Cape Town to Tanzania (JNomade)

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Jan 14, 2016 — Tanzania 3

Here is my last post for this trip. The trip is completed and I sold the vehicle, the fridge, and all the stuff I cumulated for a number of years.I take...

Amboseli National Park

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Oct 20, 2015 — Kenya

I really wanted to visit this park before leaving Africa. The park is famous and you probably already saw a picture of it. Indeed, the iconic photo of...

Gombe Stream National Park

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Oct 17, 2015 — Tanzania 2

This park is the smallest of Tanzania with only 52 km². However, it is an important one since it shelters a small population of chimpanzees.It...

Katavi National Park

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Oct 13, 2015 — Tanzania 2

I wasn't sure about visiting this park since tsetse flies have a reputation for being nasty. In the end, I spent a whole day there. Wow, it is a very...

Lake Tanganyika

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Oct 11, 2015 — Tanzania 2

Lake Tanganyika is the second-biggest freshwater lake in the world (in volume). It is also the second deepest in the world.The lake extends for 676 km...

Chongoni Rock Art

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Oct 6, 2015 — Malawi

Chongoni, near the town of Dedza, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area shelters 127 rock art sites dating from at least 2,000 years. Of these 127...

Mulanje Massif

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Oct 1, 2015 — Malawi

The Mulanje Massif is a huge granite inselberg rising by an average of 2,000 metres above the plains. The characteristic of the massif is its isolation...

Majete Game Reserve

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Sep 30, 2015 — Malawi

This reserve is a peculiar place. Several species have been reintroduced after going extinct due to poaching. Species (such as the nyala) never existed...

Lengwe National Park

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Sep 29, 2015 — Malawi

Lengwe is a small park that greatly suffered from poaching in the past. Nowadays, several animals are still victims of snares installed by farmers and...

On the road

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Sep 28, 2015 — Malawi

For the last few years, the value of the kwacha has been going down on the financial markets. In 2010, $US 1 was worth about 150 kwachas. In September...

Zomba Plateau

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Sep 26, 2015 — Malawi

The Zomba Plateau is a small rocky mountain of about 130 km². Altitudes can reach up to 2,087 metres with cliffs of 1,200 metres. Unfortunately...

Liwonde National Park

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Sep 24, 2015 — Malawi

It is in this park where animals are the easier to observe in Malawi. I was surprised to observe around a hundred elephants.Of all the game parks and...

Mua Mission

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Sep 20, 2015 — Malawi

The Mua Mission is a fascinating site for three reasons. The mission by itself has a superb church and a hospital. In addition, the KuNgoni Art Centre...

Nyika National Park

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Sep 12, 2015 — Malawi

This large park, located at an average altitude of 2000 metres, is known for its mountains scenery. It is also possible to see several species of antelopes.It...

Vwaza Wildlife Reserve

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Sep 11, 2015 — Malawi

The Vwaza Reserve protects the Vwaza Swamp and Lake Kazuni. Since the reserve is infested with tsetse flies, I stayed near Lake Kazuni at the entrance...

Livingstonia

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Sep 8, 2015 — Malawi

Livingstonia is perched at 700 metres above Lake Malawi. The road to get there is a series of hairpin bends so tight that the last of them is only 4 km...

On the road

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Sep 6, 2015 — Tanzania

Here are miscellaneous photos. A restaurant with a baobab in the middle...

Lions in the Selous

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Sep 2, 2015 — Tanzania

Around midday, I went to a picnic site to have a lunch. I wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me.As soon as I opened the door to get out...

Selous Game Reserve

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Sep 1, 2015 — Tanzania

The Selous is the largest reserve of Africa with 54,600 km². The reserve was once famous for its large herds of elephants. Unfortunately...

Swahili cities

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Aug 28, 2015 — Tanzania

East Africa was known by the Greeks since 400 BC. Important trading posts had been established in the region. In the early part of the first millennium...

At the border

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Aug 27, 2015 — Mozambique

To get to the border of Tanzania, the Ruvuma River must be crossed. It is possible to do so by using the Unity Bridge, which entails a detour of 700 km...

Quirimbas National Park

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Aug 21, 2015 — Mozambique

The Quirimbas National Park is a group of 32 islands. The easiest one to visit is called Ibo Island. It's the only island with infrastructure for low-budget...

On the road #2

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Aug 20, 2015 — Mozambique

In Mozambique, there are many kilometres on flat land with few interesting scenery. From time to time, there are little rocky hills sprouting from the...

