Whew. Where to begin. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I set off for Kenya with little more than a loose itinerary and a far too optimistic outlook. The plan was to make it down to South Africa, a journey of over 5,000 kilometers. Already, it seemed like a daunting task, and that was before I managed to turn it into probably two or three times that length with chaotic decision-making. I traveled almost entirely overland and entertained every whim that came my way, whether a spontaneous detour to Uganda or an ill-prepared summit of Mount Kenya. There was just so much to see and do on the continent. It was nothing short of overwhelming.
It didn’t help that very few things went according to plan, not that I had much of a plan to begin with. Whether by travel delays courtesy of broken down trains, or weather conditions, like questionably opting to visit certain regions in the peak of rainy season, I decided to pretty much scrap all my expectations and intentions entirely. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen.
A Kenyan friend introduced me to a Swahili phrase, bora uhai, which translates to “as long as there is life.” It sounds deep, but it’s kind of used sarcastically. It’d be akin to when something bad happens, and an American would be like, “but did you die, though?” This basically became the motto while I backpacked through Africa. I let the wind take me wherever it wanted and it led me to my fair share of unhinged moments and misadventure, but bora uhai.
It also took to me some absolutely incredible places unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Despite the chaos and challenges along the way, backpacking through Africa has been one of the most fulfilling, breathtaking, and just all out memorable trips I’ve ever taken. It just… hits different.
I have no idea where to even start recapping this journey, because truly, I have so much to say but just do not know how to go about it. I look at my camera roll and all the videos and try to make something cohesive on Instagram or Tik Tok, but it just doesn’t work. So, I figured I’d go back to the drawing board and start with what got me into this whole traveling content creator thing. It’s been a while since I just freestyle yapped about something instead of grinding out an SEO-optimized monster travel guide, so let’s kick it off with something broad in scope and hard to get wrong.
In no particular order, here are ten of my favorite places I visited on this epic African backpacking adventure.
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Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Let’s kick it off with my first, “is this real life?” moment of the trip. I’d been on the continent for no more than a week, ran into a few giraffes, zebras, and hippos at Lake Naivasha, and I was already giddy. I didn’t realize that I had only just dipped my toes into Africa, and visiting the Maasai Mara was like jumping into the deep end from a 40 meter high diving board.
The Maasai Mara was my first real safari. I’d gone on some game drives before in South Africa and Sri Lanka, but I’d never did a multi-day excursion where I’d be spending the night on the savanna. Driving on poorly-kept dirt roads all day, then huddling around a campfire with the Maasai people before returning to a big safari tent to sleep, it was, wow. If I had the money, I would do this like every week.
On top of the large populations of wildlife, including the highly sought after Big Five, the Maasai Mara just felt like a different world. The vast plains of tall, yellow grass extending to the endless horizon… I don’t know what it was, but the sky just felt massive and being here made the world feel limitless. I was getting goosebumps. It was one of the wildest feelings I’ve ever experienced, just being out there with the elephants and lions. Words fail me. The Maasai Mara simply has to be experienced to understand its majesty.
Magkadigkadi Salt Pans, Botswana
Let’s boogie on down to Botswana. First stop: the criminally underrated Magkadigkadi Salt Pans. Why didn’t anyone tell me that the world’s largest salt pans are just casually in Botswana? Everyone knows about the world-famous Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. If you’ve seen pictures of salt flats before, it’s either those or the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Meanwhile, you’ve got salt flats inhabited by hyenas and wildebeest and zebras and baobab trees, and no one’s talking about it?
I mean, it’s not a competition. I’ve loved every salt pan that I’ve visited, and no matter how many times I end up at one, it feels every bit as magical as the first time. Salt flats are simply one of the most otherworldly landscapes on our planet, especially at sunset. Few experiences can replicate that surreal feeling. I hopped on a Jeep safari here with the Nata Lodge on my detour to Nata en route to the Okavango Delta, and it was one of the best surprises of the trip.
