region: Africa

Egypt

Ask anyone about Egypt and they are bound to rattle off a list of millennia-old monuments: the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings are just a few of the many offerings to explore. People sometimes forget, however, that it is also where Africa meets Arabia, and the cultures of both of these parts of the world come together.

For the visitor, there’s a huge amount of exploring to be done: sail the Nile, become one of the millions of people in Cairo and explore ancient mosques and the alleyways of Khan al-Khali (the city’s market), and soak up the ambience of Alexandria. For anyone who loves the beach, the Mediterranean coastline stretches for about 500 kilometres and is joined to the Red Sea by the Suez Canal. Sharm el-Sheikh, on the southern point of the Sinai Peninsula, also has some of the best diving you’ll in this part of the world.

Ghana

For those seeking to dip their toes into Africa, yet still fancy going beyond South Africa and Kenya, Ghana might be just the ticket. Although the options to safari in the traditional 4WD way are quite limited it’s not as though no animals at all live here. Mole National Park, near the border with Burkina Faso, is home to groups of elephants, bushbucks, baboons, warthogs and other small animals. Mona and black-and-white colobus monkeys are revered by the communities in the villages of Boabeng and Fiema, south of Mole, and the small but well-populated Boabeng-Fiama Monkey Sanctuary has been giving these curious creatures a home since 1974. Guests can go on a tour where guides will also point out some of the many birds and butterflies who live in the forest.

History buffs will want to stop a while at Cape Coast, west of the capital of Accra. The fishing port town has been settled by a whole host of European traders, including the Portuguese, Swedes and English, and is best known for the huge Cape Coast Castle, a white fort on the waterfront. It’s one of about 40 such buildings on the coastline first used for storing gold, ivory and other goods that were to be shipped back to Europe, but which gradually became jails, their dark dungeons holding people who were to be sent to the USA as slaves. Now, this building – restored in the 1990s – and many like it have been turned into museums, while others have be converted into government offices, prisons and guesthouses.

The rest of Cape Coast feels like a relaxed coastal community, and the lagoons on the edge of town have some great beaches. You can also do drumming and dancing workshops with a group called Women in Progress, which supports a fair-trade project. And it’s worth taking the time to head to Elmina. There are far fewer visitors here, in what was once a fishing and salt-producing town but became the epicentre of the West African gold trade. These days, it’s still mostly a fishing village but the colourful boats sailing through the lagoon have a backdrop of the oldest European building in sub-Saharan Africa, Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482.

Hit the slopes, Morocco-style

Morocco tends to conjure thoughts of tagines, deserts and inescapable heat, so you’ll be forgiven for forgetting to pack your skis. Yet only 70 kilometres from Marrakesh, the Atlas Mountains are home to Oukaïmeden, Africa’s highest ski resort.

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Oukaïmeden offers a Moroccan take on the classic sport. Clamber onto a donkey instead of a chairlift, haggle for a cheap set of skis and spend a bizarre après-ski in awe of the snake charmers and street performers who roam Jemaa El Fna.

Ethiopian Heli-Safari

Skim the clouds in a chopper then swoop into some of the most remote landscapes on earth in the north of Ethiopia. Each day you’ll witness panoramic views from the cabin of your private helicopter as it takes you to places only a handful of people have ever stood. Touch down in the Simien Mountains as first light illuminates its pinnacles and plateaus. Here, bearded vultures plunge from cliffs, scavenging for carcasses in the deep valleys below. Bleeding-heart baboons, found only in Ethiopia, journey in harems of 800, and rare Ethiopian wolves and walia ibex roam the World Heritage-listed national park.

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This is a land steeped in history, with all the traditions you’d expect from one of the world’s oldest Christian nations. You’ll visit churches hidden in caves and hewn from rock almost 1,000 years ago.

And if hell were a tangible place it would take the form of the otherworldly Danakil Depression, where temperatures throttle the thermometer, making it the hottest place on the planet. Magma from the Erta Ale volcano spits and hisses from the ground and acid lakes sit in lurid ponds.

In the afternoon, you’ll soak out the heat in freshwater pools and return at night to lodges that nod to the traditions of the region, with the addition of modern amenities and luxurious trimmings. It’s an experience unlike any other – after all, more people have visited the moon than set foot in some of the locations you’ll explore.

