By Walter Jackson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just returned from a trip to West and North Africa to visit countries like Chad, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. This journey has taken me to 170 countries with my South African passport, and I hope to complete the remaining 23 countries in the next couple of years. This journey, which started with a 2-year working holiday to England nearly 20 years ago, has become an obsession. I want to show people from South Africa that we can go everywhere, even with our “green mamba”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are my travel tips for making the most of your travels <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Start at home<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even after seeing all these countries, I still firmly believe South Africa is the most beautiful country to visit. Make sure you see all the marvellous places South Africa has to offer. Here is a video<\/a> that shows the incredible beauty of our home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Make the most of your new country<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Immigration opens up a whole new region to explore. You can start small and local. Visit nearby attractions, festivals and markets. It will also help you fit into your adopted country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.<\/strong> Money too tight to mention?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Travelling on a small budget is a topic of its own, and I will write something about that next time. Suffice to say that your budget should not hold you back from exploring the world. Many of my trips are on buses or hiking with a small tent. You can see many places on a very tight budget. I still do so and have to get extra creative to make it work for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Extend business trips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had the opportunity to travel to Europe from the United Kingdom extensively when I lived there. I used every chance I had to find new routes to clients to see more. Or I would extend my stay until the weekend. Where there is a will, there is a way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Visa-free<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 104 places you can visit in 2023 with your South African passport without the hassle of going through a costly or lengthy visa application. The list is published here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also use the complete list<\/a> of countries that is updated regularly on Wikipedia.<\/p>\n\n\n