Traveling alone abroad allows you to discover a destination at your own pace, without having to take into account the wishes of others. But some countries are less suited to this type of trip… A ranking conducted by TripSIM scrutinized 40 European countries to evaluate the risks that solo travelers may face. Crime, road safety, the quality of care, or the feeling of safety in the streets: several criteria were taken into account. And some very popular tourist destinations appear among the lower-ranked.
Italy, Greece, Albania… These tourist destinations are among the riskiest
To establish its ranking, the virtual SIM (eSIM) company TripSIM compared 40 European countries using 13 indicators related to safety and travel conditions. The study notably takes into account crime levels, road risks, the quality of healthcare infrastructure, the availability of public transport, and the share of residents who feel safe when walking alone at night.
At the top of this rather unwelcome ranking sits Russia, with the highest risk score (65.64 points). It notably features a crime index of 6.92 and a score of 3.367 on the Global Peace Index. Moldova ranks second with 50.82 points, while Bosnia and Herzegovina completes the podium with 48.45 points. In the latter country, the indicator for the availability of public transport reaches 66.9.
The remainder of the ranking holds a few surprises for travelers fond of Southern Europe. Italy thus positions itself in fourth place, with 44.96 points. Among the top 10 countries for which this data is available, it shows the lowest share of people who feel safe walking alone at night — only 60%. Yet its homicide rate remains relatively low, at 0.57 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. A figure that underscores the importance of cross-checking several indicators rather than relying on crime alone.
Albania comes fifth with 44.44 points, recording a healthcare quality index of 47.9. Greece follows in sixth place (43.31 points). If only 64% of its residents feel safe walking alone at night, the country nevertheless benefits from good public transport coverage, with an availability indicator of 96.5.
Malta takes seventh place (42.47 points), followed by Romania (41.95), North Macedonia (41.51), and Belarus (40.62). These countries display different profiles. Malta, notably, has the lowest road mortality rate among the top 10, at 2.19 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. By contrast, Belarus records the highest, at 16.96. As for North Macedonia, 75% of its inhabitants nonetheless report feeling safe when walking alone at night.
Finland, Denmark, Switzerland… The countries where solo travel presents the least risk
Tokyo is brimming with stories that send a chill down the spine. Ryua experiences one on a daily basis. From her very first visit to this apartment in the Japanese capital, the young woman recounts to the BBC, on Friday, October 30, that she sensed something was off. She recalls that a man stood there, fixing her with a dark gaze. The real estate agent, for his part, saw absolutely nothing. Rather than flee, this young aidoru, or performer in the entertainment world, decided to move in anyway.
“I’m a bit of a nonconformist, so I decided to befriend this peculiar male ghost,” she explains. Four years later, she still lives in the same studio where she hears spectral voices and footsteps. Far beyond Halloween folklore, Japan holds a singular relationship with spirits, such as the yōkai.
No Hiding the Property’s History
In the Land of the Rising Sun, there is a whole vocabulary tied to paranormal phenomena and even a term for those tormented spirits who refuse to leave: yuurei. These wandering souls are thought to be people who died under violent or tragic circumstances, who took their own lives, fell victim to murder, or died alone in their homes. For buyers or tenants who aren’t particularly superstitious, this belief opens the door to advantageous deals.
When searching for housing in Japan, it isn’t surprising to come across a category of discounted properties, the jiko bukken (literally “stigmatized or incident-related properties” in French). In line with government guidelines in force since 2021, real estate agencies are required to disclose to buyers any tragedy that occurred there resulting in a disappearance.
This transparency, mandatory for three years for rentals and indefinitely for sales, makes a big difference for the wallet. In Ryua’s case, she had been told clearly that a man had committed suicide in her 25-square-meter studio, located in the trendy Setagaya district. She pays 45,000 yen per month, about 254 euros, versus the usual 62,000 yen asked for such a property. A discount of nearly 30%!
Oshimaland, a site specialized in these transactions
The Tokyo-based real estate agent Erik Oskamp confirms that Japanese people are particularly reluctant when faced with these offers. If an apartment near a cemetery struggles to find a buyer, it’s even more difficult when the dwelling is one in which someone has died by suicide. When they learn about it afterward, most tenants quickly pack their bags.
This cultural reluctance sometimes benefits different profiles, such as Diane Tincher, an American who has lived in Japan for nearly forty years. In Kagoshima’s rural region in the southwest, she was able to acquire a large three-bedroom house for about half the usual price, solely because an elderly woman had died there. She says she does not believe in ghosts, but concedes that the Japanese do hold firm beliefs about them. “If there is a ghost, I am grateful to it every day… to live in such a splendid and affordable house”, she jokes in a BBC interview.
