Is it okay to travel during Ramadan?

Something that worried me in the past was whether it’s okay to travel during Ramadan to Muslim countries. I needn’t have worried, but there are certain things to keep in mind if you plan to do the same yourself. What exactly is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month in the… Continue reading

Africa’s best diving destinations

This short guide aims to highest Africa’s best diving destinations. Think of Africa, and it’s likely that it’s the continent’s plains and rainforests that come to mind. And you should definitely take any opportunity to head out on safari and enjoy the sights and sounds of happy elephant. But don’t… Continue reading

The trouble with Zimbabwe’s stolen elections

Africa guide map

The trouble with Mugabe’s apparent continuing election shenanigans in Zimbabwe – formerly the breadbasket of Africa – is that it tars the entire African continent with the same brush of unfree election cycles, which is simply no longer the case. Mali’s highly-praised presidential election just a few days before Zimbabwe’s… Continue reading

To Agulhas and back

Africa guide map

Spending the weekend in the Royal Geographical Society’s Ondaatje Theatre at their London headquarters for the annual ‘Explore’ weekend (see last blog) got me to thinking of those adventurers who predated me. The theatre’s wood-panelled walls are marked out in gilding with the names of the world’s most important explorers…. Continue reading