Monday, March 18, 2013

Zimbabwe - Botswana - Namibia - Zambia

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Tour has continued on a research on Zambezi - river and Victoria Falls area. I flew from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and started mini-tour of travelling by minibus / combi / taxi in Zimbabwe - Botswana - Namibia - Zambia. The timetables of transportation are not available anywhere.

Sunset at Chobe - river, Kasane, Botswana

But in every village someone knows where minibuses stop or leave to next villages. You just have to go there and wait 2-4 hours in an unbearable heat until minibus, which is full of people will arrive and you realize that everyone who is waiting will be squashed in. Now you can relax and enjoy the bumpy ride tightly squashed side by side the others and sweating like in hell, cause there's no air condition in the bus. This is Africa !!!!

Evening at Zambezi - river, Katima Mulilo, Namibia

You just need to get rid of the clock and just let things happen... Everything is going to be alright finally.

Picking Peri Peri chili

I just fell in love with Botswana. It has incredible nature, vast natural parks, friendly people and great weather. What else could you ask for ?

Moon over Zambezi - river, Katima Mulilo, Namibia

My favorite countries so far from southern part of Africa are Swaziland and Botswana. Hopefully I'll have a chance to relive the hospitality of these two countries many times in the future.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland

Berlin Falls at Blyde River

It has been warm and exciting 10 days so far on a travel through South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland. All of those three countries are so different from each others, which surprised me totally and I couldn't imagine it at all beforehand.

Zebras at Kruger national park

I have been travelling with other two partners and we have been doing a research on the southern part of Africa to find travel destinations, which we could put on our offering in Finland. Kruger national park is a huge park, where you can spot e.g. big five, i.e. lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard.

South Africa is enormous country and we have covered only northern and northeastern part of it by driving 2700 kilometers on long and straight roads through the savanna, forest, jungle and fields...

Local traffic jam at Kruger

Blyde River Canyon had stunning views on viewpoints and the milder climate with pine trees and South Africa's heaviest rainfall per year. 

View from the terrace of the lodge at Ant's Hill

Swaziland offered hospitality I have not encountered elsewhere. I must admit I lost my heart to Swaziland totally. It reminded me about Belize, which is a country in Central America and which made similar impact to me when I was travelling there.

Paying for the gazoline

Our trip will continue still one week before returning back to snowy and cold Finland...

P.S. Swaziland was my 100th country