Continent | Country | Weeks | Safety | Cost | MnC Rating | Details |
sort by continent | sort by country | sort by safety | sort by cost | sort by rating | ||
USA | 6 | |||||
Alaska | 3 |
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more about Alaska | ||
Canada | 1 | more about Canada | ||||
Mexico | 2.5 | more about Mexico | ||||
Belize | 1 | more about Belize | ||||
Guatemala | 3.5 | more about Guatemala | ||||
El Salvador | 1 | |||||
Honduras | 0.1 | more about Honduras | ||||
Nicaragua | 1 | more about Nicaragua | ||||
Costa Rica | 1 | more about Costa Rica | ||||
Panama | 2 | more about Panama | ||||
Colombia | 2 | more about Colombia | ||||
Ecuador | 2.5 | more about Ecuador | ||||
Peru | 3 | more about Peru | ||||
Bolivia | 1 | more about Bolivia | ||||
Chile | 3 | more about Chile | ||||
Argentina | 4.5 | more about Argentina | ||||
Uruguay | 0.5 | more about Uruguay | ||||
Brazil | 4 | more about Brazil | ||||
2 |
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more about Antarctica | ||||
South Africa | 2.5 | more about S. Africa | ||||
Lesotho | 0.5 | more about Lesotho | ||||
Botswana | 1.5 | more about Botswana | ||||
Zambia | 1.5 | more about Zambia | ||||
Zimbabwe | 0.01 | - | more about Zimbabwe | |||
Malawi | 1.5 | more about Malawi | ||||
Rwanda | 1 | more about Rwanda | ||||
D.R. Congo | 0 | - | - | more about DRC | ||
Uganda | 7.5 | more about Uganda | ||||
Kenya | 2 | more about Kenya | ||||
Tanzania | 3 | more about Tanzania |
Country Review: USA | ||
Continent | North America |
click for larger image |
Country | USA | |
Weeks Spent | 6 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Budget busting backpacking) | |
(Amazing excursions - Must return) | ||
Summary | The sheer scale and grandeur of the U.S. only becomes clear as you drive across it. Amazing national parks. | |
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Top Tip | Camp or travel in a campervan to control costs. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for USA |
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Country Review: Alaska | ||
Continent | North America |
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Country | Alaska | |
Weeks Spent | 3 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Budget busting backpacking) | |
(Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile) | ||
Summary | Huge, wild and beautiful. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Save up to make the most of all the great things to do here. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Alaska |
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Country Review: Canada | ||
Continent | North America |
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Country | Canada | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Good fun but missing the "Wow") | ||
Summary | Sleepy, rural and friendly, with magnificent Rocky mountains. | |
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Top Tip | Come in summer - it can hit -50 degrees in winter! | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Canada |
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Country Review: Mexico | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Mexico | |
Weeks Spent | 2.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Mid-range travel) | |
(Good fun but missing the "Wow") | ||
Summary | Surprisingly developed and modern, a bridge to the wilder countries to the south. | |
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Top Tip | Dive with whale sharks on the Yucatan in November. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Mexico |
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Country Review: Belize | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Belize | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Top-end for travelers) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | A tiny country with great beaches, world class diving and Mayan history. | |
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Top Tip | Take a two week break, trek through jungle to ruins, then head to the beach and dive with sharks at the famous Blue Hole. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Belize |
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Country Review: Guatemala | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Guatemala | |
Weeks Spent | 3.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile) | ||
Summary | Thriving indigenous culture, active volcanoes and close up turtle encounters. | |
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Top Tip | Go there! With the Mayan ruins from the Rebel Base in Star Wars, why wouldn't you?! One of our favourites. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Guatemala |
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Country Review: El Salvador | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | El Salvador | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Ho Hum) | ||
Summary | Barely touristed quiet backwater, slowly recovering from a horrid civil war. | |
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Top Tip | If you're a surfer, El Salvador has some of the best breaks in the world. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for El Salvador |
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Country Review: Honduras | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Honduras | |
Weeks Spent | 0.1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Ho Hum) | ||
Summary | Who knows - we passed through in 2 hours! | |
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Top Tip | Honduras has the cheapest scuba diving certification courses anywhere. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Honduras |
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Country Review: Nicaragua | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Nicaragua | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | Poor, proud and pretty, traveling here was hard work but rewarding. | |
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Top Tip | Read up on the country's turbulent history before coming, to understand the situation today. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Nicaragua |
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Country Review: Costa Rica | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Costa Rica | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Good fun but missing the "Wow") | ||
