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.
Africa
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.
Kigali’s Caplaki Market
Caplaki Market is a fun place to go in Kigali if you want to pick up some uniquely Rwandan handicrafts and chat with local merchants.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre
A visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre is not for the faint of heart, but crucial in understanding Rwanda’s recent past.
Rwanda Highway Life
Off on site visits for the Rwanda assignment, covering Nyanza (aka Nyabisindu) and Huye (Butare) in the south, and barely making it to Musanze (aka Ruhengeri) which is a story in itself…
Rwanda: An Introduction
Is it possible for one country to be both insanely endearing and incredibly heartbreaking? Welcome to Rwanda, one of the friendliest, cleanest and most enigmatic countries you’ll ever travel to.
Malealea Lodge & Pony Trekking in Lesotho
A visit to one of my favorite places, Malealea, Lesotho, covering the lodge, pony trekking and private sector partnerships.
Defining Wealth In Swaziland
Our Capstone team travels to Swaziland to research new ways of measuring wealth for Pact, International.
Shela – The Other Side of Lamu
Just around the island, yet a world away, lay Lamu Old Town’s upscale, ex-pat enclave neighbor, Shela. Shela town is also home to Lamu Island’s beaches–Coincidence? Me thinks not.
The Old Swahili Isle Of Lamu
There are only two ways to get to Lamu Town: take a boat or swim. It’s magical, it’s mysterious and it’s endangered. Here’s what to expect.
Island Oasis on Lake Bunyonyi
Beautiful Lake Bunyonyi serves as the final stop in a whirlwind 48-day journey around Uganda.
Hiking Sipi Falls
Pausing to climb out from under report-writing in Mbale, my research partner and I take a weekend trip to Sipi Falls — a real-life picture post card of the Garden of Eden — and bring back some unexpected souvenirs…
Northern Uganda: Gulu
If you like real and surreal together, then by golly, Gulu is the place for you. It’s dusty and proud and friendly, but not overly so. It’s also two distinct towns on a collision course.
Into the Wild: Kampala to Gulu by Bus
After 10 days spent in Kampala, we were itching to finally set out into the field to begin our interviews in earnest. Our journey takes from the capital city over the Nile and on to Gulu.
Day Trip to Munyonyo Beach on Lake Victoria
We left town for the lakeside village of Munyonyo, stopping at Cassia Lodge (proclaimed the best view in Kampala). A momentous occasion because it was our first trip out of the capital–and–Alexandra’s first-ever ride in a matatu.
Kampala’s Sacred Places
Our first Saturday in Uganda was spent walking around Old Kampala, viewing the mammoth “Gadhafi” Mosque perched on top of Kampala Hill, and taking a private hire taxi out to the Baha’i Mother Temple of Africa.
First Week In Uganda
We spend our first ten days in the the capital city, meeting contacts, getting a feel for Kampala, and preparing for the six weeks of field research ahead.
Arrival In Kampala
26 days after learning that I would be spending the summer in Uganda, our Ethiopian Airlines 767 touched down in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) for a layover en route to Entebbe (Uganda).
The Uganda Assignment
This summer I find myself in Uganda, of all places, traveling around the country looking for answers.