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Mountains, Forests, Coastlines & Cliffs

Mountains, Forests, Coastlines & Cliffs

Nov 28, 2025 | Cederberg, Garden Route, Golden Gate, South Africa, Western Cape, Wild Coast

After we have been travelling throughout Southern and East Africa over the last few years, and with so many world-famous destinations in our own beautiful South Africa, we decided it is about time again to explore some of our favourite places on home soil while also discovering more off-the-radar ones. And what better way than taking a slow overland road trip from the Western Cape all along the coastline to the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast and into the Eastern Free State.

After ending our Namaqualand trip on the West Coast, our first stop was one of our favourite and most unique wildernesses in South Africa – the Cederberg mountains. After entering the Cederberg Conservancy from the Niewoudt’s Pass, we immediately swapped Baloo’s tekkies for our own hiking boots and took to some of the many hiking trails for which these mountains are so magical. We enjoyed the variety of fynbos and proteas, the endless vistas of the valley below, the various mountain streams and pools and even found some Cape leopard tracks. The Cape Leopard Trust does a lot of research and awareness work to conserve the endangered cape leopards that live in these mountains. They are the same as other leopards, but quite a bit smaller, and even more shy and elusive!

On one of our hikes we explored the Wolfberg Cracks, where weathered sandstone walls rise up to 100 meters. En route we had a look at beautiful San Rock Art showing a series of small thumb prints thousands of years old – something rarely seen in Southern African cave paintings. Back at our campsite next to the Matjiesriver one of the Cape’s infamous cold fronts settled in, bringing with it snow to the surrounding mountain tops – an unusual sight for bush junkies like us.

After escaping the snow we explored the nearby West Coast Fossil Park and learnt the fascinating story of how high concentrations of truly unique fossils were discovered in this West Coast area in the 1950’s. Our beloved cruiser Baloo has always been proudly known as the only bear you will find in Africa. But, it turns out Africa actually had pre-historic bears looong ago, and their fossil remains can be seen just outside Langebaan. Short-necked giraffes, sabre-toothed cats, prehistoric hyenas, bears, and a whole lot more – their remains are all on display in a beautiful and modern building and educational display that pieces together the wonders of the past.

From here we headed through the Overberg region towards Cape Agulhas. We stopped first at Danger Point’s lighthouse where the HMS Birkenhead sank in 1845 and where the soldiers famously stood in formation as they went down with the ship to allow lifeboats to be launched safely, the first example in history of the “women and children first” protocol.

Not far away we reached a highlight for both us and Baloo – Africa’s southernmost tip, where it was both humbling and fun to retrace and point out some of the many places we’ve been privileged to explore on this amazing continent over the last few years.

Literally meaning Cape of Needles after the old Portuguese navigators noticed that magnetic north coincided with true north just off this coast, Cape Agulhas is as far South as you can go on this beautiful continent. It is also the traditional dividing line between the warmer Indian Ocean and colder Atlantic Ocean.

Next up was the Agulhas National Park. They don’t offer camping, so we stayed in a surprisingly well-priced seafront cottage, and what a treat this was. Beautiful views of the unspoilt coastline, birds like the Bokmakierie calling from the fynbos around you, and a cozy fireplace on a cold windy night. A great network of hiking trails lets you explore the area, its endemic fynbos species, its beautiful rocky coastline and its prolific birdlife. What is really cool is that the majority of this park is wilderness area and not open to the public or to tourism – there are not many wild places left like that.

We made our way further along the coast to the De Hoop Nature Reserve. A UNESCO world heritage site, it features amazing wetlands, lowland fynbos, and a shoreline with a Marine Protected Area known for its whale sightings and biodiversity.

We camped among the milkwood trees, braaied locally caught crayfish on the coals, and amongst others, were treated to the largest herd of eland we have ever seen. De Hoop truly lived up to its name of providing hope in conservation, and it will definitely see us again!

Next up was the only South African National Park we had not yet visited – the Bontebok National Park. We shared our campsite with a very friendly local tortoise apparently employed by the park to keep the lawn in shape. We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful renosterveld biome and lush location of the park next to the Breede river.

