Arsh's African Studies Blog

Alright, now that we have almost reached the end of our journey around Africa, it would be outrageously stupid if we don’t stop at Mount Kilimanjaro!  Not only is Mount Kilimanjaro the tallest mountain in Africa (and one of the tallest in the world), but this mountain is also one of the most popular. Mount Kilimanjaro has been seen throughout many works for literature and art work. Aren’t you excited to see this gorgeous sight?  So, here’s a fun fact, Mount Kilimanjaro has a height of 19,340 feet. That’s huge, right?! Okay, now say that you’re into extreme-crazy sports and you want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. That’s cool, but there’s a few things you need to be careful of and keep in mind.  So, first things first, you need to deicide how many days you want to climb, you need to contact a climbing agency, and you need to pick a date. Once you’ve gotten those things taken care of, you should be good to go. See the best part about Mount Kilimanjaro is that this mount

 Okay, we have now reached our final time in Tanzania. Wasn’t this a great trip? We got to see all the different parts of Tanzania, observed the great migration, saw the lions climb trees, and so much more. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Now, we spend our last days in Zanzibar.  Since we have walked around and traveled so much the past few days, it’s time to relax along the Indian Ocean. Let’s go enjoy the beautiful blue seas and see the ocean as far as the human eye can witness. Plus, here’s a fun fact for your history nerds, did you know that Zanzibar was the birthplace of Swahili? Cool, right?  Aright, besides just spending your day relaxing on the beaches, there’s so much more that you can do! For example, how about you try something new like sail cruising or deep sea diving! Isn’t that always fun?!  Alright, well enjoy your vacation at this beautiful place. See you at the next stop!  

So how did you enjoy our pervious stop in Tanzania? Ready to leave? Haha, I didn’t think so. Alright as we continue our journey in Tanzania, we will now spend time in Serengeti!!  Serengeti is famous for the time that people spend time living among nature while staying in tents. This place is most famous for its viewing of the Great Wildebeest Migration. Plus, here’s a fun fact, as you get to view the migration, the Serengeti Safari Camp is also the best for watching the cats of Africa.  You don’t even have to worry about packing a tent and amenities to stay cause there is special lodging that you can stay in! These lodges look like big tents which include a full bed and other furniture. Plus, the services include food, drinks, laundry, and transportation around the area. Isn’t that perfect?  Well, let’s get going! Enjoy!!  

Alright, now that we have enjoyed our time in Northern Africa, how about we move down to the south-east part of Africa and enjoy some time with nature? So, our next stop is now Tanzania!!  Since we’ll be spending a few days in Tanzania, first we’ll stop at the Ngorongoro Crater in Lake Manyara National Park! Exciting, right?! Since Tanzania is known to be the heart of the great migration, at this park you’ll get to see such beautiful wildlife1 Along the rift valley we’ll see the wildlife enjoy their time along the water. It’ll be such a beautiful sight! You’ll get to witness so many animals from zebras, flamingos, buffalos, and much much more!  Plus, surrounding the astonishing water is a huge park with many different sights. The Lake Manyara National Park includes grassy floodplains, groundwater forest, acacia woodland, and the rocky base of the escarpment. And, come one, don’t you want to see the tree-climbing lions along with the wildlife that lives along the wa

Well since we’ve been in Egypt for a while now, why not continue our journey here? Alright, so for our next stop, we arrive at the Nile River!  Now, I’m sure that you know that the Nile is the longest river in the world. But did you know, that the Nile passes through so many different ecosystems? If you had to travel the entire Nile, not only would you encounter 11 different African countries, but you would also encounter mountains, deserts, topical rainforests, etc. Now just imagine, if you had to travel through every type of ecosystem, just imagine what kind of things you would witness. Imagine all the types of plants, flowers, and animals you would see. You better take a lot of pictures and make sure you plan for any and every kind of weather.  Now to plan for this trip, there are so many different companies and websites that allow you to purchase a Nile River sightseeing tour. They’ll take you throughout the Nile and stop at some of the amazing attractions. So what

Okay, now there’s no way that one travels to Giza and looks at the pyramids without stopping and looking at the Great Sphinx of Giza! That’s outrageous!!! So, obviously since our last stop was the Pyramids of Giza, our next stop is the Great Sphinx!  Like the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx is also one of the most astonishing attractions within the African continent. Even though many people think that the sphinx is a cat, according to Joshua Mark, the sculpture is actually of a recumbent lion with the head of an Egyptian king. Interesting, huh? Yep, this humungous sculpture was made out of limestone and most likely during the reign of King Khafre (which would be within 2558-2532 B.C.E). But theirs is no set date to when exactly the sphinx was created; every historian has their own argument and assumption.  Moreover, some historians say that the sphinx also reminded Greek writers of the sphinx represented in the tragedy of Oedipus. You know what, there will always b