Like a Local in Cape Town, South Africa

With almost every corner offering gluten-free pizzas and boutique-roasted soy lattes next to Chinese R5 stores and sushi take-away spots, Sea Point can only be described as a melting pot. This vibrant seaside suburb of Cape Town, the 2014 World Design Capital, seldom gives residents a reason to leave since we have everything we need right here, in a neat nucleus I like to call home.

It is also one of the best areas in Cape Town in terms of weather – a large mountain protects us from most of the dreadful south-easter winds that rapidly clear bikini-clad bodies from Camps Bay Beach around the corner. It is also a haven for cyclists, runners and outdoor enthusiasts because of the beautiful promenade running the length of the suburb.

I stay on Regent Road, a fork off Main Road, running parallel to Beach Road and the promenade. I’m one block up from the beach and Queens surf spot, where the likes of Jordy Smith have tackled waves dangerously close to jagged rocks and forests of wine-red floating kelp. That’s just one of the many sights to enjoy during a walk or run on the promenade.

My husband and I often hire bicycles from a spot near the landmark Sea Point Swimming Pool and cycle from our apartment building to the V&A Waterfront taking in our gorgeous and amusing surroundings.

Bicycles for hire.
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Regent Road at dusk.
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Bleached-haired skateboarders weave their way through Jewish grannies walking poodles in prams, while shirtless muscle maniacs do pull-ups at the public outdoor gym and lovers picnic under trees that grow away from the sea, towards the mountain.

I love watching paragliders land after soaring above our towering apartment blocks, envying the views they must have, but too nervous to try it for myself.

Stand-up paddle boarders and kayakers glide by on the sea while tuksies (our taxi tuktuks) buzz around Beach Road picking up and dropping off German tourists, Scandinavian models and locals like me when I’ve had one too many toots.

Further down the promenade we have putt-putt courses, ice-cream shops, cafes spilling out onto streets and South Africa’s oldest lighthouse, to whose foghorn no one ever becomes acclimatised.

It’s a steep one-hour hike to the top of Lion’s Head from Signal Hill. Image: Jeffrey Barbee
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I’ve lived here for five years now and the landscape is an ever-changing collection of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and delis. Some stalwarts have survived the test of time: Winchester Mansions, a boutique hotel in an old Cape Dutch-style building, famous for its lengthy Sunday brunches with live jazz; and La Perla restaurant, whose penguin-esque waiters have served the likes of Elvis Presley (or so they say).

La Boheme Wine Bar & Bistro, with more than 60 wines by the glass and a pork belly so drool-inducingly juicy it’s hard to stay away, is a regular hangout, and has been ever since I moved here. The same owners opened a craft beer and burger bar a few metres down the road called Engruna Eatery, offering a good variety of local boutique bevvies. They serve great pizza too, but if it’s a slice you want, Ristorante Posticino is the authentic Italian gem of the area. For French-inspired fine dining, chef Henry Vigar’s La Mouette has a courtyard for summer luncheons, fireplaces for cosy, wintery dinners and monthly tasting menus that are as affordable as they are fantastic.

The Duchess of Wisbeach, named after the road on which it is situated, has a quirky bar and a mussel pot to die for. It’s also the hangout of local architects, designers and creatives and a great spot to grab a glass of wine after work and get an eye-candy fix.

A view of the Sea Point swimming pool.
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The bar at the Duchess of Wisbeach.
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With all the regular wining and dining that goes on, I’ve developed a bit of a coffee addiction, and now can’t start the next day without a good cuppa. Luckily for me, a new coffee roastery and eatery called Bootlegger Coffee Company opened in December where the baristas make great flat whites. I have another faithful spot called Mischu. It brews a signature blend that earned the title ‘best cappuccino in Cape Town’, and only its grande lattes can bring me back from the dead after a late night. Another new addition to Regent Road is Knead Bakery, a hot breakfast spot and great place to pick up steaming, fresh kitke (traditional Jewish bread rolls), gluten-free bread and croissants. These go down amazingly with some smoked snoek (pike) pâté from the new Luckyfish & Chips takeaway across the road. Make a picnic out of it and head to the grass lawns next to the promenade to enjoy the sunset and, if the moon is full, watch as Lion’s Head comes alight like a Christmas tree at night, thanks to all the hikers climbing up Table Mountain’s little brother.