To hunt down this rare gem, Diane Tincher turned to the Internet. Launched in 2005, Oshimaland is a site dedicated to crowd-sourced listings of these “stigmatized properties” across Japan, and now also internationally. In the past, these homes had little appeal, but the surge in real estate prices and the cost of living has given them renewed visibility. A 2025 survey reveals that more than half of Japanese people today say they would be willing to rent a jiko bukken if the rent remains sufficiently enticing.
The former British Army paratrooper had left Chile in 1998 with two golden rules for his journey: use no means of transport to move forward, and not to return home before reaching the end of the challenge. The 57-year-old Brit completed the final leg of his epic on Monday at midday by reaching his mother’s house, Angela, whom he embraced emotionally amid cameras and photo equipment. Welcomed by neighbors, he also reunited with his son Adam, 36, and met his 12-year-old granddaughter for the first time.
“Walking up the street of my childhood, to the house of my childhood” was an intensely emotional moment, he said at a press briefing after these reunions. For a long time, “Hull has been that mythical place, so distant, behind so many obstacles. It is only recently, once in Europe, that everything began to accelerate.”
Karl Bushby walked the length of the American continent, crossed the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia, and then trekked through Central Asia and Europe. The crossing of the Darién jungle, between Panama and Colombia, and the crossing of Alaska were particularly demanding trials, the former paratrooper recalled.
“I didn’t do this alone (…) you can’t imagine the number of people who were involved in overcoming the obstacles”, from visa refusals to swimming the English Channel, he said earlier in the day, at a ceremony in front of Hull Town Hall. Hundreds of residents welcomed their hero there, with a banner “Welcome home Karl”. “Everyone is proud of you, proud of your courage”, said the mayor, Maria Coward.
“I find Karl incredible. I have been following him for eight years, and he has been walking since I was born, it’s amazing”, said AFP Erin Anderson, a 28-year-old marketing executive.
Visas and the Pandemic
The spokesman for the government’s leader Andy Burnham also praised the “extraordinary feat” of Karl Bushby, stating that “the Prime Minister is happy to see him return to the United Kingdom”. The adventurer, who said he was “absolutely overwhelmed” by the reception he received in his country, had been hailed on Sunday as he crossed the Humber Bridge, about three hours on foot from his home, through thick fog.
Karl Bushby began his journey at the age of 29, after the failure of his marriage and his wife moving to Northern Ireland with their son. His trek was interrupted several times: Moscow notably refused him a visa for several years. And other visa problems, the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic cost him fourteen of his 28 years of travel, he told AFP.
DURING these periods, the adventurer put his journey on hold — he even lived in places such as Mexico — and resumed his route as soon as an obstacle was removed. He has crossed 29 countries. “We stood up to governments. We faced some very difficult challenges”, he affirmed on Monday.
A Documentary in the Works
He had arrived in the United Kingdom on October 5 by swimming the English Channel from France. A few relatives, including his father, had welcomed him on the beach near Dover, in southern England.
“It’s good to feel British soil under my feet again after all these years”, he commented at the time. “It wasn’t easy, but that was the whole point: to prove that I could do more than I thought I was capable of. We can all achieve far more than we imagine”, the adventurer added.
The German filmmaker Werner Herzog and a filming crew joined Karl Bushby for his return, the director preparing a documentary on his journey titled “Walk of Life”. The production company behind the film supported his trek financially and logistically for 16 years.
What Will He Do Now?
If he plans to give many talks about his voyage over the coming year, other adventurers he knows have “struggled” to adapt after returning, he acknowledged on Monday. “I expect I will go through that too. The only way to move past it is to find another mission, another passion (…) and that is what I intend to do“.
The Panag-aapoy (“lighting a fire”) takes place on All Saints’ Day in the tourist town of Sagada, north of Luzon’s main island, for 122 years, according to Winston Garlejo Menong, director of the Saint Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, cemetery owner.
As night falls and darkness covers the four hectares of the burial ground, a sepulchral glow appears, the flames burning for more than 2,000 deceased souls.
The animist inhabitants of the Cordillera mountain region did not adopt Christianity until after the Philippines were ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898, four centuries after Catholic Spanish missionaries had evangelized the local coastal populations. American Protestant missionaries encouraged Sagada residents to bury their dead and to light candles on their graves, notes Winston Menong. “According to our concept of the Bible, Christ means light”, he declares.
Whether with candles or pine torches, in Sagada lighting a flame amounts to “welcoming the presence of Christ among us, sharing in a communion with our departed loved ones”, he explains.
