We arrived in the small town of Springbok at eight pm after an arse numbing 800 km drive from our departure point in Hermanus on the southwestern coast of the Cape Province, via the often picturesque and occasionally not so picturesque towns of Worcester, Wolseley, Gouda, Porterville, Clanwilliam, Klawer, Vanrhynsdorp, Bitterfontein, Garies and Kammieskroon.
My dad and I had made the brave decision to endure each other’s company for eight to ten weeks, travelling, meandering and getting lost in four Southern African countries: Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our main goals were to tolerate each other’s driving ability, cooking skills and sense of direction. Secondary goals would be to visit some of the most pristine wilderness areas in Africa, meet the locals and have a few adventures.
ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE: If you ever want to experience the ‘real’ Africa, there is no place like Zambia. If you have dreamed about wilderness areas so remote that you do not see people for days, with only wildlife for company, Zambia takes all the accolades. The country boasts some of Africa’s finest and most remote national parks.
LAKE MALAWI: The art of ‘extreme chilling’, Dube the artist and Border detention. Our next destination was Monkey Bay, towards the southern end of the lake. This laid back little town is Malawi’s main port. Few tourists know about the small hidden beaches around Monkey Bay and usually head for the nearby delights of Cape Maclear. This suited us fine. We enjoy the less busy or off–the-beaten-track hideaways.
MALAWI: Rookie errors, Exotic Wildlife, A Leprosy Horror Story and The Lord of The Rings
We came to the end of our tropical time in Mozambique. It was a memorable two weeks and it was time for us to push further north. At the same time our stomachs were filled with butterflies. We were heading to our second country on the list, Malawi.
The Weird, the Rare and the Wonder of 70 days in Southern Africa. The purpose of our first Designing Life trip was to realise a simple but intense dream: We wanted to go on a trip during which we didn’t have to rush anywhere, didn’t have to be anywhere specific at any given time, and most importantly – a trip during which we didn’t have to worry about getting back home at a certain time.
