My first wildlife sighting in Botswana came before I had even touched down in the Okavango Delta. I took the elephants and giraffes grazing below our Cessna as a sign of things to come.

A herd of elephants roams the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

I visited the Okavango – the world’s largest inland delta – during the wet season. In January the days are hot, the nights are warm and the sky occasionally turns black with thunderstorms. Although this is traditionally the low season, when the rain supposedly causes the animals to disperse, we saw plenty of wildlife during our stay.

Giraffes are a common sight in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

With the help of Josiah, a friendly Batswan guide at the Mapula Lodge, we spotted elephants, buffalo, baboons, hippopotamuses, lions, giraffes, and impala.

Writer Leslie Koch and her fiancé Jake enjoy their safari in Botswana. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

Luxury in the Delta

I was visiting the delta with my fiancé Jake and his family, who met up with us half way through a year-long round the world trip. After staying in hostels and rustic guest houses for six months, Jake and I were enjoying the creature comforts of a safari.

A small plane takes visitors from the town of Maun, Botswana, to the Mapula Lodge. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

The stress of a long morning of turbulent flights – from Capetown to Johannesburg to Gabarone to Maun to the Mapula Lodge – was instantly forgotten when our host, Thabo, greeted us at our last airstrip. Thabo and Josiah entertained our questions about the country and worked hard to give us the ultimate safari experience.

There was a strong sense of community at the Mapula Lodge, which was staffed by Batswana, as the locals are called. The staff even prepared a homemade cake and sang a traditional song to celebrate my future mother-in-law’s birthday. We spent our days on the plain and our nights in a private wood cabin with a canopy bed. I drifted asleep to the sounds of the river: hippos playing and fighting.

Treks at the Mapula Lodge in Botswana are conducted in a classic safari jeep (see above), on foot and by canoe. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

The Off-Road Animals

Since Mapula is in a private game park, Josiah was able to take us off-road to track animals. (In national parks, vehicles are restricted to the roads.) One of the trip highlights came when we parked a few feet from a group of juvenile lions. Fortunately, they seemed more concerned with catching up on their beauty sleep than attacking our jeep.

A juvenile male lion yawns within feet of the safari vehicle. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

Our group got even closer to wildlife during a bush walk and a Mokoro canoe trip in the hippo-infested river. Surprisingly, hippos are among the deadliest creatures in Africa, and the narrow wood canoes don’t provide much protection. I sat out the Makoro trip, but Jake described it as “cool and scary.”

Mokoro canoe trips are a popular attraction in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Photo courtesy of Leslie Koch/downtowntraveler.com

Visiting the Okavango Delta was an amazing experience. It surpassed my expectations of an African safari. Besides the abundant wildlife, the best part of the trip was meeting locals and learning about their culture and traditions.

Botswana is a wonderful destination for first-time visitors to Africa, as well as seasoned travellers. For more information on local Botswana tours and safaris, be sure to check in with Cube Safaris, your whl.travel local connection in the Okavango Delta.

Just because you are going on a family vacation doesn’t mean that learning should take a break too. Ecotourism is full of what educators call teachable moments or, more definitively, unplanned opportunities to explain a concept that has unintentionally captured a child’s interest.

Photo courtesy of Greenloons via The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Whether it is touring the rainforests of the Amazon, observing blue footed boobies throughout the Galapagos Islands or understanding the water issues that surround the Okavango Delta in Botswana, ecotourism is a vacation experience that provides boundless opportunities to teach younger generations about the fragility of ecosystems and the significance of heritage.

Who among us has not witnessed the common occurrence while visiting the local zoo, going hiking through the wilderness or even watching a local artistic exhibit of younger children looking with absolute wonder and amazement at the spectacle of music, art, flora or fauna? There is delight followed by an onslaught of illuminating questions about people and the natural world.

These teachable moments mark milestones for a child’s personal growth and development. And the value system that is at the core of ecotourism can be a positive influence on all age groups, not just the very young.

