Dismal date - passed on the nightclub, saved on ludicrous entrance fee and over-inflated London drinks prices…

Dear "addicted to Africa" diary...If I needed the impetus to make a short night of it I certainly found an answer this weekend. Well at least the travel kitty is gloating :) I’m sorry but when your best friend sets you up with a guy that can’t stop taking about cut-price flights to Europe – it’s a sure reason to leave.  I agree, Ibiza must be an amazing place, but five years in a row! Of course, had we been talking about Africa there would have been far too much choice for boredom to set in.

Don’t get me wrong there’s some great nightlife in the capital of Nairobi. On my last city stay our group had an amazing time at “Meet the Carnivore,” where we danced into the early hours, but Europe’s just no contender when it comes to adventure. Great safaris, adrenaline activities, and breathtaking landscapes are simply an Africa must have.  I’m currently eyeing up a safari in the Ngorongoro Crater, the ideal place to catch the Big Five. The 30,000 strong wildlife population leave their mark on the volcanic landscape year round and the occasional sighting of a red cloaked Maasai warrior also gives the location ultimate storybook Africa appeal.  I’ll need to pack some woolies and hat – those spectacular early morning game drives can get kind of chilly! Africa you're always on my mind:)

Amelia Smith...

Saving up for your next Africa trip...any great ideas on how to generate more cash for Amelia's travel kitty? From the weird to the wonderful we're all ears...

Amelia Smith: single, twenty-something globetrotter

Amelia Smith is a single, twenty-something globetrotter caught between the city rat race and her Africa travel bug.  Her rented "shoebox-like" apartment costs way over the odds and the travel kitty is suffering from long periods of drought, especially in the recession. 

Her parent’s insistence that her regular furloughs on the African continent aren’t good for her career prospects continually drives her round the bend - her latest voluntour experience meeting with an all too familiar glazed expression from her mother. Tired of the humdrum monotony of office life; the appalling British weather; and meeting guys who have never travelled further than Europe, or who don’t understand the thrill of camping – her thoughts constantly return to Africa. 

Amelia is fixated on booking the perfect itinerary and determined to make huge concessions so that she can jump on the next available flight.  Struggling to cope with her Africa addiction, she feels the only way to get through life is to diarise her weekly ramblings – all in the hope of retaining her sanity until she touches back down on the continent. Catch her up with her here every Thursday…