Sea Point is my bustling little haven that connects me to the greater creative city of Cape Town, and between the beach, the food and the vibrancy of life, there’s no place I’d rather be.

A River Runs Through It

It’s Friday afternoon and I’m itching to get on the road. From Cape Town it’s about a two-and-a-half-hour drive – three, if there’s traffic – and I just want to leave. The car is packed to the brim with doonas, eskies, drums, fishing rods, wine and towels. Being a pedant, I go over my checklist one more time. “Just relax,” says my husband Tim. “If we’ve forgotten something we can always borrow it.” He’s an ultra-mellow surfer dude, hence my need to overcompensate on the organising front. “We need to stop at Riviersonderend to get ice,” I say. It’s the last town before the dirt road turn-off to Up The Creek.

This will be my sixth Up The Creek and, for so many reasons, it’s my favourite of all the South African music festivals on the calendar. Tickets are limited to about 3000 people, but the quality of music is as good as you’ll find anywhere in the country. Anyone who’s done their share of multi-day camping festivals will also appreciate that here there are toilets, proper toilets. OK, there are portaloos too, but they can be avoided.

At the entrance, we’re welcomed by Christina Rovere. As the chief hands-on admin-organising accommodation-sorting festival helper, she’s a woman you want to know. “I see you are glamping this year,” she says, spotting the two bands on my arm. A couple of sweaty, dusty men greet us with wheelbarrows ready to carry our gear to the tent that’s been set up by Heartbreak Motel – it’s only 30 metres away, but we let them. After all, we are camping in style this year. Well, as stylish as mattresses in a large tent with a complimentary bottle 
of Old Brown Sherry and two tin mugs can be.

One of South Africa’s best blues harpists, Dave Ferguson, jams with friends.
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Escaping the heat on a tented li-lo.
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Not long after setting off to find some friends – first-timers camping in the pleb section – I spy a white-bearded, wild-eyed man sporting a floral hat that looks as though it’s been in a dress-up box since the 1980s. It’s Anthony Bumstead, one of the organisers of this middle-of-nowhere gathering of licorice allsorts folk. He’s shouting orders at the sound guys in preparation for the night’s gigs. The first Up The Creek, held in 1990, was really just an awesome birthday party thrown for Bumstead by his pal Ann Sowden. The event grew, he went off to pursue other dreams and passions, but got involved again six years ago and now makes most of the musical decisions.

“The first thing we have to do,” I say to the first timers when I finally locate them, “is go look at the river.” Water bottles drained of H2O and refilled with gin, tonic and slices of lemon – we are nothing if not civilised – we head down to the water’s edge. The daytime River Stage is one of Up The Creek’s USPs. The bands play on shore while revellers on li-los, tyre tubes and giant blow-up animals kick back and watch the action. Last year the waterline was so low the stage was set up on a sand bank in the middle of the river, with everyone floating around it. This year is going to be quite different – we’ve had a lot of unexpected rain and the river is in full flow, meaning the stage has been shifted back to the grassy bank. The sky starts turning pale pink and we decide the river can wait till tomorrow – it’s time to hit the bar.

“What’s with all the blue drinks?” asks one of the newbies. They’re called Titanics and have been the festival cocktail for as many years as anyone can remember. I can’t really say what’s in one – vodka (or perhaps it’s gin), triple sec, blue curaçao and lemonade probably, plus whatever other alcohol is left over by Sunday, all served in half-litre plastic mugs. We order three and head to the post-sunset main stage.

Up The Creek is not really a platform for mainstream pop acts. Rather, you’ll discover the best rock bands, shredding blues guitarists, African drummers, skinny-jean punks and a mix of alternative, experimental and folk music. Most are local acts, but those who aren’t have some kind of link to South Africa.

Up The Creekers wallow in the Breede River while Beach Party perform on the river stage.
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After years of trial and error, we’ve developed a set of rules for festival survival. Never go too big on the first night. No man gets left behind. Always pack antacids. With this mantra running through my soon-to-meet-iceberg Titanic’d brain, I head to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long, 
hot day, and I want to be ready for it.

