Tunisia – Africa’s treasure trove
The Best of All Worlds Right at the top of Africa, Tunisia is a tiny country of diverse treasures. From sophisticated cities to vast Roman ruins; the languid Mediterranean coastline to deep Sahara Desert, mountains and forest, its striking beauty and warm-hearted people will touch your soul. By Keri Harvey An old woman in a white cape and traditional babouche shoes sits warming herself in the afternoon sun. She’s surrounded by the high stone walls of the Sousse medina, or old quarter, and above her flaps a Tunisian flag in bright red and white. She sits quietly amidst the bustle of shoppers...
Read MoreRussia – the splendour of St Petersburg
Grand and brutal union It’s opulent and bleak, a city of elegance and romance interspersed with brutal Soviet apartment blocks in dead grey. The different faces of St Petersburg have witnessed war and peace, yet an atmosphere of pure enchantment remains palpable. By Keri Harvey The backdrop stands stoic. It could be a vast masterpiece in oils or an intricately iced cake with minutely colourful detail created by a million tiny hands. That would certainly be impressive; the Church on Spilled Blood in St Petersburg is more so, with breathtaking detail. In its forecourt, a microcosm of Russian...
Read MoreUganda – Africa’s true Eden
Primate playground in the pearl of Africa If ever there was an African Eden, it is Uganda. A place of vastness and extreme natural beauty, with genteel people and rare wildlife, this is Africa’s garden of the gods. By Keri Harvey Every day Prossy Bagabirwe plays hide-and-seek in Kibale Forest. That’s what it feels like to her, because to her being a chimpanzee trekking guide is not work – its pure enjoyment. “The forest draws me back each day,” she says, “because it’s different and magical. I never get tired, even after trekking all day.” Yesterday we drove 10 hours and 440km from Murchison...
Read MoreNamibia – Skeleton Coast safari
Touching the Moon If ever you wish to experience wild beauty, endless surreal sandscapes, and a brooding, mysterious coastline, you don’t need to venture very far. Sure, you could book a rocket ticket to the moon, or you could just take a drive up Namibia’s ribboning Skeleton Coast. By Keri Harvey Twisted ships with broken backs crumbling to rusted dust, bleached whale and seal bones splintered and strewn on the beaches, tangled oil drilling equipment that’s slowly being swallowed by sand, and not a living soul in sight – these are facets of the Skeleton Coast that give it its unique...
Read MoreSweden – Arctic Circle sojourn
Summertime in the land of ice and snow Sweden’s Arctic Circle is the place of reindeer herds and traditional nomadic Sami culture, home of the iconic ICEHOTEL and dog sledding. Frozen for much of the year, the Arctic’s summer face is one of rushing rivers and wild flowers giving vibrance the desolate landscape. By Keri Harvey A rhythmic ‘tonk, tonk, tonk’ breaks the silence on the banks of the Torne River. It is so quiet here that any sound reverberates and seems intrusive. We trace the tonking to an intrepid boat builder meticulously repairing the wooden struts on a traditional nuut boat....
Read MoreMozambique – Niassa nostalgia
Wild, Wild Wonderland In the far north of Mozambique is a place so remote and so majestically beautiful that it has to be felt to be believed. It is the vast Niassa Reserve and it’s double the size of the Kruger National Park. But danger lurks here for wildlife, so dedicated conservationists work tirelessly, often risking their lives to protect Niassa’s elephants from poachers. By Keri Harvey Niassa is love at first sight. It’s raw and rugged. Truly wild. As we fly into the interior from the coast, for two hours we are humbled at the beauty of the landscape lying below. Silenced by its...
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