Have you read Travel Africa’s latest publication?

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" Oscar Wilde

Dear ATC Reader,

It was Africa Day yesterday, where people from all over the continent, as well as around the world, come together to promote peace and harmony. Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (now known as the African Union) on May 25, 1963. So, wherever you are, let’s celebrate the African way of life, culture, art, music, wildlife and Africa’s love for bright colours! Enjoy these stories from our latest issue of the magazine!

Taking responsibility

"What is it about Malawi that inspires me, tugs my heart strings and makes me smile?” asks Dom Webb, founder and managing director of The Responsible Safari Company (RSC). “It’s the people, the chaos, the buzz, the freedom, the potential.”

The tourist dollar can have a huge positive impact on local communities. Emma Gregg discovers how tour operators and lodges are giving back to the Warm Heart of Africa — and how you can, too

Walking in the wild

"It was our first dusk. We’d parked by an enormous baobab tree, decanted G&Ts into glasses and walked 200m through the dimming bush. Somewhere in the shadow of the reddening cliffs, a lone jackal called. We headed towards the empty riverbed, intent on watching the sun set from its gentle, sandy depths."

Rose Gamble relays her experience of walking in the remote Gonarezhou National Park, one of southern Africa’s great untramelled reserves

Going it alone

"It’s Etosha National Park in December. A summer storm darkens the sky and against the blinding-white pan, billowing nimbus clouds are building. Springbok and zebra walk away, with purpose, into the mopane scrub. And then the rains begin, with splashes the size of dinner plates. There is an intoxicating odour of grass, wild sage and shrubs. With each sense enlivened, you absorb every part of this unforgettable spectacle, one of the richest experiences in Africa. Rather than being rushed back to the lodge for tea, you stop and stare at the marvel before you — for it is experiences such as these that, in my opinion, make self-drive in a 4WD the best way to explore Namibia.

Andrew St Pierre White tells us why Namibia is such a brilliant place for a road trip, regardless of your past experience — and how you can make the most of it

Tree of life

Gregory Hutton travels to northern Ghana to discover the nutritious qualities of the baobab fruit and what it means to local rural communities

Taste of the Seychelles

The delectable food on this archipelago is in itself a draw. Anna Vujicic reveals what to expect on your plate in this Indian Ocean idyll