Not far away, you will find the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, in the largest remaining indigenous forest of the Langeberg mountains. The Western Cape is truly spoiled for choice when it comes to amazing little nature reserves – and Grootvadersbosch is no exception! We explored its great network of forest hiking trails, enjoying not only the forest itself but also hearing and seeing its amazing birdlife. Incidentally, it was also here where the humble Bushbuck was first officially recorded as a species in 1776!

We travelled all along the beautiful garden route to the De Vasselot campsite just outside Nature’s Valley, a part of the Garden Route National Park. Here we enjoyed camping in the forest, the quiet tidal river, and hiking among the magnificent indigenous Outeniqua yellowwood trees.

Not far away is the Storms River mouth in the Tsitsikamma section of the park. For some the word conjures up memories of hiking the famous Otter trail, for others the beautiful indigenous forests, and for some it is just a difficult word to pronounce! In fact, it means place of abundant or sparkling water, and this is most certainly a good description of the area, as a hike along the famously spectacular suspension bridges proved. Camping right on the edge of the ocean, we enjoyed the fresh sea breeze and view, caught up on some Cricket World Cup games and marvelled at the massive schools of dolphins in the area.

Exploring the coastline further, we headed into the Eastern Cape and the tiny hamlet of Bathurst. This region started cultivating pineapples in 1865 already, and is still a large role-player in the commercial industry of pineapples in South Africa today. We sampled the delicious home-made ice-cream and amazing book collections of Bathurst, and of course, climbed to the top of their famous Big Pineapple.

From here, the road took us further into the Eastern Cape and into the beautiful Wild Coast. The usually-amazing fishing was on the quiet side due to recent flooding, but the amazing area more than made up for it with its spectacular surroundings, pristine beaches and estuaries, and the richness of marine life. On the Wild Coast, time moves at the speed of a lazy cow on the beach —which is fitting, because you’ll meet plenty of them.

From the wild coast we turned inland again, driving up through the beautiful north-eastern cape to camp along the gin clear Karnmelkspruit and its surrounding sandstone cliffs near Lady Grey. Of course, we just had to cast a fly or two and tussle with some of the beautiful wild spawned trout that call these waters home.

Meandering all along the border of Lesotho, we entered into the beautiful Eastern Free State and into the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Here the quiet, crisp mountain air is punctuated only by the sound of black wildebeest territorial bulls off in the distance. Wind ripples over the grasslands and multiple mountain ranges loom off in the distance. For a treat we stayed at the mountain retreat high up in the mountains where each cabin is uniquely designed to blend into the landscape and offers you the most amazing view and experience!

As we reflect over the last few weeks, we realise this overland trip became more than just an epic journey. From rugged mountains to ancient forests, from bountiful oceans to majestic highlands, every kilometre offered a new wonder to explore. It was a reminder of how wildly diverse and generous South Africa’s landscapes can be, and that amazing adventure awaits anyone who is willing to seek out its wonders.

Trip tips:

We really enjoyed camping and visiting the below places along our journey. Booking is advised in South African holiday seasons (and you might want to avoid the coastline in December if you don’t like crowds!).

 

  1. Cederberg
  1. Cape Agulhas
  1. De Hoop Nature Reserve
  1. Bontebok National Park
  1. Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve (https://www.capenature.co.za)
  2. Nature’s Valley
  1. Tsitsikamma
  1. Wild Coast
  1. Golden Gate Highlands National Park
The Kingdom of Canyons

The Kingdom of Canyons

Nov 10, 2025 | Birding, Eswatini

Eswatini is one of those destinations that seem to often be overlooked by overland travellers and South African holidaymakers alike, for no good reason. We decided it’s time to find out more for ourselves and after meandering through the beautiful mountainous countryside around the town of Barberton, we entered Eswatini at the quiet Josefsdal border post.

For the second smallest nation in Africa, Eswatini has quite a few fascinating facts. It is Africa’s last remaining absolute monarchy, has the world’s oldest recognised mining works, the world’s second largest monolith rock, and one of its previous kings, King Sobhuza II, reigned for 82 years – longer than any other monarch in the world!