Alright, now how could we travel around the African continent and not stop at one of the most amazing architectural sight in the world? Now, what are we waiting for?  Let’s explore the Pyramids of Giza!    Now, did you know that these pyramids are more than 4,500 years old? The first and largest pyramid was built by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu in 2550 B.C. The second one was built by his son, Pharaoh Khafre, in 2520 B.C. Now, the last pyramid is smaller than the other two and it was built in 2490 B.C. by Pharaoh Menkaure.  Plus, here’s a fun fact; many archaeologists and architects are unable to understand and figure out how these pyramids were built back in the day because the creation and development of these pyramids is so advanced. Moreover, it confuses many scientists that these pyramids were built without the use of heavy machinery and technology. In the end, these pyramids will forever be a landmark that people from all over the world will go see. Alas, they will f

Now, we’ve stopped at many places around the African continent. So how about for our next stop, we stop and look at the animals of Africa? Today we encounter the mountain gorillas of Rwanda!  These beautiful mountain gorillas live within the Nyungwe National Park (Volcanoes National Park). Now, this humongous national park is actually part of the Rwandan rainforest. This isolated national park takes up more than 368 square miles of the southwest part of Rwanda. Also, if you’re afraid of heights, it’s probably best that you don’t go here, for this national park is located at an elevation of 6,000 feet.  At this park, there are seven different groups of mountain gorillas. But there are serious and strict guidelines to go trekking to see the gorillas. Firstly, gorillas can very easily attract human disease (cause we share 98% of the same DNA, duh). So, if you have the cold, flu, or any contagious symptoms, sorry, you’ll have to miss out this time. Each trekking group can

As we continue our wonderful adventure across Africa, we now stop at Djemaa el Fna in Morocco! This wonderful and exciting town square is exactly what one needs to experience just to see that African culture. Trust me, if you don’t stop here, you’ll be missing out on all the African culture and vibes.  Think of this place as the lively downtown of a huge city. This town square is located in Marrakesh’s medina quarter. There’s so much to witness and see in this square! There are snake-charmers (not something you see everyday), henna-painters, storytellers, date-sellers, multiple vendors. Plus as the day goes by and the night begins to fall, tribal drummers, lady-boy dancers, and restaurateurs begin to come and stay throughout midnight.  Plus, isn’t it interesting that the food stalls only begin to appear once the sun begins to set. These Moroccan vibes and atmosphere throughout this town square is exactly what you’ll desire. So what are you waiting for? Get going! Mo

Welcome to Spitzkoppe, Namibia!  Let’s continue our travels of Africa with our next stop: Namibia’s desert! These beautiful groups of granite peaks might just remind you of the Grand Canyon, but I can assure you that they have their own mysterious beauty.  The highest peak in this desert park reaches up to 5,900 feet! Clearly this place attracts many stargazers, climbers, bird watchers, rock hounds, and even geologists! The main mountain, the  Spitzkoppe , is over 700 years old! Talk about an old rock!  Plus, there’s so much to do here! Stargazing is one of the most fun activities because who doesn’t want to escape the city to see the stars light up the night? During the summer months you can see the main stars; Great Square, Orion, and Leo. During to winter month, you can see the Southern Cross or the Scorpio. Or throughout the year, you can see Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn! Wait are you waiting for?!  Also, check out:  http://www.spitzkoppe.com/index

Welcome to the second stop on our African travel diaries!  Our second stop: The Victoria Falls, Zambia & Zimbabwe These magnificent waterfalls lay on the Zambezi River, and they also form the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Victoria Falls are these astonishing waterfalls that spray more than five hundred cubic meters of water every minute! Now all that water goes down into the beautiful river that travels the water throughout the southeastern part of Africa.  Now, in order to watch nature’s incredible creation, you have two options. Firstly, either you can go across the falls to where this natural basalt cliff will show you the most pic-perfect sight of the falls. Or, secondly, your better option would be to go to the Knife-Edge Bridge which is located above the Zambezi River to capture an amazing view. Well, however you decide to view these falls is up to you. But, what are you waiting for? To check out some more info about the Victoria Falls, ch

Africa; a continent full of the most adventurous and beautiful sights to discover! So, why don’t we take a little trip to many different parts of Africa? Let’s unveil Africa’s most astonishing places to visit to show you all the magnificent possibilities that await your arrival.   Our first stop: Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa!   Interestingly, this is known to be the most photographed destination of South Africa! The table-top or, in other words, flat-topped mountain allows travelers to capture a breathtaking view of Cape Town. Must be hard to leave, huh?  However not only does this mountain provide an amazing view of the city, but the mountain also contains approximately 2,200 species of plants, 1,470 floral species, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (located on the eastern side of the mountain which covers 1,300 acres), streams, rivers, and a flock of penguins that hang around the boulders! What more could a person possibility need?   Clearly, this