Thesolowanderer

Senegal - The Gambia (Amdallai) Border Post. Welcome to The Gambia, a tiny country that is enclaved by Senegal and is cut through by the river Gambia. The Gambia is Africa’s tiniest inland country, taking up a distance of 48 kilometers at its widest. The official language in the Gambia is English, with other languages spoken by different tribes. The other languages such as Wolof, Aku’s Creole (Pidgin English) and Mandingo. The Gambia is a country that understands tourism and has for many years focused on travel and tourism. Most of the travelers from the Gambia come from Europe, specifically the UK as this was a British colony. Kanilai Ferry crossing the River Gambia. Currency The Gambian currency is the Gambian dalasi since 1971 which replaced the Gambian Pound.  You can also pay in Euros or US Dollars in certain establishments but remember that you can’t exchange the money out of Gambia unless at land borders that enter into The Gambia. Graffi...

Morocco is a North African country characterized by mountain regions, desert, and a lengthy coastline from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco is a monarchy where the royal family has full control over the government. Rabat is the capital city, but Casablanca is the largest city. Chances are your flights will fly into Casablanca as they have the larger airport and that is cheaper than flying into other airports. Like any other North African country, you will learn or you most probably know about the history of the Arabs in Morocco. Most people assume north Africans are Arabs. There are no Arabs in Africa. There are descendants of Arabs, but Moroccans are the Berber or Amazirgh people. Also, talking about the Amazirgh can offend some people the same way you cannot talk about Western Sahara. 93% of Moroccans are religious and the majority are practicing Sunni Muslims. I spent the last few days of Ramadan in Morocco in 2017, the interesting thing ab...

Landing at the Sao Tome International Airport.  Sao Tome and Principe are Islands on the Gulf of Guinea (part of Atlantic Ocean). They are 2 volcanic islands. Sao Tome is the largest with the Capital city being named after the country - Sao Tome. The local currency is the Sao Tome Dobra (STD).  The main language spoken on the Islands is Portuguese. The local languages are dialects of Creol e, Angola,  a nd Tonga. The official language of Sao Tome and Principe is Portuguese.  Principe is where 10% of the population of Sao Tome and Principe live and it’s a World Heritage site.  Sao Tome and Principe is Africa’s smallest country. Majority of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church with Traditional African religious practices and beliefs widespread, even among adherents of other faiths.  You can only access the island from Lisbon in Portugal (Flight goes via Accra), Accra, Luanda or Libreville. According to Euro Monitor , a...

I want to start this post with all the facts that you need to know before traveling to Nigeria. But first things first: Visit your travel doctor, take your malaria pills, and bring loads of insect repellent. This here country is the first where insect repellent will be more important than your sunscreen. I came into Lagos and after 2 days I was out with Malaria for 2 weeks. I will narrate this story another day, but please understand – saying the mosquitos in Nigeria are militant is an understatement. Nigeria is a West African country. One of the top economies of the African continent. Nigeria is not a religious state although the country is known for their religious tourism. The country is made up of 36 states (similar to provinces), there are over 500 tribes and a lot of languages that it’s difficult to put a number to. There are 180+ million citizens, making Nigeria the most populous country in Africa. Religion is a big thing in Nigeria with largely Christianity and M...

Wow #Ghana has been amazing. I did spend most of my days stuck in my hitel room catching up on work but the days i went out were just breathtaking. Border crossings will always be a challenge for me. They can be so overwhelming and little leaves you not just crying. These are moments are ask myself what am i doing and if it's really worth it. But of all the borders, going into amd out of Ghana was joy. The officials so professional and friendly, always smiling and refreshing not to be annoyed for a bribe 🤗 Off to Lagos i go. #BreakingBorders #Thesolowanderer #Nigeria 🇳🇬 A post shared by Katchie Nzama (@thesolowandera) on Sep 10, 2017 at 9:01am PDT From Accra to Lome is very easy. A 3hr taxi ride in a comfortable sharing taxi. There's also an option of smaller private car taxis. The roads through Ghana are fantastic. There are a lot of speed humps on your drive. The fare to Lome is 25GHc. You will also pay 5GHc for your luggage. Nothing eventful ever happens, t...