Tuaregs wearing cheches and green tagelmust, sometimes referred to as "Black Moors", are a group of closely-related North African peoples. They are native to the northwestern regions of the Sahara, especially in the Maghreb. This man and I spent a relaxing afternoon drinking mint tea and sharing watermelon outside our hotel on Mali's border in Nioro du Sahel.
Akodessawa Fetish Market in Togo is the world's largest voodoo market. Whatever your ailment, the fetish priests have a solution. With a plethora of decaying animals at their fingertips - ready to be ground up, burned, imbibed or whatever else the gods may decry - the voodoo priests have got you covered.
For more than four centuries, the Ben Youssef Madrasa Islamic College in Marrakech was a home for students in search of knowledge in various sciences, including theology. Now, it is an important historic site for Islamic culture.
The Dogon are a people living in the central plateau region of Mali. One of Africa’s most isolated ethnic groups, they were virtually unheard of in the West until the early 1930s. Now, they have one foot in the past and one in today - a young man wears traditional dress while his friend closeby smokes a Marlboro cigarette.
All children across the world are the same - a young Cameroonian girl pulls a face while doing her chores, carrying cassava for her mother to prepare. Cassava is a staple vegetable in the African diet; however, it is poisonous unless properly prepared.
A hunter from Mali's Dogon Country gives a more dramatic demonstation of his flintlock rifle than intended. Perhaps it was the vast quantity of alcoholic palm wine we had been sharing, causing an overzealous load from the leather powder flask.
The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana provides safe habitat for the Mona Monkey. The villagers consider monkeys to be sacred and they are protected by the traditional laws of the area. They cannot be killed or harmed; as such, they have little fear of people.
Nephila spp. Waiting for its prey. Taken on a 18 month motorcycle trip around the world. IUCN: Unknown, No Bait used
A Padua fisherman paddles across the smooth waters of Lake Bosumtwi. The only natural lake in Ghana, it is situated within an ancient impact crater approximately 10.5 km across. There is a traditional taboo against touching the water with iron and modern boats are frowned upon. The padua, a wooden plank requiring considerable skill to operate, is the only acceptable method of crossing the lake.
Cape Agulhas is the southernmost tip of Africa. Here, you can put one foot in the Indian Ocean and the other in the Atlantic Ocean. The strong winds of the Roaring Forties and conflicting water currents make this a treacherous area and the coastline is littered with over 2500 shipwrecks.
A pair of Vervet Monkeys watch the sunset at East London Coast Nature Reserve, South Africa. Vervets form complex social groups mainly consisting of adult females and their offspring. Like all social primates, including us, cuddling and touch is an important part of bonding.
The Gates of St. John are formed by the steep sandstone cliffs of Mount Sullivan and Mount Thesiger on either side of the Mzimvubu River at Port St. Johns. The port is located on South Africa's Wild Coast, which has a wild reputation. Sudden storms, wild winds, heavy seas and the occasional freak wave have claimed many ships. Port St. Johns is named after the wreck of the 16th century Portuguese ship Sao João.
Almoravid Qubba is a domed monument erected by the Almoravid dynasty in 1117 AD. It is one of the only remnants of Almoravid architecture in Morocco. Carved on the foundation is the oldest cursive Maghrebi script in North Africa. The qubba was used for ritual ablutions before prayer in the city's now ruined main mosque.
On the southern slopes of the High Atlas Mountains in the Ouarzazate Province is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. Aït Ben Haddou was established in 757 AD. These mud buildings are World Heritage-listed and have been the sets for over 25 movies and TV shows, including Game of Thrones, Gladiator and Romancing the Stone.
The shifting dunes of the Sahara Desert are home to the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. This nomadic people's culture is a mixture of Arab, Berber and Sahel. Despite Moroccan persecution, many Sahrawi still operate traditional camel caravans across the scorching sands.
A Cheetah hisses at a safari vehicle in the private wildlife reserve at Durstenbrook Guest Farm in Namibia. Unlike other big cats, Cheetahs hunt during the day. Their distinctive black "tear stripes" are thought to work like a rifle scope, focussing on their prey at distance by minimising the glare of the sun.
An adult meerkat stands lookout at the Kokerboom Woud (Quiver Tree Forest) outside Keetmanshoop, Namibia. A social species, at least one meerkat acts as a sentry when the rest of the tribe is above ground. As the highest point, my knee became the perch for this sentry as I photographed the rest of his troupe.
Suricata suricatta female, on guard duty. However this troupe was complete unconcerned about my presence and would happily stand within a foot of me. Taken on a 18 month motorcycle trip around the world. IUCN: Least Concern, No Bait used, habituated wild animals
Loxodonta Africana Taking a mudbath. Taken on a 18 month motorcycle trip around the world. IUCN: Vulnerable No bait used
Two wooden carvings stand watch over the Bandiagara Escarpment, a 200 km jagged sandstone cliff lying near the Sahara’s southern limit. Mali's Dogon people do not have a written language; instead their carvings help tell their stories and preserve their oral history
From his treetop perch, a Leopard carefully watches us watching him from the safety of a safari vehicle at Durstenbrook Guest Farm in Namibia. Strong climbers, Leopards spend much of their time in the safety and protection of trees. Persecution and habitat loss have reduced the range of the Leopard across Africa and private game reserves frequently provide homes to animals that would otherwise be killed.
An eagle watches the sunset from the spiky branches of an Acacia tree in Namibia's Uis region. A sunset is the completion of a day and every one brings the promise of dawn and new hopes.
An adult male Lion surveys his kingdom across the savannah at Namibia's Etosha National Park. Etosha is one of 19 areas in Africa identifed as Lion Conservation Units, where viable Lion populations still exist, and was home to an estimated 605 lions in 2018. It contains the 9th largest population of wild Lions in Africa.
A Dogon hunter in Mali proudly shows off his flintlock rifle and carving handiwork. In this remote community, the hunter serves as a link between the village and the bush. However, desertification and years of overhunting have severely depleted the local wildlife. Once found in abundance, the large herbivores are gone. Now, only smaller mammals such as monkeys are prey for the hunter's rifle.
The night market in Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna Medina teems with snake charmers, folk dancers and street vendors serving all manner of food, from tagines to camel heads. The Mosque's minaret keeps watch with its ethereal glow and the heady spell of spices float though the air. Built in around 1000 AD, UNESCO has declared the market a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" due to its contiguous use by traditional storytellers, musicians and performers.
