"Real Wanderers On The Continent”: Every Friday…real tours and real people who are really addicted to Africa!

Name	David Korenko
From	Melbourne, Australia
Tour & truck	Kenya to Cape Town on Pangani Truck
Travelling with…?	My friend
Been to Africa before?	Morocco & Egypt
Or done any other travelling?	Europe & Japan
Most memorable moments on tour?	Lots…Watching a leopard drag its prey up a tree in the Serengeti, relaxing on Kande beach by Lake Malawi, sky diving in Namibia(!), climbing Dune 45 in the Namib Desert and sleeping wild in the Okavango Delta
What would you say to someone thinking of coming on tour?	Overlanding’s the best way to experience Africa!
Where’s the next adventure?...	South Africa

Our next Africa addict is Alex Tosti from Washington, USA. Aman who fancied mixing it up with a little bit of beach and bush he’s recently been travelling overland, his trip heading from Dar Es Salaam. Catch up with Alex next Friday 31 July…

Our Twitter Voluntour starts TODAY!

“Andy, the great outdoorsman from the Veldt" is currently crashing in Zimbabwe and is ready to rock as an anti-poacher.

Catch up with him on Twitter over the next five-days and get in on the act with the VFPAU – the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit. He’ll also be running a recorded interview on Twitter tomorrow with one of the patrol team – so interested “tweeps” should come and check out our page (http://twitter.com/AcaciaAfrica) from 1pm (BST)

Given up: going out on the town in favour of house parties

Dear “Addicted to Africa Diary”....The house warming went off with a bang, although I think my cat (named after the Spice Island of Zanzibar - "Zanz" for short) was a bit freaked when the fireworks started. I was in seventh heaven, as I must have saved at least £50 quid on my usual bar tab (London beer prices, who needs them!!!), but it wasn’t just the travel kitty that had a glint in its eye. Once the rockets started exploding, I closed my eyes and started reminiscing over my last New Year’s Eve in Cape Town. It was a meteoric event of mammoth proportions so how could I forget. We decided to catch up with the vibe at a rooftop party in the V&A Harbour with around 2,500 other people. Yes, just a small gathering!

Despite the entrance fee it was a real buzz, beers being (from memory!!!) only a pound. I don’t think our small display could quite beat the fireworks that night – the sky was constantly ablaze with colour, reds, blues, greens and yellows shooting into the ether. Table Mountain was outlined in the distance and still a pretty impressive sight, even under cover of darkness.

People weren’t just partying in the clubs – the streets were filled with New Year revelers. If there’s one thing I discovered, it’s that the South African’s sure know how to put on a party, and I was glad that I’d decided to end my overland trip with a city stay. While a great night was had by all on our first housewarming (we’re thinking of making this a regular event), Africa, I’m still missing you…

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...

Nosh Up In Kenya – Siggi Hosenfeld gives us the low down on the best food in the wildlife capital

Here are some of the most essential Kenya recipes; Ugali (Cornmeal Porridge) is considered as the national dish. However, if you are looking for some culinary culture, go towards the coast. It’s long association with the Indian Ocean trade has produced distinctive regional cooking, where rice and fish, flavored with coconut, tamarind and exotic spices, are the dominant ingredients.

When Kenyans go out, they go for the standard “blow-out” feast, which is a huge pile of nyama choma (roast meat). You can order your meat of choice; goat, beef, mutton or chicken, and the way you prefer to eat it, whether that’s cooked, fried or roasted.

If you are a vegetarian, don’t worry. Kenya recipes offer a lot to choose from. Besides an abundance of delicious assortments of fruit, there are numerous dishes to decide from.

Meat-free pasta dishes, omelettes, vegetables and potatoes. This East-African country truly has an amazing array of mouth-watering, fantastic vegetarian dishes, topped at the end of a meal with fresh fruit salad. Yummy!!! (As you might guess, I am a Vegetarian :)

There are also beautiful Italian and Indian restaurants and everything is very delicious. So, no worries, there is something for all of us and everybody’s appetite will be satisfied.

Oh, by the way, beer, in Kenya, translates to TUSKER. On a hot day, of which there are a lot in Kenya, a cold Tusker beer……mmmmmhh. On each bottle it says "Bia Yunga, Nchi Yunga", (My Beer, My Country) and it sports the famous label of an elephant with tusks in black, yellow and white.

The Tusker Lager is brewed using the highest quality malted barley grown in the great, big Kenyan Rift Valley, Hops and Water. What else does it need?! It is fantastic and you’ve got to try a Tusker beer when you are in Kenya! That’s a must…J

About The Author

Siggi Hosenfeld is the editor of Kenya Travel Ideas – the “Ultimate Guide” to the wildlife capital.

Next week's Africa pundit:

We hooked up with Michael Theys, a.k.a the Africa Freak on Twitter and ever since that point we’ve been glued to his site. If you want to get kitted out for Mount Kili, it’s a good place to start. Check in with the Africa Freak Wednesday 29 July…

My Girlfriend's First Leopard: by Heath Ashcroft

After more than 5 years of going out together, my girlfriend Kristy finally persuaded me that we should try a holiday in Africa. As I'm constantly travelling back and forth to Africa for work we usually holiday elsewhere in the world - but after deep thought (over a beer) and serious negotiation (over 10 beers) we decided to travel there in September/October 2008.

