clock in the afternoon, the breeze increased. There was a noise from the side of the reef. The tide. The ocean came right at your feet. Powerful and confident.
The boats came along with the ocean. Men unloaded boxes of fish, lobsters and huge (up to 2 meters) squid. Women - bags of sea grass. The seafood was quickly carried away somewhere, and the seaweed was dumped on the shore directly onto 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. Looking for a new location? We went along the coast. Hotelchiks like ours, restaurants. A canopy made of palm leaves, a homemade bar counter, a few rickety tables and chairs. In the corner sits a young man in Bermuda, a T-shirt and reads a crumpled newspaper. "This is a restaurant? Will you feed? " "Yes Yes! Please come in, have a seat! Here is the menu ... "While the man was seated, he disappeared. Well, if only he gave me a beer ... We looked behind the counter - there is a refrigerator, there is no hot beer in it. We opened it, sip, relax. Our bartender showed up. In black pants, a white shirt with a bow tie, really barefoot. A snow-white towel through our hand. We almost fell from the chairs in surprise. We leaf through the menu. This is, this is not. We made an order: "Bring everything that is." a couple of beers until he returned. He returned with fish, lobsters, squid, chicken and a piece of meat. I changed clothes behind a translucent screen and began to fry and steam all this. Then I changed again and put in front of us large plates on which were made of ketchup and onions Intricate pattern. Well done man! That is generally unexpected and very exotic! Soon he served dishes. Everything was fresh and very tasty. Very, very tasty. The bill is less than $ 10 per person.
Well done man, I made you happy! They left a generous tip. However, we had lunch for 3 hours. We say to the owner-bartender-waiter: "Dear friend, you prepare dinner for us, and we will come at eight o'clock so as not to wait ...". “Sorry,” smiles embarrassedly, “but you just ate all the food in this village. There is nothing else. Come back tomorrow, we'll get something for you ... "That's it!
The next morning I took one of my best photographs:
It's called “We are photographers”. In 2007, this photo took 1st place in the “Epson. My favorite photo".
Then there was a trip to Kizim-Kizi and swimming with dolphins. It is very interesting. The 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 as one. Zanzibar is heaven, but we must go home. Early in the morning we were taken to the port of Stone Town. Not without incident they embarked on the ship. We sailed to Dar Es Salaam. We sat until the evening in the park of some hotel. We moved to the airport and flew home. To cold and snowy Moscow and beyond, to simply icy Yekaterinburg.
The dream has come true. The journey took place. I was there, it seems, not long at all, but Africa remained in my heart forever.
Many thanks to our leaders: Sergey Kofanov and Lyudmila Korobeshko. Best wishes to all of ours!
Alexander Verevkin
Tanzania-Yekaterinburg
AKWAABA * GANA AND BURKINA-FASOUlita Lipskova's author's journey
West Africa is about people. Different. About kings and backgrounds, colorful Ashanti ceremonies and ornate rites of passage. About weddings - in the streets and funerals - in the neighborhoods.
Here you can sit in Accra or Abidjan or Bobo-Dioulasso and drink mango juice by the road. Just. And watch life like a movie. Here you can see how Muslims and animists, voodoo and mganga coexist peacefully.
Akwaaba - welcome
Day
1.
Arrival
Arrival at Vnukovo airport at 03:30. Flight. Arrival at 19:25. Transfer to the hotel.Night v hotel.
The Kassena people and their traditional way of life
Day 2. GHETTO IN ACCRA AND THE FACTORY OF THE COFFINES ... Ghana is renowned for its hospitality and originality.Visit Embassy of Burkina Faso. Visit Ghetto Nima - an area inhabited by immigrants from Ghana, Niger and Chad... Visit to a workshop in the districtTeshiwhere coffins are made in a variety of shapes, from submarines to large scorpions. City Tour. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.
At night in the ghetto
In the workshop of an undertaker from Ghana
Fort in Elmina
Day 3. RITUAL OF VOODOO. In the morning, a meeting with one of the most powerful voodoo sorcerers of Accra and participation in a voodoo ritual with a goat sacrifice lasting 4 hours. Traditional lunch. Meeting with the traditional chief of the Kumasi region. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.