Specifically, children can benefit from an ecotourism vacation because the experience offers an opportunity for:

• Instruction about indigenous wildlife – Ecotours are not only small group tours that allow for up-close-and-personal views of nature, but ones that are generally led by a naturalist that have been trained to understand plants, birds, insects and animals of the region and their relationships to ecosystems, thereby bringing education alive.

• Increased awareness about environmental degradation – An important component of ecotourism is to inform tourists about ways to minimize waste, soil erosion, air and water pollution so as not to disturb the environment – lessons that no doubt will stay with children.

Photo courtesy of Greenloons via The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

• Involvement with conservation efforts – Whether it’s helping to record sea turtle activity in Greece or understand the destructive role of invasive plant species in the wilderness, ecotourism allows for deep knowledge of the fragility of the natural world.

• Focus on the depletion of natural resources – Whether it’s learning about how an eco-lodge harnesses solar or wind power for its operations or how countries are implementing renewable bio-energy to power engines, ecotourism teaches how the impact of tourism is affecting sustainable land development, public transportation choices and how other countries are using low-carbon technologies today.

• Exposure to cultural experiences – From tasting new foods to learning phrases in a foreign language, ecotourism interprets cultural traditions and experiences that provide long-lasting impressions about the world.

• Inspiration for a life’s passion – While snorkeling through a coral reef or observing animals in their natural habitat in Africa, ecotourism sparks the imagination to dream about a career or even find a solution to an environmental problem

Ecotourism even offers opportunities to incorporate your family vacation with your child’s science, social studies, foreign language, even art and music lesson plans. One of the most helpful and free resources available now is on the Rainforest Alliance site, which offers a kindergarten–8th grade curriculum guide.

One example lesson plan for a kindergarten student is entitled Biodiversity, which challenges children to think about the diversity of local flora and fauna in local forests versus tropical forests as they classify insect and tree species, while the 8th-grade lesson plan entitled Guatemala’s Changing Forest has children learning about the Maya Biosphere Reserve by analyzing maps and determining recent changes in forest cover.

Dedication to the cause of the environment and its preservation can have a long-lasting impact on the way our younger generations feel more connected to ecosystems as well as view social involvement and economic success. Not only will children establish a deeper, longer-lasting connection with the region they are visiting during an ecotour, they will learn more about how they can make a more positive impact on the world.

A common sight in Thailand's Bangkok markets, this deep-fried insect food stall sells locusts, bamboo worms, moth larvae, crickets, scorpions, diving beetles and giant water beetles. Photos courtest of Wikimedia/Takoradee

We’ve rounded up a collection of some of the world’s most uncanny edibles, from fried spiders to local lizards and great big mouthwatering worms! Adventurous eaters beware: not everything tastes like chicken and one man’s pet may be another man’s delicacy.

Crunchy Crickets, Thailand

Visit the street markets in Thailand and you are certain to find all manner of ready-to-eat fried insects like locusts, dragonflies and even giant water bugs! In the northeast of the country, though, small crickets are the local delicacy, considered the perfect beer munchies and often compared to popcorn for their “buttery” taste and crispy texture.

Caught using light traps in the rice fields of Chiang Rai, the crickets are cleaned, dehydrated and seasoned to taste. Yum! Cricket husbandry is even catching on as a means for farmers to supplement their incomes. Of course breeding them means having to contend with the constant chirping, but luckily, these little guys only need to be fed twice a day. Cricket breeders can make up to 20,000 Thai baht (over US$600) per month!

Chicken feet and heads (affectionately known as walkie talkies) are a popular street food in South Africa, particularly in Durban and Soweto. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Maqi

Yummy Walkie-Talkies, South Africa

Don’t play fowl! Chicken thighs and breasts are positively tasty, but why throw away the rest of this otherwise appetising poultry? As any good cook from China, Jamaica or Peru will happily explain, some of the best bits of this bird include the liver, gizzard and feet!

