Tanzania: Kilimanjaro, safaris and paradise in Zanzibar
Tanzania was the grand finale of my 5 week long summer in East Africa. I can honestly say this is a country that has it 'all' in terms of varied landscapes, cultures and adventure activities. I took a seven hour bus ride from Nairobi in Kenya, across rolling and arid savanna to Arusha. Tanzania is not without turbulent beginnings when it gained independence in the 1960s. The first leader, Julius Nyerere managed to form the country by merging the land of Tanganyika and the Isl
Rwanda: Mountain Gorillas in the Land of a Thousand Hills
Without doubt, if you are visiting East Africa, don't miss Rwanda! I say this in respect of two reasons, firstly you have the opportunity to visit one of most amazing endangered species on the planet, the Mountain Gorilla. Secondly you get to learn about one of the most tragic instances of human attrocity ever, the genocide of 1994. My decision to visit Rwanda became something of a major ambition, more so than ever after watching the travel series The Long Way Down, starring
Uganda: Rafting down the River Nile
I entered Uganda on week two of an amazing overland trip across East Africa. I reflected upon Kenya which had been so much more varied than I had imagined it would be (see my previous blog!) I knew a little about Uganda on entry, for instance it was another former colony of the UK and that Winston Churchill had nicknamed it 'The Pearl of Africa'. I was well aware of the torrid post-Colonial past too, that of the crazy dictator, Idi Amin back in the 1970s. If you haven't seen
Kenya : So much more than just a safari destination!
When people mention the country name 'Kenya', admittedly most think of 'safaris', but when I visited in 2011, I soon discovered Kenya had so much more to it than that. I had been to Africa only a couple of times before, but I had always wanted to sample Kenya. It is still the jewel in the crown as far as many travellers are concerned. I booked a 16 day overland trip into East Africa, taking in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. My starting point was the capital Nairobi, a city of over
