| , Norm Goldman, Editor of and is pleased to have | | | | Africa? |
| as a guest, travel writer and author Deanna | | | | Deanna: |
| Swaney. | | | | Obviously, some countries are easier than others. |
| Deanna for the past twenty years has written | | | | For those who aren’t travelling on |
| travel articles and guidebooks pertaining to Brazil, | | | | organised tours, the most straightforward are |
| Madagascar, Russia, Seychelles, Bolivia, Iceland, | | | | Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, where |
| Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Namibia, Norway, | | | | visitors can hire a car and get around quite easily, |
| Samoa, Tonga, the Arctic, Zimbabwe, and | | | | and in fact these countries have been dubbed |
| Botswana, Brazil, Israel, Reunion, Mauritius, | | | | ‘Africa for Beginners’. |
| Comoros, Zambia, Alaska, and, probably a few | | | | In general, the further north you go, the more |
| others! | | | | difficult things become – at least until you |
| Good day Deanna and thank you for agreeing to | | | | reach Egypt and the Mediterranean Coast, which |
| participate in our interview. | | | | are quite easily tackled - but Zimbabwe, Zambia, |
| Deanna: Thanks, Norm, for asking me. | | | | Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and non-war zones in |
| Norm: | | | | West Africa enjoy relatively good public transport |
| Deanna, when did your passion for travel and | | | | systems that facilitate independent travel. |
| travel writing begin, and what kept you going? | | | | Norm: |
| Deanna: | | | | Where are the Faroe Islands and what can |
| My passion for writing began as a child – | | | | travellers expect to find there? |
| My father was a newspaper reporter, editor and | | | | Deanna: |
| photographer. He taught me to read and write | | | | The Faroes, which belongs to Denmark, is an |
| before I went to school, and provided all the | | | | archipelago of 18 very green islands about |
| inspiration to steer me in that direction. | | | | midway between Scotland and Iceland, but the |
| In addition – and unlike anyone else in my | | | | green comes at a price, as one can expect rainfall |
| family – I always longed to travel, even on | | | | and generally very nasty weather about 300 day |
| road trips as little as 20 miles from home! Having | | | | a year. |
| said that, my first real international trip was a | | | | On the other hand, there’s no need to |
| very low budget three-month spin around Europe | | | | worry about tourist crowds, and those with |
| and the Middle East after graduating university, | | | | webbed feet will find some spectacular hiking, as |
| and it became clear that my desire to travel was | | | | well as very impressive sea cliffs, bird colonies |
| probably insatiable. | | | | and an ancient Scandinavian culture that still |
| After a trip to Bolivia in 1986, I decided that | | | | speaks a derivative of Old Norse, which was |
| Lonely Planet needed a Bolivia book, so I wrote | | | | spoken by the early Viking settlers on the islands. |
| up a sample chapter and sent it to Tony Wheeler. | | | | Visitors can also expect to see more ovine than |
| He liked it, commissioned the book, and then | | | | human Faroese, and may even witness the |
| offered one project after another, much to my | | | | traditiona, quirky and controversial grindadrap, |
| delight, of course! | | | | which involves rounding up and slaughtering pods |
| What kept me going was not only my innate love | | | | of hundreds of pilot whales for food. |
| of travel in general, but a growing interest in | | | | Norm: |
| travelling for a purpose – writing, trekking, | | | | Can you explain some of your research |
| photography, and spiritual pursuits – and a | | | | techniques, and how you found sources for your |
| real joy in the opportunity to see first-hand all the | | | | various guidebooks? |
| wonderful (and even not-so-wonderful) things the | | | | Deanna: |
| world has to offer. | | | | Every country was different. In some, especially |
| Norm: | | | | those with active tourist offices, it was easy to |
| I noticed you have travelled widely in Africa. Could | | | | find contacts and sites of interest. In others, such |
| you describe to our readers five most unique and | | | | as Bolivia the first time around, and for most of |
| perhaps romantic venues in Africa that you have | | | | my other first edition books on developing |
| visited, and what makes them so special? | | | | countries, I was pretty much on my own. In such |
| Deanna: | | | | places, I’d see a place on the map and |
| It will be very difficult to limit that list to five, but | | | | try to get there to find out what there might be |
| I’ll try! | | | | of interest to readers. Of course, this was all |
| · My favourite spot in Africa is | | | | before the days of the Internet and hosts of |
| undoubtedly the Tsodilo Hills, in northwestern | | | | competing guidebooks, which have recently made |
| Botswana. This little range of four small hills rises | | | | researching anywhere in the world much easier. |
| from the flat Kalahari and is considered by the | | | | Norm: |
| local San (Bushmen) to be the site of Creation, as | | | | How have you used the Internet in arranging your |
| well as the heart of their world. The hills are | | | | travel and in boosting your career? |
| covered with ancient rock paintings, which are said | | | | Deanna: |