In South Africa, “Walkie-Talkies” are a common traditional township delicacy. To prepare it, the feet – the “walkies” – and head – the “talkie” – are boiled to remove the tough outer layer of skin; they are then covered with seasonings and grilled. Explore the local food markets in Durban or Soweto and you are likely to stumble upon this classic savoury snack. Other regional specialities include mngqusho – a dish made from samp (cracked corn) and beans – and “smileys,” which are whole roasted sheep’s heads, each still bearing a gruesome toothy grin.

A bag of mopane worms - harvested and sun-dried and ready to eat! The dried worms tastes like dried fish and have surprisingly more protein than beef. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Hsuepfle

Mouthwatering Mopani Worms, South Africa and Botswana

In hot, dry, low-lying areas throughout Southern Africa, the Mopani worm (a type of caterpillar that metamorphoses into an Emperor moth, one of the world’s largest) lives on the Mopani tree. There it is hunted down by hungry locals!

Considered a tribal delicacy in many countries and a staple snack in northern Botswana, the harvesting and sale of Mopani worms is a multi-million rand industry in Southern Africa. South Africa alone does annual trade of roughly 1.6 million kilograms of Mopani worms, which are plucked off the trees by locals two times each year. Like long tubes of slimy green toothpaste, the worms are squeezed, gutted and then laid in the sun to dry. Southern Africans just can’t seem to get enough of this grub, whether eaten raw like crispy potato chips, or canned and packaged in tomato or chilli sauce.

Peruvians eat approximately 22 million of these cuddly guinea pigs each year. High in protein and low in fat, the healthy meat apparently tastes a bit like rabbit.

Guinea Pig Picante, Peru

The Andean delicacy of cuy, or guinea pig, has been a popular traditional food staple in Peru for literally thousands of years, even before the rise of the mighty Incan empire. Domestication of the cuy in the Peruvian Altiplano can be traced back to 5000 BCE, but it wasn’t until Queen Elizabeth I took one as a pet that these little critters became popular household animals. Today, though, while guinea pigs may be the “first pet” of choice for many European and Northern American kids, these tasty little fur balls continue to make mouths water in many Andean communities.

Peruvians consume more than 22 million guinea pigs per year – a number that might be startling were it not for the fact that cuy are, after all, rather lean and bony. Picante de cuy, a dish in which the guinea pig is fried and doused in spicy peanut sauce, is perhaps the most traditional recipe. Other variations include cuasa de cuy (guinea-pig stuffed potatoes), aguadita de cuy (a type of guinea pig soup) and escabeche de cuy, which is guinea pig served in a vinegar sauce with plenty of onions and potatoes.

A spiny sea urchin being dissected to get to the tasty orange roe inside. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Portum

Spiny Sea Urchins, Corfu

At first glance, ricci di mare, or sea urchins, don’t really resemble an edible treat. As any experienced scuba diver will explain, you certainly wouldn’t want to step on one of these small, spiky underwater animals that often inhabit the ocean’s rocky regions. Catching and eating them therefore requires some care, although when urchins pull across your palm, their spines merely tickle.

Considered a delicacy on the Greek island of Corfu and many other regions around the world, urchins are in fact rather meagre reward for the effort taken to catch and prepare them! With urchin in hand, take a seat right on the sand and begin: snip off those spines (carefully), split the urchin in half and then scoop out the raw insides. Urchin roe has a light consistency and complex salty taste. We’re told it’s best served raw with a nice glass of ouzo!

Barbecued green iguana (or bamboo chicken, as it's known) is a popular dish in Belize. Just season with salt and pepper, garlic, soy sauce and pepper sauce et voilà!

