Long term solo travel on a budget.
After spending most of last year hiking above 3000m; struggling to breathe, suffering from altitude sickness, carrying a 20kg bag and sleeping in tents when it's far too cold to be outside... a walking holiday in the hills of Scotland with the luxurious Gartmore Estate was exactly what I needed. If you love walking, but also love a little comfort and luxury at the end of a tough day, then this will be the holiday for you, too.
The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m) and it’s the most popular peak to climb. While you get extra cool bragging rights, you’re spending a ton of money for a somewhat mediocre hike. Why not tackle the slightly smaller Mount Kenya (5,199m) which is a much more beautiful, more enjoyable and cheaper hike? …
Continue reading "Climbing Mount Kenya: The Chogoria/Shiptons Route"
The Otter Trail is a 45km coastal path that crosses numerous rivers, gives you endless ocean views of crashing waves and rewards you with wonderful log cabins to sleep in. It was my favourite hike out of all the walking we did in Africa and one that shouldn't be missed!
The Drakensberg are a mountain range that run along the border of South Africa and Lesotho, with dramatic cliffs falling away from the plateau at an almost constant altitude of 3200m. Spend 5 or 6 days hiking and camping between the two countries to conquer one of the top hikes in the world.
Swaziland is a tiny, landlocked African country, bordered by Mozambique to the east and South Africa to the north, west and south. This tiny gem is well worth a visit if you’re in SA, as it’s only a four-hour drive from Johannesburg to beautiful Malolotja Nature Reserve, where we spent a day hiking. After saying …
The Fish River Canyon, located in southern Namibia, is the second largest in the world after the Grand Canyon. Those brave (and crazy) enough can take on the 90km trail following the winding river, taking an average of 5 days and 4 nights to complete one of the top hikes in the world.
The Danakil Depression is the hottest place on earth with an average daily temperature of 35 degrees, it lies -116m below sea level and is one of the driest and most tectonically active places on the planet. Here you will find salt flats and salt mountains, bubbling sulphur pools and active volcanoes, dotted with villages of the Afar people.
