Trekking into the Cliffside Villages of the Dogon in a Country Wracked by Conflict and Terrorism

by Matthew Allison | Nov 24, 2013 | Africa

Journey into Dogon Country, Mali November 2013: A Solo Adventure in One of West Africa’s Most Enigmatic Regions Why Mali? Why Then? In November 2013, I traveled to Mali for a week to trek through Dogon Country, a remote and otherworldly region in central Mali known...

Dodging Swindlers, Aggressive Snake Charmers and Pick Pocketers All While Purposely Getting Lost in the Endless and Charming Alleyways of the Marrakech Medina, Morocco

by Matthew Allison | Nov 10, 2013 | Africa

Day Trip to Marrakesh: Navigating Morocco’s Ancient Medina First Impressions of Marrakesh November 2013: Over the years, I’d found myself repeatedly passing through Casablanca on brief, overnight stopovers, but never venturing far beyond the airport or...

Unexpected Country Stop Due to a Blown Airplane Tire in the Female Sex Tourist Hot Spot of the Gambia

by Matthew Allison | Nov 9, 2013 | Africa

November 2013: An Unplanned Country Dakar Nights and West African Characters The day began like any other in Dakar—recovering from a night out that involved beach bars and conversations with an intriguing new American acquaintance. He was one of those characters you...

Observing the Critically Endangered Pygmy Hippos in Tiwai Island While Trying to Avoid Corrupt Police, Sierra Leone

by Matthew Allison | Nov 4, 2013 | Africa

November 2013: Sierra Leone A Journey Shaped by History, War, and Wildlife A Nation Founded on Freedom Sierra Leone shares a striking historical parallel with neighboring Liberia. Both countries were established as destinations for the resettlement of freed African...

Surfing Empty Beaches in a Country Still Re-Building from Civil War in What Was the Only American Colony in Africa, Liberia

by Matthew Allison | Nov 4, 2013 | Africa

Liberia: Surf, Civil War Shadows, and America’s Only Colony in Africa November 2013 Journey As part of a 20-day trip across Asia and Africa that included Kuwait, the UAE, Socotra (Yemen), Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, I carved out three days in Liberia. My goals...

Lava Lakes, Bubbling Acid Pools and Nomadic Camel Caravans Carrying Salt Across the Lowest and Hottest Desert in Africa

by Matthew Allison | Dec 5, 2012 | Africa

Into the Inferno: The Danakil Desert December 2012 – Earth’s Most Alien Landscape Quite simply, the Danakil Desert is one of the most incredible places I have ever been. Tucked into the northeastern corner of Ethiopia, near the borders of Eritrea and Djibouti,...