Braised Bamboo Chicken, Belize

Rest assured that you won’t be eating poultry if a local from Belize invites to dinner of bamboo chicken. This delicacy is none other than the great big green iguana, an animal commonly found throughout Central and South America. Catching these fellows is not always easy business, as some grow as large as two metres in length and have sharp tails (used for whipping) and an occasionally nasty bite. Nevertheless, this particular reptile does appear as bush meat on local menus, usually grilled or sautéed with seasonings such as garlic, pepper and teriyaki sauce.

While hunting green iguanas for food and sale as pets has unfortunately left their numbers rather sparse in certain areas, the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre manages to maintain a captive green iguana-breeding program to increase their populations.

Fried tarantula sellers on a street in Skuon, Cambodia. This market town is sometimes known as 'Spiderville' in the local lingo on account of its penchant for this unusual delicacy. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Thomas Schoch

Crispy Fried Tarantulas, Cambodia

Ever wondered what would be the scariest job in the world? If you’re afraid of arachnids, then being a spider-catcher in Cambodia would top that list! The spiders are dug out of their holes in the ground with a shovel and then collected by hand. Cambodian “tarantulas” (unrelated to the Western variety and by no means poisonous) are extremely slow and do not run quickly like their relatives on the other side of the world. This makes it relatively “easy” for the catcher to pick up the spider and prepare it for consumption.

For the bold, fried spiders are available at street stalls throughout Cambodia, especially around the town of Skuon (75 kilometres north of Phnom Penh. Jam-packed with protein – and flavoured with salt, sugar and garlic, these a-ping are the healthy snack food of choice for local Cambodians on the go! Many Khmer women also believe the furry arthropods have cosmetic properties which can enhance one’s natural beauty. Crunch and munch on the legs first, ladies, and feel your hair grow long and lustrous!

The Café Literario Balmaceda in the Providencia district of Santiago, Chile, is one of the most popular literary cafés in the city. It has an excellent selection of coffees and, even more importantly, a collection of more than 30,000 books.

A Fine South American Literary Vintage

One part of South America’s Pacific flank, Chile has produced some prodigious literary talent, earning it the nickname the Land of Poets. This talent even includes two Nobel laureates, Gabriela Mistral (who was the first Latin American to receive this accolade back in 1945) and the world-renowned poet Pablo Neruda (nom de plume of Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, who took the name in honour of the Czech writer, Jan Neruda).

The country’s best-known novelist, however, is probably Isabel Allende (who was born in Lima, Peru, and is first cousin once removed of the former Chilean president Salvador Allende), who penned the bestseller La casa de los espíritus (House of the Spirits). Her style of magical realism has drawn comparisons with another South American heavyweight, writer and Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel García Márquez, who hails from Colombia.

Chileans are understandably proud of their literary heritage and of their status as one of South America’s biggest producers of books. The Chilean capital, Santiago, is brimming with literary cafés buzzing with locals putting the world to rights or just looking to get away from it all and enjoy a coffee in peace and bookish solitude. Some cafés house a dizzying array of literature, including the autographed works of famous authors.

The African Queen of Sleuthing

Up until quite recently, the landlocked southern African nation of Botswana would have been noted more for its diamonds and desert; however, the vastly popular novels by Alexander McCall Smith detailing the exploits of Mma Precious Ramotswe, Africa’s very own Miss Marple, and her No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, have put the country firmly on the literary map.

These baobab trees in the Kalahari Desert have long been great symbols of Botswana. The publication of Alexander McCall Smith's series of books featuring the super sleuth, Mma Precious Ramotswe, has provided yet another as a great boon for the local tourist industry.

Born in Zimbabwe, but having lived for several years in Botswana, McCall Smith used his novels to paint an accurate and affectionate portrait of the country and of African life, a refreshing and welcome counterpoint to the many negative depictions of the continent. In fact, such has been the books’ appeal that they have been published in over 40 countries and even found their way onto the small screen as a series directed by the late Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella.

This has of course meant great things for the Botswanan tourist industry. Plenty of visitors now flock to the capital city of Gabarone to enjoy a cup of red bush tea, the favoured beverage of McCall Smith’s portly heroine, who is now also the subject of tours.

