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How About Romantic Africa
oday, Norm Goldman, Editor and what kept you going?
of Sketchandtravel.com and
Bookpleasurs.com is pleased Deanna:
to have as a guest, travel writer
and author Deanna Swaney. My passion for writing began as a
child - My father was a newspaper
Deanna for the past twenty years reporter, editor and
has written travel articles and photographer. He taught me to
guidebooks pertaining to Brazil, read and write before I went to
Madagascar, Russia, Seychelles, school, and provided all the
Bolivia, Iceland, Greenland, the inspiration to steer me in that
Faroe Islands, Namibia, Norway, direction.
Samoa, Tonga, the Arctic,
Zimbabwe, and Botswana, Brazil, In addition - and unlike anyone
Israel, Reunion, Mauritius, else in my family - I always
Comoros, Zambia, Alaska, and, longed to travel, even on road
probably a few others! trips as little as 20 miles from
home! Having said that, my first
real international trip was a
Good day Deanna and thank you for very low budget three-month spin
agreeing to participate in our around Europe and the Middle East
interview. after graduating university, and
it became clear that my desire to
Deanna: Thanks, Norm, for asking travel was probably insatiable.
me.
After a trip to Bolivia in 1986,
Norm: I decided that Lonely Planet
needed a Bolivia book, so I wrote
Deanna, when did your passion for up a sample chapter and sent it
travel and travel writing begin, to Tony Wheeler. He liked it,
commissioned the book, and then try!
offered one project after
another, much to my delight, of "· My favourite spot in
course! Africa is undoubtedly the Tsodilo
Hills, in northwestern Botswana.
What kept me going was not only This little range of four small
my innate love of travel in hills rises from the flat
general, but a growing interest Kalahari and is considered by the
in travelling for a purpose - local San (Bushmen) to be the
writing, trekking, photography, site of Creation, as well as the
and spiritual pursuits - and a heart of their world. The hills
real joy in the opportunity to are covered with ancient rock
see first-hand all the wonderful paintings, which are said to have
(and even not-so-wonderful) been done by the ancestors of the
things the world has to offer. San, and it's quite simply the
most enigmatic and spiritual
Norm: place I've even visited, and I
return again and again, each time
I noticed you have travelled seeing and discovering more
widely in Africa. Could you wonderful things there. On one
describe to our readers five most hike alone through a remote part
unique and perhaps romantic of the hills, I surprised a pack
venues in Africa that you have of 17 wild dogs, and felt both
visited, and what makes them so vulnerable and exhilarated at the
special? same time.
Deanna: "· Another wonderful spot is
Lianshulu Lodge in Namibia's
It will be very difficult to Caprivi Strip. It's rather simple
limit that list to five, but I'll as Namibian safari lodges go, but
the surrounding landscape is along the route passed through
reminiscent of the Okavango some truly incredible and
Delta, without the tourism hype inspiring terrain.
or extortionate high prices. It's
heaven sitting out at night "· Then there's the remote
listening to the elephants and very unique Jungle Junction,
trumpeting, the hippos belching, along the Zambezi River in
and a dozen species of frogs Zambia, which is a sort of
calling from the wetlands. counter-cultural venue on a
remote jungled island mid-stream.
"· The third spot is Canyon Visitors arrive in dugout canoes
Adventures in the northern poled by friendly local people,
reaches of southern Namibia's and the experience feels akin to
Fish River Canyon. It's owned by what David Livingstone must have
friends of mine, who came from felt the first time he was taken
South Africa and purchased their to Victoria Falls. Guests camp in
own personal Grand Canyon. Here simple jungle tents or very basic
the landscape resembles images cabins; one of these is actually
sent back from Mars, with fields on a raft moored in the river,
of rocks baked black in the sun where guests are lulled to sleep
and some of the most fascinating by a raging current just inches
geology on the planet. On one from their pillows!
visit, I hiked alone for six days
through the hills and canyons, "· In another part of Africa
sleeping under the stars every entirely, a particularly
night, and swimming in waterholes impressive place is Karnak at
during the afternoon heat. During Luxor, Egypt. While it's all very
the trip, I saw no one else, but touristy, the scale of the place
did manage to share a waterhole is overwhelming, and one can only
with a leopard one night, and all feel insignificant in the face of
so much mystery and apparent
skill in the construction of the In general, the further north
place. you go, the more difficult things
become - at least until you reach
"· Other amazing venues in Egypt and the Mediterranean
Africa, which I'd mention in more Coast, which are quite easily
detail if you'd allowed me ten or tackled - but Zimbabwe, Zambia,
more sights (!), are Matobo Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and
National Park in Zimbabwe; Lamu non-war zones in West Africa
and Mt Kenya in Kenya; Berenty enjoy relatively good public
Reserve in Madagascar; the transport systems that facilitate
Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana; independent travel.
and the Naukluft, Kaokoland and
Skeleton Coast in Namibia. Norm:
Norm: How easy or difficult is it Where are the Faroe Islands and
to travel in Africa? what can travellers expect to
find there?
