Island sights in Africa
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Arquipélago Dos Bijagós
At first, the Bijagós - Africa's only archipelago - may seem simply a pleasant escape from the problems of the mainland, with swaying palms, cooling breezes and powdery, white-sand beaches. Stay a little while though, and you'll begin to fall under the islands' singular spell.
Protected by swift tides and treacherous sandbanks, the islands have long been a world apart. They eluded Portuguese control until the 1930s, and the fiercely independent Bijagós people still retain a large degree of autonomy from the federal government.
Most visitors to the islands seem to be either biologists who come to study the unique and rich variety of marine life, or else sports fishermen…
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La Digue
La Digue is home to Anse Source d'Argent, the iconic image of emerald waters, sugar-white sands and sea-smoothed granite rocks. It's also the least developed of the main islands and life here still moves at the pace of an ox cart. It's the sort of place you won't want to leave.
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Elephantine Island
Elephantine Island is the site of ancient Abu (meaning both elephant and ivory in ancient Egyptian), both names a reminder of the island's once important ivory trade. At the beginning of the 1st dynasty (about 3000 BC) a fortress was built on the island to establish Egypt's southern frontier. Abu soon became an important customs point and trading centre.
It remained strategically significant throughout the Pharaonic period as a departure point for the military and commercial expeditions into Nubia and the south. During the 6th dynasty (2345-2181 BC) Abu grew strong as a political and economic centre and, despite periodic ups and downs, the island retained its importance…
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Kubu Island
Along the southwestern edge of Sowa Pan is Kubu Island, a ghostly, baobab-laden rock, which is entirely surrounded by a sea of salt. In Setswana, kubu means 'hippopotamus' (because there used to be lots here) and, as unlikely as it may seem given the current environment and climate, this desolate area may have been inhabited by people as recently as 500 years ago.
On one shore lies an ancient crescent-shaped stone wall of unknown origin, which has yielded numerous artefacts. The island is now protected as a national monument, with proceeds going to the local community. There is also a small camp site with pit toilets, though you will have to carry in your own water.
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Nubian Villages
Sandwiched between the ruins of Abu and the Mövenpick are two colourful Nubian Villages, Siou and Koti. Strolling through their shady alleys and gardens is a wonderful way to experience life on modern Elephantines.
A north-south path across the middle of the island links the two villages and about halfway along is the Nubian Café, with a shady garden beside a traditional Nubian house. The wonderful Hamdi, who often hangs out here, loves to tell people about his culture. Beware that several readers have warned about locals pretending to be Hamdi and trying to sell excursions or souvenirs. Some of these people have turned aggressive when visitors declined their services.
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Príncipe
Smaller than São Tomé, Príncipe has a dramatic landscape of jutting volcanic mountains covered by virgin forest and ringed by clear-water beaches. The island boasts excellent snorkelling and fishing, and locals can provide boats or bikes, or guide you on pretty much any kind of tour you want; negotiate a price.
The island's capital is Santo António, which is about the size of a large European village. The town's architecture is similar to that of São Tomé town but more run-down.
The centre of action is the very upscale Bom Bom Island Resort, to the north of the island, which has brought improved infrastructure and some very well-off tourists.
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Île de Mogador
Just off the coast to the southwest is the Île de Mogador, which has some interesting structures. It's actually two islands and several tiny islets - also known as the famed Îles Purpuraires (Purple Isles) of antiquity. The uninhabited islands are a sanctuary for Eleanora's falcons, which can also be easily seen through binoculars from Essaouira beach.
It is possible to arrange a private boat trip to the islands outside the breeding season, but you need to obtain a permit (free) from the port office; with that in hand, head for the small fishing boats to negotiate the trip out there. If you want to stay a few hours, fix a time for the boat to come and pick you up.
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Mozambique Island
Tiny, crescent-shaped Mozambique Island has played a larger-than-life role in East African coastal life over the centuries. Today, it is an intriguing anomaly - part ghost town and part lively fishing community. It's picturesque and pleasant to wander around, with colonnaded archways and stately colonial-era buildings lining the quiet, cobbled streets.