Hellenic Histories

The ancient nation of Greece packs a serious literary punch. From Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to the famed works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, the three great tragedians of classical Athens, Greece’s influence as the birthplace of Western culture is undisputed. The Greek islands too, with their stunning natural landscapes, have proved an effective muse for many a writer.

Lying just off the southern coast of Albania, the Ionian island of Corfu was also nicknamed Durrell’s Island in recognition of its most famous literary residents, the cosmopolitan novelist Lawrence Durrell and his brother, Gerald, a naturalist and writer. The Emerald Isle, as it’s also known, features heavily in both of their works although Gerald’s novels My Family and Other Animals and Birds, Beasts and Relatives are a decidedly more irreverent and light-hearted look at their time on an island known for its commitment to nature and tradition.

Myrtos Beach on the Greek island of Kefalonia is famed for its crystal-clear turquoise water and has been voted Greece's best beach 12 times. It was one of the locations used during the filming of the 2001 movie 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' – aficionados may remember the bomb scene was filmed here!

The volcanic isle of Santorini is lauded as one of the most beautiful spots in the Aegean and is believed by many to be the lost island of Atlantis. It is dominated by a huge caldera, whose beauty has spurred many a poet and novelist into fits of creativity and unbridled exaltation, including an homage by the Nobel winner Odysseas Elytis. The French existentialist philosopher and writer, Jean-Paul Sartre, even set his play Les Mouches (The Flies) in the village of Emporio, having visited the area with his partner and fellow intellectual, Simone de Beauvoir.

Forever immortalised in the Louis de Bernières bestseller and subsequent Hollywood blockbuster movie, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, the Ionian island of Kefalonia has done well out of its 15 minutes of fame, offering a number of tours that take in locations used during the making of the movie. Luckily Kefalonia is still far from becoming a Captain Corelli theme park and with its exquisite beaches, lush interior and secret finds, it is not hard to see what is still its real allure.

The third largest of the Greek islands, Lesvos is often referred to as the Island of Poets. Largely unspoiled, Lesvos is famed as the birthplace of the ancient lyric poetess, Sappho, who hailed from the small village of Eresos, now a major tourist hotspot.

A Polynesian Treasure Island

When Robert Louis Stevenson, of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped fame, first visited the South Pacific island kingdom of Samoa, he was so taken with the archipelago that he made it his home, settling on the island of Upolu. By far the most famous palagi (white man) to ever make it to these shores, he was quickly taken in by the Samoans and became a valued member of the community, even adopting the native name Tusitala, meaning ‘Storyteller’ in Samoan.

The second largest Samoan island, Upolu, is famed not only for its natural beauty and romantic charm, but for its most renowned resident, the 19th century Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson's former home on the island has been turned into a museum in his honour and his tomb lies next to his wife’s on the summit of nearby Mount Vaea.

Stevenson’s sudden death in 1894 shook the locals greatly. He was buried atop Mount Vaea, where his tomb remains, engraved with an epitaph he penned himself, and which was translated into a Samoan song of grief:

Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie:
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be:
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.

For inspiration, we turned to the Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI), a ranking system designed to spotlight and encourage adventure travel markets that are sensitive to the needs of communities and the environment. The admirable result of the combined efforts of our friends at the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Xola Consulting, as well as The George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies, the ATDI emphasises what most mainstream ranking systems overlook; it awards high marks for community and environmental development as much as hard infrastructure, all in keeping with 10 pillars of adventure tourism market competitiveness based on principles of sustainable adventure tourism.

From the popular resort town of Nida, Lithuania, hikers can access some of Europe's tallest moving sand dunes – some reaching up to 60 metres in height – on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO-ranked Heritage Site. Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/Lee Fenner

Given the WHL Group’s commitment to working in off-the-beaten-path destinations, we were most interested in the 10 developing countries ranked highest for adventure travel competitiveness. The ATDI recommendations may surprise you, but we believe you should keep the winners on your radar.

