Having a valid passport and the necessary visas are two of the foremost requirements for any traveller. Apart from the annoyance of applying for visas, it can also be costly and hence African overlanders will be happy to hear that an African Union passport which will give them access to 54 countries is under way.
The dream of having one passport that will allow African citizens to travel the continent visa-free is one step closer to realisation with the new electronic African Union passport that was presented to the incoming chairperson of the AU and the Rwandan president at the African Union (AU) Assembly held in Kigali in July 2016.
The African Union passport that was presented to dignitaries at the AU Assembly.
The aim of the AU is to allow African citizens visa-free travel within their own continent by 2020, which is in line with the African Development Bank’s (ADB) plans to abolish visa requirements for all Africans by 2018 – a move which would aid business and overall travel on the African continent. Continue reading Visa-free overlanding with African Union passport→
If you want to do some exciting overlanding, Zambia provides an excellent option to get a real taste of Africa. The country has a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty, scenic back roads, interesting places to visit, exciting activities, variety in accommodation options and on top of it all, friendly people! By Karin Theron
It was twilight and not a good time to be out on foot with predators lurking around. The next moment we were shocked to a standstill! A big elephant bull was standing a few meters from us, clearly annoyed with our intrusion. It is difficult to say who got the biggest fright, us or our armed guide!
This incident happened a few years ago when we went for a guided walk in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. Then, if it wasn’t for the flooded river crossing, we would have been back at camp well before dark.
In many game areas in Southern Africa the camps are unfenced, which means that elephant can visit at any time. We had an elephant visiting our site while we were pitching our tent and also at night whilst sitting around the fire. Continue reading How to be safe around elephants→
