edit Africa Travel Guide

• Victoria Falls
• Amboseli National Park is located in Kenya and famous for the biggest tuskers in the world.
• Kruger National Park in South Africa is the biggest national park in Africa.
• Mt. Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro is known as one of the greatest mountain climbing experiences on eart, if you are reasonably fit this experience is a must!

Background

Regions

Going through Africa from the North to the South, you will first encounter six arab-berber countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Mauritania. These countries tend to be culturaly muslim and have majority muslim populations. But this is a long way from being the complete story and yu will come across Berber culture and indigenous coptic christians as well. Among the highlights of this part of the continent we would like to mention Cairo with its pyramids, Luxor home to some of the most beguiling ancient ruins in the world, the medieval cities of Morocco such as Marrakesh and Fez and the cities of Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca.

Below, you will find the Sahel region. The countries are predominantly Muslim, but African heritage with its influence dominates. Senegal including the famous Dakar and Mali with places like Timbuktu, Segou and Mopti are among the most visited countries here.

West Africa sees relatively few tourists which in some cases may be due to political turmoil. Ghana has good beaches and nice forts. Togo is a gem under the West African countries and so is Benin and the Ivory Coast. Nigeria has many sights but travelling there can be time-consuming and nerveracking.

Central Africa too, has had its fair share of trouble in recent years, which is the reason why many travellers deleted countries such as the Central African Republic and Congo Kinshasa (formerly known as Zaire) from their to do and to see list. Rwanda, however, is back as a top destination with a steady flow of travellers heading back to the land of a thousand of hills.

East Africa however is a real treat. Ethiopia with its ancient Christan civilization and spectacular mountain scenery and Kenya and Tanzania with their great game wildlife parks are a must for travellers.

By Air

Air fares to Africa can be very expensive, but there are ways to save, and generally speaking it is easiest to come to Africa via Europe. As a rule the country that was the former Colonial Power now has the cheapest flights. Don't, for example, fly from London to a former French colony, or conversely from Paris to a former British colony. That could easily cost thousands more. Instead, get a cheap ticket from London to Paris (or vice versa) and fly to Africa from there. Always book the Africa portion of travel first, be sure to allow lots of connection time, and note that London has two international airports: Heathrow and Gatwick.

From the United States, there are a few non-stop flights to Africa from JFK New York City, Dulles near Washington DC and Atlanta. Outside the peak travel times to Europe (e.g. summer) you might be able to get a good deal to London or Paris and book a fare from there to Africa on a European travel website. But don't book the USA to Europe portion until you get confirmed on the Europe to Africa portion first. Thru fares to Africa from the USA are often quite expensive, so avoiding peak travel times to Europe can sometimes save a lot.

Don't forget to add in the extra costs of additional visas, departure taxes, ground transportation, etc. for all those places outside of Africa.

By Boat

Although it sure is a Romantic idea, traveling by boat is often more expensive and always more time consuming than flying. It is however a good option when you want to go to Morocco, Tunisia or Egypt from southern Europe, or in the case of Egypt from Jordan. To Egypt and East Africa from India or Singapore is possible, but it takes a long time and is either quiet expensive or not comfortable at all.

By Land

Coming to Africa by land from Asia is only possible at the border crossing between Israel and Egypt. The border is open.

Africa is the second largest continent, with 53 countries and a surface area of 30,244,050 sq km (11,677,293 mi²). Its highest point is Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro, which rises to 5,895 m (19,340 feet) above sea level. Africa's lowest point is Djibouti's Lake Assal, whose surface is 515 feet (157 m) below sea level. Africa has extensive mineral resources, including gold, diamonds, and copper. Its longest river is the Nile, which runs 6,650 km (4,132 miles) from Burundi to Egypt. Its largest lake is the 69,485 sq km (26,828 square mile) Lake Victoria, which is surrounded by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Africa is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, by the Red Sea to the northeast, and by the Indian Ocean to the southeast.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of HIV and AIDS infection on Earth. A 2005 UN Report says over 25 million infected, over 7% of adults, for the continent as a whole. Be extremely cautious about any sexual activity in Africa. Especially note that the rates of HIV infection among sex workers is phenomenally high.

Parts of Africa also are plagued by tropical disease.

Food and Water

Save a few of the first world countries such as South Africa, the water in Africa is generally not potable and in fact can be extremely hazardous to human health. Drinking bottled water is advised. 

Internet

In most urban centers as well as tourist areas Internet is widely available for around $2.00 (U.S.) per hour. However once you get off the beaten path expect not to see Internet or phone service.