Overlanding Africa.com offers budget safaris, Africa overland tours, camping & backpacking advice for Africa. About us or enquire now.

The Overlanding Africa Blog is new!

Contact us
SA: +27 (0)21 422 4644
UK: 0871 28 44 99 1
By Email
On Facebook

You have

Find things you like, add them to your backpack & they'll appear here. These items will be sent along when you submit an enquiry.

Get the free Overlanding Newsletter!
Use the Overlanding Google Map

Build Your Trip to Africa

Where?
When?
How Long?

Posts Tagged 'top attractions'

Top 5 Festivals in Africa

Friday, July 8th, 2011
  • Google+

Everyone loves to have a good time, and where there is a mix of a vibrant atmosphere; food and drink; and other people enjoying themselves… a good time is sure to follow. If you're on the hunt for this type of good time adventure, why not visit one of the Top 5 Festivals Africa has to offer. 1.  Wacky Wine Weekend - Robertson - June wacky-wine-weekend Swirl, sniff and palate. If wine is your thing (you like to drink it, keep it or buy it), then Robertson is your playground. The Wacky Wine Weekend is held in Robertson every year, round about June. The weekend is jam-packed with each wine farm in the area hosting their own variety of fun activities, delicious food and amazing wine. Hop from farm to farm eating, drinking and being merry. So basically, it's just a great excuse to drink wine and have an absolute ball under the illusion of being a master connoisseur. Sssh, don't tell anyone! 2.   Lake of the Stars Powered by volunteers, the Lake of the Stars is one big music festival… on the beach. The festival sees loads of truly awesome African artists gather on the shoreline of Malawi to showcase the area ‘s amazing artists, culture and Malawi as a tourism destination. The vibe, the setting, the passion for music: all felt by everyone who's ever attended. Here's what other people have said about the festival: ‘Simply the finest festival in the world.’ - UK’s leading music magazine: Q Magazine "Lake of Stars was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. An inspirational example of the power of the human spirit and the universal accessibility of art, music and community." – Goldierocks 3.  Sun Festival of King Ramses II - Egypt - February and October Abu Simbel A gazillion years ago, in 13th century BC, the temples of Abu Simbel were built by King Ramses II. The King had his people build the structure so that twice a year the light would stream in through the temples’ passages and illuminate the statues of the gods inside the inner most sacred chamber of Abu Simbel. This, of course, is the main attraction of the Sun Festival of King Ramses II, but locals decided to take this bi-annual occurrence and turn it into a massive celebration of music, dancing, eating, drinking, markets and fun. 4.  Festival of the Desert - Mali - January Festival of the Desert Mali’s sand is vibrated with jovial celebration of Tuareg culture.  The festival is three days of singing, dancing, poetry, ritual swordplay, camel races and artisans' exhibits. Traditional Tuareg music, as well as world-music is performed on stage with lights and sound; all made possible by the flick of a switch on a trusty electricity generator. World music: I doubt a performer is likely to bust out with an African rendition of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Sexy Back’, but music from different cultures are shared among the jolly atmosphere. 5.  Up the Creek - Swellendam - February Up the Creek Along the serene riverbank of the Breede River, 361 days of the year, you can hear wind whistling through the trees and crickets chirping in the grass. The other four days of the year, amplifiers are plugged in, stages are erected and music is pumped into the eardrums of 2000 happy, earth-loving festival goers. Happening over a weekend in February, comedians and music artists of different genres gather and make sure that your socks are sufficiently rocked. Monday rolls on and once again, the wind is whistling and the crickets are chirping. Africa plays host to the most awesome festivals. It has the culture. It has the setting. It has the vibe. All you need to experience it, is a ticket and a smile. Pair your overland trip with a festival and get the most out of your African exploration.

Subscribe by email Now you can get our latest posts delivered to your inbox as they go live!

Tags: festivals, top-5, top-attractions

Filed under: Just For Fun!,  Whats Hot! on July 8th, 2011 | No Comments

Egypt’s Most Talked About Attractions

Thursday, June 9th, 2011
  • Google+
Egypt is awesome. It’s awesome from an architectural, archaeological and cultural perspective. Not only is Egypt brimming with historical wonders that manage to baffle even the most highly educated minds, but it’s also just so darn beautiful. When chatter of Egypt's breathtaking sites take flight, the main attractions always seem to be The Karnak Temple, The Valley of the Kings, the River Nile and of course the pyramids of Giza. The Karnak Temple This is a city of temples which were built and dedicated to the Theben triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The structures took over 2 000 years to complete. The Karnak Temple wins the proud title of being the largest religious building in the world. Covering about 200 acres of land, 1.5km by 0.8km, the destination has been a place of pilgrimage for almost 4 000 years. karnak_temple_outside_by_classic_glass Photo by Classic Glass Karnak_Temple_Interior_by_Classic_Glass Photo by Classic Glass Karnak_Temple_by_argenberg Photo by Argenberg Karnak_Temple_by_Archer Photo by Archer10 The Nile River Regarded as the longest river in the world, the Nile stretches a length of 6,650 km. The river has two major tributaries: the White Nile and Blue Nile. The White Nile goes through Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and southern Sudan, and the Blue Nile starts at Lake Tana and flows into Sudan from the southeast. Both sections of the river eventually meet up again at Khartoum, in Sudan. nile_river_bylifeisart Photo by Lifeisart boat_on_the_nile_by_kiwik87 Photo by Kiwik87 CIMG0728 Photo by Juligomoll Valley of the Kings This piece of land was used to build tombs for Pharaohs and important people from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties. These tombs were built over nearly 500 years from the 16th to the 11th century BC. The valley shot into fame when the tomb of Tutankhamun was found in the area, making the Valley of the Kings one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Valley_of_the_Kings_by_astique Photo by Astique The_Valley_of_the_Kings_by_AndySimmons Photo by Andy Simmons The Giza Pyramids Giza is home to three main pyramids (and a handful of smaller ones) and each one has its own mortuary temple joined to it. For over 4 000 years, until modern architecture stole the show, it was the tallest building in the world. Giza_Pyramids_by_Bruno_Girin Photo by Bruno Girin Egypt is home to some of the biggest and best sites in the world, its no wonder the above are so famous. Feeling an itch to experience Egypt first hand? Go ahead... scratch: 'Top 3 Overlanding trips to Egypt'

Subscribe by email Now you can get our latest posts delivered to your inbox as they go live!

Tags: egypt, egypt-overland-tour, egypt-overland-trip, top-attractions, tourist-attractions

Filed under: Middle East,  North Africa,  Photography on June 9th, 2011 | No Comments

The Surf Reports by Category

Recent Posts

The History of Surfers

The Chilly Bin Surfer Archives