Page 4 of International backpacker Travel Blog Posts


Africa » Malawi » Northern » Nkhata Bay January 20th 2012

The nice description ‘Africa for beginners’ in the Lonely Planet book sounds great and of course you are expecting quite relaxed, friendly and a beautiful country, we were really looking forward to hit the road by backpack in an easy way this time. But when we finally arrived to this country and faced to extreme poverty, hassle which remained us a ‘light’ Kenya and remote capital city so we understood that our trip through Malawi won’t be so easy and it is nothing for beginners in our opinion. The situation is getting worse for every day and we are rushing though this country because you never know what it can happen in the short time of period. However we booked a bus ticket from Lusaka to Lilongwe and the boarding time was 4.30am. It was absolute ... read more
The price has increased 10 times in two days
Fishing
Unfortunately a big business

Africa » Zambia » Lusaka » Kafue January 13th 2012

We have never imagined coming so close to wildlife and being involved in it. It is pretty unreal to be woken of jumping and granting hippos, laughing hyenas or/and growling lions few meters away from our tiny tent. It happens that you sometimes don’t get any privacy in the bathroom since an old male elephant is putting curiously his long trunk through the small bathroom’s window and you’ll be happy that you are sitting on the toilet at this moment, and you’ll be stuck there for a while. But you understand that it is best decision to give the way to Mr. Elephant because he doesn’t think twice of doing the same for you. It is then you realized that you are quite vulnerable and helpless in this environment. A true wildlife experience is when you ... read more
Africa sunset
The camp's pet
Skima dragon fly

Africa » Zambia » Livingstone January 7th 2012

Victoria Falls have been one of all things on our travel list that we always wanted to see since it is one of the most amazing nature wonders in the world. Of course we couldn’t resist jumping into the fabulous falls either and it has been a lifetime experience for sure. Even better we could enjoy the last days and celebrating New Years with the view towards night Victoria Falls with our dear friends. Livingstone is the closest town to Victoria Falls from the Zambian side and there wouldn’t be a big deal to do there if not Victoria Falls faced the town. Many tourists are passing Livingstone and staying for few days. It has been quite busy since New Year was few days away and of course the place gets its own charm this time ... read more
Powerful falls
New experiences every day
Touch and learn

Africa » Zambia » Lusaka » Kafue January 5th 2012

Breaking down whilst on a self drive safari is something that nightmares are made of. Even more so when there is no phone reception and 8km from the closest road where help may pass by. This is how the second afternoon on our safari through Kafue National Park panned out and turned out to be one of the most nervous but at the same time funniest (at the beginning of break down) trips we have had. Hiring a car and doing a self drive is something we have been looking forward to with our friends visiting for two weeks. All excited, organized and ready to go and thinking nothing can go wrong on this safari but things started to go bad from the point of our hire car turning up in the morning with a missing ... read more
Fish Eagle 2
Wild Dog
Bird

Africa » Tanzania » Zanzibar » Nungwi December 31st 2011

After amazing time in Stone Town we headed to one of the nicest beaches in Zanzibar – Nungwi beach. On the way to Nungwi we passed many different villages and the locals were admiring us in the same way like we admired them. The road was quite good and calm to Nungwi compared what we are used to but actually we were expecting something different when we finally arrived to the beach resort. The car stopped on a super bad road and the surrounding invite us for a view that we didn’t expect for a resort area – many sheds which hasn’t be renovated for many years and still under constructor, the grass was uncut and the chickens walked around our tiny huts. But in the grass hats were quite clean and comfortable compare what we ... read more
Got a catch
The locals
Time is money

Africa » Tanzania » Zanzibar » Zanzibar City December 29th 2011

Stone Town is one of the most amazing places and we couldn’t get enough of it. The old town takes you back in history at least a few hundred years. Nothing has changed since it is now a world heritage site and for good reason. Stone Town is the heart of Zanzibar and is surrounded by the clear blue/green sea, narrow streets, high buildings and multicultural people which gives it an own charm to this place. We were walking through a maze to find the right exit and every wrong turn is leading to something fantastic – awesome spices paradise, colorful cloths’ shop, tasty restaurants, an interesting and crowded night food market and absolutely amazing view towards the crystal clear sea. Of course it is quite touristic and especially around Christmas but it is possible to ... read more
Zanzibar sunset
Relaxing from the sun
Spice paradise

Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha December 16th 2011

Entering Arusha’s central bus station it is chaotic and stressful experience. Two white heads sticking out in the local transportation from Babati. We noticed that taxi drivers, bus ticket sellers, safari guides were running after our bus when they got a sight of us and before we got off the bus we heard all kind of services we could get in this town and whole Tanzania. Everyone was like bees around a honey pot and we are quite used that in the hectic touristic areas (in this case Arusha) Africans see a white person like a dollar sign. Actually our poor Swahili skills helped to get rid of all kind of sellers since they are not used that a “mzungu” (white-faced) speaks their language. In general all tourists are sitting in a safe safari car and ... read more
Little sunshine
Natural spring
A hedgehog

Africa » Tanzania » North » Babati December 11th 2011

Don’t you just love those amazing places not in the Lonely Planet or on the Internet. A place where you can easily spend a week, not mentioned in the Lonely Planet book and not another tourist in sight. Do these places exist in tourist mekka Tanzania? Well we ended up in just the place and it is as spectacular and surrounded in history as many of the famous landmarks. This place is called Dareda, not Babati as it mentions up the top, and it is off the beaten track but well worth the visit. Arriving here in the town we were surrounded on one side a rising cliff face, the other flattens out to be a platue and on the other are the typical savanna landscape reaching as far as the eye can see. For us, ... read more
Stone art
The desert
Daily life

Africa » Tanzania » Centre » Dodoma December 8th 2011

Dodoma, well not a great say about this place, quite, relaxed and a place to go if your hoping to get away from haste ling tourist touts. Dodoma is a small town in the geographic center of Tanzania and is the biggest for the area. It is the official capital of Tanzania, although Dar es Salaam remains the economic and political centre of the country. Many tourists are getting confused when they get to know that Dodoma is a capital city since Dar es Salaam is the biggest city in the country. It is a calm and harmonic town surrounded by rural areas and amazing landscapes. There are massive stones standing on each other, and you can wonder how come?! This town is in middle of nowhere in dry deserts and it is explains why Dodoma ... read more
Train market
Peekaboo
Christmas trees

Africa » Tanzania » West » Kigoma December 2nd 2011

Western Tanzania is a very vast unpopulated place and getting anywhere is in terms of days. It is really of the beaten track and it is easy to see why, transport here is scarce and the sights are a long way apart. It is a place to go if you have time to spare and can be stuck for a few days in one town or along the road if it rains. The main reason for us heading here was to visit Lake Tanganyika which is the longest and second deepest lake in the world but we did not realize that arriving there would be such a challenge. Leaving Rwanda you can soon see the differences in the efficiently of the transport. No busses or dalla dalls’s (minibuses which is the common local transportation) scheduled in ... read more
The lonnng train
Sunset
Train view




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