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May 2, 2013 in
Africa Expat
Rising east of the main highway connecting Johannesburg to Durban, the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg is South Africa’s most extensive and highest mountain range. The imposing nature of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is alluded to in the Zulu name uKhahlamba, which means ‘Barrier of Spears’. The more widely used Afrikaans name Drakensberg, or ‘Dragon’s Mountain’, compares its long
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April 29, 2013 in
Africa Expat
Kenya prides itself on being the original home of the safari. And rightly so: straddling the equator, flanked by a stunning Indian Ocean coastline, with habitats ranging from snow-capped mountains to untrammelled savannah, Kenya is one of Africa’s most complete holiday destinations. But over many visits, I’ve discovered that Kenya also boasts a tantalising array of
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April 18, 2013 in
Africa Expat
Situated at an altitude of 2,400m, Addis Ababa is Africa’s loftiest capital. Its temperate highland climate often confounds visitors whose expectations of Ethiopia are all heat, dust and desert. Who would have thought, for instance, that the Ethiopian capital typically receives as much rainfall between June and September as London would in an entire year.
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April 17, 2013 in
Africa Expat
An essential rite of passage for safarigoers to Africa is to tick off the so-called “Big Five” – lion, leopard, elephant, black rhinoceros and Cape buffalo. The term Big Five dates back to the days of hunting safaris, when these were the animals that trophy seekers regarded to be the most dangerous quarries. But it
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March 20, 2013 in
Europe Expat
Vienna is a city as grand in design as it is in scale with a large and sprawling Classically designed centre befitting of the Imperial capital it once was. In fact, such is the size and the volume of monuments on show in the former home of the House of Habsburg, that not even a
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February 25, 2013 in
Africa Expat
These are exciting times for Akagera National Park, the only protected savannah habitat in Rwanda, a country best known to tourists as the world’s premier destination for tracking mountain gorillas. Situated in the relatively hot and low-lying west of this otherwise mountainous country, Akagera is bounded by the meandering Kagera River, which feeds a vast
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February 7, 2013 in
Africa Expat
Nestled in the volcanic highlands that separate Tanzania’s northern Rift Valley from the horizonless plains of the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater is a true natural wonder. Scenically, the crater is magnificent: a vast expanse of fertile savannah enclosed by a perfect circle of cliffs rising 600m to the lushly forested rim, and dipping to the
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February 7, 2013 in
Africa Expat
Physically, Gorée lies a mere 4km from the Senegalese capital of Dakar, a ferry ride that lasts less than 20 minutes. In mood, however, the gulf between the sleepy offshore island and the Dakarois skyscrapers from which it is clearly visible might be measured in centuries rather than minutes. Dakar is the archetypal modern
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January 17, 2013 in
Africa Expat
The closest Rift Valley lake to Nairobi, Naivasha is an ideal destination for a short break outside the Kenyan capital, as well as being a great first staging post for more extended safaris to the likes of the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve. The near-circular freshwater lake is itself very beautiful, fringed by spectral fever
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January 14, 2013 in
Africa Expat
Officially, Somaliland does not exist. The state goes unrecognised by the United Nations, despite having functioned as a largely stable and peaceful self-governing democracy since secession from war-torn Somalia back in May 1991. And its sovereignty remains unacknowledged by the African Union, even though it is not truly a breakaway state, but a recreation of 