I spent four months travelling around Africa on buses, boats and planes - these are the mistakes people make when planning a trip to the continent and why South Africa is best for first-timers
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'I've travelled to over 70 countries across five continents, but even that couldn't prepare me for a lot of what I experienced in Africa.'. TikTok traveller and blogger Eli Solidum (@elisolidum), from the Philippines, is telling MailOnline Travel about his amazing four-month odyssey around Africa, a journey that had 'a ton' of challenges but that also featured 'surreal' and 'otherworldly' experiences.
![[LEFT: Eli faced a train breakdown between Tanzania and Zambia. He's pictured boarding the train in the former. RIGHT: He describes Soussusvlei in Namibia as 'surreal' and 'otherworldly']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/15/93186057-14202087-Eli_warns_it_s_important_to_find_a_sweet_spot_with_planning_and_-a-43_1734449775444.jpg)
The 28-year-old reveals the best country on the continent for first-timers, why the wildlife is a shock to the system and the common mistakes people make when planning a trip to Africa. But first, what were the 'ton' of challenges he faced?. Eli travelled to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and reveals: 'Logistically, it might be the toughest trip I've taken. Just between infrequent and unreliable public transportation, lack of budget accommodation options in certain parts, outdated and inaccurate maps, fewer online resources covering my destinations, I had to freestyle a lot of it and adapt on the fly.
![[LEFT: Eli says reaching the summit of Mount Kenya was 'unforgettable'. RIGHT: He's pictured at the Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats in Botswana]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/09/93186051-14202087-Eli_says_reaching_the_summit_of_Mount_Kenya_where_he_s_pictured_-m-14_1734601199420.jpg)
'I didn't run into many travellers to exchange advice and plans with. It was also mentally challenging being a foreigner because you stuck out no matter what. It was impossible to keep a low profile and I just wasn't used to the constant attention, even if most of it was out of harmless curiosity.'.
![[Eli says he 'had to stop on the highway for half an hour' in Botswana 'because a huge herd of zebras [above] and elephants were taking turns drinking from a watering hole on one side of the road']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/15/93186063-14202087-Eli_says_he_had_to_stop_on_the_highway_for_half_an_hour_in_Botsw-a-50_1734450230462.jpg)
The 29-year-old traveller explains there's a 'sweet spot' when it comes to planning a trip in Africa. Eli says: 'I didn't have which countries I'd be visiting set in stone, so spontaneous detours to Uganda and Rwanda required visas that I had to wait for.'.
![[This aerial shot shows the stunning Botswana Okavango Delta, a place that Eli says 'felt like a dream']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/15/93239087-14202087-image-a-51_1734451038617.jpg)
