Africa

Algeria

Towering above the modern and elegant city of Algiers is its Casbah, where narrow alleys and stairs lead up the hill with beautiful mansions and decorative elements even in the simplest houses.

Angola

The rock formations of Pungo Andongo rise spectacularly from the savanna below: enormous monoliths in different shapes, which have acquired legendary and mythical significance for the locals.

Benin

A combination of elegance and practicality, the traditional adobe Tata houses are a fascinating sight in the northern part of Benin, a tradition that is still very much alive.

Botswana

The riverfront of Chobe offers a dizzying array and abundance of wildlife, with close encounters of big animals guaranteed - all in the setting of a river in which you can find yet more animals and birds.

Burkina Faso

A jewel of a mosque, the rustic Grand Mosque of Bobo Dioulasso seems to emit a warm glow when the day breaks, which slowly comes to an end under the call to prayer of the imam when the sun sets.

Burundi

In all, there are four waterfalls at the end of a remote valley in Burundi, where cool water tumbles down over rocks through a landscape of lush, green vegetation.

Cabo Verde

The steep climbing and descending is well worth it considering the spectacular views of Chã de Pedra and Ribeira de Torre, while skirting the ancient crater of Cova and even the island of São Vicente.

Cameroon C

The going is slow, the roads are bad, and you travel on cramped dusty buses, but the route through the rainforest to the far south west of Cameroon is one big adventure you will not easily forget.

Central African Republic C

Spending a day on the wooden platform of Dzanga Bai gives a great opportunity to watch the elephants, buffaloes, bongoes and more on the large clearing in the forest below - you get so hooked, it is hard to leave!

Chad

The desert scenery around Bichagara is dramatic and spectacular: huge sand dunes leaning against rock formations, arches, pillars, soft lines of sand, seemingly endless plains: landscapes where you could lose yourself forever.

Comoros

One of the many craters on the shore of Grand Comore, Lac Salé is filled with water and surrounded by a beautiful stretch of coastline, making for a great short hike.

Congo C

A pleasant city on the banks of the mighty Congo river, Brazzaville has some remarkable monuments, a quiet city centre, and bustling neighbourhoods to keep the visitor busy.

Democratic Republic Congo W

Apart from a chance to see the only glaciers of Africa, the Rwenzori Mountains also offer a unique and fairy-tale like vegetation that changes the higher you climb on these elusive mountains.

Djibouti

Tadjoura is a peaceful town right on the coast of the Gulf bearing its name, with a pleasant boulevard where you can join the locals for a stroll.

Egypt

One of the largest mosques in the world, Sultan Hassan mosque also serves as a madrassa and mausoleum, although the sultan himself is not buried here.

Equatorial Guinea C

A quite lively town with a beach and modern bridge can be a welcome escape from the authorities of this oppressive country, and give you a chance to get in touch with locals.

Eritrea

Eritrea is also attractive for its many bright colours that can be seen everywhere, especially in the clothes of the women you come across.

Eswatini

The second largest monolith in the world, Sibebe rock offers landscapes with cylindrical rocks, low vegetation, and wide vistas over an exciting landscape - all this just a short drive from the capital Mbabane.

Ethiopia

There are several reasons to visit the area around Awassa: the fishmarket on the shore of the lake, and a boat ride on the lake itself which offers the opportunity to see wildlife.

Gabon C

A little east of the town of Léconi, you can find a small, reddish, canyon trees on the Batéké Plateau, with enormous rockformations, and sweeping views all around.

Gambia

The tamest crocs I have ever seen can be found (and touched) in and around this curious pool that has a function for couples with fertility issues as well.

Ghana

Just northeast of the Ghanaian capital, you can find Shai Hills with possibilities of game drives and climbing up rocky hills that have cultural and historical significance.

Guinea-Bissau

Part of the fun of a visit to Varela is getting there; once you do, the surrounding area offers a deserted beach and some great countryside landscapes to explore.

Ivory Coast

Former capital of Ivory Coast, Grand Bassam is the most atmospheric and imposing old town of the entire country, with a multitude of colonial buildings, and at a special setting between lagoon and ocean.

Kenya

Wandering the streets of the old town of Mombasa serves to underline both its multi-cultural character as well as its long history, and offers views of people living their lives among old stone mosques, wooden balconies, and Omani doors.

Lesotho

High up on a plateau in western Lesotho lies Thaba Bosiu, once the stronghold of King Moshoeshoe I and still a strong significance for this small southern African nation.

Liberia C

The sweeping views from the ridge into both Ivory Coast and Guinea, and seeing some of the remains of the iron ore mining industry make Mount Nimba one of the highlights of a visit to Liberia.

Libya

Among the best preserved and most complete Roman ruins of the Mediterranean, Leptis Magna offers the full range of what a Roman city had to offer: triumphal arches, lanes, baths, theatre, forum, cathedral, market, and much more.