| to have been done by the ancestors of the San, | | | | Over the past 10 years, the Internet has been a |
| and it’s quite simply the most enigmatic | | | | wonderful tool and has made research |
| and spiritual place I’ve even visited, and I | | | | considerably more convenient than it was in the |
| return again and again, each time seeing and | | | | days when the only information one could find on |
| discovering more wonderful things there. On one | | | | some countries was an old article in a National |
| hike alone through a remote part of the hills, I | | | | Geographic or an obscure 18th century |
| surprised a pack of 17 wild dogs, and felt both | | | | explorer’s journal! Of course, it has also |
| vulnerable and exhilarated at the same time. | | | | made it possible to advertise my career and |
| · Another wonderful spot is Lianshulu | | | | secure new gigs. In fact, the project I’m |
| Lodge in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. | | | | working on now came to me through Norm: |
| It’s rather simple as Namibian safari lodges | | | | If you were to pick one country that impressed |
| go, but the surrounding landscape is reminiscent of | | | | you the most, which one would it be, and why? |
| the Okavango Delta, without the tourism hype or | | | | Deanna: |
| extortionate high prices. It’s heaven sitting | | | | That’s an easy one – Namibia. |
| out at night listening to the elephants trumpeting, | | | | I’ve always been inspired by Africa, |
| the hippos belching, and a dozen species of frogs | | | | deserts, wilderness, hiking opportunities, wildlife, |
| calling from the wetlands. | | | | geology and unique cultures, and Namibia enjoys all |
| · The third spot is Canyon Adventures in | | | | these features in abundance. It’s also a |
| the northern reaches of southern | | | | reasonably affordable and relatively safe venue |
| Namibia’s Fish River Canyon. It’s | | | | for travellers. |
| owned by friends of mine, who came from South | | | | Close runners-up would be Nepal, Tonga, Portugal, |
| Africa and purchased their own personal Grand | | | | Bolivia, Australia and just about every part of the |
| Canyon. Here the landscape resembles images | | | | USA. |
| sent back from Mars, with fields of rocks baked | | | | Norm: |
| black in the sun and some of the most fascinating | | | | What does travel mean to you? |
| geology on the planet. On one visit, I hiked alone | | | | Deanna: |
| for six days through the hills and canyons, sleeping | | | | Hmm, that one isn’t so easy. I think more |
| under the stars every night, and swimming in | | | | than anything, it’s a lifestyle – and |
| waterholes during the afternoon heat. During the | | | | of course an addiction. When I’m not |
| trip, I saw no one else, but did manage to share a | | | | travelling, I’m thinking of travelling, and |
| waterhole with a leopard one night, and all along | | | | dreaming of travelling, but not so much due to |
| the route passed through some truly incredible | | | | ‘wanderlust’ as to a perceived |
| and inspiring terrain. | | | | imperative to seek out some unspecified ideal. As |
| · Then there’s the remote and | | | | I said before, it’s a spiritual quest – |
| very unique Jungle Junction, along the Zambezi | | | | although I’m not exactly sure what will be |
| River in Zambia, which is a sort of counter-cultural | | | | found on that quest. |
| venue on a remote jungled island mid-stream. | | | | Norm: |
| Visitors arrive in dugout canoes poled by friendly | | | | What is next for Deanna Swaney? |
| local people, and the experience feels akin to what | | | | Deanna: |
| David Livingstone must have felt the first time he | | | | At the moment, I’m working on a |
| was taken to Victoria Falls. Guests camp in simple | | | | Dorling-Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to Alaska. |
| jungle tents or very basic cabins; one of these is | | | | Having had my base in Alaska for the past 27 |
| actually on a raft moored in the river, where | | | | years, it’s a joy to have the opportunity |
| guests are lulled to sleep by a raging current just | | | | to explore close to home and see my backyard |
| inches from their pillows! | | | | from a new perspective. |
| · In another part of Africa entirely, a | | | | Norm: |
| particularly impressive place is Karnak at Luxor, | | | | Is there anything else you wish to add to our |
| Egypt. While it’s all very touristy, the scale | | | | interview? |
| of the place is overwhelming, and one can only | | | | Deanna: |
| feel insignificant in the face of so much mystery | | | | Only to tell readers that organised travel can be |
| and apparent skill in the construction of the place. | | | | great if they have only two or three weeks, but |
| · Other amazing venues in Africa, which | | | | for those with more time, independent travel |
| I’d mention in more detail if you’d | | | | isn’t as expensive or difficult as they may |
| allowed me ten or more sights (!), are Matobo | | | | imagine, and can be infinitely rewarding. Oh yes, |
| National Park in Zimbabwe; Lamu and Mt Kenya in | | | | and that in my travels, I’ve never found a |
| Kenya; Berenty Reserve in Madagascar; the | | | | place without some sort of beauty or interest. |
| Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana; and the Naukluft, | | | | Thanks again and good luck with all of your future |
| Kaokoland and Skeleton Coast in Namibia. | | | | projects. |
| Norm: How easy or difficult is it to travel in | | | | |