Respect Boundaries
The early Christians of Sagada burned pine wood because candles were expensive and their flames easily died in the wind, unlike the burning of aromatic pines rich in resin, explains Sagada’s tourism officer, Maria Teresa Abad, to AFP. This practice recalls the burning of incense in Buddhist rituals.
Cybil Domoguen returned to Sagada this year with her father and a bundle of 51-centimeter pine sticks to honor her grandparents who had raised her there. “If a tomb has no visitors, we make sure to light a few sticks for it”, explains AFP this 31-year-old teacher. Like other participants in the ceremony, she feels mixed about the growing tourist presence. “Last year, tourists were taking photos of us, which was embarrassing”, she adds. “We have no problem with strangers as long as they respect the boundaries”, she supports.
Hanging Coffins
The inhabitants of Sagada did not always light flames for their dead, nor even bury them. Before the arrival of the missionaries, the favored practice was to suspend coffins on cliff faces or wedge them at the entrances of caves, a custom that did not completely disappear until 2010, notes Ms. Abad.
Some of these “hanging coffins” remain visible on the cliffs near Sagada. “Traditional beliefs about burial link caves and elevated burial places to the passage of the spirit to the realm of ancestors”, she explains, which burial would hinder. It also offered the advantage of protecting the remains from wild animals and floods.
Over time, Panag-aapoy and the hanging coffins have become major tourist attractions, much to the dismay of locals. The Church and local authorities have since taken steps to safeguard the region’s cultural heritage. Picnic blankets and drone photography have been banned, and noisy tourists, phone in hand, are kept at a safe distance from the graves and asked to observe respectful silence.
“Panag-aapoy is a sacred cultural tradition, NOT a festival or a tourist event,” stated the Philippine Department of Tourism in a notice published for the season. “The solemnity of the practice is being lost”, sighed Mr. Menong with a sigh. “It was turning into a puppet show.”
Rex Refuela, a 46-year-old tourist from Manila, says he understands the need to show respect. “It is acceptable to impose a few restrictions to preserve and maintain the solemnity”, he tells AFP, adding: “it’s an absolutely incredible beauty”.
Last August 12, millions of people had brought out their protective glasses to witness the display offered by a total solar eclipse. And for those who dream of reliving this magical moment, the opportunity could come sooner than expected. On August 2, 2027, this astronomical phenomenon, which occurs when one celestial body occludes another, is set to return. According to a recent statement from the Washington Post, it will even be “the eclipse of the century,” due to its unusually long duration—more than 6 minutes and 20 seconds at its maximum—and the high likelihood of clear skies.
In which countries will the solar eclipse be visible?
The eclipse will be visible from several countries, including Egypt, the southern part of Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia. But to maximize your chances and enjoy the spectacle for as long as possible, it would be best to head to Luxor, Egypt, where the period of darkness will be the longest. According to American meteorologist Matthew Cappucci, no other solar eclipse visible from Earth will feature a totality as long as this one before 2114.
“In other words, the next eclipse will be spectacular”, he said. Meanwhile, astronomer Jeffrey Bennett stressed that the event should be even more impressive given that “cloud formation forecasts are excellent”. In a recent press release, the travel agency Nomade Aventure reported an unusual number of inquiries and sign-ups since the official date of the eclipse was announced. More than 8% of clients already enrolled for a 2027 small-group trip have therefore chosen one of the six itineraries that allow witnessing the phenomenon.
The same observation was made by an American media outlet. Alexandra Gillespie, luxury and adventure travel advisor and owner of New Atlas, noted a rise in inquiries for Luxor-based trips for the 2027 eclipse since August. However, she urged eclipse chasers to consider the entire totality belt, including destinations “where there is still a strong chance of optimal visibility and observing a very long totality without necessarily rushing to Luxor”. According to her, it is essential to engage the traveler as a whole.
The 2027 eclipse is already driving up travel prices
As Nomade Aventure notes, travelers were right to plan ahead to secure their trip. Several journeys are already full, and the prices for flights and accommodations located in the best spots to observe the eclipse are rising.
In its release, the agency cites, in particular, the example of a large house in Andalusia, whose usual nightly rate is €1,400 but climbs to €15,000 for the night of August 2–3, 2027. The same trend is seen with EgyptAir, whose fares have nearly doubled as the eclipse date approaches.
The air is thick with the dense, malted aroma of fermented barley. The miso from this factory in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, was once served at the Ryukyu royal court. Japan is home to about 3,300 companies aged over 100 years, known as shinise, literally “old shops.” Tamanaha is one of them. Nothing here suggests reinvention. Everything points to continuity, starting with the grand wooden barrels patinated by time. Takehisa Nakanishi, 55, stands out a bit, his mohawk evoking experimentation more than preservation. “The family workshop has 170 years of history and it has recently been handed down to the third generation”, he notes with a hint of pride, as he passes by the vats. “With new machines, we still produce traditional miso.”
