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#1
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3 week africa suggestion
Hi,
I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#2
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On the question of good food..... Africa is generally not a
gastronomically popular destination. Sub Saharan African food "generally" tends to be unexciting (from a presentation and taste perspective), particularly outside of the major centres and outside of the major hotels and expensive safari lodges. Nothing beats eating freshly grilled Tilapia on the banks of Lake Victroria or barbequed chicken wings on the roadside in Uganda, or fresh fish on the beach in Mozambique but it's not presented in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing. It's just a piece of fish on a plate with chips, usually with a luke-warm beer or Coke as well. If you are looking for eating experiences more in line with European eating-out experiences, then you should think about South Africa with its myriad excellent restaurants in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. If your idea of good food is not the restaurant experience, but rather being in convivial places, interacting with the locals, eating local food (usually tasty enough, but can be stodgy, tough, and ultimately unexciting), and you have adventurous tastes (and possibly, a tough constitution) then travelling to almost any African country can be rewarding. Regards, Marc - Johannesburg On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:55:34 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Hi, I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#3
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On the question of good food..... Africa is generally not a
gastronomically popular destination. Sub Saharan African food "generally" tends to be unexciting (from a presentation and taste perspective), particularly outside of the major centres and outside of the major hotels and expensive safari lodges. Nothing beats eating freshly grilled Tilapia on the banks of Lake Victroria or barbequed chicken wings on the roadside in Uganda, or fresh fish on the beach in Mozambique but it's not presented in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing. It's just a piece of fish on a plate with chips, usually with a luke-warm beer or Coke as well. If you are looking for eating experiences more in line with European eating-out experiences, then you should think about South Africa with its myriad excellent restaurants in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. If your idea of good food is not the restaurant experience, but rather being in convivial places, interacting with the locals, eating local food (usually tasty enough, but can be stodgy, tough, and ultimately unexciting), and you have adventurous tastes (and possibly, a tough constitution) then travelling to almost any African country can be rewarding. Regards, Marc - Johannesburg On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:55:34 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Hi, I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#4
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Marc Lurie wrote:
On the question of good food..... Africa is generally not a gastronomically popular destination. Sub Saharan African food "generally" tends to be unexciting (from a presentation and taste perspective), particularly outside of the major centres and outside of the major hotels and expensive safari lodges. Nothing beats eating freshly grilled Tilapia on the banks of Lake Victroria or barbequed chicken wings on the roadside in Uganda, or fresh fish on the beach in Mozambique but it's not presented in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing. It's just a piece of fish on a plate with chips, usually with a luke-warm beer or Coke as well. If you are looking for eating experiences more in line with European eating-out experiences, then you should think about South Africa with its myriad excellent restaurants in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. If your idea of good food is not the restaurant experience, but rather being in convivial places, interacting with the locals, eating local food (usually tasty enough, but can be stodgy, tough, and ultimately unexciting), and you have adventurous tastes (and possibly, a tough constitution) then travelling to almost any African country can be rewarding. Yes that is my idea of good food (the fish especially). What I am not so keen on is a diet of only rice and/or manioc (but then who is given the choice). So do you suggest Uganda/Kenya for a short break? Raphael Regards, Marc - Johannesburg On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:55:34 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Hi, I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#5
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Marc Lurie wrote:
