Safari means "journey" in Swahili.
However, he is often locked up in the collective imagination in his quest to encounter wildlife.
But this wild Africa undeniably rubs shoulders with another world rich in history and cultures.
Here are some reasons to go on safari… But not only.
SEE THE FILE -
Safari: travel guide, information and advice from Le Figaro
For sports fans
Eldoret in Kenya is the heart of running.
SIMON MAINA / AFP
The African continent cultivates a certain sporting excellence.
If the big names have made themselves known in Europe during the Olympic Games and other world events, the continent is full of incredible places, nurseries of great athletes.
You can therefore combine your safari with a discovery of this face of the continent.
Eldoret in
Kenya
is the heart of running.
The great champion Eliud Kipchoge, marathon world record holder, developed his practice there like all the great Kenyan long-distance runners.
Between two stages, take a break for a few days and train with the best athletes in the world… if you dare!
Rugby is a religion in southern
South Africa
and particularly at Stellenbosch University.
Discover the facilities and attend a match of the university championship a few tens of kilometers from Cape Town, after a broader discovery of the country... Or take advantage of your visit to Johannesburg to experience a great match at Ellis Park, the country's legendary stadium (seen in the movie
Invictus
).
Cycling is not the main discipline on the continent.
But
Rwanda
is an exception with its tour of Rwanda and some famous cyclists.
If you practice cycling “
seriously
”, training can be organized on the superb roads of the country… Be careful, this country is called that of 1000 hills!
Read alsoPrices, weather and supply: why you should head to South Africa this summer
For history buffs
In the region of Masvingo, in the south of Zimbabwe, there are monumental archaeological remains.
Adobe Stock / evenfh
All the countries of the continent have a dense past and it is easy to integrate stopovers and historical visits.
South
Africa
and particularly the city of Johannesburg is a must: visit the fabulous and modern Apartheid Museum, sleep in Gandhi's house or walk through the alleys of Soweto in the footsteps of Mandela or Desmond Tutu.
A strong stage before going on safari in the east of the country.
Zimbabwe
bears in its name the
interest it should arouse.
Meaning "house of stone", it is not only the land of Victoria Falls and the great adjoining reserves.
In the Masvingo region, not far from Bulawayo, in the south of the country, there are monumental archaeological remains.
Traveling through this region gives it a whole new dimension.
To be visited with a guide.
Unexpected and yet:
Zanzibar
, before being a mythical island, unmissable after a safari in Tanzania, was one of the equivalents of Gorée in East Africa.
This former sultanate dependent on Oman was the starting point for the slave trade to the Arabian Peninsula and Asia.
From this heritage there remain a few palaces in the old town and sites whose visit offers another look at the history of this region… so little known.
Read alsoSafari in Kenya: the six must-see parks and reserves
For foodies
Ali Barbour's Cave restaurant.
Photo press / Ali Barbour's Cave
African cuisine is little known and, it must be admitted, a little despised.
Due to the isolation of the regions visited, safari does not necessarily rhyme with gastronomy.
However, two places are worth the detour.
The Garden Route is located in
South Africa
around the town of Knysna.
This region is rarely visited and yet it has one of the richest soils in the country.
On the menu: fruits, vegetables, lamb (the best from the neighboring Karoo) and of course, seafood and oysters.
In short, a paradise for gourmets.
The address:
Seafood at the Plettenberg, located in a Relais & Châteaux in Plettenberg Bay in the heart of the garden route.
Everything is there.
The southern coast of
Kenya
starts from Mombasa towards the Tanzanian border through the coastal town of Diani where many hotels are located.
Here, seafood (fish, giant prawns and lobsters) are cooked with Arab-Indian influences.
The must: enjoy a good meal on a dhow (traditional boat) in the shade of a deployed sail.
The address:
Ali Barbour's Cave.
Located not far from Diani, this restaurant has settled in rocky cavities created by sea erosion.
Under a starry sky, surrounded by powerful rocks, an atypical dinner ideal for enjoying the flavors of the region.
Read alsoWild at Home: we tested the very first “virtual safari” at home
For climbers
The Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda.
Adobe Stock / Mathias
Safari is often associated with a combination of physical activities.
It is not so.
Most often in a car, you will not reach your 10,000 daily steps.
To exert yourself or surpass yourself, treks and hikes are possible in the most beautiful landscapes: walking on the edges of the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania, on the giant dunes of the Namib desert or by sinking into the fabulous Blyde River Canyon by South Africa... The opportunities abound.
Less known, wilder and smaller, the Empakai crater is a "small" crater in Ngorongoro in
Tanzania
that can only be visited on foot.
Guaranteed sensations… always accompanied of course.
For climbers, there are some famous peaks in
Kenya
: Mount Kenya or its prestigious neighbor Kilimanjaro.
Between five and seven days are necessary to accomplish these climbs which will take you beyond 5000 meters of altitude.
A timeless experience, appreciable before resting on safari.
Secrets, the Rwenzori Mountains, located in
Uganda
on the Congo border, offer an extreme but perfect mountain experience for an original and physical experience.
After that, we will go on a game drive before embarking on the famous gorilla trek in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
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