Journal Entry Two
This continent cracked me open.
I’ve danced in the dust, cried in the savannas.
I’ve been welcomed by people whose warmth felt like coming home. We’ve laughed over simple meals, shared stories with no need to impress, and somehow, even as a guest, I never felt like a stranger.
Africa didn’t just show me the world. It showed me…me.
Each place I’ve traveled within Africa has carried its own lessons and holds a place in my heart.
Some taught me how to pause, others taught me to trust myself.
If I were to do it all over again for the first time, here’s what I would recommend for anyone planning their first trip to Africa, broken down by the places that shaped my experience and the highlights of each destination.
Kenya
What It Taught Me: Liberation.
With its open savannahs and steady rhythms, Kenya taught me how to release what no longer belonged to me and remember what freedom feels like.
These are the moments and places that shaped my time there, the ones that stayed with me long after I left.
The Naboisho Women’s Bead Group
Spending time with Maggie and the women of the Naboisho Bead Group offered a window into their life, traditions, and the shared realities and difficulties women navigate across cultures. You can spend time learning from them, and you can purchase bracelets, bags, baskets, and other crafts that support education for their daughters.
This conservancy isn’t just another safari; it’s a space where wilderness feels lived-in, sacred, and deeply connected to the people who call it home. Naboisho, “coming together,” in the Maasai language, was born from the idea of hundreds of Maasai landowners who dedicated their land to wildlife and community. I stayed at the Mara Nyika Camp and saw a leopard on the drive into camp, which, if you know they are shy and elusive, so it was a spectacular start to spending time with lots of apex predators up close.
Ol Donyo was a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the truest sense. There were hardly any vehicles, and that quiet made everything feel more intimate. Each room is differently curated, and we were the only ones with a view of Mount Kilimanjaro rising in the distance, the Chyulu Hills soft against the horizon, and classic umbrella acacias stretching endlessly beneath the African sky.
That connection doesn’t end when you leave, either. They even have a 24/7 video you can log into anytime from the internet. So, you can be transported to Safari mode even from your office or home.
This was such a special place for me. I got the chance to visit this village of mud-and-hide huts that are created around their livestock. I was welcomed inside their homes and learned so much about their culture and community.
At Ol Malo, you are instantly made to feel like part of the family. From here, you can take Kenya choppers to South Island or explore the Great Rift Valley, where the earth was born, which is why it feels like home and a place we are all from. We all can call this home; it belongs to all of us!
Nairobi
I toured Nairobi, which I learned is so much more than just a city; it’s a vibrant hub where you can appreciate the global business and culture. A few of my favorite highlights here were visiting the Karen Blixen Museum and trying a fresh, farm-to-table meal at the Cultiva Farm Restaurant, and wandering through their gardens afterward, too.
Zimbabwe & Zambia
What it taught me: Initiation
With its wild rivers and thundering falls, these places taught me how to stand steady at the edge of fear and choose myself anyway.
Devils Pool
Victoria Falls is iconic and is often on everyone’s list of must-sees, but for me, the real magic was walking to Devil’s Pool, right at the edge of the waterfall on the Zambian side. I didn’t originally plan to, but I sat at the edge of the falls. With the water rushing around me and the world literally falling away, it felt half-terrifying, half-alive – such a reminder to let your travels take you toward the unexpected.
Hwange
Hwange is home to the Somalia Camp, where we were guided by Rob Dube. Here, I experienced my first real walking safari with elephants at sunrise. There’s nothing like the soft sounds of a herd nearby and the light spilling across the savannah. Pure magic, and training for what was about to come next in Mana Pools.
Mana Pools
If you love raw, wild immersion, Mana Pools is not to be missed. Around the Zambezi River, we walked riverside trails, observed wildlife, and visited Chitake Springs, a completely different world that showcases Africa’s wild.
Lake Kariba
On Lake Kariba, I explored by houseboat. There are a lot of ways to safari through Africa: by foot, by drive, by boat, by helicopter – don’t limit yourself! This is a beautiful man-made reservoir between Zimbabwe and Zambia, which creates an amazing place to see elephants, crocodiles, fish, and plenty of wildlife by water.
Rwanda
What it taught me: Integration
With its gentle mountains and deep memory, Rwanda taught me how to carry grief without letting it harden me, and how to integrate strength quietly, from the inside out.
