The Cradle of Humankind is a world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, located about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. It is famous for its remarkable collection of ancient hominid fossils, offering an extraordinary glimpse into our human origins. We made a short stop at the main...
We weren’t really sure whether Gold Reef City (🎟️395 ZAR) was worth a visit. Built around a former gold mine, this unusual combination of amusement park and historical attraction recreates life in Johannesburg around the turn of the 20th century. The site commemorates the discovery of...
The Ngwenya Mine (🎟️70 SZL) is widely recognised as one of the world’s oldest known mining sites, with evidence of human activity dating back more than 40,000 years. Its extraordinary history spans three distinct eras—from Middle Stone Age pigment extraction, through Iron Age iron...
Ngwenya Glass is Eswatini’s famous eco-friendly glassblowing factory, founded in 1979 as a Swedish aid project. The factory closed in 1985 due to financial difficulties. Still, it was revived just two years later when the Prettejohn family purchased the abandoned site, tracked down former...
Another short visit took us to Mantenga Cultural Village, followed by a short hike to Eswatini’s most famous waterfall. Cascading for roughly 95 metres over massive granite rocks on the Lushushwane River, Mantenga Falls is one of the country’s most impressive natural landmarks and its...
One of the highlights of our visit to the Livingstone Museum was learning about the remarkable Czech explorer and ethnographer Dr Emil Holub, whose pioneering work helped document much of Southern Africa during the 19th century. Inspired by the journals of Scottish missionary David...
We visited the fascinating Railway Museum in Livingstone (🎟️ USD 15), which preserves the rich heritage of the former Rhodesia Railways. Housed in the historic workshops of the former Zambezi Sawmills Railway, the museum features an impressive collection of colonial-era passenger coaches...
Established in 1902 by the Missionaries of Africa, better known as the White Fathers, Mua Mission is Malawi’s oldest Roman Catholic mission and one of the country’s most celebrated cultural heritage sites. Nestled amid the rolling landscapes of central Malawi, the mission is renowned for...
The Toliara (Tuléar) region of southwestern Madagascar has long been shaped by salt. Thanks to its arid climate and endless sunshine — nearly 3,600 hours each year — the area has become one of the country’s most important centres of traditional salt production. It is no coincidence that...
Traditional Antaimoro paper production in Ambalavao is a centuries-old artisanal craft that transforms the bark of the avoha plant into beautifully handcrafted paper. Known for its durability and distinctive papyrus-like texture, this decorative paper is often adorned with pressed flowers...