Africa

What You Need to Know Before Climbing Kilimanjaro

Second only to Antarctica, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro ate up a big chunk of my overall trip budget. At around $2,000+ USD for a seven-day climb, another $300 for gratuities and a further $100 for the Tanzanian visa, it’s not a cheap trip by any means.

When you compare your $300+ daily spending with what you actually get in return – squat potties, tents, and endless (and I do mean endless) walking – it’s hard to justify throwing away such a large chunk of money without having a good reason to back it up.

Did I have that good reason? No. I climbed a mountain simply to say I had climbed a mountain. I’m that person. But I did persevere and make it back to tell you all the need to know about this climb, so there is some sort of minor accomplishment in that at least.

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Maropeng – The Cradle of Humankind in South Africa

Whenever I ask people what they did in South Africa, the typical answer is they went on a safari, shark cage diving, and visited Table Mountain in Cape Town. I’ve heard of other places as well, but the one place I rarely hear people talk about is The Cradle of Humankind.

I stumbled upon this place while researching online on what to do in South Africa. It turns out that the Cradle of Humankind is a UNESCO world heritage site where fossils of the earliest ancestors of humans originated.

Upon arriving at the Cradle of Humankind, also called Maropeng by locals, my inner nerd took over as a dome shaped building covered with grass came into sight. I then eagerly went to the ticketing booth, ready to purchase my ticket when the staff asked me if I also wanted to go to Sterkfontein.

“What’s Sterkfontein?” I asked with a confused look on my face.

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Victoria Falls – The Waterfall in Africa that Ran Out of Water

Victoria Falls is one of the most iconic waterfalls in the world. I was definitely excited to see it, and thought it would be one of the highlights of my trip to the Southern African region.

Upon arriving in Livingstone, Zambia, I checked into Jollyboys Backpackers, and immediately got a taxi to take Karen and myself to Victoria Falls.

After paying for entrance fee, I was overcome with excitement, as we walked along the path leading to the famous falls.

But I soon realized I came during the wrong season. As I stared into the tiny trickle of water dripping down the canyons, I was so disappointed and shocked to find that Victoria Falls was completely dry!

Talk about an anti-climatic turn of events.

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7 Items You Need to Bring Before Going to Zambia

Zambia is a beautiful country, and one of the safer ones in the Southern African region. Widely popular for being the location of Victoria Falls, this country definitely gets its fair share of tourists each year.

My plan was to see Victoria Falls, then cross over to Botswana to see Chobe National Park when I arrived in Zambia. However, I wish I did more research, or even wished there was more information online because there were a few things I wish I had brought before coming here.
These items would have made my stay more comfortable:

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