The secret of a living miso
At the heart of the process lies the kōji, a mold (Aspergillus oryzae) cultivated on rice, barley, or soybeans, which drives a large portion of the fermentation to produce a crucial condiment of Japanese cuisine such as miso, but also soy sauce, mirin (a sweet rice wine), and sake. The kōji is monitored and turned to regulate temperature and humidity as it develops, then it is mixed with sea salt and cooked soybeans before being pressed into wooden barrels to ferment for months, gradually transforming into a dense and complex paste.
While most commercially produced misos are stabilized with additives like alcohol to halt fermentation and extend shelf life, the Nakanishi family’s miso remains additive-free. In that sense, it “stays alive”, says Takehisa. He means that it has character: fermentation is allowed to run its course, preserving depth and complexity in the product.
“A delicious product”
For Takehisa, tradition is simply a working base. In his restaurant, Miso-meshiya Marutama, miso is reinterpreted. Dishes arrive bearing familiar foods in unusual forms. “As a child, I dipped cucumbers in it and ate them that way”, recalls the self-taught 55-year-old chef. Since then, he has come a long way. He who originally wanted only to introduce miso to a broad audience – which often knows this ingredient only in soup – has set himself the goal of expanding its uses: “There is no need to focus on making a healthy miso – miso is already a healthy food in itself. So what matters is to make it a product perceived as delicious.” A challenge for a family-run operation given how tight margins are. But through cooking, adapting, and rethinking, Takehisa Nakanishi presses forward.
Portraits
Isshin Urasoe, a grower of brown seaweed and a rarity
Emiko Kinjō, eyes on her pots and the rest
Etsuko Kinjō, a warm tofu, made that very morning
Takehisa Nakanishi, traditional miso… living and flavorful
Munehiro Machida, “Ojii”, a master in his dojo and in his kitchen
➤ Article published in GEO magazine no. 572, “The Azores, nine islands, nine worlds to explore”, October 2026.
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For decades, crossing the U.S. border to attend a game, reconnect with loved ones, or enjoy a family vacation was second nature for many Canadians. But political tensions between Ottawa and Washington have shifted the landscape. Some continue to travel to the United States… but avoid telling friends or posting photos on social media. Between a fondness for their routines, political disagreements, and fear of judgment, these travelers now go about it openly… but not on the Internet.
American Vacations Have Become Difficult to Embrace Publicly
As CNN reports, Stefanie Ricchio knows New York well. This Toronto-based accountant has been taking her children there since they were born. Every year in April she marks her daughter’s birthday by attending a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. A family tradition she did not want to give up in 2026, despite the political climate between the two countries.
This time, however, she chose to keep the trip to herself. “I told myself that it’s not really something I want to publicly display, because I feel like I shouldn’t be spending my money on it”, she tells American media. She speaks of a tug-of-war between national pride and the memories she hopes to continue building with her daughter.
This unease sits within a broader movement. Since March 2025, the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump and his remarks about making Canada the 51st American state have nourished a movement of rejection. The boycott of American products has been accompanied by a questioning of travel to the United States.
The numbers bear witness to this shift. In 2024, Canadians had undertaken 39 million round trips to their neighbor. Travel then declined for 15 consecutive months year over year, through April 2026. According to a study by Environics Research published as part of Canada Tourism Outlook 2026, six in ten Canadians now avoid the United States, or consider traveling there with reservations. Specifically, 46% report actively avoiding that destination and 15% say they are torn.
Cross-border passages, however, began creeping up slowly again during the summer of 2026. They remained, nonetheless, 25.6% below those of the same period in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Sporting events, concerts, and theme parks continue to draw visitors. But as Canadians begin to return to their neighbor in small steps, some still prefer not to publish anything about their escapades. The fear of criticism weighs on everyday conversations: Stefanie Ricchio fears that loved ones will ask why she does not simply attend a Yankees game in Toronto.
Between Personal Attachments and Border Wariness
For Kemi Wells-Conrad, founder of a Vancouver-based luxury travel agency, clients fall into two camps. Some cancel their American trips, and even avoid layovers at Canadian airports. Others keep their plans, especially when they travel with children or own a residence in the United States.
Hawaii remains a favored destination for its family-friendly resort complexes. According to the agency founder, some travelers even differentiate the archipelago from the rest of the United States, due in part to its distinctive culture. Yet, despite this, “I’ve clearly had people tell me, ‘Oh, I won’t tell my friends I’m going there’, or ‘I won’t post on social media that I’m going there’,
reports Kemi Wells-Conrad.