Niassa Game Reserve

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Aug 17, 2015 — Mozambique

The Niassa Reserve is located in northern Mozambique. It is a vast territory split in a dozen concessions; some are for hunting, others for research...

Lake Niassa

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Aug 14, 2015 — Mozambique

Lake Niassa, also called Lake Malawi, is very well known to travellers on the Malawian side. However, the section of the lake located in Mozambique is...

Mossuril Bay

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Aug 11, 2015 — Mozambique

The Mossuril Bay is located on the continent in front of Mozambique Island. It also has some relics from the Arabs and Portuguese era. Church built in...

Ilha de Moçambique

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Aug 8, 2015 — Mozambique

Mozambique Island is a World heritage site as selected by UNESCO. It's a small island with 3 km in length and 500 metres in width. This island has a history...

Gurué

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Aug 2, 2015 — Mozambique

Gurué is a picturesque town surrounded by tea plantations and mountains. People in the area are welcoming and smiling. I spent almost a week there, waiting...

Tonight, I am sleeping at the police station

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Jul 29, 2015 — Mozambique

I wanted to sleep on the side of the road like I did so many times, but local people were afraid that I was a thief… Around twenty people, with a police...

On the road #1

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Jul 28, 2015 — Mozambique

After spending a night at this luxury hotel, I was telling people that I spent a night in a 5-star lodge directly on the ocean... and all this was free.Here...

Vilankulo and Archipélago de Bazaruto

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Jul 25, 2015 — Mozambique

The Bazaruto Archipelago is a group of paradisiacal islands with white sand and superb clear and turquoise water. These islands are part of a protected...

Diving in Tofo

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Jul 14, 2015 — Mozambique

I did several dives in Tofo and I decided to rent a camera and try underwater photography. The visibility wasn't very good for photos and the equipment...

Tofo and around

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Jul 10, 2015 — Mozambique

Ah, here is the famous village of Tofo, known to backpackers for its vibe, beaches, parties, and scuba diving. In season, it is possible to see humpback...

Ponta do Ouro to Maputo

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Jul 6, 2015 — Mozambique

Ponta do Ouro is located at the southernmost point of Mozambique. I was told to go there mainly for excellent diving. It is a nice area with pretty beaches...

Hlane Royal National Park

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Jun 30, 2015 — Swaziland

Here is a weird park. It is not very big and is surrounded by a fence. Inside, it seems as if there are three sections each separated by a fence. In one...

Mantenga Nature Reserve

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Jun 27, 2015 — Swaziland

This tiny reserve is a good place to experience the Swazi culture. Indeed, the cultural village is far more interesting than the nature itself.The village...

A small country

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Jun 24, 2015 — Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the smallest countries of Africa and is ruled by King Mswati III. The latter is one of three remaining monarchs...

Kruger National Park

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Jun 16, 2015 — South Africa 3

Kruger Park is one of the most famous game parks of Africa like other parks such as Serengeti. Before my very first journeys in Africa, I dreamt of exploring...

Drakensberg Escarpment

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Jun 13, 2015 — South Africa 3

The Drakensberg Escarpment marks the point where the highveld plunges down over 1000 metres to the lowveld. It is a very picturesque area with a myriad...

Pilgrim's Rest

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Jun 12, 2015 — South Africa 3

Pilgrim's Rest is a small village established when gold was discovered in 1873. For 10 years, diggers worked on small-scale alluvial claims. In the 1880s...

Elephant Coast - Mkhuze Game Reserve

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Jun 6, 2015 — South Africa 3

All right, more animals again! Yes, but what a show!Since I had been successful in the last park, I installed myself in a hide and I waited all day for...

Elephant Coast - iSimangalizo Wetland Park

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Jun 3, 2015 — South Africa 3

This long coastline of 280 kilometres stretches from the border with Mozambique, near Kosi Bay, to the town of St Lucia. All this area is nicknamed the...

Elephant Coast - Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

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Jun 1, 2015 — South Africa 3

Despite the number of parks and animals I have seen in the past months, the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park was an impressive experience. As in any parks, it is...

Durban

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May 31, 2015 — South Africa 3

I don't write posts on cities very often since most of the time I think they are boring and ugly. Cape Town is a notable exception and, to a lesser degree...

Wild Coast

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May 28, 2015 — South Africa 3

The Wild Coast stretches for nearly 350 kilometres from East London to Port St Johns. Contrary to many other places in South Africa, this area is not...

