Destination of the week: Yola

For most visitors, Yola holds an immediate and enduring fascination – a truly inspiring metropolis, it also serves as the administrative capital of Adamawa state. Although one of the largest cities in North eastern Nigeria, it is not densely populated, ensuring plenty of wide-open space for exploration.

With its spectacular landscape, rugged scenery and plentiful wildlife, coupled with the unhurried nature of rural living, this State has a scenic array that encourages leisurely investigation, especially on foot .
Its rich cultural heritage aptly captured in its past history, craftsmanship, music, art, food, festivities and hospitality all add up to make Yola a rewarding experience, and a city that is ideally suited for independent travel.

With enough time, you can cover a range of activities, from hiking the Three Sisters Rock, exploring the Vimtim cave, Kiri Dam or River Gongola & River Benue Confluence, relaxing at the laidback Kela holiday Resort to getting lost at the Gumti National Park & Zoo.

Though most visitors are drawn to Yola by its landmarks and beauty, the enduring memory is likely to be of its people and their way of life. Aside from occasional hassle from unofficial tour guides, Yola is essentially wonderful place to visit.

TOP THREE SITES

Lamurde Hot Spring
A huge part of the world popular Sukur Cultural Landscape, Lamurde Hot Spring was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 and has since become one of the top tourist destinations in Nigeria.

Kiri Dam
Originally built to meet the electricity and water needs of Savannah Sugar Company at Numan, Kiri Dam is also suitable for boat fishing, racing and surfing .On the hilly side overlooking the dam are beautiful structures with modern facilities to accommodate tourist.

Three Sister Rocks
The three sister rocks in the Song Local Government Area, an iconic landmark in the area, consist of three scenic rock formations standing side by side at the same height, making beautiful scenery.

LODGING
The high season (March to May) sees hordes of visitors arrive for the festivals. The shoulder seasons (June to February) mean fewer crowds and cheaper accommodations, but a good chance of unstable weather.
Either way, there are some fabulous options, from high end resorts to homely acloves and flea-ridden beddings. Even in high season, you should be able to find something in your preferred range within the heart of the city. The budget hotels are located mostly around Numan-Yola road, while the expensive ones are located close to the American University of Nigeria and the government house.

EATING
Restaurants, diners and street stalls offer simpler dishes than more formal restaurants catering to middle-class indigenes and tourists, with proper menus and a broader range of food options.
Popular restaurants in the city include F3 meal-dessert, Restaurant damada, Top Ten restaurant, Peacock restaurant hotel and nite club, Jesse café and many more. The Local delicacies of the people in Yola include Miya Kuka served with Tuowo Masara or Tuwon Shinkafa or Tuwon Acha, Miyan Yakuwa and Miyan Zogale, while common street food are Fura de Nunu, Masa paired with suya and kuli kuli.

SHOPPING
Visitors to Yola are spoilt for choice when it comes to souvenirs: traditional crafts such as jewellery, textiles, and leatherwork all offer good value for money if you are prepared to haggle and be choosy. Many people are intimidated by haggling, but it need not be an ordeal. Just keep in mind that if you don’t reach an agreement, even after a lengthy session, nothing is lost.

The city has some boutiques, shopping complexes and mini malls for those looking to purchase clothing, fabrics and other fashion accessories, gadgets and household appliances. Some of the popular ones include FCE shopping complex, Glass house Amana shopping complex, Yakubu Shopping Plaza,

FUN FACT
The people of Yola celebrate the Njuwa Fishing Festival which holds at Lake Njuwa from the month of March through May each year.

By Adeniyi

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Nigeria: Ooni to Turn Ife to Tourist Centre

By Abdullateef Salau

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi II, has pledged to turn Ife into a new tourist haven.

He said this was necessary in the face of dwindling Nigerian economy occasioned by the fall in oil price at the international market.

Oba Adeyeye said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Carlos Trejo in Abuja.

