I’ve just completed a thrilling 30 day trip to Africa, visiting South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 20 of those days were spent in an Overland Truck called "Jimi", travelling from Cape Town and Victoria Falls. Spending 5800km on the road we; witnessed the diverse landscape of Southern Africa, from tawny savannah plains to salt pans and red desert dunes. We came face to face with exotic wildlife, got warned off an island by a herd of breeding elephants, partied in Maun, huddled over the fire during the extremely cold mornings, learnt how to put up and take down tents like pros, learnt ways to survive in the desert. There's a lot more to Africa than wars, famine, deprivation and power-grabbing politicians. It is also not a zoo or the set of Lion King. Sure, the region has some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities but, it is also extremely rich in nature, culture, adrenaline-fuelled activities and bucket-list experiences.  Here are some of the experiences in Southern Africa to add to your bucket-list:

See Cape Town from the top of Lion’s Head (South Africa)

Watch Sunrise at Sossusvlei (Namibia)

Hike Fish River Canyon – the second largest canyon in the world (Namibia)

Climb rocks in Spitzkoppe (Namibia)

Jump off a plane over the Atlantic Ocean, Namib desert and Swakopmund (Namibia)

Soar over Victoria Falls like a bird (Zambia)

Dangle over the edge of the falls (Zimbabwe)

Glide down the Okavango Delta in a mokoro (Botswana)

Sleep under the vast African sky and gaze at the Milky Way (Namibia/Botswana)

Do sunset river safaris on some of the famous African rivers (Botswana/Zimbabwe)

Walk from Zimbabwe to Zambia via the iconic Victoria Falls bridge

There were so many activities I did not have the time to do but I will be back to jump off the Victoria Falls bridge one day.

PS: You may have noticed I did not include any activities that involved being close to wild animals such as riding elephants and walking with lions. I personally would not do those as I believe wild animals should be in the wild and not held captive. Responsible tourism trumps photo opportunities.