Africa Has a Pulse

“Africa has a pulse”. This is a phrase my father has repeated to me since I can remember. “The sights, the smells, the sounds. You can go anywhere else in the world but I can promise you, you will never find another place quite like Africa.”

He said this to me as we sat in Tamboti Tented Bush Camp in the Kruger National Park, watching a Parade of Elephants make their way along the horizon. The Sun was setting and a dust hung in the air that filled the nostrils with the earthy scent of sun kissed Savannah. It was then that I realised he was right. I have travelled other continents- but I have never smelled anything quite like that anywhere else. Only in the African Savannah- like its own Dusk Perfume I wish I could bottle just to keep these priceless memories alive. And its then I truly started to appreciate the uniqueness of the breath-taking continent we live on.

As South Africans, we often dream of travelling far and wide. And for good reasons. Travel is one of life’s best teachers. We want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty- stand atop the highest points in the Austrian Alps. And what incredible experiences those are. But do we forget about what is right here, on our doorstep?

As I am sitting in a camp chair next to the braai, I get a WhatsApp. It’s from my older brother who lives in the UK. He tells me he is in Morocco on vacation, and is heading into one of Morocco’s oldest areas- Fes el Bali. He won’t be able to message me as there is no WiFi, but he will tell me how it went once he’s back. Fes el Bali, in fact, is the largest urban area in the world that has absolutely no traffic. Everyone in Fes el Bali is a pedestrian, wandering on foot amongst a whirlwind of colours, tastes and sounds, steeped in history and culture. Dating back to the 800s, how could it not be? The Architecture is so old and beautiful, it is considered a World Heritage Site.

I consider this for a moment. Here I am, in a breathtakingly beautiful place- a vast expanse of bushlands and Savannah almost entirely untouched by man, where majestic animals roam free. The home of the Big 5. A World Heritage Site in its own right. And my brother, 1000s of miles away, at the opposite tip of the continent, immersed in a whole other world of beauty. What incredible opportunities we have for experiences so diverse right here on our continent. Experiences that so many of us don’t even think to explore. Do we realise exactly how lucky we are, to live in a land so rich with beauty and diversity?

Here at the southernmost tip, we have all the beauty of the Cape Winelands- the longest wine route in the world I might add. The sight of the Wine Farms are what dreams are made of. Picturesque Dutch Colonial buildings against a stretch of green vineyards, steely grey mountains reaching up into the sky. We have the natural wonders of bushlands and all their indigenous wildlife towards Limpopo and Mpumalanga- landscapes dotted with Waterfalls and forests. These are sights Tourists from all over the world flock to see for themselves.

Venturing further into beautiful Africa, take a relaxed vacation sipping R&Rs into the night on white sand beaches in Mozambique. Travel Tip- a 4 x 4 Jeep sure does make navigating those endless sand dunes a whole lot easier.

Who does not dream of seeing Mt Kilimanjaro, in all of its glory, soaring into the Tanzanian Sky? Africa’s own dormant Volcano.

Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, officially classified as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. The envy of other countries.

Visit the Endangered Mountain Gorillas who call the Rwandan Rainforests their home. CNN Travel promises that is the experience of a lifetime.

And like my brother, explore the bustling streets of Morocco and all of the culture and history it has to offer. But whatever you do in all of your wanderlust- don’t forget the beauty we have here at our fingertips.

I too have a travel bucket list the length of a manuscript. But I intend to make it my priority to see as much of the beautiful continent of Africa that I can, and feel her pulse coursing through me each step I take. For I firmly believe, Africa has a pulse and Africa is alive.