Garden Route

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May 23, 2015 — South Africa 3

This reserve protects a 4 km peninsula with a rugged coastline of cliffs and rocks.There is a superb trek on a circular trail around the peninsula. Landscapes...

Graaff-Reinet, Nieu Bethesda, and Barberton

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May 20, 2015 — South Africa 3

This town is nicknamed the 'Jewel of Karoo'. It is the fourth oldest colonial town of South Africa and has a nice architectural heritage. This house is...

Karoo Parks

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May 18, 2015 — South Africa 3

The Karoo region is a vast plateau with a semi-arid climate. This ecosystem covers about one third of the area of South Africa. There are some nice parks...

Tsitsikammma National Park

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May 8, 2015 — South Africa 3

In this park, I did a superb hike of 5 days and 4 nights with Anik, whom I have been travelling with for the past few days. Normally, the hike is limited...

Addo Elephant National Park

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May 7, 2015 — South Africa 3

In a park that has the word elephant in its title, one would expect to see many of them, but it's not necessarily the case. In guidebooks, it is mentioned...

Wild Coast - Bulungula

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May 4, 2015 — South Africa 3

Bulungula is a small and remote village on the Wild Coast accessible by a bumpy gravel road that is annoying to drive. Once at the destination, we were...

Malealea

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May 1, 2015 — Lesotho

Malealea is another pretty village of Lesotho where several activities are possible. There, I did a nice trek in a magnificent gorge.I did the trek with...

Semonkong

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Apr 29, 2015 — Lesotho

Semonkong (Place of Smoke) is a small mountain village where horses are all around. Most villagers get about using this animal and it gives the impression...

Dams in Lesotho

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Apr 25, 2015 — Lesotho

A huge hydroelectric project is currently going on in Lesotho. It has started some 10-15 years ago and should go on for another 10 years. The project...

Ts'Ehlanyane National Park

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Apr 22, 2015 — Lesotho

It is the only park I have visited in Lesotho. There, I have done a nice trek of about 15 km through nice scenery. Lesotho's climate is quite unpredictable;...

Landscapes of Lesotho

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Apr 21, 2015 — Lesotho

Most of the time, people travel from point A to point B to visit the nicest sites of a country. The road is sometimes boring, but sometimes it can be...

Sani Pass

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Apr 20, 2015 — Lesotho

The previous post was about Sani Pass. It described the drive up from South Africa to the Kingdom of Lesotho. Now I have reached the small border post...

Drakensberg - Sani Pass

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Apr 15, 2015 — South Africa 2

The Sani Pass is a link between the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho. It's a spectacular ride around hairpin bends...

Mountains of the dragon - Drakensberg

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Apr 12, 2015 — South Africa 2

The Drakensberg forms the border between South Africa and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. This vast region got the World Heritage status in 2000. At...

Golden Gate Highlands National Park

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Apr 10, 2015 — South Africa 2

The Golden Gate Highlands National Park is a small park protecting part of the Maloti Mountains. It is located north of the Drakensberg Mountains near...

Kimberley - The Big Hole

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Apr 6, 2015 — South Africa 2

Kimberley was a very important mining town at the end of the 1800. In the ancient volcano, named the Big Hole, diamonds were discovered.Nowadays, the...

Pilanesburg & Mokala National Parks

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Apr 3, 2015 — South Africa 2

After a few days in town visiting museums, nothing is better than a going back in an African park. It is still a lot of fun and it allowed me to test...

Johannesburg - Soweto - Pretoria

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Mar 28, 2015 — South Africa 2

Johannesburg has the reputation of a dangerous city where crimes are very frequent. As Nairobi in Kenya, the list of crimes is impressive: home thefts...

From Livingstone in Zambia, I head toward Lusaka, and then I drive through Zimbabwe in two days. Finally, I drive to Johannesburg in South Africa where I store the vehicle. I take a break for 6 months in Quebec.

Home Sweet Home for a while

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Nov 1, 2014 — Quebec

I am back home... After 13 months living in my small van and driving in African territory, I was in need of some vacations. You are going to tell me that...

Victoria Falls in September

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Sep 14, 2014 — Zambia

When I came back to Livingstone near the Victoria Falls, I decided to see the waterfalls in the dry season. I wanted to see the difference with the rainy...

Victoria Falls

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Sep 4, 2014 — Zimbabwe

I am back to the Victoria Falls after 6 months of travel. In February, I have visited the falls on the Zambian side. This time, I am on the Zimbabwean...

