Guided Tour activities in Africa
-
Horizons Deserts Voyages Tours
Most people show up in Douz already part of a tour though it's also quite easy to arrange a trip into the desert through this officially recognised agency.
reviewed
-
Free Motion
The slickly run Free Motion offers a range of tours for small groups and has bikes and quads for rental.
reviewed
-
Azima Ag Mohamed Ali
An experienced English-speaking Tuareg guide, and a wonderful desert companion.
reviewed
-
Camel Safaris
With the exception of Dahab, Nuweiba is the best place in Sinai to arrange camel safaris into the interior. When planning your trip, keep in mind that camels are a slower and - if budget is a worry - more expensive way of travelling. However, they allow you to reach places that are inaccessible to vehicles, and are the best way to see the area.
Almost every camp and shop in Tarabin offers these trips, but take care that whoever you pick is a local Bedouin - not only are they marginalised by tour operators from the Nile Valley and therefore need the work, but there have been some instances of travellers lost in the desert without water because their so-called guides didn't…
reviewed
-
Pirogue Trips
The standard day trip from Ziguinchor includes a pirogue trip to Affiniam and Djilapao on the northern side of the Casamance River and a trip to Île des Oiseaux. These three places are set in beautiful surrounding. Affiniam has a stunning case à impluvium (the campement villageois), and in Djilapao, you can see some beautiful cases à étages (traditional two-storey mud houses).
Île des Oiseaux is great for bird lovers; with very little effort you can see pelicans, flamingos, kingfishers, storks and sunbirds as well as many more species.Many hotels offer trips to these destinations including Le Flamboyant, the Hôtel Kadiandoumagne and the Relais de Santhiaba. Prices…
reviewed
-
A
AHNET Voyages
The centre of Adrar is an absolutely enormous main square, the place des Martyrs – you could just about land a plane on it! Around it are the main buildings: the banks, post office, Air Algérie and the main hotel, the Hôtel Touat. Inside the hotel you’ll find AHNET Voyages which organises tours in the region and beyond. The local tourist office seems to serve primarily as a craft shop and can’t provide any useful information about Adrar or travel in the region. There’s an internet café in the Maison de la Culture on the main square, and a hospital to the east of the square.
reviewed
-
B
Ebrahim Travel & Tours
Grand Baie's numerous tour agents can provide information on things to do in the area with the aim, naturally, of signing you up for this cruise package or that coach trip. While prices tend to be similar, the details may vary, so make sure you know exactly what is included. All agents sell tickets for glass-bottomed boat trips, undersea walks, Le Nessee and the Blue Safari Submarine.
Many also offer car-hire services and airport transfers and can organise accommodation. Ebrahim Travel & Tours has a reliable reputation.
reviewed
-
Baboon Matters
The signs at Cape Point warning you not to feed the baboons are there for a reason. After years of interacting with tourists, the baboons will quite happily grab food from your hands or climb in the open doors and windows of your car to get at it. Never challenge them as they will turn aggressive. The damage inflicted might end up being far more serious than baboon crap over your car seats, so keep an eye out and your food carefully hidden away.
Showing a much gentler side to baboon life is the project Baboon Matters which looks after four baboon troops. On a two-to-three-hour guided hike you’ll get to spend time observing a troop at very close quarters – it’s an amazing…
reviewed
-
All Out Africa
Runs a range of adventure trips and activities throughout Swaziland, plus to Kruger and Mozambique. Highly recommended is the half-day cultural tour through Lobamba, including an unscripted ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ wander through the local village (per person R250; no minimum numbers).
reviewed
-
Horse-drawn Carriage Rides
If the unhurried trams of Alexandria aren't quite slow and relaxed enough for you, you can take it down another notch by getting a Horse-drawn Carriage Rides. Popular during the summer months, these Victorian-style carriages clip-clop their way along the Corniche and are happy to take you to the major tourist attractions. A sunset trip along the waterfront could be quite romantic if it wasn't for the occasional blaring horns of taxis and microbuses trying to get past.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Gourmet Tours
The friendly Gourmet Tours offers 3½-hour city tours, visiting most of the main central sites, passing through Katutura, and winding up for coffee at Heinitzburg Castle. They also offer a variety of half-day trips to sights around Windhoek and Central Namibia including Daan Viljoen Game Park. Note that they do not have a central booking office, so you can either call them or book through your accommodation.
