12 Days In Algeria – A Practical Guide. There is not much practical tourist information on Algeria. In this overview, I provide the basics you need to know.

Plan your visit with a complete guide to Madagascar. Best time to visit, how to get there, where to stay, and what to do in Madagascar.

Find out what is Cape Town known for! A look at things Cape Town is known and famous for including food, culture, and landmarks.

Read these essential South Africa travel tips from someone who has lived in South Africa not just visited for 2 weeks! Find out!

Everything you need to know about safety while traveling in Zambia. Know how to prepare so that your trip will be worry free and fun!

Wondering what are the best things to do in Knysna? Here are the most amazing activities to do in town. #7 is such a life....

Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. If it’s not on your bucket list, it should be! Here's a guide to Mt Kilimanjaro Trek.

Planning a trip to Africa? Here are the must-know Africa travel tips for first-time visitors including all the do's and don'ts to know before you go.

The complete Namibia packing list guide so you're prepared for anything and everything you may encounter along your African adventure.

Find out what is Cape Town known for! A look at things Cape Town is known and famous for including food, culture, and landmarks.

Planning to go on a safari? Don't travel without packing these items - printable included!

The Panorama Route in South Africa is the most scenic road trip in the country. Here's my 2-day itinerary & everything else you need to know!

Stellenbosch is famous for its many fantastic wineries, but there actually are many more things to do in Stellenbosch other than wine tasting. Most travelers visit Stellenbosch on day trips from Cape Town; a few others

When planning a Serengeti safari, there's a dizzying array of Serengeti accommodation options. We've compiled the ultimate guide to the tented camps and lodges of the Serengeti to help make planning your dream safari easier.

With many trips to Morocco stamped in my passport, I have crafted the ultimate Morocco shopping guide to help you decide what to buy in Morocco

This epic 2 week South Africa itinerary will guide you step by step to see some of the best sights in South Africa with some hidden gems thrown in too!

Travel to Treasure Island Madagascar and fall in love with its unique flora and fauna, like massive Baobabs, dancing Lemurs, and colorful chameleons.

This two-week South Africa itinerary can show you some of the best of the country, from wine regions to urban life, from safari to city, and from the sparkling Indian Ocean to the deserts of the Karoo. Here is how to spend two weeks traveling South Africa.

Looking for what to do in Mozambique? Check out my 10-day Mozambique travel itinerary and start planning your own trip right now.

There are loads of amazing restaurants, cafes and food markets in Cape Town. This handy list will help you decide where to eat to suit your budget and taste

I took a local tour of Moshi with Josephine, a local woman who is a porter on Kilimanjaro, and found out amazing things about the city and how people live.

Thinking about backpacking South Africa solo? Here's a complete guide on how to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town and all the epic spots in between!

Franschhoek isn’t only about good food and good wine, they also offer enjoyable activities. So here are ten of the many things to do in Franschhoek.

Luderitz, Namibia. If there is a place you shouldn't miss on your trip to Southern Africa, this is it. Between the Namib Desert and the South Atlantic coast (by far the most inhospitable one in

If you think of the words “luxury Morocco experiences” and “expensive” are synonymous, then think again! Morocco is the perfect place for affordable luxury travel lovers like myself. I visited…

Visiting Plett, South Africa? Here are the best things to do in Plettenberg Bay, plus tips to help plan the perfect Plettenberg Bay itinerary.

Ever dream of an amazing safari to discover the traditions of the nomadic tribes of Africa? The Masai Mara, home of the Maasai Tribe is the perfect place to start!