Deanna:
Deanna:
Obviously, some countries are
easier than others. For those who The Faroes, which belongs to
aren't travelling on organised Denmark, is an archipelago of 18
tours, the most straightforward very green islands about midway
are Namibia, Botswana and South between Scotland and Iceland, but
Africa, where visitors can hire a the green comes at a price, as
car and get around quite easily, one can expect rainfall and
and in fact these countries have generally very nasty weather
been dubbed ‘Africa for about 300 day a year.
Beginners'.
On the other hand, there's no Every country was different. In
need to worry about tourist some, especially those with
crowds, and those with webbed active tourist offices, it was
feet will find some spectacular easy to find contacts and sites
hiking, as well as very of interest. In others, such as
impressive sea cliffs, bird Bolivia the first time around,
colonies and an ancient and for most of my other first
Scandinavian culture that still edition books on developing
speaks a derivative of Old Norse, countries, I was pretty much on
which was spoken by the early my own. In such places, I'd see a
Viking settlers on the islands. place on the map and try to get
there to find out what there
Visitors can also expect to see might be of interest to readers.
more ovine than human Faroese, Of course, this was all before
and may even witness the the days of the Internet and
traditiona, quirky and hosts of competing guidebooks,
controversial grindadrap, which which have recently made
involves rounding up and researching anywhere in the world
slaughtering pods of hundreds of much easier.
pilot whales for food.
Norm:
Norm:
How have you used the Internet in
Can you explain some of your arranging your travel and in
research techniques, and how you boosting your career?
found sources for your various
guidebooks? Deanna:
Deanna: Over the past 10 years, the
Internet has been a wonderful
tool and has made research reasonably affordable and
considerably more convenient than relatively safe venue for
it was in the days when the only travellers.
information one could find on
some countries was an old article Close runners-up would be Nepal,
in a National Geographic or an Tonga, Portugal, Bolivia,
obscure 18th century explorer's Australia and just about every
journal! Of course, it has also part of the USA.
made it possible to advertise my
career and secure new gigs. In Norm:
fact, the project I'm working on
now came to me through What does travel mean to you?
GUIDEBOOKWRITERS.COM
Deanna:
Norm: Hmm, that one isn't so easy. I
think more than anything, it's a
If you were to pick one country lifestyle - and of course an
that impressed you the most, addiction. When I'm not
which one would it be, and why? travelling, I'm thinking of
travelling, and dreaming of
Deanna: travelling, but not so much due
to ‘wanderlust' as to a
That's an easy one - Namibia. perceived imperative to seek out
I've always been inspired by some unspecified ideal. As I said
Africa, deserts, wilderness, before, it's a spiritual quest -
hiking opportunities, wildlife, although I'm not exactly sure
geology and unique cultures, and what will be found on that quest.
Namibia enjoys all these features
in abundance. It's also a
Norm: to add to our interview?
What is next for Deanna Swaney? Deanna:
Deanna: Only to tell readers that
organised travel can be great if
At the moment, I'm working on a they have only two or three
Dorling-Kindersley Eyewitness weeks, but for those with more
Guide to Alaska. Having had my time, independent travel isn't as
base in Alaska for the past 27 expensive or difficult as they
years, it's a joy to have the may imagine, and can be
opportunity to explore close to infinitely rewarding. Oh yes, and
home and see my backyard from a that in my travels, I've never
new perspective. found a place without some sort
of beauty or interest.
Norm:
Thanks again and good luck with
Is there anything else you wish all of your future projects.
About the Author:
Norm Goldman is the Editor of the travel site, www.sketchandtravel.com and the book reviewing site, www.bookpleasures.com.
Norm is also a travel writer and together with his artist wife,Lily, they meld words with art focusing on romantic and wedding destinations.
Norm and Lily are always on the lookout for romantic destinations to visit in Florida, New England States and New York State.
Source: www.isnare.com
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