#10 – Lithuania

Numerous conservation areas and abundant hiking trails make Lithuania an excellent choice for nature lovers. One particularly unique site is the Curonian Spit, a long thin peninsula stretching south from Klaipeda in western Lithuania to Russia and separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Curonian Spit is renowned for its white-sand beaches, picturesque dunes and secluded pine forests. Near the Russian border, the quaint settlement of Nida has attracted artists and creative types for centuries. With onshore and offshore sports opportunities made possible by The Beautiful Land of Nevermind, the whl.travel local connection, the area makes a great retreat from hectic city life.

#9 – Botswana

The vast sands of the Kalahari cover roughly 85 percent of Botswana, and the country’s wildlife reserves are some of the world’s premier safari destinations. To the north, at the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve is best toured during dry season, with game watching at its peak from July through October. Nearby Chobe National Park has superb birding in the Savuti Marsh. In the east, the Tuli Game Reserve promises abundant wildlife, plus ruins of ancient Rhodesian settlements. Cube Safaris, the whl.travel local connection in Botswana, offers a range of tours to wilderness areas, including mokoro boat rides through the flood plains of the Okavango, elephant-back safaris and more.

The white storks of Latvia are also known as Svetelis, which signifies the thought of stork as the saints. Locals believe that farmsteads or meadows frequented by storks are blessed.

#8 – Latvia

Dynamic Latvia is rich in natural wonders, with forests covering more than 40 percent of the country. Just north of the capital, Riga, hikers can explore the caves, rivers and dense woodlands within Gauja National Park. Elsewhere, the sprawling Kemeri National Park contains 427 square kilometres of preserved forests, bogs and lakes, in addition to a well-maintained network of nature trails. The whl.travel local connection in Riga, Blueberry Travel, offers guided excursions to historic towns and medieval castles and other longer trips exploring the scenic beauty of the countryside, the local culture and many other extraordinary architectural gems and palaces.

#7 – Bulgaria

Beyond the stunning landmarks and red army monuments of Sofia, the wide open terrain of mountainous Bulgaria will give even the most avid hikers a serious run for their money. In the heart of the country, Central Balkan National Park has excellent hiking trails and native residents that include bears, wild goats, wolves and over 200 species of birds. The popular ski area of Bankso makes a great base for outdoor pursuits in summer as well for hiking, cycling, horseback riding and even fishing in Pirin National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At night, head out to the local mehanas (traditional taverns) for live folk music and good local wine.

Located in southern Chilean Patagonia, the spectacular 181,000-hectare Torres del Paine National Park is a UNESCO-rated Biosphere Reserve and an unequalled destination for nature lovers, backpackers and mountaineers. Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/ground.zero

#6 – Chile

Chile has long been regarded as a must-see destination for adventure travellers. It’s no wonder why. From pristine Patagonia to the unearthly Valley of the Moon and harsh environment of the Atacama, this 4,300-kilometre-long country covers an extraordinary variety of climates and ecosystems. Torres del Paine is a solid choice for hikers and trekkers, while Pucón in the scenic Lakes District has both great winter skiing on Volcán Villarrica and an endless range of warm-weather activities like hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing and white-water rafting. Meanwhile, Chiloé Island is renowned for its birding, paddling and wildlife like Magellanic penguins, Chilote fox and rare pudú miniature deer.

#5 – Slovenia

From lush vineyards to remote forests and alpine peaks, the landscape of Slovenia is tailor-made for nature lovers and outdoor entusiasts of all abilities. For a serious trek, the 30-day Slovenian Mountain Trail is the oldest traverse in the country, crossing directly over the Julian Alps and ascending Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak (2,864 metres). You can also catch a glimpse of the traditional herdsman’s life on a two-day countryside trek to the Alpine dairy settlement of Velika Planina or tour the Pokljuka plateau. After a long hike, unwind while sampling local vintages on a wine-tasting tour in cosmopolitan Ljubljana.