Barry Choi, a Toronto personal-finance and rewards programs expert, has taken a different stance. After initially keeping his trips low-profile, he began sharing them again on Instagram, where he boasts more than 12,000 followers. A decision that drew criticisms. Yet he defends the option to keep traveling, without endorsing the president’s choices.
“The reality is that I’m not going to the United States to visit Donald Trump. I’m going to see friends, family, and things we don’t have here in Canada,” he explains. During a stay in Florida, several locals even apologized to him for the president’s behavior, claiming they did not vote for him. A reaction that surprised him and reminded him that political tensions also affect Americans.
Donald Trump, a Real Brake for Some Travelers
Other travelers remain less convinced. Caleigh, a Toronto marketing manager who prefers to stay anonymous, recently crossed the border to attend a Hayley Williams concert in northern New York state. She hesitated until the last moment, particularly after new remarks by Donald Trump and the announcement of additional tariffs. She also feared that border controls would tighten.
Ultimately she published nothing on social media during the trip. Her phone was not searched at the entry to the United States, but her car was subjected to an inspection. “The mood has completely changed. The level of scrutiny has completely changed”, she says. As a child, she used to travel to this region with her family. This time, the experience felt radically different. She no longer plans to return to the United States. Even without talking about it publicly, the trip no longer seems worth it.
In the north-west of England, a mist-wreathed hill and villages with old stone houses invite you to trace the country’s most unsettling legends. Welcome to Pendle, a region where mystery lovers can walk in the footsteps of witches, explore wild landscapes, and push open doors to places steeped in troubling tales. As Halloween approaches, this little-known Lancashire destination offers an escape as otherworldly as it is fascinating. But here, behind the ghost stories, the past is far from a mere legend.
A Witch Hunt Fueled by Fear and Superstition
At the start of the 17th century, an accusation of witchcraft could cost you your life. In England, King James I had intensified the crackdown with a law passed in 1604, which prescribed the death penalty for certain practices of witchcraft, even when they had not resulted in any deaths. The elderly, the poor, or those reputed to possess healing powers were particularly exposed to suspicion.
It was in this climate that the Pendle affair burst onto the scene. In March 1612, Alizon Device, a local healer, encountered a travelling peddler, John Law, who collapsed shortly afterwards. Law’s son denounced the young woman to the authorities. She would later acknowledge some responsibility for the incident and point the finger at several other residents, including her grandmother Elizabeth Southerns and Anne Whittle, a healer with whom she had been in conflict.
The magistrate Roger Nowell’s inquiry soon gathered momentum. A gathering held on Good Friday at the Device family home was interpreted as a witches’ gathering and led to further arrests. Among the accused was Alice Nutter, a relatively well-off woman whose case stood in stark contrast to that of the other defendants.
The testimony of Jennet Device, aged only nine, played a decisive role in the convictions. She accused her mother, her brother, her sister, and her grandmother. In total, nine of the twelve people tried in this case were found guilty and hanged.
The suppression of witchcraft continued for several decades. In England, it was not until 1736 that the laws criminalising these practices were repealed.
From Lancashire Villages to the Dungeons of Lancaster Castle
Today, visitors can traverse the landscapes associated with this case thanks to several walking routes, notably the Pendle Witches’ Way and the Lancashire Witches’ Walk. These routes permit exploration of the villages where some of the accused lived, as well as the sites tied to their arrest and imprisonment.
In Newchurch-in-Pendle, a small village at the foot of the hill, traces of this history remain visible. Representations of witches decorate some houses, while horseshoes and holly recall old beliefs meant to ward off bad luck. The Church of St. Mary also attracts curious visitors. Its cemetery houses an imposing stone tomb nicknamed the Witch’s Tomb, sometimes linked to Alice Nutter. This attribution remains uncertain. A sculpture in the shape of an eye, known as the Eye of God, also adorns the church tower and is said to have been intended to protect the village from malevolent forces.
Farther on, Ashlar House, a stone dwelling in Fence, constitutes another important stop. According to local historian Stephen Oldfield, interviewed by the BBC, it is the only building still standing in the area where the accused are known to have entered.
The walk finally leads to Lancaster, where the medieval castle rises, the site where prisoners were held before their trials. Visitors can explore the dungeons, cramped and damp spaces that give a sense of the conditions of detention of the era.
The region also cultivates its mysterious reputation. Visitors report feeling a sense of unease on Pendle Hill, whose summit rises to 557 metres and is frequently shrouded in mist. Historian Stephen Oldfield describes this atmosphere as singular: “There has always been this atmosphere and this unsettling presence on Pendle Hill.”
