Sights in Africa
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Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, always just called the Waterfront is likely to be one of the first places you head to. It’s a great example of how to best redevelop a declining dock area into a tourist hot spot. The atmosphere is always buzzing and there’s plenty to do, including making a trip out to Robben Island, the infamous prison island that is now a fascinating museum.
The Alfred and Victoria Basins date from 1860 and are named after Queen Victoria and her son Alfred. Although these wharves are too small for modern container vessels and tankers, the Victoria Basin is still used by tugs, harbour vessels of various kinds and fishing boats. In the Alfred Basin…
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Table Mountain National Park
Covering some three-quarters of South Africa, Table Mountain National Park stretches from flat-topped Table Mountain to Cape Point. For the vast majority of visitors the main attraction is the 1086m-high mountain itself, the top of which can easily be accessed by the cableway, which runs every 10/20 minutes in high/low season.
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Selous Game Reserve
This reserve is one of the earth's last great wild places: 55,000 sq km (21,235 sq mi) of untamed bush, crocodile-filled lakes and emerald green floodplains. The only accessible bit is the northern section above the great muddy sweep of the Rufiji River, where you'll see hippos, elephants, zebras, a maneless variety of lion and the rare African wild dog.
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Kibuli Mosque
There are several prominent religious buildings in Kampala that might interest some spiritually inclined travellers, including the gleaming white Kibuli Mosque dominating Kibuli Hill on the other side of the train station from Nakasero Hill.
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Lighthouse
For a great view of the city and the busy and colourful fishing harbour (haze and pollution permitting), climb to the top of the old Lighthouse near James Fort.
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!Khwa Ttu
Don’t miss a visit to the very special !Khwa ttu off Rte 27 just south of Yzerfontein, 70km from Cape Town. Billed as the San Culture & Education Centre, !Khwa ttu is a joint venture by the San people and a Swiss philanthropic foundation (Ubuntu) and is the only San-owned and operated culture centre in the Western Cape.
Set within the ancestral lands of the San, !Khwa ttu is based on an 850-hectare nature reserve. There’s a good restaurant serving traditional South African cuisine and a wonderful craft shop. All the buildings operate on solar power, and a crèche has been built for the workers’ children. The land itself is sandveld, rising to renosterveld on the…
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Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park , although one of Tanzania's smallest parks, is one of its most beautiful and most topographically varied. Its main features include Ngurdoto Crater (often dubbed Little Ngorongoro) and the Momela Lakes to the east. To the west is beautiful Mt Meru. The two areas are joined by a narrow strip, with Momela Gate at its centre. The park's altitude, which varies from 1500m to more than 4500m, has a variety of vegetation zones supporting numerous animal species.
Ngurdoto Crater is surrounded by forest, while the crater floor is a swamp. West of the crater is Serengeti Ndogo (Little Serengeti), an extensive area of open grassland and the only place in the…
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Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa (Kom ash-Shuqqafa)
About five minutes' walk south of Pompey's Pillar are the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa (Kom ash-Shuqqafa). Discovered accidentally in 1900 when a donkey disappeared through the ground, these catacombs are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt. This impressive feat of engineering was one of the last major works of construction dedicated to the religion of ancient Egypt.
Demonstrating Alexandria's hallmark fusion of Pharaonic and Greek styles, the architects used a Graeco-Roman approach in their construction efforts. The catacombs consist of three tiers of tombs and chambers cut into bedrock to a depth of 35m. The bottom level, some 20m below street level, is…
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Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
The sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Pyramids of Giza live up to more than 4000 years of hype. Their extraordinary geometry and age render them alien constructions rising out of the desert. The Sphinx sits nearby, a 50m-long feline character carved from a single block of stone.
There are swarms of visitors to the site, attended by swarms of camel and horse touts, but they fail to destroy the wonder. If you want a peaceful view of the pyramids, it's best to take a horse ride in the area at around 17:00 - you won't see them close up, but it can be a lot more atmospheric than battling around close to the monuments.
The Pyramids at Giza are the planet's…
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Hassan II Mosque
The brainchild and crowning achievement of King Hassan II, this phenomenal building is the world's third-largest mosque. It was built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday and opened in 1993 giving Casablanca the heart and landmark it so sorely missed.
