End Of The Road
Wrapping up 105 days and 6,000 miles of overland shoestring travel from Cape Town, South Africa to Kampala, Uganda, with numerous side trips in between.
Africa
Close Encounters with Hippos on Lake Naivasha
Continuing where we left off on our budget self-guided bicycle safari in Hells Gate National Park — descending into the Depths of Hell (of course).
Hell’s Gate National Park
Braving a do-it-yourself bicycle safari through Hells Gate National Park, one of Kenya’s most spectacular and endangered places.
Camp Carnelleys on Lake Naivasha
A serendipitous encounter in Nairobi and many more fun encounters with exotic birds, wily monkeys and hungry, hungry hippos on the shores of Lake Naivasha!
Usambara Mountains
The people and scenic beauty of the Usambara Mountains in Northern Tanzania — a preview of our 4-day, 40+ mile trek through this unique and remote corner of the world.
Dar es Salaam to Lushoto
Fresh off a fantastic two weeks on Zanzibar, we spend a couple of days in Tanzania’s largest city, with our sites set on what’s next.
Jambiani Beach: 10 Days in Paradise on Zanzibar
Exploring the idyllic Zanzibari fishing village of Jambiani, where time seemingly stands still…for now. And easily one of our favorite beach stays ever!
Zanzibar’s Stone Town (Pt.3)
Zanzibar, by night, by day and everything in between — featuring sundowners, flash floods and Zanzibari Pizza!
Zanzibar’s Stone Town (Pt.2)
Exploring the twisting, turning alleyways and coral-stone palaces of Zanzibar’s ancient and storied Stone Town.
Zanzibar’s Stone Town (Pt.1)
Exploring the picture-postcard waterfront of Zanzibar’s ancient and storied Mji Mkongwe (a.k.a. Stone Town).
Arrival in Zanzibar
After four long weeks in Mozambique we arrived in Zanzibar, and the difference was startling — the food, the friendliness, and the value for the money were incomparable.
Mozambique Budget & Travel Report
Mozambique can be an expensive travel destination. Here is our own Mozambique budget and expenses over 30 days, including food & lodging.
Mission: Ridiculous (Pt.2)
The riveting conclusion to our Tanzanian visa saga and final post from our month-long visit to Mozambique.
Mission: Ridiculous (Pt.1)
Our final days in Moz, and the last-minute discovery that Tanzania may deport our butts back here if we can’t obtain one last very elusive visa requirement…
Killing Time in Pemba
Hanging out in this rather inconsequential, albeit quirky, port town for longer than any other backpacker in the history of backpacking.
Trapped in Paradise
We find ourselves held hostage by the beauty, isolation and insane prices of a “bush camp” in the north of Mozambique and attempt to escape before the money runs dry.
Fort São Sebastião & Africa’s Oldest Chapel
Exploring evocative Fort São Sebastião, the oldest standing fort in Sub-Saharan Africa and home to the oldest European structure in the Southern Hemisphere.
Ilha de Moçambique (Pt.2)
The rest of our stay on the island and Lori’s attempt at an important job interview in one of the world’s forgotten corners.
Rocket to Nampula
We thought we were cutting Lori’s interview close on a travel day…until we screeched to a halt in Nampula FOUR HOURS EARLY.
Election Day in Quelimane
Quelimane’s a great place to lay low while waiting for impending doom to sweep a nation…it’s also got some other redeeming qualities as well.
You Can’t Relive the Past (Pt.2)
Navigating the emotional and material complexities of returning to a former Peace Corps site, eight years later (Continued…)
You Can’t Relive the Past (Pt.1)
Navigating the emotional and material complexities of returning to a former Peace Corps site, eight years later.
Beira: Faded Glory & Endless Intrigue
We brave the dreaded Save-Machungue gap and make it safely to Mozambique’s seedy yet ever-fascinating Second City.
Linga Linga (Pt.2)
I followed an old friend through the bush — back in time and back to basics, enjoying reconnecting and reconciling with a past that wasn’t quite through with me — on a forgotten piece of paradise.
Linga Linga (Pt.1)
Sometimes I wonder whether I dreamed up certain places I’ve been to or if they actually exist. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Linga Linga is very real and very much the same as I left it.
