Things to do in Africa
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FEATURED
Cape Town To Kenya
45 days (Cape Town)
by Intrepid
Hear the roar of the mighty Victoria Falls, Glide down the Okavango Delta in a canoe, Delight your senses in spice-filled Zanzibar, Keep up with the pace of…Not LP reviewed
from USD$5,730 - All things to do
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Masumin Tours & Safaris
Masumin Tours & Safaris
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Salahadeen
Salahadeen offers a set menu of Egyptian dishes, served as if it were an Egyptian home – knives and forks are offered but guests are encouraged to eat in the Egyptian way by dipping bread in the various dishes. There are two choices, the ‘platter’ (E£85), which includes three courses with14 dishes of fresh home-cooked food to share, or the ‘Feast’ (E£125) with five courses including 25 different dishes. Most dishes consist of vegetables, and the vegetarian options are not cooked in a meat broth as in so many other places. The bar opens for pre-dinner drinks at 6pm, and alcohol is available in the restaurant, too.
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Palais de Poulet
Looking down from the Hôtel Rif towards Ave Hassan II, this is one of several good and cheap rotisserie places where you can fill up quickly on chicken, chips, bread and salad. Although you order from the table, pay at the counter inside.
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Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls are one of the world's most spectacular plunges. The 2km(1.2mi)-wide Zambezi River drops more than 100m (328ft) into a steeply-walled gorge. The Zambian side of Victoria Falls has long played second fiddle to its better-known Zimbabwean counterpart, but trouble next door means Livingstone is positively booming.
For close-up views of the Eastern Cataract, nothing beats the hair-raising (and hair-wetting) walk across the footbridge, through swirling clouds of mist, to a sheer buttress called the Knife Edge. If the water is low and the wind favourable, you'll be treated to a magnificent view of the falls and the yawning abyss below the Zambezi Bridge.…
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Masai Mara National Reserve
This world-renowned reserve, which stretches over 1510 sq km (938 sq mi) of open rolling grasslands, is backed by the spectacular Esoit Oloololo (Siria) Escarpment, watered by the Mara River and littered with an astonishing amount of wildlife.
Of the big cats, lions are found in large prides everywhere, and it is not uncommon to see them hunting. Cheetahs and leopards are less visible, but still fairly common. Elephants, buffalos, zebras and hippos also exist in large numbers.
The ultimate attraction is undoubtedly the annual wildebeest migration in July and August, when millions of these ungainly beasts move north from the Serengeti. While you're more likely to see…
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Source Café
Hit the Source for a fair selection of light bites, salads, brownies and pastries. This is the place for a coffee fix, as it has several speciality varieties.
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Café Clock
In a restored townhouse, this funky place has a refreshing menu with offerings such as falafel, grilled sandwiches, some interesting vegetarian options, a monstrously large camel burger, and delicious cakes and tarts. Better still, their ‘Clock Culture’ program includes calligraphy and conversation classes, a lecture program and sunset concerts every Sunday (cover charge around Dh20), attracting a good mix of locals, expats and tourists.
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Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum, which illustrates the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression, is an absolute must-see. With plenty of attention to detail and an unsparing emphasis on the inhuman philosophy of apartheid – visitors are handed a card stating their race when they arrive and are required to enter the exhibit through their allotted gate – this remains one of South Africa’s most evocative museums. The museum uses film, text, audio and live accounts to provide a chilling insight into the architecture and implementation of the apartheid system, as well as inspiring accounts of the struggle towards democracy, and is invaluable in understanding the…
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Sipi Falls
Sipi Falls is a stunner, arguably the most beautiful waterfall in all of Uganda, and it is now much more accessible thanks to one of the best roads in the country linking it to Mbale. The falls are about 55km north of Mbale, in the foothills of Mt Elgon and not far from the town of Kapchorwe.
Not only are the falls spectacular, so too are the views of Mt Elgon above them, and the wide plains of eastern and northern Uganda disappearing into the distance below. There are three levels of falls, but the two upper levels are fairly small compared with the main drop. It is well worth spending a night or two in this peaceful and pretty place.
There are some excellent walks on a…
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a El-Fna Food Stalls
Around sunset, donkeys descend on the Djemaa hauling gas canisters by the cartload and all the makings of 100 small restaurants. Within the hour, the restaurants are up and running, with chefs urging passers-by to note the cleanliness of their grills, the freshness of their meat, produce and cooking oil, and their aromatic spice mixes.
The grilled meats and cooked salads are cheap and often tasty, and despite alarmist warnings your stomach should be fine if you use your bread instead of rinsed utensils and stick to bottled water. Adventurous foodies will want to try Marrakesh specialities such as steaming snail soup, sheep's brain, and skewered hearts - always go for the…
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Mama Mia's
Expats swear by the thin-crusted, wood-oven-cooked pizza here. The pleasant outdoor garden dining area makes everything taste better. Spaghetti and kid-friendly chicken fingers also served.
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Big Bite
Delicious Indian food, including numerous vegetarian dishes, in a no-frills setting.
