Hello, Bonjour and Selamat siang from the beautiful Tioman island on the east coast of Malaysia. Here, I am sitting at the gorgeous beach and again counting the days until I will step into the airplane of Ethiopian Airlines to fly to Johannesburg.
Juara beach, Malaysia
I can’t wait to be back on the African ground and explore its wilderness. It’s been almost two months now since I left Africa and traveled through Asia. I was hiking in Kyrgyzstan (see here), riding in Mongolia (see here), relaxing in Hong Kong and exploring the jungle of Taman Negara as well as the city jungle of KL in Malaysia (see here).
Ala-Kul hike, Kyrgyzstan
Cantering along the Khentii-Province, Mongolia
Relaxing at the pool, Hongkong
In the mighty jungle, Malaysia
Asia is definitely nice with great outdoor places, however I am really looking forward to not have to carry my toilet paper every time with me, making a plan if I forgot it somewhere and having to throw it into the basket next to the toilet. I am also craving for some good meat and happy to leave fried rice and noodles behind me! Definitely all things I will not miss, instead I can’t wait to be back in the African wild so soon.
This time it’s going to be for holiday reasons and I will explore the Kruger National Park, staying in Balule Satelit camp as well as Letaba Rest camp to hopefully enjoy some amazing game drives with plenty of fabulous sightings!
Hoping for great game views like this (June in Hwange, Zimbabwe)
From there on it’s going to be quite an adventure I guess to cross over into Mozambique, not really knowing what’s going to wait for me there. But I am really looking forward to get to the ocean front to just enjoy the white beaches and the turquoise ocean. If I might be lucky I can probably spot some whales and other marine life, let’s see.
After relaxing days in Mozambique there will be a few more exciting game view days coming in Swaziland, especially Mkhaya reserve is high on my list to visit. I am looking forward to some great game drives and walking safaris in the National Parks in this rather little African country. And who knows maybe there will also be a chance for some riding days in Mlilwane sanctuary.
Afterwards, I will drive back to Joburg and visit friends that I met in Cawston Wildlife Estate, Zimbabwe, while I was volunteering at this private game reserve earlier this year (see here). Can’t wait to meet them again! As my tick / spider bite that I got during my volunteering time is still bugging me after more than 3 months, I also might check out a doctor and take advantage of the African knowledge to possibly help curing it.
Happy days at Cawston, Zimbabwe (May 2019)
And then, my flight will depart towards Mauritius, where my amazing 6 months sabbatical will unfortunately come to an end. Nevertheless, I had an unforgettable opportunity to volunteer in Zimbabwe for three months and travel the world afterwards for another 3 months, which I am so grateful for. Who knows what comes next but Africa definitely carries my soul and always puts a smile on my face, so let’s see what this African adventure will bring.
My new lessons learned during my travels through Asia while looking forward to be soon in Africa:
- Along the riverbanks of the Tembeling river towards Taman Negara you can spot some water buffaloes – a bit of Africa in Asia.
- In the Taman Negara jungle you can spot lots of elephant dung – too sad no giant wanted to meet me personally.
- Always carry some toilet paper with you when traveling through Central and Eastern Asia – it will become your closest friend!
Cheers to wandering the world and the wonders of our lives – bye bye, salut and selamat tinggal ∞