It was inexpensive, and just kind of a spontaneous “well, I have nothing else to do” decision, and ended up being one of my most memorable detours. Capping the day off with a salt flats safari and some sundowner brews is an excellent investment in my opinion. If I had a car, I would have loved to just cruise through the Magkadigkadi for as long as I could. You can self-drive if you have your own vehicle, and there are so many parts of it to explore. I got to see a little bit of wildlife and baobabs, but some sections of this 30,000 square kilometer biome are home to meerkats and potentially, ghost elephants. The Magkadikgadi is an excellent addition to any Southern African road trip.
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Uganda
Is it okay to put an entire country on here? Normally, I would say no, and that consistent parameters are essential to journalistic integrity. However, I recently read a list of the top travel destinations by a major publication, and the list was nonsensical. It’d go something like: Kansas City, the entire country of Jordan, an island in Japan, Tucson, the northern half of Pakistan, and finally, the entire country of Uzbekistan. So, screw it. If the BBC’s doing it, why should a blog entitled The Partying Traveler follow the made-up rules?
Anyway, back to Uganda. The reason I mention the entire country rather than one particular destination is because I didn’t really do anything in Uganda. The Pearl of Africa was not even on my remotely on my radar when I outlined a loose itinerary through the continent. I did not budget for it, so bucket list excursions like gorilla safaris and trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains were just, not possible. So, if I didn’t plan on doing anything, why did I even go to Uganda?
Well, a lot of Ugandans immigrate to Kenya for a number of reasons. I met a lot of those people, and they were among the friendliest, happiest, and warmest people I ever met. They were always smiling, and I began to wonder what was in Uganda that made everybody so happy and smiley all the time? So I ended up in Uganda on a whim, and this little detour did not disappoint. I only spent 10 days in Uganda, visiting Jinja, Kampala, and Fort Portal, but it was enough to get a taste of just how incredible this country is.
Despite the rocky start at the border where I found myself out $160, Uganda won me over very quickly. The people truly are amazing. They also love Filipino soap operas here. Literally, after the evening news, the top television programs in the country are all Filipino soap operas. It was the closest I felt to being a K-Pop idol. They’d ask where I was from, I’d say the Philippines, and boom, phone cameras come out and for the next 20 minutes, they’d tell me about their favorite soap operas and actresses. I’d smile and nod because I have never watched any of them in my life. Regardless, it was such a joy to be around such welcoming and warm people. I cannot say enough good things about the people of Uganda.
And I haven’t even mentioned the sheer variety of things to do in Uganda. Did you know Africa’s third tallest mountain, behind Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, is in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains? Mount Stanley in the Rwenzori is a hidden gem for avid hikers and trekkers looking for something pristine and untouched. Of course, there is the Gorilla trekking. Uganda is one of the few countries where you can see gorillas in the wild, and one of the more affordable places to do it. It’s still like $1,000 for a single day, but it is cheaper than Rwanda and safer than the Congo. There’s also Murchison Falls, the Nile River’s source, Lake Victoria, and much more. Uganda is one of the most underrated countries in Africa.
Zanzibar
Another destination that proved to be a pleasant surprise was Zanzibar. This island country is one of the few mainstream holiday destinations of Africa. I thought I would hate it. Tourist crowds aside, I am not really a beach person at all. However, my sister was visiting me all the way from New York, and it seemed like a good compromise. We’d go on a safari, do a little trekking near Kilimanjaro, then lounge around on the beach for a few days. It was a perfect itinerary, and a great example of why my sister doesn’t plan her own trips. She just asks where I am then impulsively flies out to meet me, knowing I’d have everything taken care of.
After her limited vacation days ran out, I ended up staying in Zanzibar for two more weeks. There was a lot to explore in Zanzibar. Once I had escaped the clutches of Stone Town’s pushy local vendors, I was loving it. The idyllic village life of Nungwi, the lively backpacker and nightlife scene of Paje Beach, the countless snorkeling spots and sandbars to island hop to, Zanzibar provided an excellent balance.
