Although there are an infinite number of places I would love to travel while living in Zambia, I have limited time and an even more limited budget. Keeping my time in mind more so than my budget, I have decided on these destinations as my top 3 Must See Places (and one Honorable Mention) on my Southern Africa Bucket List:
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Tofo, Mozambique
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Honorable Mention: Malawi
I live in a landlocked country, but my heart longs for the sea. I am through and through a beach bum type of girl. My ideal vacation is almost always filled with sand and swimming. That’s why the top 3 Must See Places on my Southern Africa Bucket List are all found along the coast. They each offer a beach getaway, and then some.
Cape Town, South Africa
Everything I have heard about Cape Town has left me convinced that it will be nothing less than my home away from home. Wine vineyards, warm weather, whale watching, outdoor hikes and an ocean view. Sounds like California packed its bags and moved to Africa just like me! On top of all those similarities, Cape Town, just like California, also boasts of an amazing array of stylish watering holes and progressive vegan eateries.
Cape Town was recently featured in the VegNews Magazine October 2016 Issue as a destination that boasts of a “thriving vegan scene.” Today, this city stands as a progressive light of compassion shining through the dark and oppressive past of Apartheid—which ended just over 20 years ago! And continues to spread compassion further to nonhumans alike, making it particularly veg-friendly.
Vacations are all about rest and relaxation, but Cape Town offers a wonderful opportunity to grow in compassion through exploring history as well. You can step into the shoes of the inspirational activist and compassion champion Nelson Mandela. Visit the old prison, now an educational tour site, to get an up close and personal experience of walking the grounds where this great man was kept for 18 out of his 27 years in captivity.
It feels almost sacrilegious to visit South Africa and not go on Safari to see the Big Five—lions, elephants, Cape buffalo, leopards and rhinoceros. After Safari, I want to kick my feet up and relax in the glamping-style trailers at the Fresh Trailer Park. There are all types of rooms, it reminds me something of Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. Yet another reason Cape Town is sure to feel like home.
Food and Drink
I can’t wait to dance my feet down Bree Street and drink up at Outrage of Modesty. VegNews recommends the Salty Dog, and if it has both salt and the word dog in the title, I’m game to try. My mouth waters each time I look at any one of the dishes served up there, but the cheesy nachos are what make my heart skip a beat.
The veg-friendly restaurant and bar list goes on, but that isn’t even all Cape Town has to offer.
There is a hodge podge of culture and adventure to also dive into. There are markets (even a vegan specific one the first Saturday of every month in Plumstead suburbs) and hikes to Table Mountain. Wine Tasting is certainly at the top of my list and there are many within a short drive. Some of which are particularly veg-friendly.
Tofo, Mozambique
I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Mozambique beyond that it has amazing diving, but that’s enough to make me want to go. That and the fact that it is swimming distance from my last home, Madagascar. I’ve always enjoyed snorkeling, but it’s time to take it up a notch. I am ready to learn to dive. Mozambique is the perfect place to do it.
After I scuba dive and swim with whale sharks, I would love to explore the harbors. I grew up around boats and it always reminds me of home watching them come to and from port.
I love spice and peri-peri is the flavor of choice for this country. This is extremely good news. I am excited to pour, shake and splash this spice on EVERYTHING I eat.
I look forward to learning more about what makes this country such a jewel to visit. But for now, diving and swimming with whale sharks is seriously enough for me to keep it at the top of my list!
Zanzibar, Tanzania
From the moment I arrived in Zambia, many of my friends have been offering a plethora of places for me to visit. The lists are always different, but Zanzibar is ALWAYS on each one. I even had one friend go so far as to say if I wouldn’t put Zanzibar on my Southern Africa Bucket List, he would have to buy me a ticket and take me there himself. I almost want to take him up on the offer! But alas it’s on my list.
Zanzibar is a small island in the Indian Ocean just off the Tanzanian Coast. The local language is Swahili and Unguja is the official name. It is a small, but beautiful island nestled in the Mozambique Channel that boasts of turquoise seaside, fresh green coconuts and icy cold beers—with caps that will make exquisite bottle cap earrings, the perfect souvenir.
Food is almost always on the top of my list, and Zanzibar has some amazing restaurants to boast of including the restaurant built above the sea: Rock Restaurant.
Just a short drive from Stone Town, the most populated city of Zanzibar, you can take a tour of the Spice Plantations. As Zanzibar is often referred to as the Island of Spice, this is a trip I don’t want to miss—even if it is markedly “touristy.” My curiosity to see and smell all the spices outweighs my desire to not be labeled tourist.
Another sensory experience that is sure to please is a walk down the colorful streets of Stone Town. The small stalls are sure to be filled with radiant fabrics, glass beads and hand crafted treasures. If it is anything like Zambia, the locals are sure to be experts at selling, and I will leave with trinkets galore. A tempting challenge to my minimalist dreams.
Honorable Mention: Malawi
Malawi isn’t actually on the coast, so it doesn’t exactly fit into my Top 3 Southern Africa Bucket List countries. But it does lay claim to one extremely large and many smaller beautiful lakes. Thus earning itself Honorable Mention as a serious contender for my limited time and funds.
Time to get moving
I have my Southern Africa Bucket List primed and ready to go. Now all I need to do is get moving to complete it!