The kente fabric consists of bright stripes that are woven into intricate patterns and have a symbolic meaning.
Day 4 . FORT ON DISCHARGE OF WORKS . Visit Of the National Parka Kakum, famous his cable car expensive, sprawling on the height from 20 before 41 m above level land. Visit most large v past fort on transfer slaves from Western African v America... Fort Elmina (in Arabic, mina el - the fortress was founded inXvcentury, and today enters into World heritage UNESCO).Night v bungalowon the ocean.
In the Kakum forest
Day 5. FESTIVAL AQUASIDAY . We leave early in the morning v Kumasi - the capital kingdoms ashanti and king asantehene, once revered the most influential leader v empire Songhai, later - v Ghana... Pvisit colorful festival aquaside... Sutb festival: ablution gold chair - symbol faith and power, on the which once sat King ashanti... Asantehene Osei Tutu II himself will appear in all its glory and with royal regalia. In the past, kings carried up to 50 kg of gold.The festivalheld on Sundays every 42 days.He is interesting more and by the fact that on the him going to big number people, men and women v traditional dashiki, kufi and clothes ashanti. The people are having fun and dancing with all their hearts. The action takes place at the Manhia Palace.The opportunity to greet the king in person. Traditional dinner.Night v hotel v Kumasi.
In the fishing village of fanti
Day 6. VISITING THE KOLDUN VOODOO... In the morning ohexit to Tamale.In the evening, visit the voodoo sorcerer - the leader of the Vovagu village - Tuu Nana. This sorcerer talks to animals for slaughter and slays them with his spells, and they retreat into another world. Overnight at the hotel in Tamale.
At the sorcerer
Day 7. VILLAGE OF THE WITCH. Moving to Yedi.
In the village of witches
In the village of witches
Villages witches - it West African « chip». Usually « sentence» is taken out themes, whose relativesor acquaintanceson which- then reason suddenly died... The average African simply does not accept natural demise. Hence - the belief in the other world, fetishes associated with Thanatos and other witchcraft. Speaking about Africa, especially Western, it is necessary to distinguish between a really sorcerer and the one who is calledInyangaor Mganga - healer-herbalist, he is also a healer.We will visit a non-tourist village of witches. Usually it elderly, but not always, women... There are only a few men here.They will tell US O his everyday life and O volume, how found themselves here. After lunch - moving v Bolgatang... Visit to the local handicraft market, where there are many handicraft leather goods. Dinner and noch v hotel v Bolgatange.
Zotentaari is the # 1 sorcerer in Northern Ghana
Zotentaari Estate south of the palace
Continued here:
I confess that I have always thought that safari in Africa is for the rich. Or for those who save up all year from paycheck to paycheck, and then go down to the last penny on the trip. Both options were not about me. I’m not rich, and I don’t know how to save all year. After all, in a year I want to go abroad not just once, but several times. What 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 an overnight stay in a lodge in Masai Mara, or an extra $ 1200 for a 3-day safari in the Serengeti? How to show a fat cookie to those who are much richer than you, and see even more than they, while paying several times less than them? All this I decided to prove first of all to myself, traveling across Africa.
Planning
... And Dyrkin seductively pushed his chubby cheeks out from behind the desk. Not understanding anything, Korotkov smiled askance and shyly, took the candelabrum by the leg and with a crunch hit Dyrkin on the head with candles. Blood dripped from his nose onto the cloth, and he shouted "guard" and fled through the inner door.
- Ku-ku! - the forest cuckoo shouted joyfully and jumped out of the Nuremberg painted house on the wall.
- The Ku Klux Klan! she screamed and turned into a bald head. - Let's write down how you beat workers!
Fury seized Korotkov. He swung the candelabrum and hit the clock with it. They responded with thunder and splashes of golden arrows. Longjohn jumped out of the clock, turned into a white cockerel with the inscription "outgoing" and dashed through the door. Immediately behind the inner doors, Dyrkin's cry: "Catch him, robber!" Korotkov turned and started to run ...