In Makuti Town, with its thatched-roof huts and crush of people, narrow alleyways echo with the sounds of playing children and squawking chickens, while fishermen sit on the sand repairing their long, brightly-coloured nets.
The waterfront in between, along the island's eastern edge, is known as the contracosta.
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Banana Islands
Diving and snorkelling are superb at the Banana Islands, which are off the southeastern tip of the peninsula that Freetown is on. There is some coral and one of the shipwrecks left a pile of Portuguese cannons in shallow water. In Dublin, on the northern tip of the main Banana Island, there are the remains of an 1881 church, and the old slave docks.
Pay your respects to the chief before going off exploring and the locals will happily provide a guide.
The easiest way to get to the Bananas is to hire a local fishing boat at Tokeh Village. It's a two-hour round trip and you should allow at least an hour to explore the ruins in Dublin.
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Ndere Island National Park
Gazetted as the Ndere Island National Park in 1986, tourism to this small 4.2-sq-km island has never taken off. It is forested and very beautiful, housing a variety of bird species, plus hippos, impalas (introduced) and spotted crocodiles, a lesser-known cousin of the larger Nile crocodile. Tsetse flies can be problematic after the rains.
Unfortunately there is nowhere to stay and chartered boats are your only option to get there. Kisumu Beach Resort charters 20 passenger boats, with typical return trips taking five hours (including three hours on shore) - keep an eye out for hippos en route.
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Île de Gorée
With its colonial brick-structures and sand-blown, bougainvillea-flushed alleyways, this island is a haven of tranquility. But there's a sad background to all this calm beauty - Île de Gorée used to be an important slave trading station, and many visitors come here for traces of this tragic past.
Try to visit Gorée on its annual Jours des Portes Ouvertes in May/June, when the island's numerous artists' ateliers and many private homes are open to the public.
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Cousin Island
This is bird watching made easy - over 300,000 birds on an island just 1km (0.6mi) in diameter. Seven species of sea bird nest here, including fairy terns, white-tailed tropic birds and two varities of shearwater, and it's also home to the rare Seychelles warbler and magpie robin. Hawksbill turtles nest here in season.
Organised tours depart from Praslin from Tuesday through Friday.
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Ilhéu das Rolas
Ilhéu das Rolas is a small islet straddling the equator off the southern tip of São Tomé. It's an amazingly beautiful little island, home to the very upscale dive resort, Pestana Equador. If you're up for a splurge you can eat here and enjoy the beach, and they'll provide boat transport to and from their private dock north of Porto Alegre.
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Gabatsadi Island
The enormous crescent-shaped dune known as Gabatsadi Island has an expansive view from the crest that has managed to attract the likes of Prince Charles. (He went there to capture the indescribably lonely scene in watercolour, but the paints ran because it was so hot!). The island lies just west of the Gweta-Orapa track, about 48km south of Gweta.
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Massawa Island
Possibly the most interesting of the three main neighbourhoods in the city of Massawa, Massawa Island is the site of the port and the old town. It's an astounding blend of Egyptian, Turkish and Italo-Moorish architecture. The buildings are made of coral rock with mashrabeya (wooden screened windows).
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Banana Island
Banana Island, at the end of Sharia Salah Salem, is a shady, pleasant place to picnic. You'll have to bargain with a felucca captain for the ride.
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Isla de Lobos
The bare, 4.4-sq-km Isla de Lobos takes its name from the lobos marinos (sea wolves) that lived there. They were, in fact, focas monje (monk seals), which have since disappeared thanks to the hungry crew of French explorer de la Salle, which ate them to stave off starvation in the early 15th century.
You can go on an excursion to the islet from Corralejo. Once you've disembarked there's little to do but go for a short walk, order lunch at the quay-side chiringuito (kiosk) - reserve when you arrive if you intend to lunch there - and head for the pleasant little beach.
It's a popular bird-watching destination and there are hammerhead sharks in the waters around the island.…
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