Summary | An ecological paradise, well developed for tourism but noted for petty theft. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | A perfect location for a family trip with good facilities and great trips, treks and wildlife viewing. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Costa Rica |
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Country Review: Panama | ||
Continent | Central America |
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Country | Panama | |
Weeks Spent | 2 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Mid-range travel) | |
(Amazing excursions - Must return) | ||
Summary | A diverse land of Caribbean beaches, rainforest jungle hosting remote tribes, and thriving cities. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | If heading to Columbia, find a captain to sail you to Cartegena across the Caribbean. It's a fantastic trip. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Panama |
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Country Review: Colombia | ||
Continent | South America |
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Country | Colombia | |
Weeks Spent | 2 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | By and large safe, with salsa in its veins and cultures reaching back 5000 years. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | The south of the country is beautiful and full of great people and history. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Colombia |
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Country Review: Ecuador | ||
Continent | South America |
click for larger image |
Country | Ecuador | |
Weeks Spent | 2.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Top-end for travelers) | |
(Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile) | ||
Summary | Small but has it all: Amazon, Andes, beaches, tribes and the incomparable Galapagos Islands. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Get to the Galapagos, whatever it takes! If climbing Cotopaxi - acclimatize for 8 days first. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Ecuador |
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Country Review: Peru | ||
Continent | South America |
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Country | Peru | |
Weeks Spent | 3 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | The land of the Incas lives up to its reputation for gorgeous mountains and ancient cultures. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | There is tonnes to see here - Peru easily merits a 6 week visit. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Peru |
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Country Review: Bolivia | ||
Continent | South America |
click for larger image |
Country | Bolivia | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | A poor country sitting on top of the world, Bolivia has a hypnotically atmospheric feel. | |
We Liked |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Check out trips to the Bolivian Amazon and Pantanal regions - much more accessible and cheaper than in neighbouring Brazil. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Bolivia |
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Country Review: Chile | ||
Continent | South America |
click for larger image |
Country | Chile | |
Weeks Spent | 3 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Good fun but missing the "Wow") | ||
Summary | Could almost be in Europe, yet is subtly different. A wonderful family holiday destination. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Don't try to cross the whole country by bus if you only have 3 weeks! | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Chile |
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Country Review: Argentina | ||
Continent | South America |
click for larger image |
Country | Argentina | |
Weeks Spent | 4.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Amazing excursions - Must return) | ||
Summary | Argentina has everything you could possibly want in a holiday - it's just so huge it takes a long time to get between destinations. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Visit Peninsula Valdez in mid-February: if you're lucky you will see Killer Whales deliberately beaching themselves to catch unwary seal pups - wow! | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Argentina |
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Country Review: Uruguay | ||
Continent | South America |
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Country | Uruguay | |
Weeks Spent | 0.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Mid-range travel) | |
(Ho Hum) | ||
Summary | Like Argentina but smaller, more expensive and without most of the good stuff. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Give it a miss and spend more time in Buenos Aires. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Uruguay |
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Country Review: Brazil | ||
Continent | South America |
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Country | Brazil | |
Weeks Spent | 4 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Mid-range travel) | |
(Amazing excursions - Must return) | ||
Summary | A huge nation with samba running through its veins and beaches and jungles to die for. | |
We Liked |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | More expensive than most other South American countries, particularly with the huge distances involved. Take more time or use hopper flights and offset the carbon. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Brazil |
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Country Review: Antarctic Peninsula | ||
Continent | Antarctica |
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Country | Antarctic Peninsula | |
Weeks Spent | 2 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Oh, oh, we're broke!) | |
(Life changing! Made the trip worthwhile) | ||
Summary | The last great wilderness, all freezing winds, endless ice and cute penguins. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | An absolute must do trip - off the scale on our cashometer, so save HARD before doing this. If possible take a 2+ week trip to get the most from this once-in-a-lifetime expedition (we're going to do it again!). | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Antarctica |
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Country Review: South Africa | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | South Africa | |