That balance was what I needed, and it felt like the perfect intermission to my journey. I was about halfway through my trip, and had wrapped up the more adventurous stretches of East Africa. It wouldn’t hurt to sip on iced coffees at beachside cafes while gearing up to head down to Southern Africa, would it? Maybe it was just the right place at the right time, but Zanzibar became a favorite stop of mine. It provided a welcome respite from the more fast-paced and exhausting adventures that backpacking Africa will inevitably throw at you.
Many of which, can also be found in Tanzania. Let’s pop over to another one right now.
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
I love saying this name. Ngorongoro. Supposedly, the name derives from the sound of a cowbell makes, so either I’m pronouncing it wrong, or the cowbells sound different over here. Aside from its fun name, the Ngorongoro Crater is the most unique safari you could go on. It is tough to compare different experiences, but the sheer diversity of landscapes and the concentration of wildlife made the Ngorongoro my favorite game drive on the continent.
As you reach the entrance of the park, you drive through a misty, magical cloud forest. Being up in the canopies of the trees is already a spectacular setting, save for the hordes of baboons whomst I despise. Soon, you drive up above the clouds, onto the rim, and are overlooking the vast Ngorongoro Crater, the largest continuous volcanic crater in the world. Inside the Ngorongoro, there are tens of thousands of animals, including the Big Five. The leopard always seems to elude me, but I did get a very distant glimpse of a rhinoceros! We also got some very close-up glimpses of sleepy lions, including this pack of lionesses getting comfy on some construction equipment. It’s nice that they labeled the animals for us.
On top of the Ngorongoro’s plethora of wildlife, its varied vistas are just breathtaking. Among them, the plains of tall yellow grass and the fields of multi-colored wildflowers. One will find little lakes here and there, sometimes sprinkled with the pinkness of the flamboyances of flamingos wading within. Be sure to keep a safe distance as families of hippopotami lurk below the surface. As one of your best shots to see wildlife in a stunning environment, the Ngorongoro Crater is simply the quintessential safari experience.
And that’s five down, five to go. I know I said this top ten was not in any particular order, but I can’t lie, these next five destinations are undoubtedly, my top five favorite things that I’ve done in Africa. Let’s carry on with one of the seven natural wonders of the world down on the Zambian and Zimbabwean border.
Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya)
Mosi-oa-Tunya. That is the local name for Victoria Falls, in the local Lozi language meaning The Smoke That Thunders. After experiencing this place firsthand, three separate times because I loved it that much, I’d say Mosi-oa-Tunya is a much more fitting name than being named after an elderly white lady. Seriously, going from “The Smoke That Thunders” to “Victoria Falls” might be one of the worst name-changes of all time, although our spray-tanned toddler in chief might be gunning for that title with renaming Greenland to Red, White & Blueland.
Imagine coming back from your trip and someone asks where you went and you just get to casually drop “yeah, I went to *voice deepens* The Smoke That Thunders“. It’s so much more badass, and so much more descriptive of just how unbelievable of a place Mosi-oa-Tunya is. Well, whatever name you choose to call it, come visit for yourself.
These thundering waterfalls, by some measures, are the largest waterfalls in the world. With a length of 5,600 feet and a height of 355 feet, they are neither the longest or tallest, but during the rainy season, it is by volume, the strongest in the world. The entirety of the mighty Zambezi River crashes down through the gorge, which is nothing short of awe-inspiring to witness. Don’t forget to bring a raincoat.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Moving on to another natural wonder, we head back to beautiful Botswana. This country has no shortage of otherworldly destinations, many of which can be visited in just a week or so. The Okavango Delta has place that has fascinated me since I first heard the name. I remember trying one of those VR headsets for the first time, and the very first YouTube video I watched took place in the Okavango Delta. It was filmed from a small canoe trying to navigate its way around a massive bull elephant. Being my first introduction to Virtual Reality, I was just… shook.