The monarch said the visit was to discuss ways of exploring tourism potentials of Ile-Ife, to create wealth for the ancient kingdom.

He promised to facilitate collaboration between the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the Republic of Cuba to strengthen and develop domestic tourism to international standards.

The Cuban Ambassador, Carlos Trejo, in his remarks, said the link between the Cubans and the Yorubas should be exploited to entrench values in the area of tourism.

Also, the Director-General, NTDC, Dr. Sally Mbanefo, in an interview said tourism should be driven by the private sector.

Mbanefo urged government at all levels to create enabling environment for the industry to thrive by providing the requisite infrastructure.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201602221073.html

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Creative ways to talk with loved ones when travelling

 

A concern for travellers is the expensive cost of making calls especially during international travel. In spite of the efforts made by telecommunication companies to beat down prices by roaming your number, the telephone bills for travellers keeps piling.

As to providing some reprieve, we roundup cost effective ways to make calls anywhere in the world.

Skype

There has been an increase in internet penetration in Africa with as much as 70% of the Nigerian population optimizing internet services such as online telephony at a higher rate.

Skype is a cheap way to make voice and video calls as the user will either buy credit to call a number or have enough internet data to make communicate to another skype user. However, this mode of making calls is reliant on how good your internet connection is.

WhatsApp

Aside from chatting with friends and colleagues, you can now use this app to make inexpensive voice calls. Unlike skype that you cannot call an unsaved number, WhatsApp allows you to call any number of your choice as long as it is saved in your contact.

Roaming

Roaming is a network service that makes it possible for people travelling to use their phones in a foreign country. Roaming may not be an option for some travellers however, it is effective for persons who are not tech savvy or rely on their phones for business and other transactions.

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Nigeria: NSIA, IFC Collaborate to Cut U.S.$1 Billion On Medical Tourism

 

By Martins Ifijeh

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, said they are mapping out strategies to increase investments in the nation's health sector, as part of efforts towards ending the over $ 1 billion Nigerians spend on medical tourism.

Speaking at the NSIA, IFC, joint media briefing in Lagos, Chief Risk Officer and Executive Director, NSIA, Mrs. Stella Ojekwe-Onyejeli, said they are seeking to catalyze private sector investment in the healthcare space by establishing Public-Private Partnerships and innovative solutions, which is their core mandate as they are saddled with the responsibility to invest on behalf of the government.

She said NSIA has set aside $400 million for investment in the economy and could use 35 per cent, about $140 million of it on the health sector, which though small, would serve as the start-up capital, hence the need to look for co-investors like the IFC.

On his part, the IFC Country Director, Eme Essien Lore said there was need to support the private hospital sector in Nigeria so that they can deliver affordable, accessible and quality care informed the forum.

To progress in the sector, she said the country will need innovative approaches like public private partnerships (PPPs), among others to mobilise private capital for public healthcare. According to her, longer term outlook indicates that considerable opportunity exists for the private sector to play a viable role in providing affordable healthcare across the country. Lore said,

"IFC is committed to help increase affordable quality healthcare services by financing and facilitating financing for integrated networks. This will support the development of critical healthcare infrastructure and attract private capital into the sector. "We are working with NSIA to boost investment in the healthcare sector and bridge the gap in under supply of quality healthcare in Nigeria."

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South Africa set to dominate Africa Responsible Tourism Awards

Cape Town – South Africa rules the Africa Responsible Tourism Awards (ARTA), as more than two thirds of the long-listed tourist organisations, initiatives, businesses and projects for the upcoming African Responsible Tourism Awards are based in the southernmost tip of the continent.

The final awards will be announced in Cape Town as part of the Africa Travel Week, taking place from 6 -8 April 2016.

The competition awards responsible tourist initiatives that take responsibility for the environment of African destinations and the local citizens.

“We want to celebrate the shining stars of responsible tourism - the individuals, organisations and destinations working innovatively with local cultures, communities and biodiversity,” ARTA said.

