I had no idea what to expect from Malawi. It was just a last minute route change driving south from Tanzania that took us there. So, we decided to find the local beer first. We stopped at a roadside bottle shop. The guy behind the counter dressed rather like a cool dude; he wore sunglasses … More Our experiences road tripping through Malawi
This was not your average safari. We picked up hitchhikers. We got lost at night. A man with a machine gun rode in the passenger’s seat for a while. The car was infested with disease-carrying flies. We visited an African village, meeting locals.
The more we drove long distances through Africa, the more we realised that the journey is not about the destination, but the road you take. As we approached Dar Es Salaam from the west, somewhere in the Tanzanian heartland between Mbeya and Mikumi, we found the most spectacular mountain pass.
What are the roads like in Zambia? The short answer – shocking. The potholes are out of this world. They come in all shapes and sizes – miniature, jagged edged pockmarks that look like the lunar surface; road-width trenches that sneak up on you; corrugated fill-in jobs. Journeys in Zambia often take twice as long … More Zambia’s insane potholes: a survival guide
Stop! Elephants! We missed them at first, and drove straight past. Then we saw the herd in the rear-view mirror. A handful were eating by the side of the highway. Another car pulled up and told us to go back the way we came; and sure enough, a few hundred metres away was the rest of the herd, at least … More Driving on a highway with a herd of elephants
Southern Namibia was so vast and empty, it felt like we were driving across the moon. The arrow-straight gravel highway was so long, and so straight, it touched the horizon with a pinprick. The vast pastel sky seemed to be about a hundred times larger than usual. We felt extra excited now; Cape Town was well behind us, and … More Camping in the deserts of Namibia
Everything was dark when we got up in Cape Town. The cloudy night sky was smudged with black ink. Our car was waiting in the driveway, packed and ready to go. It had been raining last night, and the clean white paint was beaded with glistening droplets of water.
I did a road trip through 7 African countries by 4×4, with two travel buddies. It was an epic adventure – after more than five weeks on the road, we’d camped in lion territory, fixed flat tyres and run out of fuel, forded rushing rivers, and drove over sand dunes. And it required a lot … More Preparing for a road trip in Africa
Anyone who visits Mandalay will surely notice the customised Jeeps driving everywhere. They’re quirky, they’re colourful, they’re customised, and they give the Mandalay a great sense of character. But it seems a bit out of place! Usually cars in South-East Asian cities are Japanese brands, not American army vehicles. And what’s even more interesting is … More Why are there so many Jeeps in Mandalay?
I’d never hitch hiked before (or since). But for some reason, in Costa Rica, I felt emboldened to try it not once, but three times to get from place to place. Here are my stories of hopping into the cars of complete strangers. It might be the big rental car scene that tourists subscribe to; … More Hitchhiking in Costa Rica made easy
StickyMangoRice 