Why Camping is fun in Africa (Or why a tent is very reassuring)

Having done quite a bit of camping now in africa, I feel that we are starting to really see the benifits of that extra volume and mass in the bags. Not only is camping usually cheaper it has some very special benifits (Photos will follow at a later stage)

1. Turning up to accomadation without booking. Having done this at Myoka Village in Malwi, having the tent when you are told there are no rooms left and dark is falling is very reassuring
2. Great Views. Some of the places we have camped can only be experienced, already we have been on the shores of lake Malwim with lapping water a gorgeous sunset and just a nice place to sleep, up a tree by South Lawanga National Park waiting for animals to pass underneith, or on the ground with hippos munching beside the tent. And it still could get better as the trip goes on.
3. Facilities. This may seem odd, but places that you camp often have much nicer showers, more likely to be hot and toilets more likely to be clean, than in some of the cheap hotels or hostels we've seen or heard of, sometimes you even get a view from your shower.
4. Emergency Bedding. While we haven't yet resorted to setting up our tent in a room we have booked, we have considered it upon seeing the rooms, the sleep mats and insect proof fly look mighty reasuring and may well be used yet!

So taking our tent has been most comforting.