Inhambane City
There is little reason why Inhambane City should still exist today, and yet it has endured the tides of change with quiet dignity, as the fickle goddess of progress giveth and taketh.
Maxixe
Maxixe. Mind blown. Pavement, strip malls, trees. For me, Maxixe once represented a gateway to the outside world. I was eager to introduce Lori to this dusty, bustling transit hub. Only problem–I hardly recognized it.
Maputo Daze
Maputo — capital of Mozambique. It’s great to be back. Our week in Maputo proves an ideal introduction to Mozambique for Lori and reminds me why I always enjoyed visiting this unique place.
Return to Mozambique
After a month driving around South Africa, and eight years away from Mozambique, we finally cross the border into another world, both familiar and foreign.
South Africa Travel Budget: Our 30-Day Expense Report
How much does it cost to travel South Africa? Check out our detailed South Africa travel budget with lodging, food, transport and more!
Birthday at 10,000 Feet (Sani Pass)
I decided that the only way I could top last year’s birthday on a deserted Caribbean island in Belize and 2012’s in Bangkok was to top it in altitude in Lesotho!
Ndlovini Mountain
We take a hike…up into the Southern Drakensberg to see what we can see…which isn’t much at first, but are rewarded for our efforts in the end.
Wild Coast: Coffee Bay
A mile outside of already-remote Coffee Bay sits a place of stunning beauty and supreme tranquility. Make it down the Driveway of Terror in a tiny compact hatchback and you shall reap your reward.
Wild Coast: Cintsa
South Africa Road Trip — Another breathtaking beach stop along our route, Cintsa may have beaten all the others, but for one small detail.
Addo Elephant National Park
We spend a day driving through Addo Elephant National Park to try and catch a glimpse of at least one of the Big Five and it far exceeded our expectations!
Garden Route: Hiking Nature’s Valley
After a night reconnecting with our inner “Wild Spirit,” we spend the day hiking to Nature’s Valley and the Indian Ocean, then back again.
The Magical Forest
At our next stop along SA’s hippie trail, Earth Angel checked us into Wild Spirit Backpackers, and suggested we check out the Sunset Tree of Love, Starry Shower and Magical Forest. Seriously.
Garden Route: Wilderness and the Secret Cave
Upon check-in, Hippie-Surfer Dude said, “There’s a cave up those tracks, brah…you should totally check it out.” So we did, and what we found astonished and terrified us.
Cape Agulhas: Exploring the End of the World
We arrive at the bottom of the world, Cape Agulhas, and boy is it cold! This is still Africa, right?
Hermanus Whale Watching
We make a pitstop in Hermanus, the whale watching capital of South Africa, for a few hours to see if we can’t spot some whale action from the shore…turns out the whales were ready and waiting.
Cape Winelands: A Tale Of Three Wineries
We set out from Stellenbosch on a gorgeous midweek morning with two simple objectives for the day: to cover the 20 miles to Franschoek and to hit a few wineries along the way. Done and done.
Chapman’s Peak & Penguins
I take the wheel of a stick-shift rental in left-side driving SA and do what any sane person would–head straight for death-defying Chapman’s Peak…and penguins.
Cape Town: Hiking Table Mountain (Pt.2)
After our devastating discovery at the Cable Car ticket office, we eventually make it off the top of Table Mountain and to Camps Bay just in time for our final sunset-over-the-ocean of the trip.
Cape Town: Hiking Table Mountain (Pt.1)
When visiting cities, we generally like to make our way on foot to the highest point and have a drink. Darn you, Cape Town. Darn you.
Cape Town: Start of Our Epic Africa Adventure
Cape Town marks the starting point of 15 weeks backpacking our way to Uganda, and the beginning of a 30-day South Africa road trip!
Samosas And Farewell
Local food gets repetitive, hotel food gets expensive, and expat food is often far away (and expensive). So what is a consultant to do when they are staying at the Mille Collines for a month? They eat samosas. Lots of samosas.
My March In Hotel Rwanda
What is it like to spend nearly a month in Africa’s most famous (or infamous) hotels? Read about it here as well as what to see, do and eat on an extended stay in this lovely hilltop capital.