There should definitely be a rule about endless queues at coffee stations at 8.30am during a festival. As I hold a spot in one, Tim goes in search of another. Some 20 minutes later he returns with two steaming espressos. At this point I’m so close to the front, I order a second round – the obliging barista taking my BYO soy milk to make a cappuccino.

Even this early things are heating up, so we slather ourselves in sunscreen, don our cossies, blow up the tubes and head to the only place offering relief from the heat – the river. Almost immediately I lose Tim in the crowds of swimmers and blown-up dinosaurs, giraffes and sharks. The Nomadic Orchestra fires up jazzy brass instruments while I test the water’s depth. Passers-by offer sips of beer and the MC announces the winners of the best floating bar competition. A couple of hours later – you lose track of time here – I finally locate Tim, who informs me grumpily that he left his fishing tackle behind. I sympathise for a minute, but have other priorities – two more Creek virgins are arriving from Cape Town and they need a proper welcome. I fetch the coldest drink I have – a bottle of tequila that has been buried in ice since our arrival.

”You made it!” I say, jumping with joy and pouring shots down their throats. Wandering aimlessly, we meet guys who’ve set up a tight rope between two trees and are attempting to walk across. On another stage, local comedians are cracking jokes while sarong-clad girls doze on picnic blankets. As attractive as these distractions seem, we decide to seek shade and replenish drinks before heading back down to the river for an afternoon swim.

Watermelons: first a meal, then a hat.
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Cape Town band Grassy Spark plays to the crowd.
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As evening draws near, it’s time to regroup in front of the main stage. The energy is contagious – everywhere you look people are singing, jumping, laughing and dancing. The lead singer from world-music band Hot Water sets his guitar on fire and the crowd goes wild. School friends I haven’t seen in years appear in front of me and we down shots from Coke bottle caps. The rest of the night turns into a blur of hugs, high-fives and drunken conversations. This Titanic is going down.

Sunday morning arrives and something stronger than a coffee is necessary. My aching head will only be saved by one thing: a plunge into the river. Well, that, two aspirin, a bacon-and-egg sandwich and a swig of free sherry. I rally the troops and we head down to the water for a lazy li-lo drift before the Sunday jam session, also known as the Church Service.

Musicians from all the bands get together, swapping in and out like tag teams and jamming some innovative and occasionally downright radical improvisational tunes. This is my favourite part of the festival, but it’s also bittersweet – the end is near. I dance in my swimmers with my inflatable tube around my hips as pack-up time edges ever closer. I attempt a game of hide-and-seek with Tim, making excuses for my constant disappearances to say goodbye to one person or the other until he looks at me sympathetically and says, “Baby, there’s always next year.”

Uganda

Plenty of travellers still avoid this landlocked African nation, thinking the violence and war of the past remains an issue. For the past couple of decades, however, the country has been relatively politically stable and safe to visit.

It’s not a big place, but there is plenty to explore. In the southwest of the country, the mountainous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to mountain gorillas, who can be visited on guided treks. There’s also the opportunity to see unique golden monkeys or climb volcanic Mt Sabinyo.

Climbers head to the Rwenzori Mountains – the highest point is Mount Stanley at 5100 metres – for an experience not found anywhere else in the world. Hikes start in equatorial rainforest, passing through heath forest before finally peaking in a landscape of snow and glaciers. On the way you might see forest elephants and any number of monkeys.

These mountains are located near Lake Victoria, which straddles the borders of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, and are the source of the mighty Nile. For adrenaline seekers, grade-five whitewater kayaking should be top of the must-do list, closely followed by taking on the rapids on a stand-up paddle board. Of course, there are flat-water options, too, including birdwatching from the river.

For those who love a safari, Uganda has that, too. With a diversity of landscapes, including lakes and rivers, there is plenty of wildlife to spot. Some of the reserves, like Queen Elizabeth National Park, are easy to access yet uncrowded. Located in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, it’s home to buffaloes, elephants, lions (the famous tree-climbing lions are found in a part of the park known as Ishasha), different species of antelopes and plenty of birds. Hippos, crocs and zebras, as well as the gigantic eland antelope, can be found at Lake Mburo National Park.

