Africa

Welcome to the category of blog posts about traveling in the continent of Africa.

A brief history of my travels there:

  • Morocco: visited in 2012 (I think) for a few days with a girlfriend. I didn’t know about hitchhiking back then so I still have to return one day!
  • Tunisia: visited in 2018 for one week when I had one week of vacation from university. I loved Tunisia and I’m eager to travel back. I hitchhiked once with some great people from Hammamet back to Tunis, with Jonas. Not a lot of time spent, I know, but I had to be back in class the following Monday
  • Cabo Verde: visited in 2019 for 88 days with Jonas after graduating from university. Great times! I hitchhiked a bunch of times on different islands. All distances are very short because the islands are so small. I visited Sal, São Nicolau, São Vicente, Santo Antão, Fogo, Brava, and Santiago. I’d love to go back and visit Maio and Boa Vista
  • Mauritius, Madagascar, and Ethiopia: between 2021 and 2023. Jonas and I were in Mauritius for almost a year on the premium visa

Thank you for coming to the category about Africa. I hope you find something that you’ll enjoy!

How to Get the 1-Year Mauritian Premium Visa – Digital Nomad Special!

This article is about the (elusive) Mauritian Premium Visa, also known as the ‘Digital Nomad Visa’. It is valid for 1 year. You can apply for it before you travel to Mauritius or while you’re already in the country. You can only apply for this visa if you work online—this is not a tourist visa. To read about how to get the maximum days on your Mauritian tourist visa and how to get the 90-day tourist visa extension in Mauritius, visit the dedicated article. Contents1 What is the Premium Visa?2 I’m Sold. How Do I Apply?2.1 1. Apply before comingContinue reading

How to Get a Tourist Visa Extension in Mauritius (90 Days Extra!)

This article details how we (EU passport holders) obtained our 90-day tourist visa extension in Mauritius. This was in addition to our original 90 days for a total of 180 days. To skip over our experience and find out what documents you need + the address, click here. If you’re looking for info on how to get the 1-year premium visa, read the dedicated article. This article also has a Russian 🇷🇺 translation: «Как продлить туристическую визу на Маврикии (90 дополнительных дней!)» Contents1 How to Get the First 90 Days in Mauritius?2 Failed Attempt! How to NOT Get a TouristContinue reading

Getting the J&J Booster Vaccine in Mauritius as a Non-Citizen

This happened on Tuesday the 15th of February, 2022. Jonas and I had an appointment at the Wellkin Hospital in Moka for a booster vaccine. The only vaccine available to us as people under 40 years of age was Johnson & Johnson. This is a European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved vaccine, so this will help us travel in Europe too. Before this, we only had two doses of Sinopharm thanks to Kyrgyzstan. First of, Fuck the European Medicines Agency Secondly, I Was Not Excited about the Booster But it had to be done. Predicting shit during this pandemic is extremelyContinue reading

Pirogue Sailing to Île aux Bénitiers: Our Second Lesson with Christopher

This happened on Tuesday the 18th of January, 2022. We took our second sailing class with Christopher, this time in his yellow pirogue. The main photo was taken by Christopher. Click the menu in the top-left corner so you have the “pirogue” layer on. This map contains the approximate routes of all 3+ sailing classes we took with Christopher. Here’s a video of all four classes, starting at the footage of the second class:  Christopher’s Yellow Pirogue We received the message that the wind was good for sailing a bit later than last time. Christopher asked us at 10:15Continue reading

Sail Mauritius: Dinghy Sailing a Tiny Catamaran in La Gaulette

This happened on Friday the 14th of January, 2022. We received the message that there was enough wind to go sailing. We met our instructor Christopher at the waterfront in La Gaulette where his two small (dinghy) sailboats are at: one catamaran and one monohull. Click the menu in the upper-right corner so you have the “catamaran” layer on. This map contains the approximate routes of all 3+ sailing classes we took with Christopher.  The Idea + Gaps in Our Resumés Finding someone in La Gaulette willing and capable to rent us a kayak was very difficult, but findingContinue reading

Île aux Bénitiers + Crystal Rock by Kayak! (Mauritius)

All this happened on the 10th of January, 2022. After asking around far and wide for a place that would rent us a kayak, someone came through. The caveat? The two-person kayak only had one paddle. But we made do and paddled to île aux Bénitiers and Crystal Rock. Watch the vlog to see what that’s like! Contents1 Green Village Saves the Day2 Paddling to Île aux Bénitiers3 Mystery Rock + Crystal Rock4 Crossing Île aux Bénitiers on Foot/Paddling Around the North5 Paddling Back to Green Village/La Gaulette6 Contact Info7 Good intel? Consider buying me a tamarind juice! Green VillageContinue reading

Îlot Fourneau: Peak Hike via an Interpretive Trail

We did this trip to Îlot Fourneau on the 6th of January, 2022. The Idea + Attempt #1 When we moved from Souillac to La Gaulette by taxi, we drove past Le Morne Village. We both saw the small islet called Îlot Fourneau off the coast. I want to visit as many islets in Mauritius as possible; they are the best kind of day trips. So when we settled into our home in La Gaulette, I did some digging into going there. I found a blog post about walking to the islet in shallow waters at low tide and thenContinue reading

How Difficult is it to Travel as a Vegetarian in Mauritius?

Short answer: not hard at all. We didn’t expect it to be this easy, but it’s really, really easy. Below is a list of some vegetarian dishes common to Mauritius. But first, let’s talk about why it’s so easy to find vegetarian food in Mauritius. Contents1 Why is it Easy to be a Vegetarian in Mauritius?2 How to Order Vegetarian Food in Mauritius?3 What Restaurants Have Vegetarian Food?3.1 4 List of Vegetarian/Vegan Dishes in Mauritius4.1 The Two Mauritian Condiments: garlic sauce and green chili sauce4.2 The Carby Classics4.3 Found at Snack Places4.4 Found at Regular Places4.5 Dumplings4.6 Foods that are notContinue reading

(Craft) Beer in Mauritius Guide—What a Lovely Surprise!

Trying new beers in a new country or city is one of my favorite things. That’s even better when the beer is crafty. On day 1 in Mauritius, this country already surprised me with its rather thriving craft beer scene. I haven’t fully explored all options yet since I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so I’ll update this post if I encounter more gems of liquid gold. Contents1 Mauritian Craft Beer Companies2 But First, A Note on Bottle Deposits and Fridge Fees in Mauritius3 Flying Dodo Brewing Company3.1 NEIPA — New England India Pale Ale3.2 IPA — IndiaContinue reading