reviewed
-
City Tours
Compared to Fès and Marrakesh, the Meknès medina is fairly easy to navigate. If you are short of time, or if you wish to gain some local insight, book an official guide through the tourist office for around DH250 for a day. Calèche rides of the Imperial City with a guide are easy to pick up from around the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail - expect to pay around DH120 for a couple of hours.
reviewed
-
Coral Viewing, Le Nessee
A number of semisubmersible vessels offer coral-viewing tours. Le Nessee is a distinctive yellow semi-submarine run by Croisières Australes. It departs from Grand Baie's Sunset Boulevard jetty several times daily and the trip lasts just under two hours, with 30 minutes snorkelling for those who wish. Tickets are available from hotels and tour agents.
reviewed
-
Tour Guide - Eugene Compaoré
Ouagadougou is an easy city to navigate on your own, but to see more than just the tourist sites, contact the excellent Tour Guide, Eugene Compaoré, who speaks French, English and Spanish. He is experienced at finding everything from buzzing Ouaga nightlife away from the expat crowd to the ideal place for getting your hair braided. Prices are negotiable.
reviewed
-
Helilagon
Helilagon, based at L'Éperon, in the hills above St-Gilles-les-Bains, offers three different helicopter tours, including a 45-minute flight above all three Cirques and Piton de la Fournaise (around €260 per person, or around €220 without doing the volcano). Prices include transfers to the heliport from hotels in St-Gilles-les-Bains.
reviewed
-
AGTB
A private association of 20 guides, offering tours around Bobo (including to the workshop for people with a disability with whom the association works) and further afield. Although a guide is not really necessary for exploring Bobo, you'll benefit from having one if you're planning on venturing further afield in the southwest of the country.
reviewed
-
Jean le Rasta Tours
Charismatic Jean le Rasta, or Rasta Jean, speaks English, is reliable and owns a 4WD. He runs, or organises, a range of tours including to Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha and Réserve Forestière de Kirindy, and transfers to Belo-sur-Mer or further south down the coast. Look for him at the grungy backpacker dive, L'Oasis.
reviewed
-
Noga Tours
We recommend Salah Muhammad's Noga Tours, as he employs excellent English-speaking guides, Egyptologists and drivers. They charge US$23.50 (plus entry fees) per person for a day-long trip to the Giza Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara. The half-day tour of Dahshur costs US$19.50 (plus entry fees) per person.
reviewed
-
Pirogue trips
Pirogue trips make a lovely way to explore the quiet, mangrove-lined waterways of Oyster Creek, the main waterway separating Banjul Island from the mainland, and its minor tributaries which are brilliant for bird-watching, sport fishing and wonderfully lazy afternoons.
reviewed
-
Durban Africa Walking Tours
Perhaps the best way to experience Durban is in the company of a professional tour guide. Durban Africa runs interesting three-hour walking tours of the oriental and historical regions of the city, as well as township tours. It can also provide a list of tour guides.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Ghost Town Tours
This company operates day trips to Elizabeth Bay, deep in the Sperrgebiet, and a full day taking in Kolmanskop, Elizabeth Bay and the Lüderitz Peninsula. These trips require a minimum of four people and permits must be issued at least a week in advance.
reviewed
-
City Tours
The best way to see the sights is to charter a laranjinha or habana. The Mozambique Adviser desk at Hotel Polana arranges reasonably-priced half- and full-day city tours, pub crawls ('Maputo by Night') and other excursions.
reviewed
-
C
Backpacker Student Travel
Backpacker Student Travel, based at North South Backpackers, runs a large range of tours to destinations including Pretoria city (R290), Cradle of Humankind (R590) and the popular Apartheid Museum (R390) in Johannesburg.
reviewed
-
D
Wildlife Helicopters
Offers scenic flights. It's the only helicopter-ride operator in Maun. The offices for all air-charter companies in Maun are either in or next to the airport. Prices vary according to the size of the plane and the number of passengers.
reviewed
-
E
Footprints in Africa
Footprints in Africa, at Pretoria Backpackers, offers day tours of Jo’burg and Pretoria, Sun City, Lion Park and other local attractions as well as tours further afield such as Kruger, Botswana and Mozambique.
reviewed