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Carnivore
Vegetarians, please look away now. This is hands down the most famous nyama choma restaurant in Kenya. At the entrance is a huge barbecue pit laden with real swords of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, camel, ostrich and crocodile. As long as the paper flag on your table is flying, waiters will keep bringing the meat, which is carved right at the table.
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Al-Azhar Park
Islamic Cairo’s eastern horizon changed substantially when Al-Azhar Park opened in 2005. With funds from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, what had been a mountain of centuries’ worth of collected garbage was transformed into a beautifully landscaped swath of green, the city’s first (and only) park of significant size. It’s hard to convey just how dramatically different the park is from any other public space in Cairo: a profusion of gardens, emerald grass, even a lake (part of a larger public water-supply system) cover the grounds, while ambient Arabic music drifts softly from speakers and fountains bubble in front of sleek modern Islamic architecture. In addition to a…
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Manhyia Palace Museum
To get a feel for how a modern Ashanti ruler lives, visit Manhyia Palace and its museum off Antoa Rd, up the hill north from Kejetia Circle. The palace was built by the British in 1925 to receive Prempeh I when he returned from a quarter of a century of exile in the Seychelles to resume residence in Kumasi. It was used by the Ashanti kings until 1974.
On display is the original furniture, including Ashantiland's first TV, and various artefacts from the royals, including evocative photos of the time.More striking are the unnervingly lifelike, life-size wax models of the two kings and their mothers and of the most redoubtable queen mother, Yaa Asantewaa, who led the 1900…
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Boulders Beach
Some 3km south of Simon’s Town is Boulders, a picturesque area with a number of large boulders and small sandy coves, within which you’ll find Boulders Beach, home to a colony of 3000 jackass (African) penguins. Delightful as they are, the penguins are also pretty stinky, which may put you off getting too close.
There are two entrances to the penguins’ protected area. The first, as you come along Queens Rd (the continuation of St George’s St) from Simon’s Town, is at the end of Seaforth Rd; the second is at Bellevue Rd, where you’ll also find accommodation and places to eat. You can observe the penguins from the boardwalk at Foxy Beach and at Boulders Beach.
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Kakum National Park
Tucked away in this small pocket of rainforest are endangered forest elephants, colobus monkeys, 300 species of bird and a staggering 600 species of butterfly. However, the main attraction is the canopy walkway suspended 30m (98ft) above the forest floor. It makes for great viewing (or a trouser-wetting experience, depending on your point of view).
The walkway aside, a guided hike is a good way to learn about the rainforest flora and its traditional uses. Your best shot to see any wildlife is to get here when the park opens or take a night hike.
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Nature Sanctuary
The Nature Sanctuary is an incredibly peaceful wilderness area by the Lingadzi River. Take a taxi here though; it's not safe to walk. There is a signposted network of walking trails, and the information centre lists the birds and animals that may be seen. There is also a small, and rather unpleasant 'zoo' area, which consists of a few precarious looking cages filled with mangy-looking hyenas, monkeys and crocs.
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Flamingo
Like the famous Fang Fang in Kampala, the Flamingo has moved into an anonymous office block in Kacyiru, but it doesn't seem to be affecting its pulling power. The sizzling platters are quite a sight, plus there is a serious selection for vegetarians, not often the case in Kigali. That said, someone should probably tell them that bean curd with beef doesn't count!
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Abou Shakra
Abou Shakra is where to come for a skewer or two. It's been serving up its kebab-and-kofta plates and shwarma sandwiches at this main branch since 1947 and locals love it to bits. There's a takeaway at the front and a dining room behind it. Believe it or not, on Fridays an Imam reading from the Quran is posted next to the toilets. No alcohol is served.
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Centre for National Culture
A warren of stalls selling arts and crafts and known simply as the Arts Centre, this is the place to shop in Accra and the most visited site in the country. The level of aggressive hassling may make you want to keep your cedis in your pocket but if you have the patience and wherewithal, you can come away with good-quality handicrafts from all over Ghana.
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Africa Café
Touristy, yes, but still one of the best places to sample African food. Come with a hearty appetite as the set feast comprises some 15 dishes from across the continent, of which you can eat as much as you like. The décor, different in every room, is fantastic. Bookings are advised and it’s closed on Sunday from June to October.
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Monsoon
Incongruously located above a fast-food court, Monsoon is Accra's most upscale restaurant. The menu includes interesting items like warthog filet and crocodile tail. You may get snooty looks if you're dressed for tro-tros (minibuses or pick-ups). A more casual cigar lounge and sushi bar is attached.
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Animalia
This small but charming museum has a collection of stuffed animals found in Nubia, samples of sedimentary rocks, great pictures of Nubia before it was flooded by Lake Nasser, a small shop selling Nubian crafts at fixed prices and a lovely roof terrace where drinks are served overlooking the gardens.
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Deep-Sea Fishing
If you want to ape the fish-wrestling antics of Ernest Hemingway, Deep-Sea Fishing is possible at Ocean Sports Hotel and Hemingway's (high season, up to four anglers per boat). People are a little more environmentally sensitive now than in old Ernie's day - tag and release is standard procedure.
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