In Estonia's Soomaa National Park, when there are no raised paths, special bogshoes aid with trekking through a watery fairytale landscapes. Here, travellers study plant species.

#4 – Estonia

It’s easy to escape the crowds in Estonia, with just 1.3 million people one of the least populous countries in the European Union. Natural wetlands cover more than one fifth of the country – and the parks are prime territory for canoeing, kayaking and bog-shoeing. For glorious outdoor indulgence, head to Soomaa National Park – its name translates literally to “land of the bogs.” From a base nearby, on the banks of the River Navesti, at Ritsu Talu Farm (cosy camping huts, saunas and rental canoes), explore the park on your own or venture off on a nighttime beaver safari for close encounters with the area’s infamous flat-tailed inhabitants.

#3 – Czech Republic

The culture-filled capital of Prague is reason alone to travel to the Czech Republic, but we strongly suggest veering off into the wilds of Bohemia’s natural forests, historic villages and scenic national parks. From the medieval town of Český Krumlov opportunities abound for kayaking along the Vltava – the upper reaches of the river near the Lipno Dam are best suited to white-water rafting. For heart-pounding downhill winter action, head to the snowcapped peaks of Rokytnice nad Jizerou, an ancient mining town in the western part of the Krkonoše – also known as the “Giant Mountains.” In summer, gorgeous waterfalls, caves, and forests make the area heaven for hikers.

Dominated by a castle built during the 13th Century, the medieval town of Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic has maintained its historic character and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/Midweekpost

#2 – Israel

Despite its small size, Israel boasts a spectacularly varied landscape that includes arid desert, towering cliffs and stunning coastline – terrain perfect for all sorts of outdoor pursuits. Underwater enthusiasts should head straight to Eilat on the Red Sea, where dives feature shallow coral gardens, wrecks and abundant fish life. By the Dead Sea, the 2,500-hectare Ein Gedi Nature Reserve has posted hiking trails and animals like ibex, hyrax and Egyptian vultures. Further north, Metzoke Dragot makes a great base for rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking. The village has guides for desert excursions – canyon hikes, abseiling courses, camel rides and more – just one hour’s drive east of Jerusalem.

#1 – Slovak Republic

Long viewed as a junior partner to the Czech Republic, Slovakia has emerged as a leading destination for adventure travellers, complete with plenty of well-marked mountain trails, challenging cycling routes, and numerous glacial lakes and rivers well suited to canoeing, rafting and fishing. Although prices have gone up slightly since the euro was adopted, the Tatras Mountains along the border with Poland still boast plenty of affordable hotels and quaint mountain huts. One popular trek is the Tatranska Magistrala, a red-blazed trail crossing the Tatras from east to west between Velke Biele pleso to the town of Podbanske. The hike takes about 16 hours, although trailside huts are available for multi-day undertakings.

With the Sphinx bearing witness, the Tour d'Afrique riders assemble near Cairo, Egypt, in preparation for the first kilometre on day 1 of their four-month, 11,800-kilometre trans-African pedal (photo by Brian Hoeniger)

Pedal Power

As a recreational biker and former humanitarian aid worker in Africa, I had dreamt of cycling the Tour d’Afrique since it was first held in 2003. Having zero long-distance cycling experience, I was both intimidated and inspired by the prospect of biking across Africa, so I trained hard on Toronto’s bicycle paths and on a stationary bike. In the end, I completed the tour in two halves, riding from Tanzania to Cape Town in March to May 2008 and from Cairo to Tanzania in early 2009, all without a serious hiccup, aside from a few falls and the obligatory stomach upset.

For first-timers, the allure of long-distance bicycle touring quickly becomes apparent. You are rewarded not merely by encounters with new lands and cultures and by the physical conditioning of riding 80 to 180 kilometres day after day, but, above all, by the incredibly intense feeling of freedom that comes with having nothing to do except cycle down the African road, eat and sleep. It’s all too easy to become completely removed from the world of workstations and laptops, and, with between 50 and 65 other riders sharing the adventure, the camaraderie among the tour riders and the largely volunteer staff is strong.