Hwange National Park

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Aug 30, 2014 — Zimbabwe

Hwange National Park is the largest park in Zimbabwe. It is known for the large quantity of animals it protects and by the considerable density of elephants...

Lake Kariba and around

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Aug 24, 2014 — Zimbabwe

Lake Kariba is the biggest artificial lake (in volume) in the world. It was created after the Kariba dam was built between 1955 and 1959 on the Zambezi...

Mana Pools National Park

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Aug 19, 2014 — Zimbabwe

This park is named Mana Pools because of its four waterholes; Mana means four in the local language. However, it is not the four pools that are the most...

Nyanga National Park

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Aug 10, 2014 — Zimbabwe

Nyanga Park is famous for its mountainous scenery, its rivers and waterfalls. It boasts the highest mountain of Zimbabwe; Mount Nyangani at 2592 metres...

Chimanimani National Park

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Aug 6, 2014 — Zimbabwe

The Chimanimani Park is a small paradise for hiking. I spent a few days visiting several locations of the park such as waterfalls. It is also possible...

Chirinda Forest

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Aug 4, 2014 — Zimbabwe

This small luxuriant forest is quite a surprise in an African country. It is a rain forest located at an altitude of about 1500 metres. The forest is...

Gonarezhou National Park

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Aug 1, 2014 — Zimbabwe

The Gonarezhou National Park is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This park covers three countries; Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa...

A country in ruins

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Jul 27, 2014 — Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a country that often gets depicted negatively. A country that suffered from civil war, a country with parks devastated by poaching, a country...

Matobo National Park

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Jul 21, 2014 — Zimbabwe

The Matobo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It consists in two areas; one is a game park and the other is a recreational park. In most parks...

Off-road driving of an old van

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Jul 15, 2014 — Various

Ha! The joy of having a vehicle on the African continent; great outdoor spaces, 4x4 trails, African animals and the freedom to go where one wants. However...

Khama Rhino Sanctuary

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Jul 9, 2014 — Botswana

The Khama Rhino Sanctuary protects about forty white rhinos and a few black rhinos. Often, in such places, it is quite difficult to see rhinoceros unless...

Nwetwe and Sua Salt Pans

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Jul 5, 2014 — Botswana

Nwetwe is part of the Makgadikgadi Pan that is made of many salt pans such as Nwetwe, Sua and Nxai. This network of salt pans was once covered by Lake...

On the road

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Jul 4, 2014 — Botswana

Sometimes, we discover a nice place where service is excellent and the place itself is very appealing. In Africa, it is sometimes difficult to get good...

Tsodilo Hills

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Jun 29, 2014 — Botswana

The Tsodilo Hills are located north-west of Botswana. If you follow my trip on the Google map, you will notice that I made a detour through Namibia. In...

Road signs

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Jun 24, 2014 — Various

At some point, I had the weird idea of taking photos of road signs that I thought were interesting. The idea took form in Ethiopia because of signs drawn...

King's feast

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Jun 19, 2014 — Botswana

In the previous post, I was writing about the reasons that keep me doing more game drives. Here is one; these lions have killed this big buffalo and have...

Chobe National Park - Chobe Riverfront

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Jun 17, 2014 — Botswana

I am now along the Chobe River parts of the Chobe National Park.Yes, I am still visiting a park and presenting you with photos of animals. I don't know...

Chobe National Park - Savuti

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Jun 15, 2014 — Botswana

The Chobe Park is divided in three main zones known as the Chobe Riverfront, the Linyanti Marshes, and Savuti. I visited two of these regions and I now...

Moremi Game Reserve

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Jun 12, 2014 — Botswana

Botswana is a fascinating country with most of it almost entirely made of two ecosystems. On one side, there is the Kalahari Desert with its sand, yellow...

Makgadikgadi National Park

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Jun 9, 2014 — Botswana

The Makgadikgadi Park is a desert area part of the great Kalahari Desert. It is a huge land of several dozens of kilometres. The main interest in this...

Kalahari Desert

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Jun 1, 2014 — Botswana

As stated in the previous post, the Kalahari Desert covers about three quarters of Botswana and there is sand everywhere; it is the largest contiguous...

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

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May 25, 2014 — South Africa

Kgalagadi Park is a wild land covered with white or red sand where thorn trees survive under a scorching sun. It is part of the Kalahari Desert that covers...

Augrabies Falls National Park

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May 21, 2014 — South Africa

Augrabies Falls are created by the Orange River flowing through 18 km long canyon with cliffs reaching 200 metres high. The canyon is the main attraction...

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