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Souvenirs |
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Every visitor to Africa
goes home laden with souvenirs - from the smallest pieces of Masai jewelry
to a six foot wooden giraffe. Africa is renowned for its fine craftsmanship
and souvenirs are available in shops and markets just about everywhere
between Nairobi and Cape Town. Remember that while it’s easy enough
to store these items on an overland truck, at some point you will have to fit all your souvenirs into your
backpack - and be able to carry it! Souvenir specialties include:
Uganda – drums made from cowhide (often seen on the side of
the road)
Kenya – Masai beads and blankets; batiks and wooden giraffes
(Nairobi city market); kikois and tangas - a male and female version
of the sarong (Nairobi shops)
Tanzania – tinga tinga artwork - brightly painted pictures of
exaggerated people and animals unique to Tanzania (Arusha and Dar
stalls and shops); ebony wood carvings (Dar ebony market); Masai antiques;
batiks (Arusha craft market)
Malawi – a variety of wooden carvings including chess boards and
Malawi chairs; cars, buses and even helicopters made from dried grass
(side of the road or outside campsite gates, Lilongwe craft market)
Zambia – more wooden giraffes (there is a stall on the road
between Lusaka and Livingstone that only sells giraffes)
Zimbabwe – soapstone statues, wooden carvings and baskets (Vic
Falls curio market)
Botswana – traditional baskets (expensive upmarket shops)
Namibia – East African souvenirs are for sale in Swakopmund
market at much higher prices than they are up north
Mozambique – natural loofahs and wire toys (side of the road)
South Africa – in Johannesburg and Cape Town craft markets,
you’ll find souvenirs from all over southern, East and West
Africa. However, the cost of getting them there is built into the price
and there is no room for bargaining. South Africa is best known for
its wine and diamonds!
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