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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Gianni Sorvetaria
We think the home-made ice cream at the Hotel Polana Tea Room is the best, but this comes close.
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Mcmoody’s
McMoody’s serves mostly burgers.
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Greek Club
A popular expat hang-out, especially on weekend evenings; it has free movies on Sunday afternoon, good pizza and a lively sports bar.
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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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Trekking
The Rif Mountains, bordering the Moroccan coast for about 200km, rarely reach more than 1800m, but these are the highest peaks in northern Morocco. The hillsides are green and magnificent. Cedars dominate the hillsides close to Chefchaouen, while forests of pine and holm oak grow on the higher slopes. Trekking opportunities here are good enough to draw even the most sloth-like backpacker away from the cafés and roof terraces of Chefchaouen, if only for a few hours.
Looming over Chefchaouen at 1616m, Jebel el-Kelaâ might initially appear a daunting peak but, with an early start and a packed lunch, it can easily be climbed in a day if you're in reasonably good shape.
The…
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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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Geech Camp to Chenek via Imet Gogo
Geech to Chenek takes about five to six hours, but you'd be crazy not to take in Imet Gogo, around 5km northeast of Geech. It takes 1½ to two hours one way.
The promontory, at 3926m, affords some of the most spectacular views of the Simien Mountains. To make a day of it, you could continue to the viewpoint known as Saha. From Saha, you can head for the viewpoint at Kadavit (2.5km, 30 to 40 minutes), then return to camp.
You can also trek to Chenek via Imet Gogo using Saha as a starting point (eight to nine hours). Saha lies around 3km from Geech.
From Imet Gogo you have two choices: the first is to return to Geech by your outward route, then head directly south, back…
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Snorkelling and Diving
Other than just lounging around, snorkelling and diving are the most popular activities in Dahab. The reefs off Assalah are often strewn with litter, but if you can ignore this, the reef at the northern end of Mashraba has table corals and impressive fish life.
Also worthwhile are the reefs off the southern end of Mashraba, just before the lagoon; Lighthouse Reef, a sheltered snorkelling site at the northern tip of Assalah; and the popular Eel Garden, just north of Assalah, where a colony of eels lives on the sandy sea bed.
About 6km further north are the Canyon and Blue Hole dive sites. Despite their intimidating reputation as danger zones for careless divers, the tops of…
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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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Nalubale Rafting
The source of the Nile is one of the most spectacular white-water rafting destinations in the world and for many visitors to Uganda a rafting trip is the highlight of their visit. There are now four companies offering exhilaration without compromise. One of these operators is the relative newcomer Nalubale Rafting.
All the companies take on the Big Four, all monster Grade Five rapids, including Itanda (The Bad Place), but there is always a safety boat on hand if you decide the rapids are just too big for you. All of them also include a host of incentives to lure you over, including meals and beers. They also offer DVDs and videos of your big day out if you think that…
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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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