Accounts of unexplained phenomena draw fans of dark tourism, especially as Halloween approaches. Yet behind the ghost stories, the site’s historical interest remains essential. For Stephen Oldfield, those condemned were, above all, vulnerable individuals, caught in the beliefs of their time.
To explore Iona National Park and its surroundings, it is highly recommended to call upon specialists with strong field expertise and solid logistics (notably well-maintained and powerful 4x4s). The agency Palanca Safaris, which helped us carry out this report, also offers other itineraries in Angola.
From these shrubs with smooth, purple-tinged trunks and sparse, ghostly leaves in a harsh mineral world, fine translucent layers of bark swirl in the hot wind. An hour’s drive north of Espinheira, in the heart of Iona National Park, these delicate banners signal that life indeed exists here, on such an arid territory… Here, pachypodiums and other xerophytic plants capable of living with almost no water have claimed a schist islet that rises incongruously in the middle of an endless savanna. Around it, the rock wears away, a geological record shedding its pages in the fierce light. Its debris, sharp as razor blades, slices the tires of our 4×4. It is the fourth we sacrifice since the beginning of our excursion into this African natural jewel just emerging from oblivion.
A National Park Born in 1964
Iona National Park spans about 15,000 square kilometers in the extreme southwest of Angola, where it forms the northern tip of the Namib, one of the oldest deserts in the world (55 million years). To the south, the tempestuous Cunene River marks the border with neighboring Namibia. To the north, the Curoca River borders it. To the west, vast sand dunes plunge into the Atlantic Ocean for more than 160 kilometers.
Along this coast, the Benguela Current, which moves up from South Africa, brings up the cold waters rich in plankton from depths, making the area very fish-rich and attracting fur seals and humpback whales.
Protected as early as 1937 by the Portuguese colonial administration, the zone achieved national park status in 1964. But the War of Independence (1961-1974), followed by the civil war (1975-2002), which claimed more than 500,000 lives, devastated the country and ruined much of its wildlife. Farewell to black rhinos, desert elephants, and Angola’s giraffes…
The Threat of the “Zonkies”
After the country’s independence in 1975, the park had become little more than a refugee corridor toward neighboring Namibia for Portuguese settlers. It later served as a retreat for the various factions fighting for power during the civil war; finally, as a rear base for the SWAPO troops (the South West Africa People’s Organization) who fought for Namibia’s independence, then occupied by South Africa… After the conflict, a few herds of oryx, zebras, springboks, or ostriches wandered restlessly in the desert. The large mammals had disappeared. A few cheetahs and rare leopards tried to find prey to sustain themselves.
It was not until 2019 that the park began to emerge from this lethargy. The NGO African Parks, which manages numerous protected areas on the continent, launched the first reintroduction programs. About twenty Angolan giraffes were released into the park in 2023, followed by zebras, springboks, and oryx as their populations grew through ongoing operations. Monitoring of the herds has highlighted the presence of youngsters, a sign that the vast plains can sustain their needs despite the harsh desert conditions.
A 115 years old he is the memory of the Himba people
Mutili Mbentula is a historic figure of the Himba people. Our journalist Jean-François Lagrot, accompanied by Victor Agostinho, a conservation specialist within the park, met him in Erola, where the patriarch lives with his community. The elder says he was born at the start of the 20th century during the genocide of the Hereros and Namas by the German colonial army in what is now Namibia. He recounts having seen black rhinoceroses and elephants (now absent from the region). “Nowadays, rain is scarcer and the milk from goats and cattle is therefore less abundant, he notes. The Himba are surviving more precariously and the young people are gradually drifting away from the traditional lifestyle. I fear that our traditions will disappear with time.”
Zonkies, Hybrids Between Zebras and Donkeys
In a second phase, emblematic species such as the rhinoceros would arrive. But these require a level of surveillance that the African Parks teams do not yet have in place.
Today’s wildlife monitors, recruited from local ethnic groups, notably the Himbas and the Mucubals, ensure the tracking of animal populations and liaise with communities living on the park’s edge to ensure livestock does not compete with wild herbivores.
Another threat, more unexpected, looms over the zebra herds. “The villagers’ donkeys sometimes return to the wild and join the zebras, leading to the birth of zonkies [zebra-donkey hybrids], says Daniel van der Vyver, African Parks’ head of field operations. And zonkie males, often dominant in the herds and sterile, prevent others from reproducing. They thus block reproduction in the herds for years.”
During a flight over the park, we even spotted a black stallion galloping through the reg—mane blowing in the wind! Horses, too, sometimes revert to the wild.