A few years later, here I was, on the same small canoe, called a mokoro, getting bluff charged by a large mammal of my own: a hippopotamus.
There is nothing quite like a wild animal charging straight at your flimsy wooden boat to make you truly feel alive. Do not let this deter you from visiting the Okavango Delta, though. That’s just the reality of exploring some of Africa’s untouched destinations. That is exactly what the Okavango Delta is, untamed and pristine. Despite it being such a wild and savage place, it is simultaneously peaceful and tranquil. The way the mokoro glides through the water almost silently, with nothing but the chirping of birds disturbing the eerie quietude of the environment, it feels like a fairy-tale. I was Snow White on top of Pocahontas’ canoe.
Even the group of talkative German travelers that I had spent the last few days with were speechless and completely silent just soaking it all in. The mokoro ride, followed by the subsequent bushwalk, were 10 out of 10 experiences and I would do it over and over again.
Cape Town, South Africa
We have been spending a lot of time in nature so far. Let’s take a quick city break, to the first and only city that managed to make the list. I mean, the stunning natural beauty surrounding the city plays no small part on why it is a favorite destination of mine. From the unmistakable silhouette of Table Mountain to the endless ocean lapping on its shores, to the Mother City we go. Welcome (back) to Cape Town.
I first visited Cape Town nearly six years ago, and I could not pull myself away from its clutches. Cape Town might be my favorite city in the world. At the very least, it is in the upper echelons with the likes of Mexico City, Istanbul, Seoul and Barcelona. Cape Town is elite in every measure. I still had a few weeks left on my trip to continue exploring South Africa, but upon arriving to Cape Town, I decided I was home. I spent the final three weeks of my Africa adventure seeing old friends and meeting new ones, revisiting some familiar favorites and falling in love with new haunts.
Honestly, after four months, I was exhausted. The burn out was real, and I had to bounce back to do my Pakistan trip in just a few weeks. I do not regret my decision whatsoever. You could not ask for a better victory lap than Cape Town. The abundance of incredible hiking trails, from the botanical gardens of Kirstenbosch to the many treacherous routs up Table Mountain. There is the classic Lion’s Head hike, which I’ve done half a dozen times now without ever tiring of it. Cape Town has many beaches and charming seaside towns. Although I visited in the rainy, winter season, those beaches with the grey skies and little sea lions all had a very PNW-esque vibe to it. Is there anything better than a hot drink on a gloomy day?
Throw in the seemingly endless options for dining and nightlife, and I saw no reason to leave Cape Town. International food was very hard to come by on this trip. Even authentic local food and restaurants were few and far between in many places. I ate so many supermarket meals and my emergency bag of granola came in clutch on many occasions. Being in Cape Town felt like reverse culture shock, as if I had been revived after being deprived of all my favorite things. Cape Town had everything I craved, and countless food markets when I had no idea what I wanted. The nightlife scene of Cape Town is top-tier, and every night out felt much-deserved. From karaoke nights to underground raves, I was back, baby.
Cape Town was the perfect place to wrap up my trip.
Sossusvlei, Namibia
A huge part of why I needed to slow down in Cape Town was the absolute chaos of trying to navigate Namibia as a solo budget backpacker without a vehicle. Namibia was perhaps, the straw that broke the camel’s back. I almost left Namibia as soon as I arrived because of this. It was a journey to get here from Botswana in the first place. The border crossing involved seven different modes of transportation and a lot of hitchhiking.
Upon arriving in Windhoek, I realized that all of the worthwhile things to do in Namibia were going to be a challenge to visit. Namibia is huge and very sparsely populated. There is little in the way of infrastructure for travelers that aren’t self-sufficient. If you don’t have your own car, camping gear, cooking equipment, and so on, you are at the mercy of expensive tours or simply, not doing anything. I was very close to giving up and coming back for Namibia another time, but I had one last push in me, and I decided I could not leave without visiting Sossusvlei.
