Burkina Faso
One of Burkina Faso's most spectacular landscapes, the Sindou Peaks are a narrow, craggy chain featuring a fantastic array of tortuous cones sculpted by…
Must-see attractions in West Africa
Sierra Leone
You don't have to be a rail fan to enjoy this Clinetown museum, where enthusiastic staff guide you around a surprising collection of restored locomotives,…
Yaoundé
A 45-minute drive south of Yaoundé, Mefou is run by Ape Action Africa, an organisation established to protect primates in Cameroon. Well-informed guides…
Malabo
On the west side of the Plaza de España, this gracious, apricot-hued building is the most beautiful in the country. The architect, Llairadó Luis Segarra,…
Burkina Faso
This 97,000-hectare wildlife reserve, about 40km southwest of Pô near the Ghanaian border, has become a highlight on many a wildlife-lover’s itinerary…
Benin
This museum of contemporary African art, housed in a stunning 1920s Afro-Brazilian villa, displays paintings and sculptures as well as light, video and…
Sierra Leone
The State House, up on Tower Hill and overlooking the downtown area, is an example of Freetown's old Krio architecture, which features brightly washed…
Lagos
Legendary musician Fela Kuti's former house and revolutionary headquarters is now a fascinating museum with everything intact from Fela's bedroom to his …
Abidjan
An absolute trove of African contemporary art, this cubical, 600-sq-metre gallery features the best of the continent's artists, from sculpture and…
Sierra Leone
Gutted by fire in 1999, only the stone shell of the Old Fourah Bay College remains, but this 1848 building is graceful even in its decay. The World…
St Joseph's Adult Education & Skills Centre
Banjul
Tucked away inside an ancient Portuguese building, this centre has provided training to disadvantaged women for the last 20 years. Visitors can take a…
São Tomé & Príncipe
A postcard tropical beach, with turquoise water, swaying palms and no people. You will need to bring your own food, but it is perfect for a picnic…
Cameroon
Just north of Bamenda is the large Tikar community of Bafut, traditionally the most powerful of the Grassfields kingdoms. The fon's (local chief's) palace…
Accra
Jamestown originated as a community that emerged around the 17th-century British James Fort, merging with Accra as the city grew. These days, Jamestown is…
Benin
The Route of the Slaves includes the slave auction plaza, the Tree of Forgetfulness (where slaves were branded with their owners' symbols and, to make…
Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde's highest peak (2829m/9382ft), the conical, cinder-clad Mt Fogo, rises dramatically out of the floor of an ancient crater known as Chã das…
Ghana
St George’s Castle, a Unesco heritage site, was built as a trading post by the Portuguese in 1482, and captured by the Dutch in 1637. It was expanded when…
Cotonou
The seemingly endless Grand Marché du Dantokpa is Cotonou's throbbing heart, bordered by the lagoon and Blvd St Michel. Everything under the sun can be…
Accra
There is no front door or welcoming sign to the Makola Market. Before you know it, you've been sucked in by the human undertow from the usual pavements…
ANO Centre for Cultural Research
Accra
This arts institution, which takes its name from the word 'grandmother' in Akan, was founded by Ghanaian art historian, writer and filmmaker Nana…
Accra
Ghanaian photographer Francis Kokoroko and his friends regularly host cultural events and art talks at this tiny, unbranded studio on the top floor of the…
Cameroon
Many zoos in Africa are depressing places, but the Limbe Wildlife Centre is a shining exception. It houses rescued chimpanzees, gorillas, drills and other…
Nigeria
The founding site of Abeokuta, famed Olumo Rock has a rich history and great spiritual significance. Hire a guide and climb the rock – at one point it is…
São Tomé
This impressive peak soars 2024m above the sea like a great green tooth bleeding mist. You can see it best from the EN-1 as you drive from Neves to Santa…
The Gambia
Like a snapshot of The Gambia, Makasutu Culture Forest bundles the country's array of landscapes into a dazzling 1000-hectare package. The setting is…
The Gambia
Archaeologists believe the Wassu stone circles are burial sites constructed about 1200 years ago. Each stone weighs several tonnes and is between 1m (3…
Fathala Wildlife Reserve & Lodge
Senegal
For those not heading to wildlife parks in other parts of Africa, this 60-sq-km reserve might be worth adding to your itinerary. This reserve was created…
Rio Muni
Monte Alen is one of Central Africa's best-kept secrets, and reason enough to visit Equatorial Guinea. A protected area covering 2000 sq km, the park is…
Kumasi
This museum may be small but the personalised tour included with admission is a fascinating introduction to Ashanti culture and history. Among the…
Mlomp Musée de la Tradition Diola
Casamance
Set amid towering kapok trees on the main road between Oussouye and Elinkine, this striking case à impluvium houses an exhibition dedicated to Diola…
Parc National du Delta du Saloum
Senegal
Established in 1976, this lush national park is a water-filled wonderland with mangroves, salt marshes, islands and woodland all part of the great delta's…
The Gambia
Colourful pirogues roll in the waves, women ferry fish elegantly to shore atop their heads, and crowds swarm the beachfront at this charismatic fish…
Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone's most visited natural reserve is home to over 700 different plant species, 135 bird species (including eight species of hornbill), plus…
Rio Muni
This reserve, in the far northwest of Rio Muni, spans 335sq km and is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Turtles, hippos and goliath frogs…
São Tomé & Príncipe
An excellent swimming beach, this long and pretty stretch of golden sand contains the ruins of a resort that never opened, tucked beneath the trees. It's…
Nigeria
Susanne Wenger's remarkable house sits in the heart of Oshogbo: a tall Gothic place decorated outside with terracotta swirling sculptures, and inside with…
Cameroon
Limbe's Botanical Gardens, the second oldest in Africa, are the home of, among others, cinnamon, nutmeg, mango, ancient cycads and an unnamed tree that…
Bioko Island
Arena Blanca is a lovely beach close to Luba, with white sand. It is known for its clouds of breeding butterflies. You'll find the beach is cleaner the…
Bioko Island
One of two signposted miradors (viewpoints) along the road that crosses Bioko Island, this one is high above Luba and has spectacular views across the…
Nigeria
Get your shopping groove on at this fabulous gallery, where you can browse Nike's own paintings, and buy a terrific range of fabrics, batik garments and…
