From the salt-flats of Ethiopia to the ever-changeable waterways of the Okavango Delta, across to the jungles of the DRC and up to Sudan’s Sahara, there is no end to Africa’s natural wonders, many of which support the most bio-diverse ecosystems on the planet. The Seven Natural Wonders of Africa were voted on in a competition in 2013 as follows:
- Red sea-reef, Coast of Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan
- Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- Sahara Desert, Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara
- Serengeti Migration, Tanzania and Kenya
- Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
- Nile river, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Eritrea
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
Inspired, we decided to come up with our own Seven Wonders of Africa, voted in by our well-travelled team. So we’ll be revealing one every two weeks, to keep you guessing. First up, Angela Sacha, talking on her time spent in Tanzania with the Hadza:
‘The Hadza or Hadzabe are indigenous hunter gatherers in north-central Tanzania.I had the rare opportunity to live side by side with the Hadza community for three days, deep inside the Yaeda Valley. This area is far away from any other tour operators and camps; an 8 hour drive from Arusha or a 3-4 hour drive from Manyara. I witnessed amazing scenery on the way, passing through villages that became more and more remote.
‘What struck me most was that people here live very simply; the epitome of living off the land and respecting their environment. They take only what they need, living in a symbiotic relationship with their natural surroundings. The women dig for tubers to cook in open fires and know exactly where to find them. They take just enough for their immediate needs, then cover the roots back up, so they can continue to grow. The men hunt wild animals with bows and arrows, then share the meat with the entire village, as well as outsiders. While I was there, a kudu was killed, and every single part of the animal was used, wasting nothing. Plants and herbs are collected for many different uses.
‘The Hadza I met were generous of nature and spirit. We would do well to take life lessons from them in the West, where there is too much focus on material wealth and a disconnect with nature.
With many thanks to Angela for sharing her deep insight into the lives of this peaceful community with us. If you’re interested in visiting the Hadza, please do get in touch with Angela or one of our other destination specialists. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the next in the series.