On the question of good food..... Africa is generally not a gastronomically popular destination. Sub Saharan African food "generally" tends to be unexciting (from a presentation and taste perspective), particularly outside of the major centres and outside of the major hotels and expensive safari lodges. Nothing beats eating freshly grilled Tilapia on the banks of Lake Victroria or barbequed chicken wings on the roadside in Uganda, or fresh fish on the beach in Mozambique but it's not presented in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing. It's just a piece of fish on a plate with chips, usually with a luke-warm beer or Coke as well. If you are looking for eating experiences more in line with European eating-out experiences, then you should think about South Africa with its myriad excellent restaurants in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. If your idea of good food is not the restaurant experience, but rather being in convivial places, interacting with the locals, eating local food (usually tasty enough, but can be stodgy, tough, and ultimately unexciting), and you have adventurous tastes (and possibly, a tough constitution) then travelling to almost any African country can be rewarding. Yes that is my idea of good food (the fish especially). What I am not so keen on is a diet of only rice and/or manioc (but then who is given the choice). So do you suggest Uganda/Kenya for a short break? Raphael Regards, Marc - Johannesburg On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:55:34 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Hi, I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#6
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For fish and shelfish, I strongly recommend Mozambique. Anywhere from
Vilancoulos northwards, on the coast. There's just something about the Portuguese influence on African food... Uganda is wonderful, but for a short break I might prefer Zanzibar in Tanzania, or Mombassa in Kenya. You could also look at West Africa. Ghana would be a great choice. Very friendly people, and a good "vibe". South Africa is also a good choice because of the variety of things to do. You can experience "real" Africa, as well as modern, vibrant cities, and everything inbetween. Regards, Marc On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 11:12:08 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Marc Lurie wrote: On the question of good food..... Africa is generally not a gastronomically popular destination. Sub Saharan African food "generally" tends to be unexciting (from a presentation and taste perspective), particularly outside of the major centres and outside of the major hotels and expensive safari lodges. Nothing beats eating freshly grilled Tilapia on the banks of Lake Victroria or barbequed chicken wings on the roadside in Uganda, or fresh fish on the beach in Mozambique but it's not presented in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing. It's just a piece of fish on a plate with chips, usually with a luke-warm beer or Coke as well. If you are looking for eating experiences more in line with European eating-out experiences, then you should think about South Africa with its myriad excellent restaurants in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. If your idea of good food is not the restaurant experience, but rather being in convivial places, interacting with the locals, eating local food (usually tasty enough, but can be stodgy, tough, and ultimately unexciting), and you have adventurous tastes (and possibly, a tough constitution) then travelling to almost any African country can be rewarding. Yes that is my idea of good food (the fish especially). What I am not so keen on is a diet of only rice and/or manioc (but then who is given the choice). So do you suggest Uganda/Kenya for a short break? Raphael Regards, Marc - Johannesburg On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:55:34 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Hi, I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#7
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For fish and shelfish, I strongly recommend Mozambique. Anywhere from
Vilancoulos northwards, on the coast. There's just something about the Portuguese influence on African food... Uganda is wonderful, but for a short break I might prefer Zanzibar in Tanzania, or Mombassa in Kenya. You could also look at West Africa. Ghana would be a great choice. Very friendly people, and a good "vibe". South Africa is also a good choice because of the variety of things to do. You can experience "real" Africa, as well as modern, vibrant cities, and everything inbetween. Regards, Marc On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 11:12:08 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Marc Lurie wrote: On the question of good food..... Africa is generally not a gastronomically popular destination. Sub Saharan African food "generally" tends to be unexciting (from a presentation and taste perspective), particularly outside of the major centres and outside of the major hotels and expensive safari lodges. Nothing beats eating freshly grilled Tilapia on the banks of Lake Victroria or barbequed chicken wings on the roadside in Uganda, or fresh fish on the beach in Mozambique but it's not presented in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing. It's just a piece of fish on a plate with chips, usually with a luke-warm beer or Coke as well. If you are looking for eating experiences more in line with European eating-out experiences, then you should think about South Africa with its myriad excellent restaurants in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. If your idea of good food is not the restaurant experience, but rather being in convivial places, interacting with the locals, eating local food (usually tasty enough, but can be stodgy, tough, and ultimately unexciting), and you have adventurous tastes (and possibly, a tough constitution) then travelling to almost any African country can be rewarding. Yes that is my idea of good food (the fish especially). What I am not so keen on is