Our safari started in Uganda and would finish in Tanzania via Kenya. Everything was going great guns and she was falling in love with Africa, as I had many years before. A great bonus for me was that we were seeing many things that I had not encountered in my nine years of working for Acacia. These included being surrounded by a troop of chimps in Kabale, watching a baby gorilla suckling from its mother in Bwindi, seeing full grown lions sleeping lazily in the fork of a tree in Queen Elizabeth National Park, swimming with dolphins in Zanzibar and being charged repeatedly by a stumbling baby elephant in the Serengeti. If I have learnt anything from visiting Africa repeatedly over the years, it's that it never fails to surprise you.

However, we were in the Serengeti, the last of eight game parks on our safari and I was a wee bit nervous. Not because were camping out in the wilds that night, but because it was Kristy's last chance to see leopard. The elusive leopard is an animal I love and hate in equal measure. Love, because of it power and elusiveness, hate because of the disappointment I know it can bring when not spotted! It took me several years and game parks before I chanced upon my first leopard at Lake Nakuru, but I kept this to myself and hoped that nature would be kind to us.

On entering the park proper the first big predator we come across was the Lion, the big cat boldly surveying his kingdom on top of a kopjie (rocky outcrop). This was a good start. Shortly afterwards we came across a cheetah, just visible 500 or so metres away. I thought we were on a roll - and low and behold, less than an hour later we spotted Kristy's first leopard in a tree! The leopard had company; a Thompsons Gazelle lay lifeless, hanging daintily from the slim branches of the young Acacia tree that the leopard had appropriated. I honestly do not know which was better, the sight of the leopard with its kill or the look of astonishment on Kristy's face.

We were happy sitting there, absorbing the magnificent spectacle in front of us, letting time drift by, and as other vehicles moved away we got closer and closer to nature's reward. East Africans have a saying, which is quite apt for all of Africa, 'Pole Pole,' translated as 'Slowly Slowly' in Swahili, and our patience was certainly rewarded.

Late October in the Serengeti brings short and sharp showers. As the afternoon wind started to pick up we could sense the leopard beginning to feel agitated, surveying the landscape for predators and a safer, sturdier place to stow its bounty. Then Boom! Thunder belted and heavy rain descended. In a flash the leopard picked the antelope up by the scruff of the neck, hurtled down the tree and dragged its prey towards a nearby kopjie, a 100 or so meters away. The muscles from its neck and shoulders bulged, magnified by the drops of rain swimming down its spotted skin. In another feat of immense strength, the now drenched lifeless carcass was dragged 10 - 15 metres up an Acacia tree, where finally both predator and prey came to rest under its protective canopy.

I glanced at Kristy nonchalantly as if I had seen this all before, but secretly Africa had surprised me once again.

On 28 July Angela Waring will be going back to basics in the recession and opting for an eco-camp in Zambia…join her in the wilds of Africa next Tuesday...

Andy "the great outdoorsman from the Veldt," bags a baboon or two in Swaziland

This week’s patter comes live and direct from Malalotja Nature Reserve: Well, it’s all quiet on the Southern front – in fact you could hear a pin drop out here on the fern lined paths. We’re out on a game walking expedition with our guide and heading through the Malalotja Nature Reserve - a great spot if you want to avoid hordes of tourists. I’ve joined up with adventurers on the 13-day Trek South Africa adventure – say “hi” guys!

Now we’re making our way into the lush highland forests for yet another amazing photo opportunity. Apparently the views from the escarpment over the lowfeld beyond are simply awesome.

By the way – don’t worry I’ll make it out of here in one piece as this is one park that’s free of the larger and more dangerous game species. Then again with baboons, eland and even a small herd of elephants calling this their home it’s certainly amazing wildlife viewing.

My top tip – get yourself over to one of the parks waterfalls, scamper down the granite slopes and take a dip. You can even try some cliff jumping. I took the leap from a good 35-feet - certainly a "must do" feat for the adrenaline junkies out there!

"Real Wanderers On The Continent”: Every Friday…real tours and real people who are really addicted to Africa!

Name	Alice Allen
From	UK
What tour are you on? Truck/tour leader?	South West Safari (Livingstone to Cape Town) Pangani truck, road crew Sammy & Julius
Travelling with…?	Each other Kim Allen
Travel Motto	The more you put into a trip the more rewarding the trip becomes!
Or done any other travelling?	All over the world – but never Antarctica!
Favourite place on the tour?	Etosha national park at the flood lit waterhole beside our camp – watching all the animals at night The Okavango Delta – poling through the wilderness in traditional mokoros
Most memorable moment on tour?	Sleeping out under the stars in Spitzkoppe - a beautiful remote area of Namibia
What would you say to someone thinking of coming on tour?	Pack a sense of humour and a sense of adventure and you will have ball!
Where’s the next adventure?...	Somewhere cold…..Antarctica??