Madagascar

On top of being unique for its landscapes and animals, Madagascar has a remarkable mix of people from origins ranging from Indonesia, India, Arabia, East Africa and Europe giving the country an exotic feel unparalleled anywhere else.

Malawi

Fantastic hiking terrain, with surprisingly well-equipped cabins and many trails to explore the basins. Here, you can see wildlife, waterfalls, peaks, rocks, trees - and peace of mind.

Mali

The Great Mosque of Djenné is a marvel of architecture; a huge building completely constructed of adobe where colourful Malinese muslims come to pray in traditional dresses.

Mauritania

Getting to the Nouadhibou-bound train and riding it proved to be full of unexpected twists and turns; after the 18-hour ride, I arrived full of dust on the Atlantic coast.

Mauritius

Just off the coast of southeast Mauritius, the Ile aux Aigrettes is not an ordinary island but a testcase to try to reintroduce the original vegetation and animals that once lived on Mauritius.

Morocco W

Hidden behind the narrow lanes of the old city lie the tanneries of Fès, where leather is being treated as it has been for centuries.

Mozambique

There still is a large amount of colonial buildings scattered around the city of Maputo, of very different styles, giving the Mozambican capital a unique appearance worth exploring.

Namibia

Probably the best place to go on a safari in Namibia, Etosha National Park gives you ample opportunity to see much of the wildlife Africa is so famed for.

Niger

A dazzling and colourful event, the Gerewol is an annual courtship competition in which decorated Wodaabe Fulani men perform dances and make themselves beautiful in order to attract women of their tribe.

Nigeria

Nowadays, Badagry is a lively Nigerian town, but the history of the slave trade is never far, and it offers the visitor a good starting point to understand this fateful period for Nigeria.

Rwanda

A sobering sight in Kigali is the Belgian Peacekeepers memorial, which not only is shocking because the bullet marks are still visible in the wall, but also because of the explanatory boards inside.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Their islands are beautiful and may feel like paradise, and the Santomean people themselves are as beautiful and genuinely welcoming as the islands they live on.

Senegal

Former capital of French colonial West Africa, Saint Louis is a remarkably calm, peaceful city with plenty of attractive buildings to be discovered after you cross the remarkable Pont Faidherbe.

Seychelles

Also called the Red Island because of the colour of its soil, Curieuse island is a protected reserve with granite boulders scattered around, tortoises, coco de mer trees, a mangrove swamp, and some ruins of a former settlement.

Sierra Leone

An area packed with enormous trees, eleven primates, and a multitude of birds and other wildlife, Tiwai Island also offers tranquillity and immersion into tropical nature.

Somalia C

It is impossible to drive the streets of Mogadishu without seeing the grim reminders of years of heavy fighting: once beautiful buildings have been reduced to rubble.

South Africa C

A stranger's code, a gate magically opening at dawn, narrow cracks in the rock — and without the right to be there. Getting to Wolfberg Arch turned into far more of an adventure than I'd bargained for.

South Sudan

By all accounts, taking pictures in Juba seemed a tricky thing to do, so I treaded carefully and tried to capture the city through snapshots on long walks on its dusty streets, meeting some wonderful people on the way.

Sudan

Sudan has a lot to offer in terms of sights, but you might end up realizing that its main attraction are its people with their legendary hospitality and generosity.

Tanzania

An enormous caldera with an incredible array of wildlife, from herds of zebra to lions, from flamingoes to buffaloes, in a unique setting of an ancient volcano with an isolated ecosystem.

Togo

Hidden in the lush tropical environment in the hills southwest of Kpalimé, the modest Womé waterfall and its pool enchant by its setting amidst rocks and trees.

Tunisia

The largest collection of mosaics in the world, the Bardo Museum is like paradise for those who love this intricate art with some truly dazzling works and many masterpieces covering an extended period of time.

Uganda

An archipelago of islands covered in lush tropical vegetation, fringed with beaches, surrounded by calm waters, and inhabited by friendly people make the Ssese Islands your ideal destination to wind down - right in Lake Victoria.

Zambia

Probably the best way to go on a safari is by canoe, and one place to do this is in the lower Zambezi river, where you can spot big game and birds while going with the flow through marvellous landscape.

Zimbabwe

The majestic spectacle of the Zambezi river plunging into a deep and narrow gorge, forcing an eternal spray into the air, is what makes Victoria Falls irresistible - and a very wet experience as well.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Africa. Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. You can also visit other continents on our beautiful planet by clicking on the world map above.
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Latest addition

Wolfberg Arch (South Africa)

A stranger's code, a gate magically opening at dawn, narrow cracks in the rock — and without the right to be ... more
[Visited: February 2026]

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