Thoughts on Traveling through Africa

Around July/August 2023, I decided I would spend December 2023 traveling through Africa, or in more concrete terms, to four different African countries, all in different regions (two in the same).

I have been actively doing bucket list travel since 2018. I thought I wanted to be a travel blogger, Instagram worthy pictures and trendy, informational content and all. That venture taught me more about myself than any other venture I had undertaken since that point, specifically that I am not “social enough” to naturally and successfully be a travel blogger, nor is the desire enough for me to learn how adopt this personality. This explanation was a long and short way to excitedly share that my new outlet for capturing and documenting my travel will be through my self-titled website, funmioke.com (a very low stakes, yet fulfilling way for me to still document my travel to an interested  audience, without the fanfare).

Since 2017, I have travelled to 30 countries (now 32), but never really through Africa. When I was making plans for the holidays, I already knew I wanted to be in warmer climates, i.e home for me, Nigeria. I also knew, based on experience, that I would have no issue if I were to travel to a few countries in Africa before heading to Nigeria. This is what brought about the desire then research I did to commit to traveling to Kenya, then South Africa, then Nigeria, and finally Ghana.

I am in Nigeria writing this on the tail end of my trip, so as you can see, we did it. I am first and foremost grateful to God for journey mercies. As a solo traveler, female at that, it says much about my bold spirit (and maybe organizational skills) to navigate and handle all the logistics of connecting through four countries in a less commonly “explored” continent. 

I will not lie, getting closer to my December 4 departure date, my adventure was finally dawning on me, and the nerves were setting in (to the point where I was fervently praying for journey mercies as I was showering hours before my trip). You know how you set out to do something unconventional, but don’t realize the magnitude till it reaches the time? That’s always me. 

Anyway, sitting here reminiscing now on the past three adventure-filled weeks, and I smile. I had such a great time, and am grateful for safe landings so far, especially given how I was at some point sandwiched between a babe carrying my luggage and a motorcyclist riding at 3:45am in Mombasa, Kenya frantically trying to get to a train terminal (definitely a story for another day). 

Here’s to more wild rides, and equally more safe landings, God willing. 

p.s. - you need a yellow card if you’re traveling between African countries + always be mindful of visa rules. 

Funmi Oke