Bristol to Botswana and Back

What is it about Africa? Why do people get hooked and keep returning? Roger and Monica give their take on this amazing land, and how it works.

In 1998 they shipped a Land-Rover to Cape Town and spent six months visiting five countries of Southern Africa. They travelled with laptop and satellite phone and sent back up-to-the minute reports by email. The reports they sent form the bulk of this book.

In South Africa they travelled to the lush forests and fine beaches of the "Garden Route", the arid farming country of the Karoo, and the Richtersveld, a mountain desert, camping on the bank of the Orange river.

In Namibia they explored the ancient Namib Desert, the Cunene River, the Himba People and Etosha National Park. The Kalahari, and the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta in Botswana were followed by seven weeks in Zimbabwe, a beautiful country, visiting an old friend at Harare University, Game Reserves, Victoria Falls and the magnificent Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers.

Then they whiled away their time on the romantic shores of Lake Malawi "The Warm Heart of Africa", exploring a tiny fishing village, and staying at other locations.

They slept mostly in tents, but occasionally in hotels, camps or lodges. Adventures included being trapped in the shower by a cobra and having to wrest their possessions from hyenas.

They travelled in the rainy season and did encounter rain from time to time, not forgetting the times of driving through overflowing rivers and huge deep puddles. But the plus side of travel at this time of year is that the male birds are in breeding plumage and often displaying to attract the females. Also many animals give birth at this time and one has the pleasure of observing the new-born young.