Our first stop was the enchanting Phophonyane Falls Eco Lodge. In the lush forested valleys we hiked some of the many trails and enjoyed the beautiful views over the river below and the series of cascading falls. At Phophonyane there is also no lack of spoils and luxuries, with amazing food and drinks pairing well with the large tropical gardens.

We drove down the escarpment to the low-lying eastern areas of the country, stopping at the Hlane Royal National Park, the crown jewel of reserves in Eswatini. Here we enjoyed game driving and the excellent birding. Eswatini is a birding paradise where many species found further north in the bushveld overlap with those found further south in KwaZulu Natal. Interestingly, the southernmost communal breeding site of Marabou storks in Africa can be found here.  One of Hlane’s main drawcards is the popular waterhole at the main camp where we spent many hours just relaxing and watching hippos and rhinos.

Our last stop was the private game reserve of Mbuluzi, only a short drive from Hlane. Tucked into the northeastern corner of the country, the conservancy sits at the point where the Lebombo mountains rise, with the Mbuluzi river flowing in the valley below and lowveld savannah along its banks. It is therefore very biodiverse. Low impact tourism means that the wilderness experience is fantastic, and their conservation efforts in terms of research and reserve management are encouraging to see.

We loved hiking and birding on the reserve, visiting the hides at various dams, seeing plains game, and of course spending much time exploring the beautiful river valley as well. The campsite is private, and while relaxing under the beautiful Natal Mahogony trees and listening to the soft murmur of the river and crickets nearby we agreed that so far it was certainly one of our favourite campsite locations in all of Africa. 

We were excited to add Eswatini to Baloo’s own hall of fame. With its good infrastructure, beautiful landscapes, great birding and diverse range of adventures to be had it certainly deserves to be much higher up on the list of places to experience, and we will definitely be back to this Kingdom of Canyons soon.

Trip tips:

Eswatini is small but has amazing destinations for adventurers! We did a route from the west to the northeast and enjoyed the following places: 

  • Hlane’s main drawcard is the great waterhole and main campsite, whereas the amazing private campsite, wilderness and hiking opportunities at Mbuluzi will keep us going back!
  • There are various border posts between Eswatini and South Africa, and we recommend the smaller quiet ones – you will likely be the only ones there!
Fantastic Beasts (and where to find them)

Fantastic Beasts (and where to find them)

Dec 30, 2023 | Birding, Kenya, Samburu National Reserve, Tsavo East National Park

Guineafowls with vulture-like heads. Gazelles with 4-foot-long necks. Ostriches with blue legs. You would be forgiven for assuming such creatures are taken from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. But in the dry Kenyan bush, fact is indeed sometimes stranger than fiction. Ever since reading about the existence of the otherworldly animals that call these parts home, we simply had to journey to Kenya to see them for ourselves.

Despite all the naysayers predicting otherwise, we finally made it through the border post without a vehicle Carnet. It seems fortune does favour the brave (or the ignorant). In fact, we were so surprised that the officials let us through that we didn’t know where to begin in this beautifully diverse country. So, we did what came naturally and crammed in as many national parks as our allotted time (and limping credit card) would allow. First on our hit list to explore were the Tsavo area and Samburu reserve, known for their interesting African creatures and so much more. Here is what we found.

Tsavo East National Park

To avoid the death-defying cement trucks of the Mombasa highway, we drove along interesting back-roads via the Taita hills. Some quintessential scenes painted the roadside picture, including local villagers with teeth filed to points waving at us and Kilimanjaro peeking shyly through her cloudy scarf. We set up camp close to Voi, just outside the Tsavo East National Park, and cracked open our first dew-cold Tusker beers. Exploring the park exceeded our expectations of a dry and dusty wilderness sparsely populated with game. Dry it surely was, but life abounded, including creatures we did not expect.

Not long after entering, we were treated to a pride of twelve lions along a dry tributary. The red elephants of the area also put in plenty of appearances – beautiful tuskers dusted in the brown-red earth commonly found around the Tsavo plains. Lesser kudu browsed the fringes of waterholes – smaller than their more common cousins and with almost hairless necks. Golden-breasted Starlings and Rosy-patched Bush-shrikes showed off their fantastic colours. On the dusty plains we found the endangered fringe-eared oryx, an almost comical version of the gemsbok with their large flappy ears. Speaking of comedy, nothing quite prepares you for your first real-life sighting of a gerenuk. These rare gazelles with their seemingly-photoshopped long necks and habit of standing on their hind legs to browse had us chuckling every time we were lucky enough to see them.

