Swimming With Whale Sharks and the Bizarre Desert World of Lake Assale

by Matthew Allison | Nov 23, 2012 | Africa

Djibouti: The Backup Plan That Became an Adventure November 2012: As part of a larger Middle East-Middle East | Venture The Planet and East Africa-East Africa | Venture The Planet trip, my friend Evan and I ended up in Djibouti for four days—a destination that,...

Sleeping on the Rim of a Lava Lake at 11,000 ‘ in One of the World’s Most Dangerous National Parks-Virunga and Camping with the Mbuti Pygmy Tribe in the Ituri Forest  

by Matthew Allison | Nov 14, 2011 | Africa

Into the Heart of the Congo – My Journey Through the Ituri Forest and Virunga VolcanoesNovember 2011 My friend Sterling and I spent a week deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), chasing a dream I’d had for as long as I can remember—to explore the vast and...

Witnessing the Great Migration Across the Endless Plains of the Serengeti, Meeting the Maasai Tribe and Camping in a Tent Among Elephants

by Matthew Allison | Nov 8, 2011 | Africa

Witnessing the Great Migration A Budget Safari in Tanzania – November 2011 As part of a larger journey through Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, I spent a week in Tanzania to experience the legendary wildebeest migration across the Serengeti. To keep costs...

Tracking Wild Chimpanzees and Observing the Horrors of the Rwandan Genocide-Rwanda

by Matthew Allison | Oct 11, 2011 | Africa

November 2011: As part of a two-week journey that included Congo and Tanzania, I spent four days in Rwanda traveling with my friend Sterling, along with a car and driver. Our visit had two main objectives: To visit sites where some of the worst atrocities of the 1994...

Camping Among the Lesser Known Nubian Pyramids in the Country of Sudan Where You Are More Likely to Encounter a Desert Nomad than another Tourist

by Matthew Allison | Nov 24, 2010 | Africa

Exploring Sudan’s Ancient Wonders Amidst Political Turmoil November 2010: At the time of my journey, and for many years prior, Sudan was frequently portrayed as a villain in international headlines. Sudanese President Omar Bashir had been publicly condemned by...

Visiting Libya Under Muammar Qaddafi, Climbing Mountains Haunted by Evil Genies, Traveling Across the Magical Saharan Desert and Having an Entire Ruined Roman City to Myself

by Matthew Allison | Nov 21, 2010 | Africa

November 2010: For years, I was obsessed with visiting Libya—a country ruled by the eccentric and notorious dictator, Mad Dog Muammar Qaddafi. For decades, he had controlled this oil-rich expanse of the Sahara Desert in North Africa, becoming an arch-nemesis of Ronald...