• So far, I've traveled through Africa to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt.
• Seeing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe was unreal, and I was impressed by Egypt's many landmarks.
• South Africa's Cape Town has great shops and restaurants and I loved the liveliness of Morocco.

The African continent is teeming with unique travel experiences.

There's something for just about any traveler, whether you want to go on an African safari, savor first-class food and wine, see diverse landscapes, laze on stunning beaches, or marvel at ancient civilizations.

My African bucket list is extensive, but I've already ticked off Zimbabwe, South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt. All four countries were vastly different but charming in their own way.

Here's what I enjoyed most about each.

Zimbabwe has a lot of natural beauty.

If you're looking for safaris, game lodges, exotic foods, and breathtaking natural beauty, Zimbabwe is the place.

The highlight of our trip was seeing Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It is one of the most spectacular waterfalls on the planet and is said to be the world's largest sheet of falling water.

There are few places more Insta-worthy, particularly if you catch a rainbow — we saw a double one over the falls.

I also really loved Imire: Rhino and Wildlife Conservation, located about two hours from the capital of Harare. There, we went on a game drive and encountered plenty of African wildlife. Then, we had a delicious lunch in the game park overlooking an animal-studded waterhole.

It felt like pure magic.

We found a lot to do in South Africa.

Cape Town, one of South Africa's capitals, didn't disappoint with its spectacular coastal views, a top-notch foodie scene, and great shopping options.

A highlight of our trip was riding on the cableway up to Table Mountain — our gondola had a offers 360-degree panorama of the city.

We spent a whole day walking around the V&A Waterfront and spent a lot of money at its wonderful shops and restaurants.

From there, you can also catch a ferry to Robben Island, which was once a prison for political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela during apartheid, but is now a museum.

The road trip from Cape Town to Knysna — which included a section of the Garden Route, a breathtaking stretch along the coast — was also absolutely stunning. We were lucky enough to stay with family in Knysna who had a beautiful, secluded property on the side of a hill, complete with access to a private beach.

Morocco was like nowhere else I've ever been.

I felt like I was in a movie the moment I arrived in Marrakesh

Donkey-drawn carriages cruised up and down laneways while snake charmers, folk dancers, and trinket vendors vied for my attention.

I enjoyed the delightful chaos and quickly fell in love with the vibrant colors, mouthwatering food, and rugged landscape of this North African country.

The standout for me was our three-day tour from Marrakesh to the Sahara Desert. We journeyed across the Atlas Mountains and explored ancient kasbahs along the way, then eventually rode camels into the desert.

On our final night, we ate chicken tagine (a traditional Moroccan dish with a spiced sauce) under the stars, then slept in a Berber desert camp.

There's incredible history in Egypt.

In the land of the pharaohs, I marveled at millennia-old colossal monuments like the Pyramid of Giza, the Great Sphinx of Giza, and the Abu Simbel temples.

The outstanding engineering capabilities of the Egyptians have to be seen to be believed.

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities is also a must-see if you're in Cairo. It houses the world's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the mask of Tutankhamun and his sarcophagus.

• I studied abroad in France, and since then, I wanted to keep exploring the world.
• I bought a one-way ticket to Morocco without knowing what to expect.
• I don't have a dryer or a microwave, and I've adapted to a new way of living.

Five years ago, I booked a one-way ticket from the US to Morocco with no idea of what to expect.

I'd spent several months prior searching for international job opportunities, willing to go almost anywhere. I was surprised at how much I learned about living in my time in Meknes, where I now live.

Studying abroad made me want to explore more of the world

My desire to move abroad stemmed from my search for the heightened discovery and immersion that I'd felt when I studied abroad in France two years earlier.

That semester abroad was my first trip outside the US and an experience that opened up the possibility of living abroad longer-term. In my senior year of college, I received job offers for positions in France and Morocco and decided on Morocco — somewhere new, in a part of the world with a culture I'd never experienced before. I planned to live there for a year, the length of my initial contract.

When I got to Meknes, the city where I'd be living and working, one of my new coworkers helped me find an apartment within days of my arrival. The apartment I rented didn't have all of the features I was used to — no dishwasher, clothes dryer, or microwave — and yet these amenities that felt so essential in the US didn't seem to matter in this new context.

People jumped in to help me

During my first week in my new apartment building, my downstairs neighbors stopped by with a bowl of fresh fruit, then offered to bring a couch from their first-floor apartment up to my fifth-floor apartment when they noticed I hadn't yet bought furniture. People I'd just met were constantly asking what I needed and offering to help as I got settled in. In my initial few months of adjusting to Moroccan culture and lifestyle, I learned from those around me about the best ways to maintain my home, where to run errands, and how to live in a community.