The park combines with the Tsavo West National Park to form the largest protected reserve in Kenya and it is a gem for lovers of wild places. The dry and windswept landscape is vast and covered with thorny shrubs. Although seasonal river courses and waterholes provide some respite and greenery in some areas, the lushness of the perennial Galana River seems almost out of place. Lined with palm trees, filled with hippos and banked by red hot rocky surrounds, it is reminiscent of the Kunene landscape in Namibia. You will not find the tourist hordes that frequent the more famous East African parks here. Instead, you will find a wilderness that is as unique as the creatures that frequent it.  

Phantoms of the station

Most folks with a keen interest in East Africa would have read The man-eaters of Tsavo, or at least seen the film based on it. In 1898 two male lions developed both a taste for human flesh and a few bold tactics to source it, and subsequently terrorised the Indian labour force building the railway to Uganda. For some, this true story inspired a lifelong fear of big cats (because all lions will claw through a roof to get at you, right?). For others, it gave a glimpse into a very different time to have been in wild, untamed Africa. The old Tsavo railway station area is where most of the action went down, and it still exists.

We found the old station and railway in the bush among the thorny shrubs not far from the modern equivalent. Abandoned and derelict, the station has seen better days. But if you know the story, you will appreciate that it has also had its share of wild adventure in days gone by. When Col. J.H. Patterson waited up for the man-eaters here using himself as bait he almost became part of the ghastly statistics: “The deadly silence became very monotonous, when suddenly, to our right, a dry twig snapped. My eyes were strained by prolonged staring through the darkness. It was quiet again when, with a sudden bound, a huge body sprang at us. ‘The lion!’ I shouted, and we both fired.”

Walking along the same platform and through the dilapidated ticket office, we invariably felt a cold shiver or two pass down our spines. Perhaps this is not a place to visit at night. At least not if you are afraid of ghosts, or of darkness.

Samburu National Reserve

After navigating the crazy Nairobi traffic, catching up on chores and stocking up in the upmarket (and expensive) shops of the appropriately-named Karen suburb, we headed further North to the Samburu National Reserve. This fascinating reserve is known for hosting the so-called strange five, some of which we also saw in Tsavo. A beautiful Grevy’s zebra welcomed us close to the gate with its fine barcode-like stripes and large ears. Here we also encountered the Somali Ostrich, with its light blue legs and white neck ring. Reticulated giraffes ambled toward the river. Synonymous with the reserve, they sport beautiful coats of near-square block patterns. A cheetah mother sat under a tree with her three cubs, as always on the look-out for potential lunch. A birding highlight of our journey was seeing flocks of Vulturine Guineafowl with their electric blue feathers.

Samburu is perhaps a little out of the way of the more popular Kenyan destinations, but we found the trek more than worthwhile. It is located in a semi-desert on the dry side of Mount Kenya and hence its landscapes are dominated by arid and dusty woodland. The Ewaso Ng’iro river flows through it, with the Buffalo Springs natural spring extending a year-round lifeline to its animals. The majority of roads follow the river course, providing great game viewing in this piece of paradise.

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities. Sitting around a crackling campfire on the banks of the dry riverbed that night we listened to lions and wind. We decided that perhaps if Dr. Seuss had been to Kenya and experienced its fantastic beasts, he would agree that sometimes fantasy is not even needed to enjoy life to the fullest.

