Archive for the ‘Africa’ Category
Great destinations in Africa
There are some spectacular destinations on the African continent, as evidenced by this two-part series from “The Planet D” on the 12 greatest places to visit in Africa.
Driving through Namibia
Although Namibia is not a country that gets a lot of tourist press, it’s one of the more developed countries in Africa in terms of infrastructure and it not only has tribal cultures and wildlife sightings for tourists, but also coastal towns, desert landscapes and some of the most stunning sand dunes in the world. Barney Lyons just wrote an article for BootsnAll about a driving tour of Namibia.
Experiencing the Ethiopia of Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud was a 19th century French poet who famously gave up writing while still a young man and lived most of the final 10 years of his life in Harar, Ethiopia. That makes the town somewhat of an interesting landmark, but Harar is also reputed to be one of the more colorful places in a [...]
Life and music in Senegal
West Africa is not a heavily touristed place. It’s also not the first region that comes to mind when one contemplates great musical destinations. And yet there is a thriving music scene in Senegal, and especially in the capital city of Dakar, that would appeal to any musically inclined traveler. The NY Times just ran [...]
African travel wonders
Here is a slightly older but intriguing piece that I recently came across: Africa’s top 10 travel wonders. You can guess some of the spots on the list – the Egyptian pyramids, the Nile River, the East African wildlife. But there is much, much more to see in Africa, despite the fact that the continent [...]
Backpacking Africa
Sure, you can go backpacking in Europe, or Southeast Asia, or Australia and New Zealand. But if you really want an adventure, what about wandering around part of Africa for a while? It’s not for everyone and it’s a more difficult form of travel, especially since the tourist infrastructure is not as well developed, but there are [...]
Captivated by Lamu
For most Westerners, any mention of Kenya as a tourist destination will spark images of safaris. But for those who know of Lamu, Kenya is a very different place. A small island off the Kenyan coast, Lamu contains a quaint old town and miles of deserted beaches that have enchanted many a traveler. In this article, Sophie Lam writes of [...]
Discovering Eritrea
Eritrea is not a well-touristed place, nor even a very well known country. But Jeffrey Gettleman went there recently with his wife and found it to be a rather interesting destination, with a taste of old Italy mixed with Africa. He wrote about his trip for the NY Times. Eritrea, for better and for worse, is [...]
Beautiful, desolate Namibia
The southwestern African country of Namibia may not be well-known as a tourist destination, but travelers who have been there often return home raving about the desolate beauty of the place. Elinor Burkett is one of those travelers and she wrote about her Namibian experiences for a recent NY Times story. As the first rays of the sun [...]
Favorite places in the Middle East and Africa
The Chicago Tribune has been asking their foreign correspondents for travel tips and for lists of their favorite destinations. One recent installment focused on places in the Middle East and Africa. An excerpt: Liz Sly on the Middle East: My favorite place: The Old City of Damascus, Syria, a warren of ancient cobbled streets, mosques [...]
Stunning sand dunes of Namibia
When most of us think of vast deserts and mountainous sand dunes, our mind wanders to the Arabian or Sahara deserts. Few people think of Namibia and sand dunes in the same sentence. But this country on the southwestern coast of Africa is, in fact, known for some of the most stunning sand dune landscapes [...]
Hiking the snows of Kilimanjaro
Mt Kilimanjaro. It’s a mountain adventure that is accessible to people without mountaineering skills and is one of the great dreams of many travelers. This Tanzanian peak can also lay claim to one of the world’s most famous images, the “snows of Kilimanjaro.” Neil Modie decided he wanted to climb Kilimanjaro before melting glaciers removed most or all of the snow from the mountain. [...]
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Bob Riel is a writer and a traveler. Go here to read more about Bob, his work and the Travels in the Riel World blog.
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