42 Nights in the African Bush!!!

From the beginning moments of dreaming about traveling the world, Ash and I were focused on an African safari. That focus has given birth to 42 nights of camping in the Africa Bush. Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana will be deeply inhaled.

We set out this evening on an eight hour flight from amazing Istanbul, Turkey for Nairobi, Kenya. Upon landing, we will have reached our sixth and final continent. My fingers fidget with excitement as I type. After hours of YouTube, books on our South African friends’ Kindle, and Internet mining, we are going to see the real thing. The Big Five: lion, buffalo, rhinoceros, african elephant, and leopard. And all the other animals only seen in a cramped zoo: giraffe, warthog, zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, baboon and hippo among others. Before relishing a comfy bed one last time, we completely emptied our bags and repacked in anticipation of living like a real minimalist. It felt like starting our RTW anew. Such an incredible rush of emotions.

Our home will be in the African bush within a cozy tent. After hours of searching Istanbul, we found suitable sleeping bags and strange camping utensils. Our overland adventure is about as cheap as they come considering we pitch in with cooking, runs to local markets, and protecting the 4×4 truck. Ash is admittedly nervous regarding six weeks of tent living. She really has no choice, her only escape being a life amongst a lion pride. Our transportation will be aboard Pumba, a custom made 4×4 overland truck with 28 like-minded adventurers from Europe, South America, Oceania, and Asia.

The highlights are ridiculous: Great Rift Valley, The Masai Mara, Nakuru National Park, Lake Naivasha, Hells Gate National Park, Maasai Boma, Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage, The Giraffe Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar Island, Lake Malawi, Kariba houseboats, lion walks, rhino trek, Victoria Falls, white water rafting on the Zambezi River, Chobe National Park, and finally the Okavanga Delta.

First stop: Kenya’s Masai Mara and the Great Migration! Hakuna Matata.

- Greg and Ash

Learn From Our Footsteps:

1) We both always thought that African safaris are for the rich and famous. However, many operators offer camping excursions of various lengths that cater to the budget traveler. Make no mistake, it is not cheap, but the dream is attainable.