Millions of people fly every year completely unaware of the fascinating parts of the world they fly over. The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) aims to change this with the Hidden Journeys Project.
Hidden Journeys is a not-for-profit resource free for public use, and is one of the Society’s public engagement programmes that aim to foster an informed knowledge of our world. The Society is investigating how best to develop the project further for the enjoyment of air travellers across the world, including looking at how to make the interactive stories, images and maps available on-board aircraft.
The latest guide to be released explores the stunning landscapes, wildlife and human history of eastern and southern Africa between two of the continent’s fastest growing cities: Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg.
In the southeast corner of Africa lie some of the most beautiful natural landscapes and wildlife found anywhere on the continent. From the dazzling cichlid fish in Lake Malawi/Nyasa, to the more well-known antelope, zebra and wild dogs of Nyanga and the Ruvuma basin in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique.
The flight path also contains relics of eastern and southern Africa’s human history from the last 1,000 years. For example, beneath the route in Zimbabwe lies the Kingdom of Mapungubwe which ruled from 1075-1220. Across other parts of the flight path are remnants of more recent colonial history, such as in Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Malawi.