Throughout history, humans have used the land to plant crops, chiseled it away at it to make homes and extracted its resources to fill their greatest desires. By using Earth’s resources to construct man-made realities, they have achieved great feats of engineering and controlled empires that expand the borders of many modern nations. It is these great feats and architectural masterpieces that have left many tourists awestruck and intrigued by the incredible craftsmanship and ingenuity of their forefathers. And it is sites like these that tourists flock to year after year when designing their perfect vacation. Yet, Namibia’s Damaraland is a different type of destination. Namibia is a place that may lack some of the amenities and historical relics that have put other countries on the tourist trail, but it is striking nonetheless–striking precisely because of its desolation, isolation and nothingness. It is dusty, it is sandy, it is empty. Yet, from this alien landscape, arises a feeling of immensity that is often overwhelming. These bleak landscapes evoke a sense of beauty and inspiration. What is most awe-inspiring about Namibia is its consuming vastness. And nowhere is this more apparent than Damaraland. The Herero of Damaraland The Herero are one of the eleven main ethnic groups that form part of Namibia’s colorful cultural ensemble. The Herero migrated into what is now Namibia’s Kaokoveld, from areas in Central and Eastern Africa. In the 1800’s, the group splintered. The Herero settled in Damaraland and became pastoralists and farmers. Their offshoot—the Himba—clustered around the Kunene region in the country’s northwest and have maintained a largely nomadic lifestyle. The traditional Herero garb is a fusion of traditional and European styles. The Herero style is heavily influenced by Victorian-era German missionaries and consists of layers upon layers of petticoats, voluminous skirts and shawls. However, the most distinct feature of Herero attire is undoubtedly the headdress–a horn-shaped hat that symbolizes the importance of cattle in Herero culture. Namibia’s Herero history is a tragic one. In 1907, the Herero staged a rebellion against the colonizing Germans. The rebellion backfired and resulted in the first genocide of the 20th century. The German forces squandered the Herero Rebellion and nearly extinguished the Herero ethnic group. Today, descendants of the surviving Herero number in the 200,000s, but estimates predict that if it had not been for the genocide, their population would be closer to one million–meaning they would have overtaken the Owambos as the predominant ethnic group in Namibia. Traveling to Damaraland, Namibia During the year I spent living in Namibia, I was fortunate to have visited many of the country’s top highlights. On weekends and between semesters teaching, I took every opportunity possible to visit the country’s stunning natural wonders–from Etosha National Park’s animal-studded plains, to the towering dunes of Sossusvlei. The landscapes in west-central Namibia elicit feelings of driving the empty roads of America’s wild west. We drove for miles, seemingly in the middle of nowhere and often in silence. At times, hours would pass before another car crossed our path. Throughout the drive, we would find ourselves marveling at the expanses of red rock or pointing at the outline of pastel-colored mountains in the distance. Petrified forest in Damaraland Our first stop in Damaraland was the Petrified Forest that lies to the West of Khorixas. The petrified forest sits in the heart of a dry, rugged hills of Damaraland. It contains the remains of hundreds of trees, estimated to be around 280 million years old. These trees are thought to have originated in Zambia’s Copperbelt Region. Many scientists believe that they were washed into west-central Namibia by the floods after an ice age. The moving floodwaters carried sand and mud, which covered the trees, preserving them and preventing their decay. Over time, the wood has been replaced by quartz and has resulted in trees that, aside from their physical appearance, resemble rocks in many ways. At the Petrified Forest, we were also able to see the famous Welwitchia Mirabilis–a plant species endemic to the Namib desert that is perfectly adapted to life in the arid environment. Welwitchia plants can live up to 2,000 years. Twefylfontein UNESCO World Heritage Site From the Petrified Forest, we continued onward to Twyfelfontein, Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and the highlight of our trip into Damaraland. Twyfelfontein is a site that contains one of the largest conglomerations of petroglyphs in Africa. The artists of the engravings are widely believed to be the ancestors of the San hunter-gatherers that have inhabited the region for thousands of years. The engravings are estimated to be around 2,500 years old and depict many of the animal species that were found in the region, including elephants, giraffes, rhinos and lions. In total, the number of engravings exceeds 2,000. Some of the pictorial illustrations are of animals found in other areas, such as seals and penguins. This reveals that the inhabitants of the Twyfelfontein area likely had contact with the coastal region of the country, more than 100km away. The area of the Huab Valley near Twyfelfontein was sacred to the early inhabitants of the area and held ritualistic significance. Many of the engravings, including the “lion man” portray the transformation between man and animal. Spitzkoppe Mountain Spitzkoppe is a highlight of traveling to Damaraland and a place that I regrettably skipped during my year of traveling and volunteering in Namibia. The 1728 meter rocky massif rises above the dusty plains of southern Damaraland and has become a symbol of the region and of Namibia as a whole. Next time I travel to Namibia, visiting the Spitzkoppe will be my top priority. Why Travel to Namibia’s Damaraland? While Damaraland certainly has beautiful tourist highlights, much of the region’s appeal lies in its empty spaces–spaces that are vast, endless and ever-changing in their geological characteristics and color schemes. They are spaces where barren lands are home to a resilient and resourceful population that is struggling to survive in one of the world’s harshest environments. As with all living organisms in the region, the people of the Namib Desert have adapted to survive in this uncompromising part of the world. They have learned to work the land, to reap its fruits and to find their basic needs for survival in a place that most humans would deem unfit for habitation. There are some environments that allow themselves to be transformed and still others so uncompromising that they have yet to be controlled. Instead, they transform the ways of life of those who live there and give them the strength and resilience to forge a life against all odds. In many ways, Damaraland defines Namibia as a whole. Few places in Namibia—save perhaps the Skeleton Coast and the Kunene Region—offer a better window into the harsh realities of life in one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. Damaraland is vast. It is uncompromising. It is challenging. And it is starkly beautiful. For these reasons, the region should be a top priority when traveling to Namibia. ________________________________________ Was this Guide to Damaraland Namibia Helpful? Pin it!

