Vohemar (Iharana)

Vohemar, also referred to as Iharana, is the northernmost town in Madagascar’s north-eastern SAVA region. It is located right at the Indian ocean and vast Iharana bay which is subjected to the tides. Historically, Vohemar seems to be one of Madagascar´s oldest settlements, if not the oldest, where Swahili merchants installed a port for trading […]

Samfya & Lake Bangweulu – Samfya & Bangweulu-See

On the way to the north Samfya, Lake Bangweulu and the eponymous swamps are the gate to a, tourism-wise, completely undeveloped part of Zambia. Samfya is a sleepy little town with estimated 20.000 residents. It is the biggest village around the lake, which is 40 x 60 kilometers wide with seasonal variations, but the swamps […]

Lower Zambezi River – Am Sambesi-Unterlauf

Zambezi River is the fourth longest river in Africa next to River Nile, Kongo River and Niger River with a length of 2.574 kilometres. It rises in dense miombo woodland in Zambias utmost northwest. After a few kilometres, Zambezi River passes the border to Angola where it flows to the southwest for another 240 kilometres […]

Lake Kariba – Der Karibasee

Deep in the south of Zambia, Lake Kariba is situated because of staunching Zambezi River just downstream Victoria Falls. In 1958 the dam was finished and the impounding of water in the lake commenced. Official opening took place in 1960, carried out by Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mum. It is not quite a 100 kilometers […]

Pakwach

We reached Pakwach in the emptiest minibus in history. At the end of the ride, we had been the only two passengers on the complete rear bench seat, and I wondered if this could be an indication of the upcoming apocalypse. But the world decided to exist a little longer, and we got the opportunity […]

Lake Bunyonyi – Der Bunyonyi-See

Lake Bunyonyi is located only 7 kilometres from Kabale at 1.900 m altitude, while the surrounding mountains reach heights of 2.500 m. The lake was formed around 8.000 years ago when lava blocked Ndego river, and that led to the flooding of the valley. Today, Lake Bunyonyi is 25 km long, 5 km at its […]

Likoma Island

The landscape of Likoma is even more characterized by baobab trees than the one of Chizumulu, stretching their bony fingers towards the sky everywhere. The island is completely deforested, except for the far north. Besides the baobabs, there are only few patches of bush or trees left on the hills of Likoma that become flatter […]

Chizumulu Island

One can hardly make up a more heavenly place than the Robinson-island of Chizumulu with its approximately 3.000 infinitely friendly, curious, and joyful inhabitants you get to meet inevitably while visiting the island. You get the chance to see behind the curtain of their quotidian lives in an immediate way, and this life is almost […]

Mahajanga (Majunga)

Once I dreamt of a town at a turquoise sea with sailing vessels on it, of which I have learned that they have been invented in the Arabic world and are called Dhows. The air was warm and slightly salty, the palm trees along the seaside promenade were murmuring unheard words in the warm wind, […]

Vezo – Struggling with the sea – Die mit dem Meer ringen

Just like ghosts, the wraithlike figures are moving through the fog that dampens or fully absorbs few shouts and the noises of the nearby town. The beach, the sea, everything is grey, and the boats that are moving in and out the belt of fog are of dark grey. Such fog is very common along […]