“The variety of organisations which have made it through to the long list this year demonstrates just how powerful a force for good responsible tourism is becoming in Africa,” Heidi van der Watt for ARTA said.

Out of a total of 60 African institutions from 13 African countries, these are the 25 South African contenders for the African Responsible Tourism Award:

!Xaus Lodge

Abang Africa Travel

Access2africasafaris

Africa!Ignite

African Bushcamps

ATKV Goudini Spa


Bushmanskloof

Cape Camino

City of Cape Town

Eco Atlas

Elundini Backpackers

Endeavour Safaris

Epic Enabled

Face Adrenalin/ Bloukrans Bungy

Flamingo Tours & Disabled Ventures

Gauteng Tourism Authority

Hermanus Tourism

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

Leriba Hotel Group

National Department of Tourism/ RSA

Original T-Bag Designs 

Proudly Macassar Pottery
QuadPara Association of South Africa

SaltyCrax Adventures & SAVE Foundation

Sani Lodge Backpackers


Last year, South African tourist initiatives were awarded gold in 6 of the 8 categories.

The jury awarded the South African Gansbaai Tourism organisation in the Western Cape the overall gold winner for making Gansbaai a truly responsible tourist destination with a long row of environmental projects.

Several organisations in Gansbaai were also awarded. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in partnership with the Grootbos Foundation was awarded “Best for Poverty Reduction” and Marine Dynamics was awarded “Best for Wildlife Conservation”. South Africa definitely has a reputation to live up to this year.

Winners in the Africa category will automatically be nominated for the world’s most prestigious international tourist award World’s Responsible Tourism Award, set to take place in London in November this year.

Share your travel experiences with us. You can email us at sagewonders@gmail.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter

http://traveller24.news24.com/Explore/Green/south-africa-set-to-dominate-africa-responsible-tourism-awards-20160218

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Festival of India set to hold in Lagos come August

The festival is a collaboration between International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the India Disapora in Lagos and is designed to bridge the cultural gap between India and Nigeria.

Come August 13, 2016, Lagos will play host to a rich display of Indian culture as the Festival of India holds at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.

The festival is a collaboration between International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the India Disapora in Lagos and is designed to bridge the cultural gap between India and Nigeria.

Speaking at a briefing over the weekend to announce the festival,  CEO of Gaurapad Charities and chairman organising committee, Bolaji Rosoji explained the origin of Festival of India, and its interwoven relationship with Krishna religion.

He also said the goal of the festival is to "celebrate cultural unity and diversity for national and global peace – vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family). The Festival of India, with the Ratha Yatra (chariot) Festival as its central spectacle, has an inestimable impact on the minds and hearts of literally countless casual visitors and active participants in major cities worldwide. The Ratha Yatra (chariot) Festival originated in the holy city of Puri, India, and has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is a grand culmination of a series of celebrations spread over the summer and the monsoon month and is the most splendid of them all."

According to Rosiji,  the festival would be an international one with dignitaries coming from all over the world while efforts were in place to get President Muhammad Buhari to attend.

He also revealed that his organisation is collaborating with Lagos State, through its Ministry of Culture and Inter-Governmental Affairs, for a successful festival.

Highlights of the festival will include procession display of various Indian costumes, dressing and dance groups representing different states in India.

In addition, the Festival of India will host internationally renowned traditional and contemporary musicians, dancers and dramatic artists from India and Nigeria.

Attendees can also expect things like sumptuous, vegetarian feast, transcendental art and bestselling books on yoga and meditation.

http://pulse.ng/arts_culture/bolaji-rosiji-festival-of-india-set-to-hold-in-lagos-come-august-id4681181.html 

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Nigeria: Cuban Envoy At Ile Ife, Drums Support for Ooni's Cultural Tourism

 

Ile Ife has continued to attract interest across the globe with high profile personalities visiting and holding court with the newly installed Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeleye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, whose towering influence and impressed performance since claiming the throne especially his passionate drive for the unity of the Yoruba race and promotion of cultural tourism with Ife as the new destination.