Some helpful trip tips:

  • Kenyan logistics
  1. To enter from Tanzania, try the small Tarakea border post. It is quiet, efficient and we got a 30-day TIP for the vehicle without hassle – no Carnet de Passage was even needed.
  2. Apply online for a Kenyan e-visa (it takes a day or two) and print it out beforehand. South Africans don’t pay anything, but must still register and print out the pass to speed things up at the border. https://evisa.go.ke/
  3. We found Safaricom to be the network with widest coverage.
  • Kenyan National Parks (KWS)
  1. All Kenyan national parks run by the KWS now require visitors to book and pay their visits (even day trips) only via the national e-citizen platform which you used to obtain your visa.
  2. It takes a while, but the good news is you can book and pay online before your trip, theoretically speeding things up at the gate. https://kws.ecitizen.go.ke/
  3. National parks are more cost effective for foreign vehicles in Kenya than Tanzania due to more reasonable vehicle permit costs. Find the latest tariffs here: https://www.kws.go.ke/content/park-fees-and-accommodation
  • Tsavo East National Park
  1. Use the gate close to the town of Voi where you can find fuel and supplies.
  2. In the dry season, most game seem to congregate in the Southern region, but exploring further afield is well worth it if you enjoy wild places with few tourists.
  3. To visit the original Tsavo station which the famous man-eater lions frequented, use the access road to the Maneaters Lodge just off the Mombasa highway. No entrance fee.
  • Samburu National Reserve
  1. Samburu’s fees are similar to those of the KWS parks, but only took cash when we visited.
  2. The public campsite inside the park is well worth it – beautifully wild and located on the river bank.
  3. Meru National Park is relatively close by and would be a sensible park to combine on a trip to Samburu if you enjoy remote wilderness spaces.
  • Campsites
  1. Tsavo East: We enjoyed Boma Simba Campsite bordering the park fence close to Voi. https://bomasimbalodge.com/
  2. Samburu: The public campsite inside the park, or Kisimani Eco Lodge about 30 km away. https://kisimaniresort.com/
  3. Nairobi: Jungle Junction is one of those crossroads where every overlander will likely end up. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=165591606834286

The search for Simba

The search for Simba

Nov 3, 2023 | Birding, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Tarangire National Park

‘We are driving through The Lion King!’ It was hardly surprising for super-Disney-fan Simoné to make this on-point observation as we slowly meandered through the grassy savannah studded by flat-topped acacias. The mighty Serengeti National Park surely ranks high on the bucket list of many people, particularly nature fanatics like us. We had always thought this king among national parks to only be reserved for those that enjoy high tea and heated towels. However, since finding out that one can indeed self-drive and DIY camp inside, we started hatching plans to make an overland pilgrimage to Simba’s kingdom. We visited the Serengeti during the dry season and opted to also visit the lesser-known but spectacular Tarangire National Park shortly thereafter. Here is what we found.

Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. – Mufasa

Coming from Rwanda, we headed up Lake Victoria’s shoreline and stopped by the beautiful campsite of Rocky Bay lodge where we were welcomed warmly by its SA-expat owners. Taking the Mwanza Bay ferry, we eventually made our way to one of the north-west entrance gates of the park. We visited early in August, which meant that the bulk of the famous blue wildebeest herds were concentrated in the north of the park, starting to cross the Mara river on their eternal clockwise trip toward greener pastures.

Shortly after entering, we were quite simply awed by the sheer number of animals. Thousands upon thousands of wildebeest staged in herds of various sizes, some milling anxiously while contemplating the dreaded river crossing. Travelling south, herds of zebra, topi, and Coke’s hartebeest dotted the landscape. Driving through the central plains, the ubiquitous Thompson’s gazelle abounded and Grant’s gazelles showed off their impressive horns while iconic Maasai giraffes ambled across the horizon.

Birdlife was equally impressive. Aptly-named Superb Starlings proved as common locally as its Cape Glossy cousins in South Africa and eye-catching Yellow-necked Spurfowls called from open savannas. White-headed Buffalo-weavers chatted in trees, and African Orange-bellied Parrots foraged among palm trees.

Everything the light touches is our kingdom. – Mufasa

All things considered, it is the awe-inspiring landscapes that we will remember most of the Serengeti. We tried to cover as much as possible of the park, and the landscapes are more varied than you might imagine. Expansive rolling hills dominate the north, as it would keep doing into the Maasai Mara across the river. Recent controlled burns looked very much like Scar’s shadowlands with its smouldering ashes and embers still glowing. Around the central area, classic and enduring images of old Africa abound with the park’s signature flat-topped Acacias dominating the open grasslands (and yes, the giraffes do journey across the horizon). Further south, the plains stretch as far the eye can see. These are peppered with isolated rocky koppies around which we found many lion tracks. It was therefore not a giant leap to imagine Mufasa and Simba sitting on one of these real-life Pride Rocks to survey their magnificent kingdom at dusk.