This two-week South Africa itinerary can show you some of the best of the country, from wine regions to urban life, from safari to city, and from the sparkling Indian Ocean to the deserts of the Karoo. Here is how to spend two weeks traveling South Africa.

Breathtaking Places To Visit | Tour Guide, travel tips, tourist attractions in Senegal

A guide to the best restaurants in Knysna, a beautiful sea side town that is one of the key stops on the iconic Garden Route road trip in South Africa.

A great itinerary for 2-3 weeks traveling through South Africa on a road trip, with all the highlights and some unexpected gems.

Here’s your Insider Guide to the 10 Best Restaurants in Franschhoek, South Africa! Dine out like a local with our secret tips!

This Victoria Falls itinerary is a fun one I promise you that! Whether you have two weeks or three days, it's a guaranteed good time!

Do I need a Kenya visa for my upcoming trip? Find out if you need a Kenya visa and how to apply for a Kenya visa.

Is traveling solo to South Africa safe? Explore Cape Town and Johannesburg, learn safety tips, and discover the best experiences for solo travelers.

Morocco is such a fascinating country, with a rich and vibrant culture, delicious food and stunning landscape. With its mix of North African, European, and

A 1-week itinerary for your next travel in Morocco, from Marrakesh to Fez, Agafay desert, Ait-Ben-Haddou, Chefchaouen, and other spots to consider.

Here’s your Insider Guide to the 10 Best Restaurants in Franschhoek, South Africa! Dine out like a local with our secret tips!

Cape Town is one my favourite cities in the world! If you're planning a trip to Cape Town in October, you won't be disappointed & here's why.

Faial is among the smaller Azores islands, with neighbouring Pico being more than twice its size and São Miguel being four times larger. However, Faial has

Looking for an amazing destination filled with fun and new adventures? Then look no further! A trip to Cape Town South Africa, also known as the Mother City, is guaranteed to leave you with happy memories that will last for a long time. Cape Town is remarkably different to other parts of Africa, it's a

Everything you need to plan your trip to Tuscany. From Florence to Siena - the top tourist attractions and things to do in Tuscany in one travel guide.