Why do we travel? To experience different places and cultures, to see wildlife or to relax on a deserted white-sand beach, perhaps. These are all admirable reasons for choosing a holiday destination, of course — but do we ever really get to know a country when we visit? The simple answer is, no. We often barely scratch the surface.
For me, the best way to get under the skin of a place is through its people. In Africa, while amazing animal encounters or mind-blowing natural wonders linger long in the memory, it’s the unexpected conversations along the way that I truly treasure. From market traders to lodge owners, from taxi drivers to safari guides and barmen to entrepreneurs, everyone has a story to tell… and some of them are quite surreal.
By chance, I met a man on the street in Kisangani who claimed to be the driving force behind the lip-synch scandal popstars Milli Vanilli. I’ve chatted with a Ugandan heavyweight boxing champion in a Nairobi