I’m surrounded by idiots. – Scar

We have always harboured a certain uneasiness with tourist game viewing vehicles. Although certainly not always the case, the unfortunate stereotypical jeep jockey often chases big sightings in exchange for even bigger tips. In the flagship East African parks, this Ferrari safari industry is taken to a whole next level, particularly in the high season. Loaded cruisers speed and swerve dangerously on the badly corrugated entrance road, hogged sightings make lion congestions in central Kruger look like driving school, and public bush campsites more closely resemble rock music festivals. We therefore quickly learnt that these parks should be visited with the right frame of mind – focusing on their unique beauty and many strong-points while managing your expectations of other aspects described so faithfully here by Scar.

Carnivores, oy! – Timon

The incredibly high density of herbivores in the Serengeti means that the number of carnivores follows suit. We saw an amazing 31 lions in just 24 hours, including having an early morning coffee with a real Mufasa sunning himself majestically on a rock. We found three cheetahs, many hyenas and even got a glimpse of a beautiful Serengeti leopard. Great was our excitement when we came across a lone African golden wolf patrolling his koppie territory. We did not even know that these interesting creatures are found in these parts, so this was a real treat indeed. In Tarangire we were serenaded all night long by multiple lion prides, and found a treed leopard in the morning. If great cat sightings is your cat nip, you must simply put these parks on your to-do list!

Life’s not fair, is it? – Scar

There is a looming dollar-shaped shadow over Tanzania’s beautiful national parks, particularly to overlanders and budget travellers. Much has been written about it, particularly regarding the rather unjustified and exorbitant fees for private vehicles that are making it increasingly unfeasible for self-drive visitors. It will perhaps suffice to simply state that the fees are not going to go down any time soon, so hurry up and plan the trip if it is at all within your reach. We still felt that this trip of a lifetime was absolutely worth it, although we will never complain about SANPark fees ever again!

Hakuna Matata! – Timon and Pumbaa

There are very few places left in Africa, indeed in the world, where it likely still looks exactly what it must have looked like a few hundred years ago. It was therefore an immense privilege to visit these grand parks of Tanzania, let alone drive ourselves around them in Baloo. These are places where animals of all shapes and sizes still thrive in their hundreds of thousands, migrating unperturbed along ancient paths as they have done for millennia. These are places where the golden sun rises every morning (cue Elton John), and where there is hope for conservation efforts. These are places where, at least for a moment or two in time, animals can have no worries.

Some helpful trip tips:

Serengeti NP

  1. The park can roughly be divided into Northern, Western, Central and Southern areas. The classic flat-topped acacia scenery and busiest area is mostly central (around Seronera).
  2. The blue wildebeest migration moves in a clock-wise direction throughout the year. If you want to see them, plan your focus area ahead (https://www.discoverafrica.com/herdtracker/).
  3. Public (aka not exclusive) campsites are very busy with tour operators in the dry season, so arrive late, leave early and don’t expect facilities or atmosphere that match the cost.
  4. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area borders the Serengeti on the East and is just as expensive as the Serengeti, even if just transiting (more if you want to go down the crater). Therefore, plan your trip to enter on one side of the park and exit on another to avoid doubling costs.
  5. The road from Seronera to the NCA is notoriously badly corrugated. Avoid at least part of it by detouring towards the beautiful Gol Kopjes.

 Tarangire NP

  1. Seeing mostly day-tripping tourists from Arusha, there are less overnight campers in Tarangire than in the Serengeti.
  2. Tarangire is less about ferrari safaris, and more about beautiful baobab landscapes, a wonderful river and denser bushveld like southern African wilderness areas.

 Arusha

  1. Stock up and treat yourself at The Village.
  2. Those empty South African Cadacs can be filled at Manji’s Gas.
  3. Book your rattled cruiser in for a well-deserved service at the well-oiled Arusha Toyota (expat SA manager included).
  4. Foodies, coffee and wi-fi snobs should try Coffee Culture.

