Entertainment in Africa
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A
Just Kickin'
The top sports bar in Kampala that helped make Kisimenti the kickin' place it is today. Big rugby and football matches draw the faithful, but it's a busy bar any time. A sign above the front door reads: 'No hookers. Props and locks welcome.' Well, that's the idea, anyway. Good bar food in case you get the munchies.
reviewed
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B
Latex
The grande dame of Cairo’s club scene, the Nile Hotel’s basement party zone has changed hands several times over the years, but it still manages to keep up with the times. The music is always some variation on house, with the occasional Arabic pop hit thrown in, and the crowd is largely 20-somethings.
reviewed
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C
Cruz
They may tell you that it's the glitzy décor and handsome clientele that make this the hot gay bar of the moment, but we know that the real draw is its troupe of brief-clad go-go boys shaking their stuff on the podiums. How else could you endure dancing to a disco version of the theme from The Love Boat?
reviewed
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D
Labia on Kloof
reviewed
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E
Rainbow Restaurant & Jazz Club
In Pinetown, 8km west of the centre, this was the first place in Natal to cater to blacks in a so-called ‘white area’ in the 1980s. With a reputation as the centre of the jazz scene and still the preferred local haunt, it features concerts and headline acts on the first or last Sunday of the month.
reviewed
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F
Farouk Cafe
This venerable sheesha joint doesn’t look like it’s changed an iota since it opened in 1928. It’s a charmingly ramshackle old place, with dusty bronze lanterns outside, and charmingly fusty old men arguing and playing board games at the tables. Women may not feel comfortable here.
reviewed
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G
Nyanza House Club
One of the real earthy local hangouts is the Nyanza House Club; you'll see posters plastered all over town advertising its reggae parties. A night out here will be as authentic a modern African experience as you can get, but we couldn't in good conscience suggest that unaccompanied women go anywhere near here.
reviewed
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H
On Broadway
A move into spacious and slickly decorated premises in the City Bowl has done wonders for this hugely popular cabaret-supper venue. Certainly book well ahead for resident drag and comedy duo Mince, who strut their glamorous stuff Sunday and Monday nights. Other nights see a variety of musical and comedy acts.
reviewed
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Mitchell’s Scottish Ale House & Brewery
Check all airs and graces at the door of South Africa’s oldest microbrewery (est. 1983 in Kysna) serving a variety of freshly brewed ales and good-value meals. Their ‘Old Wobbly’ packs an alcoholic punch. Next door you’ll find another pub, Ferryman’s Tavern.
reviewed
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J
Ahwa Sayed Darwish
Named for the composer of Egypt’s national anthem, this tiny and highly enjoyable local, near Sharia al-Nabi Daniel, is set on a quiet and leafy side street around the corner from the Cafavy Museum. The chairs are comfortably padded, and the sheesha is clean. The clientele is exclusively men.
reviewed
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Club Soundd
A central nightspot with a bit more to offer those who take their music seriously: high-profile local posse the HomeBoyz DJs play on Friday, there's salsa on Sunday and a rare trance night on Wednesday. It opens earlier than most similar places, and has a happy hour until 20:00 to suck in premature punters.
reviewed
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L
Le Colisée
There are plenty of cinemas, mainly showing Egyptian films, Bollywood-style action movies or soft porn, but you'll also find recent Hollywood offerings, dubbed into French. The local press has listings. Admission costs around TD3 at plush places such as Le Colisée, though older films are often cheaper.
reviewed
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Loft
Easily Tangier’s premier nightspot, this world class, state-of-the-art club holds 2000 people and feels like an enormous silver cruise ship, with upper-storey balconies, sparkling metal railings, billowing sail-like curtains, spot lights cutting through the artificial fog – and no cover. Go after midnight.
reviewed
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M
Cine 12
There are just 16 luxurious red-leather-upholstered seats in the Twelve Apostles Hotel’s private cinema, where a movie is screened each night. If you want, you can hire the whole place out. Otherwise, come to the hotel’s restaurant for dinner and check out what’s screening afterwards.
reviewed
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N
Maratonga Cafeteria
This friendly outdoor cafe-restaurant, in front of Medinat Habu, is the best place to sip a cold drink under a big tree after wandering through Ramses III’s magnificent temple, or have a delicious tagen (E£35) or salad for lunch. The view is superlative and the atmosphere is relaxing.
reviewed
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O
Monte Carlo Club
One of the real earthy local hangouts is the Monte Carlo Club; you'll see posters plastered all over town advertising reggae parties here. A night out will be as authentic a modern African experience as you can get, but we couldn't in good conscience suggest that unaccompanied women go anywhere near here.
reviewed
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P
Tota Dance Bar
The centre of nightlife in Dahab, this nautically themed drinking spot has free movies from Sunday to Thursday, and turns into an impromptu disco on Friday and Saturday nights – the top deck is a good place to watch the sunset while sipping a cold beer, especially during the 5pm to 7pm happy hour.
reviewed
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Q
Waiting Room
Climb the narrow stairway beside the Royale Eatery to find this totally hip bar decorated in retro furniture with DJs spinning funky tunes. Climb even further and you’ll eventually reach the roof deck, the perfect spot from which to admire the city’s glittering nightlights.
reviewed
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R
Old Zoo
Occasionally the lion’s den in the ruins of Cecil Rhodes’ zoo on the southern slopes of Devil’s Peak serves as a highly atmospheric venue for dramatic works. Don’t miss the chance to catch a performance here, which may even include dinner beforehand in the former animal cages!
reviewed
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The Private Bar
Although it's certainly not private, the Private Bar is rapidly becoming the most popular tourist spot in Swakopmund. Located upstairs in the Grüner Kranz hotel, on any given night it's usually packed with overlanders and guides, and there's a good chance that someone else will buy your next round.
reviewed
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La Parnasse
There are plenty of cinemas, mainly showing Egyptian films, Bollywood-style action movies or soft porn, but you'll also find recent Hollywood offerings, dubbed into French. The local press has listings. Admission costs around TD3 at plush places such as La Parnasse, though older films are often cheaper.
reviewed
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T
Kimwa Grand
Kisumu's nightlife has a reputation for being even livelier than Nairobi's, but thanks to many of the best parties and live Congolese bands cropping up at various venues such as the Kimwa Grand along the roads out of town, it's harder to find. Check flyers and ask locals who are plugged into the scene.
reviewed
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Le Rubis
Under new ownership, this place had turned itself into Ziguinchor's most fashionable dance floor when we visited, with salsa on Fridays and a global punch of hip-hop, R&B, mbalax (a mixture of Cuban beats and traditional sabar drumming) and plenty more on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
reviewed
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U
Asoka
Pronounced ‘ashoka’, a Zen-mellow vibe pervades this Asian-groovy restaurant-bar with a tree growing in the middle of it. The jazz quintet the Restless Natives have become a regular feature of Tuesday nights (performances from 8pm), while on other nights DJs play suitably chilled sounds.
reviewed
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V
London's Pub
A Tangerine dream of Olde England, this theme pub has a reassuringly long wooden-and-brass bar, and a good host of beers that try to deceive you into thinking you're within earshot of the chimes of Big Ben. It almost succeeds. A bar singer belts out a song or two, but sadly not 'Roll out the barrel'.
reviewed