At the time of writing, the Smartraveller website suggests travellers avoid the border areas near the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. Those travelling to remote northeastern districts, including Kidepo National Park, should do so by air. Homosexual relations are illegal in Uganda, and western travellers have been prosecuted for homosexual activities.

The Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda

There are few more humbling experiences than spending an hour in the company of Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. While their numbers have increased – 10 years ago they were close to extinction – there are still fewer than 500 left in the wild. Depending on the family of gorillas you are allotted, the trek up into the thick jungle of the Parc de Volcanoes can last anywhere from one hour to over six, but once you are among these creatures any fatigue dissipates and is replaced by pure awe.

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In 2010, get lost took a group of readers to meet the mountain gorillas. Below is a short clip of what you can expect.

Tanzania

There are three words that basically sum up why everyone wants to visit Tanzania: Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar. Yep, this east African nation, unfortunately one of the poorest countries in the world, has sights to burn.

High atop many traveller’s must-see lists is the Great Migration, the mass movement of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle across the Serengeti and north to Kenya. The timing is completely dependent on the area’s rainfall patterns, although it can start in April and continue through to September. But at any time of the year, the Serengeti National Park is one of Africa’s most vast and beautiful wildlife zones. The Seronera area, with its high resident populations of leopards, cheetahs and lions, is also one the busiest parts of the park. For something different, journey to the Loliondo Reserve, an area between Ngorongoro and Kenya belonging to the Maasai tribes. There are plenty of animals, including migratory ones during October and November as they’re returning south, and some of the camps have Maasai guides, who accompany guests on drives and walks. Wildlife lovers might also want to venture to tiny Gombe Stream National Park on the banks of Lake Tanganyika. Since 1965, Jane Goodall has been researching the chimpanzees who live in the forest, and visitors can trek into the park to see the habituated families.

Speaking of Ngorongoro, this conservation area, named after the neighbouring caldera, is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. The crater is home to hippopotamus, black rhinoceros, Masai lions, Cape buffalo and plenty of other four-legged creatures.

For all its great wildlife though, Tanzania has another side as home to one of Africa’s busiest ports. Former capital Dar es Salaam, a heaving metropolis, bears the marks of the many people who’ve passed through here, with architecture inspired by Africa, Arabia, India and Europe. There are some great beaches, as well as a fish market that bustles at dawn when the fishermen flog their fresh catch.

Dar es Salaam is also the leaping-off point for a trip to the Zanzibar Archipelago (a two-hour fast ferry service leaves numerous times during the day). The main island, Unguja, is the primary destination for most travellers. It’s here you’ll find Zanzibar City, with historic Stone Town at its heart. One of the island’s primary industries has always been spices – cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon – and that has meant traders from everywhere in the world have landed here and left a little bit of themselves behind at different times. Within Stone Town’s maze of alleys, many too narrow for cars, you’ll find Arabian, Persian, Indian and European elements, which led to its UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2000. Tourists are well catered to here, but only 100 kilometres away is the island of Pemba. Here, it’s a little more rustic, but divers will find some of the best coral reefs, walls and marine life in the region.

Kuro Tarangire

The north of Tanzania is famous. This is the land of the Serengeti, the Maasai Mara word for ‘endless plains,’ and home to one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Next door is the lesser-visited and equally spectacular Tarangire National Park, where you’ll find this safari camp.

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Just six tents, set in a grove of acacia trees, offer guests a touch of luxury – think huge beds, ensuite bathrooms and uninterrupted views of the wilderness. The day starts with a dawn chorus of birds and, before it ends at dinnertime in the open-sided thatched dining hut, you’ll marvel at the huge herds of elephants and buffalo and spy countless giraffe and zebra grazing nearby. Prides of lions are also common, but the park’s leopards are a little more covert.

During the day in the cool morning air, walk along the riverbed to discover elephant footprints and search for evidence of nocturnal wanderings by other wildlife. Later, get an animal fix in an open-car safari – either over the plains or towards the Silale Swamp. There’s even the option to take after-dark game drives.