This time around, the Ooni played host to one of his own, the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos E.Troja Sosa, 'Omowale,' who himself has a history of long association with the palace dating back to the era of the late Oba Sijwuade. He was accompanied on the visit by his wife, Trejo Sosa (Oshunyinka) the deputy envoy, Ms Miriam Morales Palmero (Yemoja) following a royal summon by the Ooni.

The visit spanned two days with the first day witnessing a grand reception for the visiting envoy and his team at the Enu Owa palace where he was treated to musical and cultural entertainment with Osirgi dance group, Abubu Ola and the Elewo Agogo Group and the duo of Olo Midan Bata and Anu, the lady Ekwe from the stable of Atunda Entertainment as well as Sango Oba Koso, which is known in the Caribbean as Shango.

This was later followed in the evening by a private dinner hosted for the visitors by the Ooni, who is also the grand patron of Motherland Beckons, an organsiation founded by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who is the president of La Campagne and also the consultant and adviser on tourism to the Ooni, who has on assumption of the throne declared his intention of turning Ife into a tourism destination.

The night ended with tour of Omi Yeye Moolu, a mysterious river within the inner recesses of the palace while on the second day of the visitor, the team was at the Ile - Ife Grand Resort and Leisure site, a 156 hectare of land, which on completion is to house a N7.6 billion resort. A baby of the Ooni, which is envisaged to provide employment for hundreds of the people and opened up the tourism economy of Ile - Ife.

Thereafter, the team visited Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) where the Cuban envoy held court with the students at the amphitheatre. He also visited the Natural History of Museum and the Institute of Cultural Studies.

The two days visit was most instructive as it afforded the Ooni and his guests the opportunity to exchange ideas and pledge cooperation in the area of the promotion of cultural tourism given that Cuba and Nigeria has a long history and that majority of its population, as disclosed by the envoy as of Yoruba descend with many as devotees of Ifa.

Ambassador Sosa was impressed by the tourism dream of the Ooni especially the Ile - Ife Grand Resort and also the planned declaration of Ife as a tourism zone. According to the envoy, these are laudable projects, which he is happy to be associated with and run his weight behind even as he promised the Ooni and the people of the unalloyed support of his office and that of his country.

Oba Ojaja 11 also took time to educate and expose his visitors to the rich history and tradition of his people and the supremacy of Ile - Ife. He debunked the migratory theory about Ile - Ife and declared that Ile - Ife is indeed the cradle of mankind and not only that of the Yorubas alone.

He further delved into mystic and esoteric belief that Olodumare, the creator of the universe, controls the world from Ile - Ife, as evidenced by the mysterious Igi Nla, White Forest, Ark of Noah and Tower of Babel, all domiciled in Ile-Ife. He elaborated on the significance of the 201 deities created by Olodumare and their relationship with mankind, right from the Adam and Eve days of old.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201602190758.html

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Nigeria set to have travellers guide and tourism book

 

Current affairs, information about mineral and natural resources and their locations in different states, recreational centres, trending businesses in the country and tourist sites are just some of the things the book will contain.

 

Nigeria is set to have a travellers guide and tourism book as Nigerian Tourism Europe, is collaborating with Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and Motoring World International to launch Nigeria Travellers Guide and Tourism book.

According to The Guardian, the book is an international publication being put together to guide, educate and inform travellers and holiday makers worldwide about tourism facilities, centres and destinations in Nigeria.

Current affairs, information about mineral and natural resources and their locations in different states, recreational centres, trending businesses in the country and tourist sites are just some of the things the book will contain.

Speaking on the project,  Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Tourism Europe, Prince Okes Masisma stated that the project aims to kick-start the development and growth of Nigeria’s tourism industry and showcase the country as a destination for holiday makers all over the world.

