Wild at Heart: Backpacking Southern Africa Hardcover – Large Print, January 19, 2026

A three month odyssey gallivanting through ten countries of 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, living out childhood dreams, enriching my soul and expanding my waistband, sadly came to an end.In June, 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐚 greeted me with diverse natural landscapes, from the dramatic Tundavala Gap and Calandula Falls to the unique Black Rocks of Pungo-a-Ndongo and the coastal beauty of its long shoreline. The towns offered a mix of faded Portuguese colonial architecture, providing a glimpse into the past. Days often started with 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑙 𝑑𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑎 and an espresso, lunch and dinner a choice of traditional Angolan, African or bountiful fresh seafood.𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚 was a land of laser straight roads, where the Namib, Earth's eldest desert, stretches beneath endless skies to meet the seas. The fiery red dunes of Sossusvlei rise like towering waves, while skeletal acacia trees struck poses against a white clay pan; the haunting beauty of Deadvlei. The stark beauty of treacherous Skeleton Coast, where the desert meets the Atlantic, is marked by shipwrecks: an untamed wonder. In Etosha National Park, wildlife roams free, and echoes of a rich Germanic past linger in the charming, timeworn settlements of Lüderitz, Swakopmund and mining ghost towns. Camping became my lifestyle: me, a tent, and a diet fueled by 𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑔, 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑎𝑖𝑠, and if you were game, steaks of 𝑧𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎, 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑎, and 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒.Botswana's 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚, a vast, intricate system of islands, lagoons, and waterways situated deep within the sandy Kalahari Desert offered zen tranquillity when gently gliding through its endless arteries aboard a traditional mokoro dugout canoe.𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 quickly waterboarded my peace with its thunderous roar. Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders), it is the world's largest curtain of falling water, located on the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, creating immense spray and rainbows visible for miles.𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐢, this vast, clear freshwater lake is central to Malawi, offering beaches, and a unique ecosystem with more species of fish than all of Europe and North America combined. It tempted me with 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑜 and 𝐾𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑜, fish so fresh I half-expected them to leap onto my plate and shake my hand. Mount Mulanje, Malawi's highest peak, brooded over verdant tea plantations whilst the Zomba Plateau, a cool, misty highland, featuring waterfalls and offering breathtaking views. Liwonde National Park was a prime spot for wildlife viewing along the Shire River: an unforgettable experience being awoken by a lion’s roar from under the tent. Malawi is justifiably known as for its friendly and welcoming population, adding to the country's charm.𝐌𝐨𝐳𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 was infinite, unpopulated golden beaches, and seafood heaven: the only place where I could work up an appetite by diving with sharks – tiger, bull, dusky and silvertips added to my body count - then immediately undo my calorie deficit with platters of fish caught mere minutes before.𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 gave me the daily spectacle of rhinos living their best life, snacking on grass while I tucked into 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑤. Empathies to the impala, but my stomach was grateful. And, with a sense of triumph, I clinked a glass at Africa’s highest pub to celebrate my UN100 country, precariously perched in 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐨 at the end of the serpentine 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬.𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 acted as a fulcrum between these two land-locked countries whilst energising me 𝐵𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑤, a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry, and cheap good wine!I did my best to capture highlights of my journey in brief travelogs, one or more posted for each place that I visited. Hopefully they depicted the essence of the trip, the travelling, the history, observations, experiences and of course the food. Read more