The mosque rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the sea; taking literally the verse from the Quran that states that God's throne was built upon the water. It's a vast building that can hold 25,000 worshippers and accommodate a further 80,000 in the courtyards and squares around it. The mosque was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and is topped by a soaring 210m-tall minaret, which…
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Cape of Good Hope
Commonly called Cape Point, this 7750-hectare section of Table Mountain National Park, includes awesome scenery, fantastic walks and often deserted beaches. Some 250 species of birds live here, including cormorants and a family of ostriches that hang out near the Cape of Good Hope, the southwesternmost point of the continent.
Many people visit on organised bus tours but, if you have the time, exploring the reserve on foot or by bicycle is much more rewarding. Bear in mind, though, that there is minimal shade and that the weather can change quickly. Bookings are required for the two-day Cape of Good Hope Trail, a spectacular 33.8km circular route with one night spent at the…
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Leptis Magna
If you only see one archaeological site in Libya, this is the one to choose. Regarded as the best Roman site in the Mediterranean, Leptis Magna's spectacular architecture and massive scale will impress even the most ruin-weary traveller.
The city was originally a Phoenician port, settled during the first millennium BC. Slaves, gold, ivory and precious metals brought it great wealth, which was supplemented by the rich agricultural land surrounding it. Roman legions ousted the Carthaginians following the third Punic War, after which the city flourished until the Vandals did their namesake thing in 455.
Roman rule briefly returned to Leptis in 533, and intensive repairs were…
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Debre Berhan Selassie
Despite the walls of Debre Berhan Selassie hosting the most vibrant ecclesiastical artwork in the nation, it's the ceiling that captures the most visitors' imagination. Think of Mona Lisa's mysterious smile and multiply it 104 times over! Yes, each of the 104 winged Ethiopian cherubs dotting the beamed ceiling seem to have slightly different, but equally quizzical expressions.
Full of all the colour, life, wit and humanity of Ethiopian art at its best, the walls provide a compendium of Ethiopian saints, martyrs and lore. The devilish Bosch-like depiction of Hell has to be our favourite. A close second is the Prophet Mohammed atop a camel being led by a devil. Although…
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Art Deco Buildings
If you can see past the traffic, fumes and general chaos of central Casablanca you'll discover the city's rich architectural heritage, a blend of French-colonial design and traditional Moroccan style known as Mauresque architecture. Developed in the 1930s and heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement, it embraced decorative details such as intricate carved friezes, beautiful tile work and ornate wrought-iron balconies.
Although some of the era's gems have been beautifully restored, others lie in shameful disrepair. Pl Mohammed V is the grand centrepiece of the French regeneration scheme. Impressive facades and colonial buildings line Rue Indriss Lahrizi, Rue Tahar Sebti…
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Monastery of St Paul
St Paul's monastery dates to the 4th century, when it began as a grouping of hermitages in the cliffs of Gebel al-Galala al-Qibliya around the site where St Paul had his hermitage.
Paul, who was born into a wealthy family in Alexandria in the mid-3rd century, originally fled to the Eastern Desert to escape Roman persecution. He lived alone in a cave here for over 90 years, finding bodily sustenance in a nearby spring and palm tree. According to tradition, in AD 343 the then 90-year-old St Anthony had of vision of Paul. After making a difficult trek through the mountains to visit him, Paul died, and was buried by Anthony's hands.
The heart of the monastery complex is the…
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Hassan II Mosque
The crowning achievement of King Hassan II, this phenomenal building is the world's third-largest mosque. It was built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday and rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the sea. It's a vast building that can hold 25,000 worshippers and accommodate a further 80,000 in its courtyards.
Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, the mosque is topped by a soaring 210m (689ft)minaret, which shines a laser beam towards Mecca by night. In addition to this high-tech call to prayer, the mosque also has a centrally heated floor, electric doors, a retractable roof and a section of glass flooring allowing the faithful to see…
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Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Also known as the Impenetrable Forest, Bwindi is one of Uganda's most recently created national parks. The park, which covers 331 sq km, encompasses one of the last remaining habitats of the mountain gorilla, and is where almost half - an estimated 330 individuals - of the surviving mountain gorillas in the world live.
A major conservation effort has been going on here for a number of years to protect the gorillas' habitat. Gorillas are not the only animals to have benefited from this project. The park contains about 20 forest elephants, at least 10 species of primate (including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and baboons), duikers, bushbucks and the rare giant forest hog,…
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Source of the Nile
The Source of the Nile is promoted as one of Jinja's premier drawcards and tourists are bussed in from Kampala to marvel at the start of this mighty river. In reality there is not a whole lot to see. Before the building of the Owen Falls Dam, this was the site of the Ripon Falls, where the Nile, known locally as Omugga Kiyara, thundered out of Lake Victoria on its long journey to the Mediterranean.