Describing it as "the kind of book that is supposed to be seen in all the airports in the world so that people coming to Nigeria get to know the country", Masisma pointed out that other African countries have theirs and Nigeria shouldn't be left out.

He also added that “given the continuing crash in oil price in the world market, now is the time for Nigeria to diversify and increase her sources of foreign exchange earnings."

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Visa-free travel ‘key to African tourism - Oscar Nkala

Gaborone - Africa remained largely closed off to inter-African travel with Africans requiring visas to travel to 55 percent of the continent, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has said.
In a statement released ahead of the launch of its first-ever “Africa Visa Openness Index” scheduled for Abidjan, Ivory Coast from March 21-22, the AfDB said the stringent inter-state visa regulations were hampering African travel to African countries and had adverse impacts on the continent's economic growth and development.

“Opening up a country's visa regime is a quick-win on development that remains untapped. Visa openness promotes talent mobility and business opportunities.

“Africa's leaders and policymakers have a key role to play in helping Africans to move freely in support of Agenda 2063's call to abolish visa requirements for all Africans by 2018.

“Africa remains largely closed off to African travellers. On average Africans need visas to travel to 55 percent of other African countries, can get visas on arrival in only 25 percent of other countries and don't need a visa to travel to just 20 percent of other countries on the continent,” said Moono Mupotola, the Director for the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Regional Integration and Trade at AfDB.

The research was conducted by the AfDB, with assistance from global development consultancy firm McKinsey & Company.

According to a preamble of the Visa Openness Index, East and West African countries have taken the lead towards attaining the continent's goal of visa-free travel by 2018 with a 75 percent rating for visa freedom.
Seychelles tops the African visa openness policy because it offers visa-free access for all Africans. Mauritius and Rwanda were highlighted among the 10 most visa-open African countries which have reaped the benefits with improved tourists and investment inflows, which greatly improved their economic competitiveness.

Central Africa represented the biggest drawback in progress towards a visa-free continent with none of its countries making it to the top 20 list for visa openness.

With just one country making it to the top 20 visa-free nations list, North Africa also remained closed to travellers from within the continent.

The report also noted that while Africa's “Middle Income Countries” have low visa-openness scores, the continent's smaller, landlocked and island states were more open.

However, lead research consultant and director of MCKinsey and Company, Acha Leke said despite the seemingly sluggish progress, Africa had made great strides towards visa openness today than when the research started five years ago: “When we started this work, only five African countries offered liberal access to all Africans. This number had grown to 13 over the past three years. We are making progress, but we clearly need to accelerate the pace,” said Leke, who is also member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council on Africa.

By: Oscar Nkala

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BI: A couple who has traveled to 100 countries just got back from a crazy trip to Africa — here's what it was like

Canadian couple Justin and Anna Williams have traveled to more than 100 countries around the world.
But there's one continent they always look forward to returning to: Africa.
The duo recently got back from their fifth trip to Africa, this time traveling through Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.

"From the stunning landscapes and teeming wildlife to the agreeable climate and friendly people, it always seems to draw us back," Justin told Business Insider.
From visiting the world's biggest waterfall to having their room attacked by an elephant, here's what happened on their adventure-packed trip.

After a number of connecting flights, the couple landed in Livingstone, Zambia, on the snaking Zambezi River.

Justin Williams

One of the first sights they saw was Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are the largest in the world, with columns of water that plummet into a gorge more than 300 feet below.

Justin Williams

After taking a short boat ride and hiking across Livingstone Island, they got right up to the edge of the falls at a place known as Devil's Pool.

Justin Williams

They then arranged for a flight over the falls with motorized gliders, where they were treated to incredible views. They even got close enough to the ground to witness herds of elephants and hippos migrating below.

Justin Williams

Justin and Anna had to take a ferry to cross the Ganglia River, which forms the border between Zambia and Botswana. They stopped to take a photo with a Zambian solider at the border before boarding their ferry.

