The sheer size of Africa is unlike anything I'd seen before. Despite spending three full months there, we only managed to see seven of the 47 countries it encompasses. Not only that, but we really only saw tiny areas of those seven. Does that mean I feel disappointed with what we managed to do? Absolutely not!
Egypt was absolutely brilliant - probably my favourite out of all the countries we visited. Visiting the Pyramids is a pretty awesome start to any trip, yet it was the Sun Temple at Abu Simbel that I enjoyed the most. Megalomaniac is a word often associated with its creator; Ramses II, and the dictionary definition for this seems to fit with his temple just perfectly. Add on a Nile Cruise, the Valley of the Kings, the eccentric Egyptian people and fantastic weather. Loved it.
Like many people (I would guess), Nairobi was our first experience of Kenya. To be honest, I didn't like it. Anyway, it doesn't matter because Kenya's got the Masai Mara - and that's enough of a tourist attraction in itself. Three days of game drives and we saw more wildlife than I'd ever imagined. It was such an experience and one made all the better by a really good guide: George (of the Jungle). The Kenyan coastline is pretty damn good too. As someone who'd never seen the Indian ocean before, I can recommend it.
But if you're intent on the Indian ocean, get yourself to Tanzania and GO TO ZANZIBAR! When I look at the stories we wrote about Zanzibar, I can't help but think we didn't use enough superlatives. Maybe it's because I'm looking back at it now and only remembering the good things, or maybe it's because the place really is a paradise. My suggestion is, just go and find out for yourself.
How do you follow on from paradise? Difficult I know but let's try...Victoria Falls. I'm just trying to think if I'd ever seen anything to which I could compare Victoria Falls. Don't think so. By some measures, they're the biggest falls in the world and they're certainly spectacular enough to support this position. Worth a trip to Zambia on their own.
Possibly the least spectacular of the African countries we visited were Mozambique and Swaziland, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy them. Mozambique had a beautiful coastline and Swaziland, equally beautiful countryside. Also, we negotiated these border crossings by car which I think of already as a valuable life experience.
The first feeling I remember having towards South Africa was relief. After months in the relative wilderness, we arrived in Pretoria and were suddenly back in what I recognised as a city (or at least a town). Despite all the driving, I really enjoyed our trip along the coast. Zululand, Durban, Grahamstown, and Outshoorn all stand out as highlights. There's so much to Cape Town you need at least two weeks there to fully appreciate it. Although probably not my favourite place in South Africa, I was never bored.
So it was all perfect then? OK maybe not. There are clearly major problems in Africa and not a lot of solutions being implemented. We saw loads of evidence of poverty, AIDS, crime and corruption and we were in mainly tourist areas pretty much the whole time. I think the most important problem though is the state of the governments. Without governments actually looking out for their own people, there's little chance of any swift resolutions. For example, even South Africa, supposedly the leading light of Africa and a country I had considered respectable, certainly still have their issues. While we were there, Jacob Zuma - the ANC party's leader and next presidential candidate - was having fraud & corruption charges reinstated against him, yet he remains their candidate and continues to enjoy their full backing. Bearing in mind the ANC has won every post Aparteid election, there is every chance this man will be South Africa's next president. Hmmmm...
So final thoughts? I guess before leaving the UK (and even during the trip) I had felt apprehensive about what life was going to be like, travelling around all these third-world countries. We were set to travel overland from Nairobi to Johannesburg, a little over 1800 miles, and although this appeared easy when we'd glanced at a map (about the sum total of the planning we'd done), in reality it wasn't. However, whenever we really needed people's help, there was always someone there. From Aziz and Bobbi putting us up in Nairobi, to a good samaritan in Zambia getting us on the right bus and then finding us a place to stay in Lusaka. It was a real eye-opener.