Well, let's say we won't beat the travel agent. Is that a little bit, on the ass, and then, if the ass allows it. But cooperating with mass tourism is not worth it if you want cheap and cheerful to Africa. A nice girl may be genuinely willing to help you. But, firstly, the level of professionalism of travel agents is often below the floor (fortunately, there are exceptions, but rarely), and secondly, it works 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 "ride" to the fullest, emptying your pocket as much as possible. This is not a $ 199 tour to Hurghada where bargaining is appropriate. From their point of view, the nouveau riche and the new Russians are going to Africa. The last point - travel agents are not flexible. They are often not friendly with geography, and only resell someone's vouchers, not going into the essence of the issue. The choice is very limited. Do you want to go to Masai Mara and then fly to Cameroon? Horror, we do not sell Cameroon (if the girl has even heard of the existence of such a country). But we have Zanzibar. What, have you been there before? Hmmm, then maybe you should go to Pattaya? Like that.
So we are done with travel agents, and move on -
Flights
The question of tickets to Africa is not at all trivial. You can fly to Johannesburg, or Nairobi for $ 500-700, or you can fly for 1500. It all depends on two things: seasonality and airline promotions. And also your ability to bypass all 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 give out shares when you can fly from Moscow to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya for very little money.
Boarding the Ethiopian Airlines plane in Cairo. I'm on the left with a big blue backpack
The first two (Ethiopians and Kenyans) do not fly from Russia, but fly from Cairo, where you need to go. I searched the Ethiopian website for tickets from Cairo to Dar es Salaam for $ 376 (South Africa cost $ 480, which is also cheap) round trip via Addis Ababa. It remains to fly to Cairo, and there are many options. The same Egypt Air with Aeroflot will take you to Cairo for $ 320-380 in both directions. In total, we leave for the 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 we need theoretical knowledge and days spent on the Internet. First of all, forget about the big tourist spots like Arusha in Tanzania. Yes, the beautiful parks of the Serengeti and Masai Mara are wonderful, you will be ripped off there. We ask ourselves the question - what do we expect from Africa? Nature and local flavor, is not it? Then choose to visit those national parks where:
1. It is not required 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 on it, saving on so-called game drives (jeep safari),
4. To spend the night is cheap and cheerful
A poor country is not a cheap one
In addition, it is very important to understand an important thing. A poor country is not a cheap one. As my friend jokingly says, who spent a year in Africa, working in a hospital in Congo, and traveled to 28 countries of the continent: “Africa is fantastically cheap for those who are ready to ride a donkey for days and sleep in a hut. If you have 2-4 weeks of time and you want to explore and move, then keep your pocket wider. " It was aptly said. Take the beautiful country of Zambia, with its unique Luangwa Nature Reserve. How long do you think it takes by bus from the capital of the country, Lusaka, to Luangwa, which is 500 km to the north? Did someone say all day long? You are wrong. About 50 hours on a completely dead dirt road through the jungle. You will go crazy with this trip, and then you will come to your senses for a day or two. It costs money to recover as it costs extra days at the lodge, which are not cheap. Any step you take to the side entails serious costs. A plane ticket costs significantly more than a bus, $ 180 (bus - $ 40), but you save time. And time is money. We arrived in Luangwa early in the morning, threw our things into the lodge, and immediately started on the safari. For general knowledge of the park, 3-4 days are enough, this is 3 nights in the lodge. On average, a lodge will cost $ 150-200 for two, or an average of $ 100 per person. For 3 nights you will give away $ 300 + $ 180 air ticket = $ 480.