 Campsites

  1. Lake Victoria / Mwanza: Rocky Bay Lodge
  2. Outside Serengeti (West): Ikoma Safari Lodge
  3. Outside Ngorongoro (East): Foresight Safari Lodge
  4. Arusha area: Twiga Lodge
  5. Moshi area: Simba Farm Lodge

    Crossing a thousand hills

    Crossing a thousand hills

    Oct 22, 2023 | Birding, Rwanda

    When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. When Clifton Fadiman noted this, he might as well have been describing overland travel through Rwanda. As far as African states are concerned, Rwanda is truly unique. After spending a month in neighbouring crazy-but-cool Uganda, we meandered through this tiny landlocked country in Baloo. Having been fortunate enough to enjoy a fly-in Rwandan trip a few years ago, the expectations of a road trip through this developing nation were high. As it turned out, overlanding through it proved very different. We encountered ups and down aplenty, both literally and figuratively. Here are a few of the inclines and declines that you can expect in the land of a thousand hills.

    Headliner Act

    This tiny landlocked country is no stranger to making international headlines. The well-known Tutsi genocide of 1994 strikes at the very core of modern Rwandan society. Whether driving through the rural areas or just visiting Kigali, memorial sites dot the landscape. It is recommended to visit some of these to understand more about the whats and whys, but be prepared for some very graphic content that emphasize just what humans can truly be capable of – and not long ago at that.

    These days Rwanda is making headlines for much more positive and uplifting reasons. It is proudly one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and foreign investors are competing to get in on the act. At ground level this is also apparent. We found modern and well-designed buildings dotting Kigali, new developments under construction everywhere, first-world clinics and hospitals popping up throughout, and entrepreneurs advertising startup micro-businesses in almost every town.

    Spring Cleaning

    The first comment most travellers give is just how clean Rwanda is, and for good reason. Driving through most other parts of Africa, one becomes semi-accustomed to everyday scenes of grimes against humanity: heaps of yesterday’s garbage burning in the backyard; rivers foaming with Omo and goodness-knows-what-else; Marabou Storks ambling along sidewalks, picking their way through mounds of delicious litter.

    None of that will do for Rwanda. For starters, they have an anti-plastic-bag policy that is well enforced. Your car gets inspected at the border, all groceries come in paper bags, and even the plastic baggage wraps of paranoid South African passengers must be left at the airport. Then there are the community clean-up days. Started after the genocide as a form of community service that involves all of society, this is a very inspiring initiative. Driving through Rwandan towns on cleaning days we witnessed young and old joined in the act of washing out gutters, sweeping pavements and cleaning streets. We even saw police cars patrolling the fringes of villages to make sure everyone is busy cleaning. Imagine that back home in South Africa.

    Mighty Dollars

    As elsewhere in Africa, the Rwandans prefer squeezing you with the mighty US Dollar over the local currency. In comparison with a visit only six years ago, the cost of most things have also dramatically increased. At overlander or budget traveller level this means that their beautiful national parks are essentially out of reach. To put it into perspective, a day in Akagera or Nyungwe is even more expensive than the famously high cost of a day in the Serengeti! Along with the general lack of camping grounds in lieu of lodges and hotels, it seems that the country’s tourism is simply not aimed towards us mortals that eat local supermarket food and are okay with cold showers.

    Coffee and Adventure

    We entered the country in the North close to Ruhengeri and visited the brand-new Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, a beautifully designed building that was high on our must-see list. The campus is a centre for gorilla conservation and scientific research and involves beautiful exhibits to learn more about mountain gorillas. The building itself is also inspiring. Built from local volcanic rock and bamboo, it blends beautifully with the surrounding flowing hills with views over the mountains which the Rwandan gorillas call home. Taking the volcanic back roads, we then bumped along the foothills of the Virungas. Here we stopped for enormous King Kong-size artworks made from papyrus and sipped delicious cappuccinos made from local beans by baristas that would challenge any in Europe.