Everyone goes for the gorillas at Volcanoes National Park. I would definitely recommend it. Trek to spend an hour with your assigned gorilla family for an hour, while they are habituated, they are still very wild! I went to see a mama who just had a baby three days prior, and she came over to me to show me her baby. Of course, I cried! Proud mom to proud mom, it was such a sweet moment.
This is a place that sometimes gets missed. But, stay at the wilderness camp Magashi, and ask for Selma, Charles, and Leo. They are reason enough to visit. Here’s a secret: You can see the big 5 right in Rwanda, too, if you go to Magashi. The camp just expanded, offering options for all travelers. This camp is on a lake, so there is a water safari in addition to traditional drives. It was not too busy when I was there, and I had a private vehicle or pontoon with Leo, who is a guide you won’t ever forget. Plus, if you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan, he knows about them, and I taught him the Eagles chants.
Take the opportunity to learn about their tea farming. I went to the Nyungwe House Tea Lounge to learn more about the teas they grow in their plantation, through their tea experience. They have incredible stories and share the secrets behind a variety of teas. I went leaf picking and then did the tasting experience, and it’s incredible how many benefits their tea has.
Kigali
Before you begin your adventures, spend time in Kigali. Visit the Genocide Memorial to pay your respects and understand the country’s history. As you travel through Rwanda, you’ll be struck by the depth of forgiveness; it’s truly palpable and inspiring.
Oh, and if you need a driver, make sure to ask for Roger and tell him your friend Jessica sent you. He has a wealth of information. That is the most interesting part of traveling to Africa – the people!
Namibia
What it taught me: Recognition
With its endless desert and vast silence, Namibia taught me how to see myself clearly, without distraction, without noise, and without needing to become anything else.
Here are my favorite highlights from visiting Namibia.
Helicopter Tour
Seeing the dunes stretch straight to the ocean gave me perspective like nothing else. Viewing the desert from overhead is such a powerful sight; I hope it stays ingrained in my mind forever.
Star Gazing
Such a clear, breath-taking view of the Milky Way, paired with a silence that doesn’t make you feel alone, but instead invites you to sit, breathe, and simply soak it all in.
E-Biking Through the Desert
Gliding over sand with the wind on your face is such an experience. The dunes stretch for miles in every direction, and as you move through them, you can feel the vastness of the land.
Hot Air Balloon
I didn’t get to go because it was too windy, but just imagining it was enough to feel how the desert would lift you, weightless and quiet. I’ve heard incredible things about these rides, and it’s one of the most popular ways to see the dunes.
Hiking
Walking slowly, noticing every grain of sand, every curve of the dunes, it’s the type of grounding that only the desert can teach. I hiked to visit the Brushman Paintings, a piece of history you wouldn’t want to miss while you’re here.
South Africa
What it taught me: Disruption
With its beauty layered over undeniable history, South Africa taught me how to sit with discomfort, let old narratives crack, and allow truth to rearrange me.
Cape Town
Cape Town is a stunning city, with breathtaking views and layers of history woven into every corner. My favorite experiences were riding the cable car up Table Mountain, hiking to the Lion’s Head summit, and dining at La Colombe.
Robben Island
Robben Island is a place where you truly pay respect to a country’s past. Being there, on the ground where history unfolded, was incredibly powerful. I met Nelson Mandela’s former prison guard, who led the tour, and stood inside Mandela’s prison cell (I cried here too).
Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands felt peaceful. Vineyards and lush mountains make it such a great place to add to your itinerary.
We arrived and immediately encountered the Big Five — leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, and rhino — along with so much more life than I can fully recall. But the moment that stays etched in my memory had nothing to do with checking animals off a list.
I had a spontaneous desire to lie down in a dry riverbed. The guide looked at me and said, “We just saw a black mamba… and you want to lie down?”
He laughed, then told me someone once asked to hug a tree — so surely, we could find a safer place for me to lie down. We did. Two guides and I lay on the ground while another stood guard. There, pressed against the ground, we exchanged energy directly with Mother Earth. I cried so much, tears were running down my cheeks, behind my ears, down my neck, and along my spine. Something cracked open inside me.
While I’ve appreciated every corner of the wild of Africa, these five places hold so much joy, and many tears of growth, happiness, and lessons, too. Each has its own kind of magic, the kind that I still don’t have words for.
To Africa – thank you. I am so grateful for you.
To my readers – whichever destination you choose to travel to, let yourself fully immerse in the experience and change you for the better.
“There is something about Africa that, once it touches your soul, never let’s go.” – Unknown
