Wild at Heart: Backpacking Southern Africa

A three month odyssey gallivanting through ten countries of Southern Africa, living out childhood dreams, enriching my soul and expanding my waistband, sadly came to an end. In June, Angola greeted me with diverse natural landscapes, from the dramatic Tundavala Gap and Calandula Falls to the unique Black Rocks of Pungo-a-Ndongo and the coastal beauty of its long shoreline. The towns offered a mix of faded Portuguese colonial architecture, providing a glimpse into the past. Days often started with pastel de nata and an espresso, lunch and dinner a choice of traditional Angolan, African or bountiful fresh seafood. Namibia was a land of laser straight roads, where the Namib, Earth's eldest desert, stretches beneath endless skies to meet the seas. The fiery red dunes of Sossusvlei rise like towering waves, while skeletal acacia trees struck poses against a white clay pan; the haunting beauty of Deadvlei. The stark beauty of treacherous Skeleton Coast, where the desert meets the Atlantic, is marked by shipwrecks: an untamed wonder. In Etosha National Park, wildlife roams free, and echoes of a rich Germanic past linger in the charming, timeworn settlements of Lüderitz, Swakopmund and mining ghost towns. Camping became my lifestyle: me, a tent, and a diet fueled by biltong, braais, and if you were game, steaks of zebra, impala, and giraffe. Botswana's Okavango Delta, a vast, intricate system of islands, lagoons, and waterways situated deep within the sandy Kalahari Desert offered zen tranquillity when gently gliding through its endless arteries aboard a traditional mokoro dugout canoe. Victoria Falls quickly waterboarded my peace with its thunderous roar. Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders), it is the world's largest curtain of falling water, located on the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, creating immense spray and rainbows visible for miles. Lake Malawi, this vast, clear freshwater lake is central to Malawi, offering beaches, and a unique ecosystem with more species of fish than all of Europe and North America combined. It tempted me with Cℎambo and Kampango, fish so fresh I half-expected them to leap onto my plate and shake my hand. Mount Mulanje, Malawi's highest peak, brooded over verdant tea plantations whilst the Zomba Plateau, a cool, misty highland, featuring waterfalls and offering breathtaking views. Liwonde National Park was a prime spot for wildlife viewing along the Shire River: an unforgettable experience being awoken by a lion’s roar from under the tent. Malawi is justifiably known as for its friendly and welcoming population, adding to the country's charm. Mozambique was infinite, unpopulated golden beaches, and seafood heaven: the only place where I could work up an appetite by diving with sharks – tiger, bull, dusky and silvertips added to my body count - then immediately undo my calorie deficit with platters of fish caught mere minutes before. Swaziland gave me the daily spectacle of rhinos living their best life, snacking on grass while I tucked into impala stew. Empathies to the impala, but my stomach was grateful. And, with a sense of triumph, I clinked a glass at Africa’s highest pub to celebrate my UN100 country, precariously perched in Lesotho at the end of the serpentine Sani Pass. Durban acted as a fulcrum between these two land-locked countries whilst energising me Bunny Cℎow, a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry, and cheap good wine! I did my best to capture highlights of my journey in brief travelogs, one or more posted for each place that I visited. Hopefully they depicted the essence of the trip, the travelling, the history, observations, experiences and of course the food.