Not a Trace of a Traveler
Wild… that is the adjective that applies to the vast expanses of Iona. Beyond the rough terrain, the lack of infrastructure (no developed campsites, only a lodge under construction near Espinheira) and still-rare fauna, this land of origins with remarkable geology carries a scent of freedom long thought extinct. The rest of southern Africa, as beautiful as it is, has become an amusement park where you meet lines of vans and all-terrain vehicles. Over the ten days of our exploration of Iona, we will not cross the shadow of a traveler. In this remote and austere territory, you cannot rush in: two vehicles loaded with jerrycans of fuel and abundant water are needed to traverse the park. And don’t count on a phone or internet connection to extricate you from a tough situation…
Near the town of Tombua, the northern gateway to the park, the wind guides us through a maze of ochre, red, and yellow sandstone formations, up to 25 meters high. Colinas do Curoca, also called the Valley of the Spirits, is a massif of alluvial rock formed during the split of the African and South American continents, the result of the Curoca River’s power, intensified by wind erosion. Legend says tribes sheltered there when the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, singing chants that, amplified by the cavities and the labyrinths in the eroded rock, supposedly frightened the invaders. Located northeast of the park, the lands of the Mucubals, a semi-nomadic Bantu people, hide a sacred site.
There, at Tchitundu-Hulu, in the crevice of a granite dome that looms over the Mopane Veld — named after the mopane (Cholophospermum mopane), the southern African tree found in this plain — a treasure of rock art was discovered in the 1950s. White and red paintings depicting fish, birds, and geometric motifs adorn these rock faces. The site was likely frequented by hunter-gatherers who predated the San people, who inhabited the region before the Bantu. To reach it, one must first obtain the soba’s approval, the clan chief, then slip between kraals (the livestock enclosures). The corn and bean plots next to the huts are surrounded by thick thorn barriers to protect them from livestock and potential predators.
Precious Rocks
Led by young Mucubal girls wrapped in vividly colored wax, we climb an inselberg, a giant stone with a granite shell formed by granular plates: these plates crumble away, taking with them concentric circles carved in the rock for at least four thousand years. We feel the giant living beneath our feet… Veins, the pegmatites, cross the granite. Usually rich in silicate, they sometimes contain topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, and various quartz derivatives…
The Mopane Veld stretches to the horizon. Broad calderas surround vast golden savannas that ripple under a bright horizon. Flows of cooled lava emerge from a collapsed caldera.
From Tombua, we rejoin the national park and head south along the coast. For about 160 kilometers to the Cunene River’s mouth, majestic dunes plunge into the Atlantic. Some have violet reflections that betray garnet dust; others, stained black, hide magnetite. To reach Foz do Cunene, at the southern tip, it’s best to choose the day carefully. For the ocean only withdraws enough to pass at the foot of the dunes during full moon and low tide.
Recently, a South African 4×4 was swept away by the waters, unable to reach Tiger Bay in time, a bay said to owe its name to the zebra-oxide stripes on the nearly vertical dunes. In the bay lies Tiger Island, once a peninsula with a fate sealed by the sea. The waters were especially fruitful for fishing, and the Portuguese long occupied it. A small town with its church, its fish-processing plant, and its airstrip once housed a few thousand inhabitants. But in 1964, a terrible storm broke the isthmus that connected it to the continent and cut off the freshwater pipeline that kept it alive. Today there remains a ghost town, buried under sand.
Crocodiles in the Reeds
Further south, the Angolan garrison at Foz do Cunene holds the last stand before Namibia. An African version of the Desert of Tartars (Dino Buzzati, 1940). A few crumbling buildings, bullet holes, sand heaps assaulting fragile walls. Seven border guards are rotated every three months, supplied by a track that winds endlessly through soft sand, amid “gardens” of Welwitschia mirabilis. This desert plant hides its true nature, with its two only leaves scorched by the sun, making it look from afar like a torn tire… In reality, it can live two thousand years and reach several meters in diameter, drawing moisture from the fog droplets carried by the ocean.
A hundred meters from the garrison, the Cunene River, a jade-colored artery between Angola and Namibia, scarcely invites swimming: locals say that dogs belonging to the border guards, who come to drink from its cool waters, are a tempting prize for Nile crocodiles. These crocs proliferate here, lurking among the reeds, according to a tall fisherman with a cane who strongly suggests we go wading elsewhere…
Further upstream, to the east, at the place called Cunene, the bivouac is idyllic. The Milky Way explodes in a sky free of light pollution. Around 8 p.m., the Scorpius constellation seems to rest its tail on the dunes, Antares glows a thousand orange lights… Further upstream yet, the Marindi Falls near Tchinhungua and then Epupa Falls announce themselves by the roar of their powerful columns of water cascading down. They are hard to distinguish amidst the meanders and the islets covered with makalana palms (Hyphaene petersiana) whose trunks rustle beneath the weight of vervet monkeys hiding there.