The falls were blown away to ensure a steady flow of water for the dam, but it's just about possible to make out where they were from the turbulence in the river.
Bell Breweries now sponsors the area, so everything has been painted yellow and red in keeping with the corporate…
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Temple of Serapeum
The Temple of Serapeum is a magnificent structure that stood here in ancient times. It had 100 steps leading past the living quarters of the priests to the great temple of Serapis, the man-made god of Alexandria . Also here was the 'daughter library', the second great library of Alexandria, which was said to have contained copies and overflow of texts held in the Great Library of Alexandria, the Mouseion library.
Unlike at the Great Library, these rolls could be consulted by anyone using the temple, making it one of the most important intellectual and religious centres in the Mediterranean. In AD 391 Christians launched a final assault on pagan intellectuals and destroyed…
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Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas is the big smoke, the only place in the Canary Islands, apart from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with an unmistakable big-city feel. While it oozes the kind of sunny languor you'd associate with the Mediterranean or North Africa, its snarled traffic, bustling shopping districts, chatty bars and thriving port all give off the energy of a city, Spain's seventh largest.
The historic centre, though small, is rich in interest and undergoing a rebirth as an entertainment precinct. Combined with Playa de las Canteras, it could keep the average hedonist busy for days. The flavour is Spanish, with a heavy international overlay. You'll find a lively mix of Chinese, African,…
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Parc National Nyungwe Forest
Spectacular Nyungwe Forest covers 970 sq km (374 sq mi) and is one of the largest protected montane rainforests in Africa, easily the equal of Kibale Forest in Uganda. It offers superb views of the volcanoes of the Parc National des Virunga to the north as well as numerous opportunities to view rare primates, including colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
The forest is home to huge groups of black-and-white Angola colobus monkeys, several groups of chimpanzees, 50 species of other mammals, 270 species of tree, 275 species of bird, and an astonishing variety of orchids and butterflies.
The cost includes guided or unguided walks on any of the colour-coded forest trails and…
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District Six Museum
If you visit only one museum in Cape Town make it this one. As much for the people of the now-vanished District Six as it is about them, this is a hugely moving and informative exhibition, and most township tours stop here to explain the history of the pass laws. Reconstructions of home interiors, photographs, recordings and testimonials build up an evocative picture of a shattered but not entirely broken community. The staff each have a heartbreaking story to tell. There’s also an excellent new annexe in the Sacks Futeran Building a couple of blocks away. Speak to staff about arranging a walking tour of the old District Six, for a minimum of 10 people.
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Parc National des Volcans
This is the definitive location in Africa to track the rare mountain gorilla and also a great place to track golden monkeys. The national park, which runs along the border between DR Congo and Uganda, is one of the most stunning sights in the region and is home to a chain of seven volcanoes, the highest, Karisimbi, maxes out at more than 4500m (14,764ft)
On the bamboo-and rainforest-covered slopes of the volcanoes are some of the last remaining sanctuaries of the mountain gorilla, which was studied in depth first by George Schaller and, more recently, by Dian Fossey. An encounter with these beautiful creatures, which despite their size are remarkably nonaggressive, is a…
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Fish River Canyon
There's nowhere else in Africa like Fish River Canyon, which has been gouging this gorge for thousands of years with incredible results. It's huge - 160km (99mi) long and 27km (17mi) wide - and most of the canyon falls within Fish River Canyon National Park, where you can camp, walk, hike or relax in the bubbling hot springs.
At the northern end of the national park, there's the Hobas Information Centre, picnic sites, camp grounds, walking trails, and access to some of the best viewpoints in the canyon.
From Hobas, you can walk the five-day Fish River Hiking Trail to Ai-Ais, at the other end of the canyon. The 85km (53mi) walk follows the sandy bed of the river (it should…
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Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba
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 religious, historical and scientific texts from all over the world, the centre is the focus of a South African-funded project to protect, translate and catalogue the manuscripts.
The oldest manuscripts date from the 12th century, but there are countless other priceless works, including some of the few written histories of Africa's great empires, and works of scholarship carried to Timbuktu from Granada after Muslims were expelled from al-Andalus in 1492. Documented family histories (often over 400 years old) of…
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