Monday, 16 January 2012 03:09

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12 Places in Africa to Visit in 2012

Africa is the 2nd largest continent with the 2nd largest population. The vast and diverse continent is made up of a wide array of people, religions and sites. Having already spent some time in Morocco and Egypt, I am looking forward to a more extensive trip later this year that will take me all over the continent. This post contains a list of 12 'must see' sites. You may not be able to visit all of them in one trip, but I'd suggest putting all of them on your 'bucket list'.

 

Sossusvlei & Deadvlei, Namibia

Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes in the southern part of the Namib Desert. The surrounding dunes are among the highest in the world. Dune 45 is the most famous of the dunes, standing at 80 metres high, however it is relatively small compared to "Big Daddy" which stands at between 300-400m high. A notable feature of Deadvlei is that it used to be an oasis with several acacia trees; over time, the river that watered the oasis changed its course. The pan is famous for its dead acacia trees that are unable to decompose because of the extremely dry environment and have been blackened by the sun over the past 9000 years.

 

Dogon Country, Mali

Located in south-central Mali, Dogon Country, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is made up of a series of villages embedded on cliffs that are up to 500m tall. The Dogon people have been living in these dwellings for over 1,000 years and settled in this hard to reach area after fleeing to escape Islamization. Make sure to read up on travel advisories for Mali, as there have been a few recent incidents in the Northern part of the country.

 

Djenné Mosque, Mali

The Djenné Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest mudbrick building in the world and considered by many to be one of the greatest examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture.

 

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, located in north-east South Africa, is known as one of the best wildlife reserves for the "big five" in all of Africa. The big five comprises the lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros.

 

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia

To put it into perspective for those more familiar with Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls is 1708 metres wide and 108 metres tall, dwarfing the largest of the Niagara Falls, which stands at a mere 790 metres wide and 53 metres tall. Though two thirds of the Falls lie within Zambian territory, you can get a much better view of the full width of the falls from Zimbabwe. Both countries offer a different perspective, equally worth experiencing. For the truly adventurous, be sure to visit the Devil's Pool; a naturally formed pool at the edge of the falls where those who dare can sit and peer over the side at the seemingly endless drop.

 

Avenue of the Baobabs, western Madagascar

The Avenue of the Baobabs is a tree-lined dirt road with dozens of baobab trees about 30m in height and up to 800 years old between the towns of Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. This is one of the most surreal sites you will ever see.

 

The Migration at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai language, meaning 'endless plains'. Nearly one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras are on the move from October and November. They then move again from April to June when the long rains arrive. Serengeti has the highest concentration of large mammals on this planet and is famous for its 2,500 lions, the highest concentration found anywhere!

 

Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

There are around 400 species of birds in Lake Nakuru National Park, including more than one million flamingos. On most days you can also see other animals including rhinos, zebras, giraffes, impalas, antelopes, hyenas, water buffalo, waterbucks, baboons, and several species of monkeys.

 

Gorilla Tracking in Uganda or Rwanda

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Western Uganda and the Parc National des Volcans (setting for Gorillas in the Mist author Dian Fossey's research) in Rwanda are 'the' places to see mountain gorillas. It is believed that there are less than 1000 of them left in the wild. Even with these numbers, your odds of seeing gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda are an amazing 98%!

 

Ngorongoro Conservation Park and Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Park is situated in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania and the Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera that lies within the area. The land in the area is unique in that it is the only conservation area in Tanzania that allows human habitation while providing protection status for the wildlife. The main feature of the conservation park is the crater, which was formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed on itself roughly two million years ago. The crater plays host to almost every species of wildlife in Eastern Africa. There is an estimated 25,000 animals in the crater, including the "big five".

 

Djemaa El-Fna, Marrakech, Morocco

Djeema El-Fna comes alive at night with musicians, dancers, story tellers and friendly food stall vendors looking to sell you some local treats. The sights, sounds and smells will keep your senses on alert all night. Behind the square you can burn off all your newly acquired calories by wandering around the market.

 

Cape Town, South Africa

You could easily make an entire vacation out of the diverse sites in and around Cape Town alone. Some of the most popular sites within the city include the majestic Table Mountain, Bo-Kaap, Robben Island, and the penguins at Boulders Beach. A short distance outside of town you can go on a Great White Shark excursion (Gaansbai) and have a fine dining experience surrounded by world class wineries in Stellenbosch, Paarl or Franschhoek.