Justin Williams

Their next stop was Chobe National Park in northeastern Botswana, which is home to the world’s largest concentration of elephants.

Justin Williams

While there, they connected with two friends they'd met during a previous trip six years ago. They now run a boat safari company called Pangolin.

Justin Williams

The Pangolin safari boats were equipped with ultra high-resolution cameras, so they were able to get stunning pictures of the area's wildlife.

Justin Williams

They saw everything from herds of springbok...

Justin Williams

... to hippos, which they were surprised to learn are actually considered the continent's most dangerous animals. Hippos often unpredictably ram safari boats, accidents that sometimes result in fatalities.

Justin Williams

Next, they traveled to a lodge called Elephant Sands in Nata, Botswana. Since there were no walls or fences, massive herds of elephants could be seen roaming the grounds.

Justin Williams

Justin and Anna were even woken one night to find a massive elephant had broken into the back of their hut and was drinking water from their toilet with its trunk. "It's almost like being in Jurassic Park when you can hear such a huge creature breathing so close to you," Anna said.

Justin Williams

The couple then caught a flight on a small island-hopper plane to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where they were treated to gorgeous views below.

Justin Williams

They took a pit stop on their way. Many of the stores they visited were so remote that there was nothing to buy but white rice and warm soda.

Justin Williams

Once they arrived, they hopped on some mokoros. These traditional wooden canoes are a common form of transportation in the Okavango Delta since they can easily navigate through the area's extremely shallow waters.

Justin Williams

Although the water levels were low from the dry season, the mokoro polers were able to navigate the couple to their camp.

Justin Williams

Since there were no showers at the campsite and the weather was a scorching 40 degrees Celsius, the couple would cool down by taking baths in the swamp water.

Justin Williams

The conditions at the camp were a bit spartan. There were no bathroom facilities in the camp except for bush toilets, which Anna told us is essentially just a seat elevated over a hole.

Justin Williams

They then traveled to the frontier of Ghanzi, a town in Botswana that is nestled deep in the Kalahari Desert. Here, they stayed in the traditional huts of the San Bushmen, an indigenous group of hunter-gatherers that live in the area.

Justin Williams

They said the huts they stayed in were very basic, which made for an authentic experience. They were built out of thin sticks and straws and included small iron beds, mosquito nets, and a single light bulb.

Justin Williams

While there, they were able to meet some of the local San Bushmen. They learned that the San Bushmen have been living there for thousands of years, almost entirely without contact from the outside world.

Justin Williams

Travelers can also organize walks with the Bushmen to learn some of their traditions. While on the walk, the Bushmen explained how they start fires and hunt for food to Justin and Anna though a translator. As a token of appreciation, Justin gave one of the Bushmen his Toronto Blue Jays hat.

Justin Williams

The Bushmen they were with had never seen a phone, Anna told us, so they introduced the group to a selfie.

Justin Williams

They were treated to some incredible local food on their trip. Justin told us they tried crocodile, which he said tasted like a combination of fish and chicken, as well as oryx and kudu (varieties of antelopes), springbok, and ostrich.

Justin Williams

"There are a lot of wide open spaces that haven't yet been overrun with development and tourism," Anna said of Africa. "It provides a perfect backdrop for authentic exploration and healthy soul-searching."

 

 

 

Credit:
Canadian couple Justin and Anna Williams have traveled to more than 100 countries around the world.
But there's one continent they always look forward to returning to: Africa.
The duo recently got back from their fifth trip to Africa, this time traveling through Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
"From the stunning landscapes and teeming wildlife to the agreeable climate and friendly people, it always seems to draw us back," Justin told Business Insider.
From visiting the world's biggest waterfall to having their room attacked by an elephant, here's what happened on their adventure-packed trip.
For the full set of images, visit Justin's Instagram account.

View As: One Page Slides

After a number of connecting flights, the couple landed in Livingstone, Zambia, on the snaking Zambezi River.