    Our fondness of the road less taken (or our exhaustive search for budget camping) took us onto the Congo-Nile trail. This confusingly-named trail traverses the hills along the shores of Lake Kivu, being the water shedding ridge along which water either drains into Congo (to the west) or Nile (to the east) systems. It is mostly a hiking or cycling trail, but parts can also be driven by 4×4. We thus found ourselves rattling along happily, crossing mountain streams on dodgy-looking wooden planks (if the vrot bakkie in front could pass, so can we, right?). We spent a few nights at one of the trail base stations on the shores of the lake, doubling as a local coffee washing station. Between coffee shrubs, heaps of freshly plucked coffee fruit and views of the many tranquil islands and coves of the lake, it was a fascinating place to set up office and catch up on chores.

    Ki(n)gali

    Following millions of road bends and many Valoid tablets, our route took us through the Nyungwe forest. This is one of the most beautiful forests we have ever seen and we would have loved to stay longer and explore if only an American fly-in tourist could take pity on us. Unfortunately none did, so we were content and happy with views over the steamy and rolling hills of primeval forest, roadside L’Hoest’s monkeys and beautiful birds such as the Lühder’s Bushshrike.

    Fuelled by yet more well-crafted cappuccinos, we made our way to Kigali where we set up shop in an Airbnb flat for a week. We mostly used the time to recover from flu and catch up on work, but in between also explored this wonderful city. Very unlike most African cities, Kigali is clean, safe, well-structured, without too much traffic, and has a very modern air about it owing to the many new developments around. We shopped for fresh produce in well-stocked supermarkets, got bread and real cheese(!!) from great delis, and sampled (you guessed it) cappuccinos at street cafes. A highlight was also a lunch at Heaven, a restaurant with amazing fusion cuisine. They also have a remarkably inspiring back-story which the owner wrote a book about – a book which just happened to be the very first gift I ever gave Simoné.

    When we eventually made our way to another border to exit back into Tanzania, we were left with mixed feelings about Rwanda. There are certainly many challenges that might make an overland journey through it difficult, such as sleeping in hotel parking lots or having to miss out on some of the wonderful parks. However, the country is blessed with many truly unique facets that can mostly be summed up as inspiring. From its cleanliness and commitments to righting wrongs from the past, to its modern developments, natural beauty and conservation ethics. So, will we be back to cross these hills again one day? If we can, yes. For all these things – and the cappuccinos!

    Some helpful trip tips:

    • Borders
    1. Get the East-African Tourist visa if you plan to visit Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya together, but remember it gets nullified once you exit to any other neighbouring country. It is better to get it online, but not impossible at the borders.
    2. Two items foremost on the car-search agenda at Rwandan borders: plastic bags and drones.
    • National parks
    1. African Parks is managing both the Akagera and Nyungwe Forest National Parks and both are truly beautiful, although their park fees have escalated exponentially over the last year or two.
    2. The main road through the Nyungwe Forest is public so it is possible admire this beautiful forest without the park fees.
    3. Camping is possible inside Akagera, and for something very different, SA’s Lowveld Trails Company offer seasonal wilderness hiking trails inside the park (lowveldtrails.co.za).
    • Gorillas
    1. Rwanda’s mountain gorillas are in the Volcanoes National Park in the north. It is easily accessible via Ruhengeri and the trekking not as strenuous as in Uganda.
    2. Rwanda’s gorilla permits now cost more than double those of Uganda.
    3. There is a brand-new research and educational centre just outside the park sporting a world-class building and beautiful exhibits to learn more about mountain gorillas (https://gorillafund.org/ellencampus/).
    • Kigali
    1. There are no real camping options – an Airbnb apartment might be your best bet.
    2. The National Genocide Memorial Museum is recommended to understand more about Rwanda’s modern history, but be prepared for some very graphic and emotionally stirring exhibitions.
    3. Our favourite restaurant is Heaven – fantastic cuisine with a fantastic story (heavenrwanda.com).
    • Campsites
    1. Rwanda doesn’t generally offer camping – overlanders need to manage their expectations! Backpackers with ground tents are catered for in some places, but rooftop tents not as much.
    2. You will usually be able to find hotels or lodges that allow you to camp in their parking areas, using an open room’s ablutions.
    3. The general exception is the region on the shores of Lake Kivu, where the various basecamps intended for hikers/bikers on the Congo-Nile trail also offer good and cheap camping. https://kivubelt.travel/congo-nile-trail/