After eight months backpacking from Kenya to South Africa, traversing Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Eswatini, one African traveler is pushing back on the question everyone asks: "Why Africa?"
The question itself reveals assumptions worth examining. Nobody asks "Why Europe?" when someone backpacks from Portugal to Poland. Nobody questions the logic of a Southeast Asia circuit. But Africa - a continent of 54 countries, 1.3 billion people, and extraordinary diversity - gets flattened into a single entity that requires justification.
"All the giraffes look the same" isn't just a dismissive comment - it's a window into how Western travel culture simplifies and exoticizes the entire continent. Safari tourism, while economically important, has created a narrow lens through which many outsiders view Africa: wildlife, poverty tourism, and "authentic" villages performing culture for visitors.
The reality this backpacker documented is far richer and more complex. Rwanda's tech-forward cities. Tanzania's coastal Swahili culture. Mozambique's Portuguese colonial legacy blending with African traditions. South Africa's wine country and cosmopolitan cities. These aren't variations on a theme - they're fundamentally different places with distinct histories, languages, challenges, and cultures.
Backpacking Africa is also harder and more expensive than the typical banana pancake trail through Southeast Asia. Infrastructure varies dramatically. Transport can be slow, uncomfortable, and costly. Visa requirements are complex (though African Union initiatives are improving this). English proficiency varies. Tourist infrastructure is less developed in many regions.
So why do it?
The travelers who've backpacked Africa extensively describe something that's hard to find on well-worn routes elsewhere: genuine cultural immersion in places that haven't been optimized for Western backpackers. The challenge is part of the reward.
There's also something profound about African travelers exploring Africa. The backpacking world has long been dominated by Western perspectives, Western budgets, and Western assumptions about where is "worth" traveling. African backpackers are reclaiming the narrative, exploring their own continent on their own terms.
The broader question isn't "Why Africa?" - it's why does Africa still require justification when no other continent does? Why do travel forums overflow with Southeast Asia tips but have sparse Africa coverage? Why are travelers surprised to learn that African cities have excellent restaurants, reliable WiFi, and thriving arts scenes?
For travelers considering an African backpacking trip, the advice from those who've done it is consistent: it will be harder than Southeast Asia, more expensive than Central America, and profoundly worth it. Budget more time and money than you think you need. Learn about colonial history and its ongoing impacts. Don't expect everything to work smoothly. Engage with the complexity rather than seeking simplified "authentic Africa" experiences.
The best travel isn't about checking boxes or collecting passport stamps. It's about encountering difference and complexity in ways that challenge your assumptions. Africa delivers that in abundance - if you're willing to move past the question "Why Africa?" and start asking "Why not?"