A Celebration for a Cow
To the east of the park, Iona—the town that gave the park its name—is a small town with administrative buildings oddly painted blue or pink. Some Himba communities live nearby. Further east still, a constellation of camps of various ethnic groups orbits around Oncócua and its market. Along the roadside at dusk, we meet a young Mucawana, wearing a solar-powered radio across his shoulder that crackles out Angolan tunes. The boy returns to the village to attend a feast organized for the slaughter of a cow.
We follow him. The Mucawanas, who live in the surrounding mountains, are sometimes called black Himba because of the color of their headdress, due to a mixture made from cow dung — the real Himba is tinged with red earth. They are herders and semi-nomadic cultivators, enjoying a certain tolerance from authorities on both sides of the border, who allow them to cross freely. They welcome us among them. The assembly claps in cadence, forming a circle in which women enter one after another, then spin around themselves before pointing to a man who joins them…
In the nearby kraal, a cloud of flies hovers above a cow carcass hacked open with a machete. The women laugh. A moment of grace in this vast, still little-known territory, thousands of miles from the world’s clamor.
Field Report: Jean-François Lagrot, Photojournalist
“The bivouac possibilities are fantastic, but you must be cautious”
A seasoned expert of Africa’s landscapes and wildlife, Jean-François Lagrot was impressed by southwestern Angola: “Traveling in Angola today means traversing a country that remained virtually closed to travelers for fifty years”, he says. Since 2023, Angola has opened up to tourism, waiving visas for 98 countries, including France.
“Now is the time to go!, notes our reporter. However, beware: Iona offers fantastic bivouac possibilities, but it demands good logistics, as water points are scarce, tracks are difficult, and infrastructure is non-existent!
➤ Article appeared in GEO magazine no. 573, “Scotland, generous and proud”, November 2026.
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Three people, including a foreign national, were killed and five others injured when a rock column collapsed on Thursday at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Cappadocia, in central Turkey.
The site, which draws visitors from around the globe, hosts formations known as “fairy chimneys” formed by ancient volcanic activity. They are now destabilized by both natural processes and over-tourism.
A deadly rockfall in broad daylight
The bodies of three individuals, including one foreign national, were recovered beneath the stones, Nevşehir governor Huseyin Kok said. Five others were injured, authorities added, one of whom remained in hospital on Thursday evening.
The incident occurred at 15:15 local time (12:15 GMT) following “a rockfall caused by a landslide in the town of Göreme”, the governor specified.
An investigation has been opened by the Nevşehir prosecutor’s office and is due to begin Friday morning. The nationality of the foreign victim has not been specified.
Images from the Turkish news agency IHA showed a vast plume of dust rising beside a parking area, as well as the body of a victim trapped beneath a massive rock.
Bulldozers and rescuers, equipped with powerful flashlights, were at work well after nightfall, sometimes quieting the machines in hopes of catching the calls of potential survivors beneath the enormous blocks that had broken away from the cliff. “Our teams pulled back after determining that it was no longer necessary to continue the operations”, the governor said shortly after 7:30 p.m., implying that the toll was final.
A World Heritage site fragile under the pressure of tourism
The site has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1985. It was also popularized by the on-site film “Winter Sleep” by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Cannes’ Palme d’Or winner in 2014.
“In a striking landscape shaped by erosion, the Göreme valley and its surroundings host rock-cut sanctuaries (…), troglodyte villages and underground towns, vestiges of a traditional human settlement whose beginnings date back to the 4th century”, the UN agency writes on its site.
But UNESCO also describes a place that would require serious, coordinated management. “Over-tourism and certain acts of vandalism have been reported and some incompatible constructions have been introduced”, it laments. Conservation plans and protection measures exist, but the situation calls for an integrated regional plan with “adequate financial, political and technical support”, the agency adds.
Studies completed in 2003 proposed that the site’s development respect natural zones “as they were declared in 1976”. In September of last year, local authorities took stock of the resumption of restoration work in 2024.
“Cappadocia is a very important destination, but it also has very fragile rock formations”, admitted the head of the site’s managing body, Aydoğan Cem Aslanbay, to the Daily Sabah newspaper. “We are doing everything we can to prevent further degradation.”
He noted that the site attracts roughly 4.5 million visitors each year and generates about $2.5 billion in revenue, drawing tourists from around the world, including hot-air balloon enthusiasts who can soar over this extraordinary landscape.
In 2024, a similar rockfall had occurred without any casualties.