I had to scramble to put together puzzle pieces that didn’t perfectly fit, but make it happen, I did. Thankfully, it was well worth the effort.
I don’t think words have been invented yet that can capture what Sossusvlei is actually like. People throw “otherworldly” and “surreal” out all the time to describe places half as impressive as Sossusvlei. Looking out at the dried up clay and salt pans, as gusts of wind pelt you with sand and the harsh sun scorches you, while watching ostriches and oryx trot along effortlessly in this inhospitable environment… chef’s kiss.
And while Deadvlei’s salt pans and camelthorn trees are the most recognizable part of the Namib-Naukluft Desert, there is much more to visiting Sossusvlei. It is a 60 kilometer drive from Sesriem just to get to Deadvlei and Sossusvlei. Along the way, there are dozens of towering sand dunes and it’s hard not to feel like Furiosa from Mad Max. There’s Elim Dune, Dune 45, Big Mama, and countless other sandy skyscrapers that would make Anakin Skywalker turn in his grave. Every minute of the journey is photo-worthy.
And honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to follow up Sosssusvlei, but we’re going to give it a shot, because last, but definitely not least, is Mount Kenya.
Mount Kenya
The second-tallest mountain in Africa gets relatively little love compared to the iconic Kilimanjaro, which was excellent for me. Its status as a hidden gem was evident as I sat at the summit, gazing out in every direction, unable to spot another human being for miles and miles. Compared to Kilimanjaro, which sees thousands of climbers every month, Mount Kenya was a true escape into nature. We did not run into any other hikers during our four days in the national park.
After finding out how expensive it is to summit Kilimanjaro, I began to look into alternatives. I initially thought of Mount Kenya as a consolation trek. After all, it was only the second tallest mountain in Africa. I accepted that I was settling for something worse. However, the more I learned about Mount Kenya, and the more I heard from travelers with mixed reviews of Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya grew from a “what if?” to a hyper-fixation by the time I was about to leave Kenya. I knew I could not say goodbye to the country without giving it a go.
Out of shape, underprepared, but overly optimistic as usual, I set off with another solo traveler from my hostel. We met up with our guide, Captain John, and our porters, David, Francis, and Joseph. Along with me, Elijah, we made up for a very biblical band of backpackers.
The trek up to the summit of Mount Kenya honestly blew me away. I did not expect nearly the variety of environments, landscapes, and wildlife that we encountered on this hike. Every few hours, it felt like I was in an entirely different country. One minute you’d be hiking through tall yellow grass and bush typical of the African savanna. The next, you have found yourself strolling along a turquoise lake as if you were in the most remote regions of Patagonia. There were dramatic landscapes akin to what I’d expect from Iceland, and rolling green countryside resembling the Scottish Highlands. I would be sweating as we walked through arid terrain surrounded by trees and plants that I had never seen before. A few hours later, I was making snow angels on a glacier en route to the summit.
Summiting Mount Kenya is my proudest accomplishment of my African backpacking trip. The trek was a challenge, and the altitude had hit me much harder than I expected. Perhaps the Indian Ocean coastline was not the best place to prepare leading up to the trek. From sea level to 5,000 meters in a matter of days was questionable, especially as I was just starting my trip and was still out of shape. I was slow to reach the summit, but step by step, and a little help from David carrying my backpack, I made it.
I found myself in some unforgettable places on this journey, but I’ve gotta say, sitting at the summit of Mount Kenya watching the sun rise over the endless African wilderness and countryside will stay with me forever.
What a journey it was. Asante sana, thank you guys for reading. Limiting this trip to just ten destinations was much tougher than I expected, which is a good sign that I have much, much more to actually share once the floodgates of my ADHD-addled brain open up.
Stay tuned for much more to come, or stick around and check out some more from my African backpacking adventures.
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