Backpacking in Africa Jonny Blair
The sheer joy of touring round Swaziland’s central valleys offered more than you’d expect. We turned up on the roadside by a restaurant and a candle factory. Swaziland has a strong tradition and culture for handcrafted items. But it was late afternoon and we were on a tour with Shaun, the English Read more about Backpacking in Swaziland: Touring Swazi Candles Workshop[…]
Undoubtedly one of the best tours I have ever done was the Soweto Bicycle Tour. I rarely book things far in advance but on my southern hemisphere tour in 2010 – 2011, I knew I was flying into Johannesburg and I looked into staying in the famous township of Soweto. I arrived there and stayed Read more about Backpacking in South Africa: Soweto Bicycle Tour[…]
On a quiet morning while staying in the township of Soweto I walked from the backpackers hostel to Vilakazi Street. Soweto as a township is steeped in enough history as it is, but this was a special trip to the former house of a man who changed the world: Nelson Mandela. Nelson Read more about Mandela House: 8115 Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa[…]
As a traveller, an excellent way of getting a flavour for the real local culture and ways of a pace is to actually stay with someone who ordinarily lives there. Also known as a “homestay”. And so my South African adventure gave me a lot of various experiences, including the bonus of spending a night Read more about Homestay At Rachel’s: Ngculu Street, Orlando East, Soweto, South Africa *[…]
I find when I travel that in general, waterfalls NEVER disappoint and I’ll stand by that. This one, Mantenga Falls came somewhat as a surprise. Swaziland had enjoyed a lot of rain recently and I particularly enjoyed relaxing in the comfort of the cosy Swaziland Backpackers watching the rain beat down on the hills Read more about Backpacking in Swaziland: Visiting Mantenga Falls[…]
So to Durban in South Africa…
After a stop over in the city of Nelspruit – albeit to leave people off at hostels and hang around in a shopping centre car park, the final leg of my African experience of 2011 was upon me. I had been lucky to get to visit an Irish Pub in Nelspruit, O’Hara’s where a fresh Read more about Backpacking in South Africa: Nelspruit to Johannesburg Passing By…Belfast[…]
If Swaziland is a somewhat unknown traveller’s location, then it’s certainly a very under estimated one and springs a surprise to most. My trip to Swaziland was easily one of my random highlights from three weeks in southern Africa. I stayed in the Mahlanya area for three nights, and from there most of the main Read more about Backpacking in Swaziland: House On Fire, Swaziland’s Arty Nightclub[…]
Mbabane! The capital city of….which country? You’ll ask me. Swaziland! And indeed another of those capital cities that I didn’t visit. I have a habit of missing capital cities. I haven’t been to Brasilia, Ottawa, Kabul, Sucre, Washington DC, Baghdad, Geneva, Cape Town, Mbabane and a few others from the countries I’ve visited. So Read more about Backpacking in Swaziland🇸🇿: Mbabane, Another Capital City Goes Abegging[…]
Just check out the picture above, taken by myself from the central shopping mall at Ezulwini Market in the Malkerns Valley in Swaziland. What a gorgeous back drop and what a beautiful country Swaziland really is. It was an incredible wee place. My tour guide for this day (and for the four day stay Read more about Backpacking in Swaziland🇸🇿: Touring Ezulwini Market[…]