Our latest STA Explorer will be seriously interesting to those of us who dream of knocking out that Nobel winning novel one day. 19 year old Richard Milburn is already a published writer, and he’s just embarked on a 3 month journey through Kenya and East Africa:

to get more inspiration and atmosphere to improve the draft I have written for my second novel, and to meet up with a great friend of mine, Isaac Ouma, a tour guide and conservationist… he has an amazing ability to show people the other side of things and the hidden depths of Kenya and its culture in a way few others can. With the recent crisis there was in Kenya I’m also interested in seeing the aftermath and the effect it has had on the landscape and people of Kenya, as well as venturing further into Tanzania

His blog Karibuni Kenya promises to bring us all the higlights from his creative African quest, along with weekly reviews of the best books and music from and about the region, and his opinions about how STA Travel handle the trip. His latest posts include a review of peace campaigner and reggae artist Lucky Dube; a summary of useful African phrases; and his experiences booking the holiday with STA Travel, which seem to have been very positive so far:

Not only are they efficient and cheap, they are also very helpful and genuinly do seem to want you to have a good trip and enjoy yourself. All my friends who have used STA have said the same thing, and so I would always highly recommend using them for any booking you may be making

Richard’s just returned from Amboseli National Park and posted about his incredible tour spotting lions, jackals and a rare kudu. He’s actually a member of his university Officer Training Corps, so if you want a mixture of creative musings, anthropological and political insight, and good old adventuring, Karibuni Kenya will be a blog to watch.

Uganda is set in the geographical heart of Africa alongside a large proportion of Lake Victoria’s shore. The two travel bloggers Matt and Kristy have been discovering the country and posting on all they are experiencing.

Matt is a teacher from Illinois, who began his career in rural Alaska relaying knowledge to the children of an Eskimo village. After this he taught English and Theatre in Chicago, but took the opportunity of his summer break to spend six weeks in Uganda.

He has delivered four instalments on Uganda, each long and detailed, as well as a brief, yet informative summary on the country’s current political landscape. The thoroughness is partly due to slow connections and having to make the most of what access he can get while moving through the country.

Instalment #3 – Uganda Uganda (or look out Gulu, here I come) explains the school structure in Uganda, which is more interesting to your average reader than you may expect. It also features a droll description of a six hour bus journey that Matt endured under the weight of extreme tiredness, but devoid of a headrest.

Kristy has been in Uganda for over 15 months, a “woah dude” moment indeed. Her latest entry is entitled The Struggle and serves as a point of reflection on her time away. ‘The Struggle’ is now much more than just a mildly amusing slogan written on the side of cabs (amusing due to rap song connotations within Kristy’s own mind). To her now it represents difficulties that inevitably are encountered nearly daily in one form or another. It is just the way things are. Despite the sober tone of some of her evaluation, Kristy still manages to squeeze in discussion on ‘hairy’ equating to ‘hotty’ in light of recently grown arm pit hair…

Sat in a UK based office with rain clouds gathering all around, on what is invariably a typical British mid-June day writing about others in far off locations, experiencing all the world has to offer, is promoting some seriously restless legs. However, I continue unhindered with some African adventure at arguably the most spectacular point of the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls is a world beater by some measurements when it comes to waterfall comparison and both Just Us 2 and Adventure: Your Travel Blog have been discussing ‘the smoke that thunders’. Both are well worth a read. Also staying in Africa be sure to visit Becky’s Travel Blog as she embarks on an epic seven week journey through the continent.

Those ‘itchy feet’ Becky mentions are definitely residing under my desk right now. I’ve seen Niagara, and am thinking as far as impressive natural landmarks go, pairing that with Victoria Falls would make a nice duo.

As you creep ever closer to a departure date things get exciting. A swell of possibility takes hold and preparation becomes paramount as you begin to anticipate with fervour. And this would be around the stage where the following individuals are as they get set to head to Africa.

In the TravelBlog forum, Ray_Om is set for Tanzania and needs advice. He has ten days to fill and needs suggestions for where to go. Already he has done a little research, but he wants hear the experiences of others too before making a choice. Thankfully The Travel Camel suggests the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, both ideas that Ray_Om appears to have taken to.

Lauren is getting ready for the “Warm Heart of Africa”, Malawi. Her blog I Want to Taglia-Tell You Something is predominated by photographs she has taken, and if her work in Malawi is half as good as this snap taken on a previous excursion then her readers are in for a treat.

Finally, there are occasions where the excitement has to be tempered with practical needs, such as knowing about driving in Egypt! And for such things there are pleasantly constructed threads on boards exactly like The Lonely Planet forum.

Getting on top of a travel visa can be a nightmare. While a quick search on the internet can usually help answer the most common questions, it’s not always so easy if you’re starting out completely in the dark. Luckily, the internet is like a chocolate box full of knowledge in the gumpian sense. You can dip inside to get a taste of this useful information but, ultimately, you never know what you’re gonna get.

Fortunately, Lonely Planet is a discussion forum brimming with seasoned travellers best described as ‘the fudge one’. If you have any questions about your trip, chances are someone there will be able to help.

In this thread, Fendergrl97 needs to know how to get two visas at the same time to visit Kenya and Tanzania. If you’ve got an answer or have been asking a similar question, join the conversation by following this here link.

President Mugabe’s globally disputed “victory” in Zimbabwe’s recent elections and his subsequent opposition-blocking power-play has meant that the country continues to be discussed in the news - mostly in the context of turmoil and violence.

Despite this situation, the increased coverage will inevitably lead to a greater interest in the nation and the threat of danger never does much to deter certain experience-seeking travellers. This being so, I’ve collected just a couple of questions involving Zimbabwe that have been asked recently in the Lonely Planet forum. If you have any knowledge to share about these issues, follow the links and offer your advice. Alternatively, if you’ve been intrigued about travelling to Zimbabwe and want to know more, use these links to get in touch with people who might know.

Volunteering in Africa – Debate on how viable a destination Zimbabwe is for volunteering work. If you have any experience in this matter, don’t be shy and hit the link.

Zimbabwe’s borders – Simple question asking if Zimbabwe’s borders are open as normal. Does anyone know if this is the case or not? If so, let Chillylonghorn know by following this link.

‘Every couple of weeks or so’, says Shaun of Black Merino in Rwanda blog, ‘I see something or meet someone or experience something that affects some part deep inside me. I call these times ‘Moments’.’ As he is volunteering in southern Rwanda, teaching in the poorest local communities, Shaun has many such moments; but he’s been particularly moved to discover the life story of his fellow teacher, guide and friend, Bernard.

A victim of the Rwandan genocide, Bernard escaped with his family to the Congo, first enduring terrible conditions in the refugee camps and then being forced into the jungle by the First Congo War. When his parents and four siblings were killed in the fighting, he walked a further 1000km with his surviving brother and sister to Cameroon and returned to a still unstable Rwanda, determined to rebuild his life:

Read the whole incredible story here. Shaun blogs about the stories of many more of the resilient, courageous people he meets, so visit Black Merino in Rwanda to share more of his ‘moments’.