Must-see attractions in Africa
Mali
Djenné's elegant Grande Mosque was constructed in 1907, though it's based on the design of an older Grande Mosquée that once stood on the site. Famous…
Mosque & Tomb of Sidi Boumediene
Algeria
About 1.6km southeast of the city centre, as the crow flies, lies one of Algeria’s most beautiful complexes, the mosque and tomb of Sidi Boumediene, which…
Nosy Be
Parc National Lokobe protects most of Nosy Be’s remaining endemic vegetation. The reserve is home to the black lemur (the male is dark brown, almost black…
Burundi
Vying with another small spring in Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda for title of the source of the Nile (the truth of the matter is that there's no…
Mali
Timbuktu's three great mosques - all inaccessible to non-Muslims - are nothing much to look at, but serve as reminders of its great past. The youngest of…
Mali
Mopti's port is a lively place, where boats from up and down the river unload their cargoes. You'll see slabs of salt from Timbuktu, dried fish, firewood,…
Mali
Timbuktu has three of the oldest mosques in West Africa. While not as visually stunning as some in Mali, they're still extremely impressive and represent…
Chad
This national park is a major Chadian success story. After poaching and civil war ravaged the area's wildlife, the animal population has been steadily…
Angola
Kissama (also spelt Quiçama), situated 70km (43.5mi) south of Luanda, is Angola's most accessible and well-stocked wildlife park. This huge swathe of…
Mali
Every Monday, the wide open area in front of the mosque is transformed into the clamorous Monday Market, which has barely changed since the days when…
Mali
From the pleasant Fula village of Massina, you can start a trip along the Niger by public pinasse (large canoe). A good first stop is Diafarabé, where…
Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba
Mali
An amazing collection of ancient manuscripts and books are kept at the Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba. Home to (at last count) 23,000 Islamic…
Niger
The sprawling Musée National du Niger is one of West Africa's standouts. Numerous themed pavilions, each tipping their hat to Hausa architecture, give…
Algeria
Mansourah – the victorious – never lived up to its name. It started as the camp where Merinid sultan Abou Yacoub settled his army in 1299, when he…
Central African Republic
This national park, wedged into the triangle of southwestern CAR Cameroon from Congo, is probably the one corner of the country still attracting visitors…
Cameroon
To enter the Palais du Lamido, the palace of the local Muslim ruler, you pass between three pillars stuffed with the remains of individuals who were…
Burundi
The Chutes de la Karera is the collective name for the four beautiful waterfalls near Rutana. The prettiest is the cascade Nyakai I where you park your…
Angola
The Fortaleza de São Miguel guarding the entrance to the bay was constructed by the Portuguese in 1576 and is Luanda's oldest surviving building. Altered…
Mali
Gao's premier tourist attraction is a sunset trip to La Dune Rose, known locally as Koïma, a wonderful sand dune on the right bank of the Niger, visible…
Somaliland
Las Geel is undisputably Somaliland's pièce de résistance. Hundreds of magnificent neolithic rock art paintings in perfect condition adorn the walls of…
Algeria
Tlemcen’s Grand Mosque is one of North Africa’s most important Islamic buildings. Begun by the Almoravid leader Youssef ben Tachfine around 1091, it has…
Chad
Lake Chad was once one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Its dry season area of under 10,000 sq km can rise to 25,000 sq km at the height of…
Northern Madagascar
Founded to protect flora and fauna and to support local villages, Loky Manambato's forests spectacularly host around 1000 critically endangered golden…
Burundi
This is the most accessible, and popular, national park, as Bujumbura is just 15km away. It's a wetland environment, and provides a habitat for hippos,…
Burundi
This small zoo won't win the approval of animal rights activists. In fact, it probably won't win approval from many people at all. Currently it houses a…
La Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley
Burundi
This large rock allegedly marks the spot where the infamous 'Dr Livingstone, I presume?' encounter between Livingstone and Stanley took place on 25…
Northern Madagascar
Billed as a botanical hiking trail, Macolline is an arboretum on the banks of the River Ankavanana, 3km north of Antalaha. Guided walks of three to six…
Algeria
The Mechouar, a 12th Century citadel, is one of the town’s centrepieces. The Zianide ruler Yaghmorassen moved his residence here in the early 14th century…
Mali
Heinrich Barth's incredible five-year journey began in Tripoli and took him first to Agadez, then through Nigeria and finally, in September 1853, he…
Algeria
Given the wealth of history in these parts, you would be forgiven for expecting the museum to be equally rich. It is not. Arranged over two floors, the…
Burundi
The largest rainforest in Burundi is contiguous with Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, and is believed to still be home to hundreds of colobus monkeys…
Algeria
In the modern village of Tazoult a small museum has a limited but surprisingly rich collection of archeological finds, the highlights of which include…
Central Algeria
The Hôtel de l’Oasis Rouge, originally constructed by colonial missionaries in the early 1900s, is a fine old building and it is worth a wander around…
Chad
The Tibesti Mountains remain off-limits but Ennedi desert is just as weird and wonderful. Attractions include prehistoric cave paintings, slot canyons,…
Northern Madagascar
This plateau has surprising views: you can see Ambilobe in the west, and even the islands of Nosy Be and Nosy Mitsio in the Mozambique Channel. From the…
Burundi
The Musée National de Gitega, although unlikely to enthrall you, is the best museum Burundi has to offer. The one-room hall has a dusty collection of…
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