Weeks Spent | 2.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Top-end for travelers) | |
(Good fun but missing the "Wow") | ||
Summary | Tension in the air as the country works through its racial issues. Very westernized but some wonderful things to see. | |
We Liked |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Include a trip to landlocked Lesotho in any itinerary and a trip to the Soweto township (safe). | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for South Africa |
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Country Review: Lesotho | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | Lesotho | |
Weeks Spent | 0.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | Tiny, mountain nation seems like a land lost in time. | |
We Liked |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Take an overnight (or longer) pony trek from Malealea. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Lesotho |
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Country Review: Botswana | ||
Continent | Africa |
click for larger image |
Country | Botswana | |
Weeks Spent | 1.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Amazing excursions - Must return) | ||
Summary | A rare well-run country with good infrastructure, amazing natural resources. Not easy to travel independently through. | |
We Liked |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Rent a 4*4 to reach the more remote destinations (expensive) or just rely on the kindness of strangers as we did. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Botswana |
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Country Review: Zambia | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | Zambia | |
Weeks Spent | 1.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Right on our budget) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | A small agricultural country, with a few major tourist attractions. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Get away from Vic Falls and the Zambezi and meet up with some of the locals. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Zambia |
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Country Review: Zimbabwe | ||
Continent | Africa |
click for larger image |
Country | Zimbabwe | |
Weeks Spent | 0.01 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Budget busting backpacking) | |
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Summary | A top tourist destination now falling apart due to terrible government. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | As soon as Mugabe is out - get in there! | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Zimbabwe |
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Country Review: Malawi | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | Malawi | |
Weeks Spent | 1.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Good fun but missing the "Wow") | ||
Summary | A quiet little country, with nice people and a sleepy atmosphere. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Malawi is cheap, friendly and has lovely beaches if that type of holiday appeals. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Malawi |
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Country Review: Rwanda | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | Rwanda | |
Weeks Spent | 1 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Top-end for travelers) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | Small, with great facilities and beautiful nature, the main reasons to visit are the last remaining mountain gorillas. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | Rwanda has a great infrastructure so is easy to get around. The main sites can be viewed in as little as a week. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Rwanda |
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Country Review: D.R. Congo | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | D.R. Congo | |
Weeks Spent | 0 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | - | |
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Summary | One of the great, mysterious destinations. With Civil War flaring again, it was not safe to visit here. | |
We Liked |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | When safe, gorilla trekking is much cheaper in DRC. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for D.R. Congo |
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Country Review: Uganda | ||
Continent | Africa |
click for larger image |
Country | Uganda | |
Weeks Spent | 7.5 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Fun on the cheap!) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | A fertile country with wonderful scenery, pygmy tribes and a war-torn north. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | The source of the Nile has amazing white water rafting. A new dam will soon ruin this forever, so get down there adrenaline-fiends! | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Uganda |
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Country Review: Kenya | ||
Continent | Africa |
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Country | Kenya | |
Weeks Spent | 2 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Mid-range travel) | |
(Unique cultural and adventure experiences) | ||
Summary | Large, with diverse and colourful tribes and ecosystems, Kenya is the perfect introduction to East Africa. | |
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We Didn't Like |
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Top Tip | If timed correctly, trips to catch the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara are cheaper than Serengeti trips in neighbouring Tanzania. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Kenya |
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Country Review: Tanzania | ||
Continent | Africa |
click for larger image |
Country | Tanzania | |
Weeks Spent | 3 | |
Safety | ||
Cost | (Top-end for travelers) | |
(Amazing excursions - Must return) | ||
Summary | A peace-loving country that has successfully integrated Muslim and Christian cultures, Tanzania has the world famous Serengeti, lovely beaches and an Arabic-influenced coastline. | |
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Top Tip | Get off the Serengeti / Zanzibar tourist route at the Ushambara mountains and trek to a homestay to experience local culture. | |
Details | Go to our highlights page for Tanzania |