On the Tour d'Afrique, in northern Kenya, the roadblocks and hazards are not exactly run of the mill (photo courtesy of Tour d'Afrique Ltd)

An African Dream

If anything, the four months exceeded my expectations as the challenge of a lifetime. There were many highlights, but some memories definitely stand out. Discovering how friendly the Sudanese people are – contrary to the country’s reputation in the western press – was enlightening. In fact, on several occasions I was invited by shopkeepers to share a meal of fuul (mashed fava beans) and pita bread. As Sudan is a Muslim country, there is virtually no crime to speak of and there was nowhere I felt safer on the entire trip.

Ethiopia’s biblical landscapes, unique cultures and cuisine were definite eye-openers as well. In Gondar city, the capital of Ethiopia in the 16th and 17th centuries, King Fasiledes’ castle, a World Heritage Site, is a must-see. On a rest day at Bahir Dar on the shores of Lake Tana, a group of us took a boat to ancient island monasteries, where we viewed manuscripts of the Ethiopian Coptic Christian Church dating back to the 10th century. Washed down with Dashen beer, Ethiopia’s fiery national food staples of injera (flat pancakes made from teff flour), wat (stew) and kitfo (steak tartare) are beyond delicious, although an acquired taste for some!

The sheer majesty of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River is breathtaking and, by contrast, makes Niagara seem a mere trickle. Whether you choose to get soaked at the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (meaning ‘the Smoke that Thunders’), go white-water rafting or bungee jumping 100 metres down from the bridge separating Zambia and Zimbabwe, or just enjoy the view over a buffet breakfast from a hotel balcony, the falls live up to their billing as one of the world’s seven wonders of nature.

A local bike shop in Tanzania helps a Tour d'Afrique rider with some repairs (photo by Brian Hoeniger)

The wildlife is another unforgettable aspect of the trip. I will long treasure the experience of heading out at dawn with birdsong and my bike as the only sounds, not to mention the day I cycled past a family of elephants at 6:30am just outside of Kasane, Botswana. I will never forget one Zambian farmer commenting that “The elephants are really bad this year!” as he bemoaned the damage to his crops and gardens, much the way rural Canadians might decry deer or wolves for wandering into their yard.

A sublime sense of accomplishment and a delicious bowl of soup at the end of the toughest days always seemed to make me forget about tired muscles, and finding the elusive cold beverage on a really hot day was bliss. Although I’m not normally a fan, a chilled fizzy drink has never tasted better than on a dusty African roadside.

The Experience of a Lifetime

There are crazy bus drivers in Sudan and southern Tanzania who will force you off the road. In Ethiopia, where the population has exploded to almost 80 million, you are unlikely ever to be alone and guaranteed to be pestered and plunked by stone-throwing shepherd boys (“You! You! You! Give me money!”).

The Tour d'Afrique is, in the end, about the strength and determination of one person and his/her bike (photo courtesy of Tour d'Afrique Ltd)

That being said, provided you watch over your health, know your limits and when to slow down on an off-road rock-strewn downhill, you will be fine. There are some rainy days, but the tour has been designed with the prevailing winds and seasons in mind. Sunshine and warmth typically predominate, including a few days of extreme heat. Perhaps the biggest setback is packing up the bike at journey’s end and bidding adieu to Africa and new friends, knowing it’s time to go home and back to work.

In short, the Tour d’Afrique challenges riders physically and mentally like nothing else, with rewards of unsurpassed and diverse terrain, and an incomparable feeling of achievement that few have the opportunity to experience. Seeing the funds I raised for the Tour d’Afrique Foundation converted into bicycles for African community health and development workers was the icing on the cake.

If I can do it, then believe it or not, so can you!