African Adventure

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Entry posted by korver · September 23, 2021

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Our adventure across Africa starts off in the heart of the continent - where the mighty Congo River straddles the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo..

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This sparsely populated jungle landscape is filled with all sorts of unique flora and fauna - and despite increasing deforestation in recent years, much of it is still pristine, untouched rainforest. We spend a few days meeting some of the local tribes in the area, observing their rituals and lifestyle. These rural homes have been a mainstay for thousands of years and are a unique characteristic of the region.

We spend a few weeks heading west along the Gulf of Guinea, hopping from fishing town to town along our tour of the region. One of the area's most important ports and seaside cities is the capital city of Ghana - Accra - and countless fishing boats crowd the coastline, creating a memorable scene as we check out the city's bustling, vibrant waterfront.

Our adventure now heads north across rural Ghana and Burkina Faso - and eventually we cross the border into Mali, home of our next destination. The Bandiagara Escarpment region of the country is home to the Dogon people - this ethnic group of roughly 600,000 is indigenous to the region. They are best known for their religious traditions, their mask dances, wooden sculpture, and their unique mud and thatched roof architecture - as seen below.

After a few more weeks of traveling, we finally reach next destination - Djenne, Mali. Every Monday, the entire region takes part in market day - truly a sight to behold. Just under the shadow of the magnificent Great Mosque, the streets come alive with countless shoppers and market vendors, giving them the much needed opportunity to trade camels or goods.

The adventure continues northwards as we venture into Morocco, and our next stop is the ancient royal capital city of Fez. It's medina (an ancient walled city, without roads) is one of the continent's largest and most well-preserved - and over the centuries, the city has flourished as an important leather dying and tanning spot. It's a destination that you won't want to miss.

Another one of Morocco's most amazing sights is majestic Mount Toubkal, located in the heart of the Atlas Mountains. Standing 12,320 feet tall, it's North Africa's highest peak - and these mountain valleys are a remnant of the mountain's many former glaciers, which once used to cover the entire region.

The next stop is the massive Grand Erg Occidental. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be taking a camel caravan through this harsh landscape in search of some of the region's most unique sights, stopping from oasis from oasis along the way. After a month-long northern excursion in search of pastures, our caravan finally starts to head back south, but not before we come face to face with one of the region's greatest dangers. An enormous sandstorm engulfs the caravan, and rages on for nearly an entire day. Fortunately, by sitting to the side of their camels, we're able to lessen the blow and eventually get back on our feet.

We've finally emerged and come face to face with one of the most famous landmarks in world, and the only remaining wonder of the ancient world - The Pyramids of Giza. These unmistakable structures were built by the rulers of ancient Egypt back in 3000 BCE - primarily as tombs for pharaohs and queens. Despite the fact that their sparkling white limestone exterior is long gone, as well as many of the surrounding structures - they've stood the test of time like few structures on the face of the planet.

The adventure now takes us south along the legendary Nile River - and eventually by car once the river becomes unnavigable. Past Egypt and Sudan, the River quickly becomes a massive, swampy lowland region - an area known as the Sudd, located in most of northern South Sudan. With an average area of over 22,000 square miles, The Sudd is the continent's largest swamp - and this vast expanse of shallow wetlands has proved to be difficult for navigators and explorers in the Nile basin for thousands of years. Our journey into this unique landscape begins with a stop for supplies in the largest city in the region - Juba. The capital of South Sudan is home to over 500,000 people and serves as an important port city on the Nile River.

Sometimes, the matted vegetation of the Sudd breaks free of its moorings, building up into floating islands of vegetation up to 30 km in length - as seen below. Such islands, in varying stages of decomposition, eventually break up - but in the meantime, they serve as a home for the locals who call these wetlands home.

We catch a plane out of the region and head for the next chapter of our adventure - the coastline of southern Africa. The iconic Namib Desert hugs the coastline here - and towering sand dunes like the 1,256 foot tall Dune 7 (one of the world's tallest) can be seen for miles around.

Our next stop in the region is perhaps the Namib's most unique sight - the famed Skeleton Coast. Stretching over 300 miles between the old German colonial town of Swakopmund and the Angolan border, the coast is virtually uninhabited and thoroughly untamed. The seaboard takes its name from the animal bones scattered across its endless strands and the hundreds of ships that have wrecked there over the centuries - one of Africa's most haunting and distinctive sights.

East of Namibia is another one of Africa's most iconic natural sights - the famed Okavango Delta. The Okavango is a vast inland river delta in northern Botswana. It's known for its sprawling grassy plains, which flood seasonally, becoming a lush animal habitat. The Moremi Game Reserve occupies the east and central areas of the region. As we venture through the heart of the swamp, the landscape quickly gets much more swampy and overrun with all sorts of bushes, shrubs, and cattails. It's increasingly difficult to canoe through all the dense vegetation - but we still push on to find some of the Okavango's hidden wonders.

The Okavango Delta and Botswana as a whole are home to nearly a sixth of the world's elephant population. Even though numbers have been declining in recent years due to
various types of illnesses, we're fortunate to spot a herd coming out from the dense bushland to take a drink - a truly memorable sight.

The next destination on our trek is perhaps Africa's most famous - Victoria Falls. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, these awe-inspiring falls truly live up to the title. Once we get there, we're sure to try out a little whitewater river rafting - it's the middle of the high season and the river is in full force. However, there's still something that's a little more dangerous that we have to try out. Our tour guide takes us back up to the top of the falls, and we board a small boat to Livingstone Island near the middle of the Zambezi river. We slowly move our way across the lip of the falls, careful not to take one wrong step on any slippery rocks along our way. Finally, we reach our destination - the infamous Devil's pool. We take the plunge, and the only thing protecting us from a 300+ foot drop is a small submerged rock barrier on the edge. We take a deep breath, carefully leaning over the edge to catch the view of a lifetime.

We'll be catching another plane for the next leg of the journey - flying over another one of Africa's most legendary natural landmarks. Tanazania's breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in East Africa to see the Big Five and has gained a reputation as another one of the continent's most beautiful destinations. The crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa's most scenic regions, with volcanic craters forming stunning backdrops to some of the most fertile and richest grazing grounds in all of Africa. The most famous such crater is without question Ngorongoro - the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and justifiably one of the continent's most famous safari destinations.

Tanzania also includes another one of Africa's most impressive natural wonders - Lake Tanganyika. This African Great Lake is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest (reaching depths of 4,823 feet deep), in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is also the world's longest freshwater lake. Tanganyika is home to all sorts of unique flora and fauna species along it's coastlines, and the scenic forests and villages along it's deep waters are among the continent's most beautiful.

The adventure concludes with a trip to Kenya's Lake Magadi and Lake Bogoria. These lakes' shores are dotted with one of the world's largest populations of lesser flamingos - every year millions of them migrate to it's algae infested waters.

The lakes also boast some of the most impressive scenery in all of Africa - hundreds of species of birds call the lake home. Geysers and hot springs dot the shoreline, creating a truly unforgettable landscape.