Now let's compare a ride on a cheap but grueling bus. After 2 nights of no normal sleep in a jam-packed lorry (a bus-truck hybrid, like a rotational shift), you will arrive at your destination squeezed like a lemon. Your bus will look something like this (in the photo there is a regular bus Lusaka-Mwufe):
Exhausted, you stomp to the lodge and fall into bed. Bam! The first night, and minus $ 100 from your budget for rest, and most likely 2 nights, because such buses arrive at an extremely inconvenient time. Have already lost $ 200. We add the initial $ 300 for 3 nights in the park, and go up 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? You are in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Do not believe whoever tells you that these are the most dear countries Africa. Nonsense. These are the most civilized countries in Africa with a well-developed infrastructure and services. And first-class nature. And the 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 your rental car and motels where you can spend the night inexpensively. All this is there. Compare with other countries, poorer. Let's take the already mentioned Zambia. The roads are terrible and you need a 4x4 car that will cost you $ 200 per day. In South Africa, the same car will cost $ 50-60 per day, and a simpler type, for example Toyota Corolla, will cost $ 35-40. Remember I talked about the quality of the roads? So, even in a simple city car, you can visit the chic national parks of Etosha and Bwavata in Namibia, Kruger in South Africa, or Chobe in Botswana.
Accommodation
Now overnight stays. These three countries have a chic chain of motels and inexpensive lodges priced at $ 50-70 for two beds with in-room amenities, air conditioning and TV. In Tanzania, you have a different choice: either $ 120-150 for an option similar to the South African one, or $ 15-30 for a creepy cesspool with mosquitoes.
Actually my experience in traveling in Africa in December 2009
First of all, I decided that I would look at nature in Botswana and Namibia. In the course of the play, fate brought me to Zimbabwe, where I also saw the wonderful Hwange National Park, but I'll tell you about this another time. So, Botswana as a starting point for the national parks of southern Africa. I book a car on the Avis.co.za website, where the Toyota Corolla 1.6 sedan costs $ 53 per day without limiting the length. Next, I study sites dedicated to national park Chobe, which starts right from the town of Kasan, where I plan to stay:
In terms of tourism, Caprivi is interesting at once with three rivers crossing it in different places: Zambezi, Chobe and Okavango. Everywhere is full of animals and there are practically no tourists. And what's even more enjoyable are great roads, cheap tickets to parks ($ 4 won't bother you, right?) And inexpensive lodging in nature. Note that in neighboring Botswana, on the same three rivers, a whole tourist infrastructure, and there travel just those in hats with brims a la Livingston and million dollar show-offs, and then photographs in the style of "I am with an elephant in the background." After returning to Moscow, I am against the background of my dacha. I am in the background of black women with boobs. I got drunk on vodka and am in bed. "You don’t have thousands of dollars to spare, are you bothered to sleep for $ 400 a night? Then forget about Okavango on Botswana territory. You have a direct route to Caprivi.
After crossing the border, ours waited a 3-hour run westward to the Okavango River and the Popa waterfall (yes, that's right - Popa). And there is also the Bwawata National Park. V the only city isthmus, Katima Mulilo, you should pay the Namibian toll of about $ 24. When you leave the country, you will be checked for a toll receipt. The town is absolutely unremarkable, except that here you need to refuel and buy groceries. And then there is the border with Zambia, and in addition, the gateway 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 in Zambian territory. And no public transport... Taking into account the fact that it will be almost impossible for you to find a rental company that is ready to allow the export of their car to Zambia - visiting the Ngonie Falls turns into an exciting quest.
Roads, hotels and animals
The tracks in Namibia are good. The limit is 120 km / h and there are almost no cars, which gives 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 the victim, after which I did not exceed the speed until the very end of the trip -
The refrigerator was carrying frozen meat, as much as 8 tons. In the African heat, after a couple of hours of an inoperative freezer, it smelled terribly of rotten meat. However, I do not want to discuss this episode. I can only say one thing - I drove a truck rushing under 150, and fell asleep at the wheel. Science for all kinds of Schumachers.
National parks and lodges
This is where I end the story of Caprivi, and we are crossing the border to Botswana, which will be a separate story -
Other reports on Africa:
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Zhangjiajie National Park in China: description, photos, opening hours, how to get and where to stay Mountains in China avatar
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