Justin Williams

One of the first sights they saw was Victoria Falls, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are the largest in the world, with columns of water that plummet into a gorge more than 300 feet below.

Justin Williams

After taking a short boat ride and hiking across Livingstone Island, they got right up to the edge of the falls at a place known as Devil's Pool.

Justin Williams

They then arranged for a flight over the falls with motorized gliders, where they were treated to incredible views. They even got close enough to the ground to witness herds of elephants and hippos migrating below.

Justin Williams

Justin and Anna had to take a ferry to cross the Ganglia River, which forms the border between Zambia and Botswana. They stopped to take a photo with a Zambian solider at the border before boarding their ferry.

Justin Williams

Their next stop was Chobe National Park in northeastern Botswana, which is home to the world’s largest concentration of elephants.

Justin Williams

While there, they connected with two friends they'd met during a previous trip six years ago. They now run a boat safari company called Pangolin.

Justin Williams

The Pangolin safari boats were equipped with ultra high-resolution cameras, so they were able to get stunning pictures of the area's wildlife.

Justin Williams

They saw everything from herds of springbok...

Justin Williams

... to hippos, which they were surprised to learn are actually considered the continent's most dangerous animals. Hippos often unpredictably ram safari boats, accidents that sometimes result in fatalities.

Justin Williams

Next, they traveled to a lodge called Elephant Sands in Nata, Botswana. Since there were no walls or fences, massive herds of elephants could be seen roaming the grounds.

Justin Williams

Justin and Anna were even woken one night to find a massive elephant had broken into the back of their hut and was drinking water from their toilet with its trunk. "It's almost like being in Jurassic Park when you can hear such a huge creature breathing so close to you," Anna said.

Justin Williams

The couple then caught a flight on a small island-hopper plane to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where they were treated to gorgeous views below.

Justin Williams

They took a pit stop on their way. Many of the stores they visited were so remote that there was nothing to buy but white rice and warm soda.

Justin Williams

Once they arrived, they hopped on some mokoros. These traditional wooden canoes are a common form of transportation in the Okavango Delta since they can easily navigate through the area's extremely shallow waters.

Justin Williams

Although the water levels were low from the dry season, the mokoro polers were able to navigate the couple to their camp.

Justin Williams

Since there were no showers at the campsite and the weather was a scorching 40 degrees Celsius, the couple would cool down by taking baths in the swamp water.

Justin Williams

The conditions at the camp were a bit spartan. There were no bathroom facilities in the camp except for bush toilets, which Anna told us is essentially just a seat elevated over a hole.

Justin Williams

They then traveled to the frontier of Ghanzi, a town in Botswana that is nestled deep in the Kalahari Desert. Here, they stayed in the traditional huts of the San Bushmen, an indigenous group of hunter-gatherers that live in the area.

Justin Williams

They said the huts they stayed in were very basic, which made for an authentic experience. They were built out of thin sticks and straws and included small iron beds, mosquito nets, and a single light bulb.

Justin Williams

While there, they were able to meet some of the local San Bushmen. They learned that the San Bushmen have been living there for thousands of years, almost entirely without contact from the outside world.

Justin Williams

Travelers can also organize walks with the Bushmen to learn some of their traditions. While on the walk, the Bushmen explained how they start fires and hunt for food to Justin and Anna though a translator. As a token of appreciation, Justin gave one of the Bushmen his Toronto Blue Jays hat.

Justin Williams

The Bushmen they were with had never seen a phone, Anna told us, so they introduced the group to a selfie.

Justin Williams

They were treated to some incredible local food on their trip. Justin told us they tried crocodile, which he said tasted like a combination of fish and chicken, as well as oryx and kudu (varieties of antelopes), springbok, and ostrich.

Justin Williams

"There are a lot of wide open spaces that haven't yet been overrun with development and tourism," Anna said of Africa. "It provides a perfect backdrop for authentic exploration and healthy soul-searching."

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