a diet of only rice and/or manioc (but then who is given the choice). So do you suggest Uganda/Kenya for a short break? Raphael Regards, Marc - Johannesburg On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:55:34 +0100, lesshaste wrote: Hi, I only have three weeks to take off and would like to visit somewhere in Africa for the first time in my life. To complicate things further I can't drive. Where would people suggest? I have the following preferences if it helps. a) Independent travel (i.e. public transport) b) Not too expensive (that probably excludes safaris?) and not too expensive to get to from the UK (seems to exclude quite a lot of Africa) c) Reasonably safe d) Water that you can swim in at least some of the time e) Relaxing rather than activities f) Good food (I *am* a big fan of chicken, rice and peas) Any ideas? I was idly thinking of Senegal but that is based on almost no information. Raphael |
#8
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Marc,
a very precise description of the food situation, as far as I can judge. In the Kenyan wildlife lodges you usually get a decent variety of food, English-influenced cooking. Quality depends on the price you pay. There are always some lapses, and the food is apparently never perfectly clean, so there is always some risk of intestinal infection when you eat salads and similar. But it's reasonable. With some carefulness it can be enjoyable. Some things are tasty. The thing I find most striking is that, in spite of having the most wonderful tropical fruits at their disposal, fruit salads are almost always very poor, few, uninspired types of fruit, usually the less tasty ones like melon and papaya, almost never mango, fruit often unripe (which is a general African problem, apparently). On the other hand, I often get very tasty starters and particularly soups and sometimes quite good main dishes. I've eaten both extremely good and rather poor and tough lamb in Kenya. Sometimes you get tasty meat from wild animals like antelopes. If you want to eat like the locals do, my recommendation in Nairobi would be the Kariakor Market (Kiswahili version of Carrier Corps). Ask your driver to take you there and don't expect fork or knife. I wouldn't go there after dark these days. Hans-Georg -- No mail, please. |
#9
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Marc,
a very precise description of the food situation, as far as I can judge. In the Kenyan wildlife lodges you usually get a decent variety of food, English-influenced cooking. Quality depends on the price you pay. There are always some lapses, and the food is apparently never perfectly clean, so there is always some risk of intestinal infection when you eat salads and similar. But it's reasonable. With some carefulness it can be enjoyable. Some things are tasty. The thing I find most striking is that, in spite of having the most wonderful tropical fruits at their disposal, fruit salads are almost always very poor, few, uninspired types of fruit, usually the less tasty ones like melon and papaya, almost never mango, fruit often unripe (which is a general African problem, apparently). On the other hand, I often get very tasty starters and particularly soups and sometimes quite good main dishes. I've eaten both extremely good and rather poor and tough lamb in Kenya. Sometimes you get tasty meat from wild animals like antelopes. If you want to eat like the locals do, my recommendation in Nairobi would be the Kariakor Market (Kiswahili version of Carrier Corps). Ask your driver to take you there and don't expect fork or knife. I wouldn't go there after dark these days. Hans-Georg -- No mail, please. |
#10
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Hi Hans-Georg,
In Maputo there is a collection of small local restaurants (buracos) on the road between Maputo and Costa do Sol. You can get fantastic fish and shellfish, but as you say, don't expect a knife and fork :-) Kampala has some fantastic eating spots, but you'll need to make friends with a local in order to find them. I guess this is probably true of any country/city. Marc On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 22:06:54 +0200, Hans-Georg Michna wrote: Marc, a very precise description of the food situation, as far as I can judge. In the Kenyan wildlife lodges you usually get a decent variety of food, English-influenced cooking. Quality depends on the price you pay. There are always some lapses, and the food is apparently never perfectly clean, so there is always some risk of intestinal infection when you eat salads and similar. But it's reasonable. With some carefulness it can be enjoyable. Some things are tasty. The thing I find most striking is that, in spite of having the most wonderful tropical fruits at their disposal, fruit salads are almost always very poor, few, uninspired types of fruit, usually the less tasty ones like melon and papaya, almost never mango, fruit often unripe (which is a general African problem, apparently). On the other hand, I often get very tasty starters and particularly soups and sometimes quite good main dishes. I've eaten both extremely good and rather poor and tough lamb in Kenya. Sometimes you get tasty meat from wild animals like antelopes. If you want to eat like the locals do, my recommendation in Nairobi would be the Kariakor Market (Kiswahili version of Carrier Corps). Ask your driver to take you there and don't expect fork or knife. I wouldn't go there after dark these days. Hans-Georg |
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