Without a dryer, I began to hang my clothes on the rooftop clotheslines. I let the sun do its work, no longer having to worry about clothes shrinking in the dryer or excessive heat wearing down the fabrics. Without a microwave, I reheated leftovers on the stove and found that my food tasted much better when I did so.

I shared many meals with others as neighbors invited me over for Friday couscous and tea. When Thanksgiving came, I hosted a dinner with classic Thanksgiving staples: roast meat, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Despite it being my first big holiday away from home, I felt at home in my newfound community.

I started consuming differently

I realized within my first few months that although the bigger supermarkets were the most convenient for grocery shopping, they weren't where I could get the best food. My grocery runs grew longer — a stop at the bakery for fresh bread, then to the produce stand for fruits and vegetables, then to the corner store to stock up on pantry staples.

Despite what some may consider an inconvenience of not having a car and making at least three stops to get what I need for the week, the benefit lies in all of these places being within a 10-minute walk and the relationships I've formed with the shop owners as I come back week after week.

Now, I've grown accustomed to the small differences in my daily lifestyle. As time has passed, I've come to understand and appreciate the bigger lifestyle differences as well. Especially around holidays in the US, consumerism dominates our buying culture. Stores regularly cycle out themed decorations and products, reinforcing the idea that we constantly need the trendiest and limited-time-only items.

When I began asking friends questions when I needed to fix or buy something in Morocco, I learned that repair and secondhand shops are everywhere. I've taken shoes with worn-down soles to cobblers and clothing with tears to tailors, picking the items up good as new the following week. At least half of my current closet, along with many other household items, is secondhand.

Five years and many holidays away from home later, I still host a Thanksgiving dinner every year. Although I still sometimes feel the shift in cultural values between what I grew up with in the US and what I've experienced during my time in Morocco, I've learned what it truly means to live in a community here. I'm grateful for the people that have made Morocco a place I can call home and for everything I learned along the way as one year abroad turned into five — and counting.

• I took my girlfriend on a luxury trip to Morocco but only had to pay $250 out of pocket.
• Using points, we stayed in beautiful five-star hotels throughout the trip.
• I'm so glad I learned how to maximize my credit-card points for travel.

My girlfriend always dreamed of going to Morocco for her 40th birthday.

Travel is something we've connected on early in our relationship. We took several domestic trips to states she'd never visited before to ensure we didn't rip each other's heads off before traveling to the other side of the world.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic stopped us in our tracks. However, while we were stuck inside in 2020, I started learning all about the world of credit-card points and reward miles.

There are a lot of videos and resources out there for free, depending on your needs, but I personally found the online course system Tricks to Travel to be useful.

It taught me how to maximize points and miles using the best credit cards for my spending habits and gave me a great base of knowledge for getting the best deals on luxury travel.

With two full years to build up points before her big birthday, I turned earning strategically into a game so I could make her dream trip a reality — and more luxurious than I ever imagined.

Booking our business-class flights was so gratifying

I knew I wanted to fly business or first class. I took to the private points and miles group I'm in from my Tricks to Travel class to ask if anyone had been to Morocco recently.

Several people told me to book business class on Royal Air Maroc, so I started searching for flights. I found a great roundtrip option with fully reclining business-class seats that cost me 115,000 miles and $93.18 in taxes per person.

My girlfriend had never flown business class before, so I was especially excited to surprise her with this.

I had to get creative to dig up the points for our luxury accommodations

Next up was our hotel accommodations — her only request was to stay in a riad in Marrakesh.

That made things a little more difficult since most of the elaborate houses-turned-hotels are boutique-style and don't have a points system I could tap into.

I decided to start with an easier task by planning the second half of the trip, which would be in Tangier.

Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort and Spa is a lovely five-star hotel, and I happen to have diamond status with Hilton Honors, so it worked perfectly for us.

When I booked with points, I was even able to get our fifth night free.

Our five-night stay in a standard room cost us 156,000 points (no extra taxes). However, with my status, I also got a complimentary upgrade to a suite and free breakfast.

After a few months of researching the best way to book a riad with points, the travel gods threw me a bone: Marriott added a riad to its portfolio.

Luckily, the chain had the same great rewards deal — when you book with points, you get the fifth night for free.

I booked a six-night stay for 120,000 points plus about $27 in taxes.

We had an amazing time without breaking the bank

Earlier this year, my girlfriend's dream trip became a reality.

Before learning about points, I never would've been able to make this trip as amazing as it was. But after a couple of years of building up my rewards portfolio, I only paid about $250 for 12 days in the lap of luxury.

Points and miles have completely changed how I travel, and I look forward to booking more business-class flights and five-star hotels on future trips.