Only 39? Given your complete and never-ending addiction to the continent, I would have expected more, to be quite frank…
Well I had to keep it down or I would never have got this article published, would I? Clearly I could go on all day and all of the night about why Africa should be on everyone’s list, but this is at least a start. Also, I have some more ideas so don’t be surprised if this article gets an update before too long.
Okay, fair enough. So what is so great about Africa then?
In a nutshell, there is nowhere on earth like it. Given its vast size and the sheer number of countries found on the world’s most exciting continent – at least 54, the exact number depends on who you ask – there is something for every traveller. The fact that we cannot even agree on how many countries there are in Africa is pretty cool in itself, I reckon.
Sure, there are adventures to be had on every continent on this planet, but nothing ever really matches what Africa can offer. It’s not always easy, it is often chaotic and you will likely learn to ditch timetables and detailed plans and go with the flow – but isn’t that a better way to travel anyway? The quiet life can wait – bring on the laughter, the colour, the dynamism, the spontaneity and the sheer fun!
There are some downsides, but this is not the place to dwell on them. The biggest problem most visitors face is the fact that they get incurably smitten by the Africa bug and any other holiday destination will inevitably be slightly disappointing by comparison. This article will go some way to explaining why this is the case, but will never be a substitute for actually experiencing it yourself.
Here then, in no particular order, are a mere 39 reasons why you owe it to yourself to visit Africa.
Here are my 39 Reasons To Visit Africa: Read on!
1. You’ll enjoy sunsets you will have trouble believing are real
To be honest, picking out a single photo to illustrate this point was not easy – my hard disk is bursting with stunning shots. But in the end there was something about this one taken in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
2. Sunrise is pretty staggering too, as it happens
You’ll have to get up early to see the sun rise in Africa – earlier still the further from the equator you travel. But you will do so willingly after a couple of days, and those dawn starts are required for the best wildlife sightings on safari. I had no regrets at being up at 5.30 a.m. to catch this eagle flying past my balcony at Gorges Lodge in Zimbabwe…
3. And then there’s the night sky
Now I don’t have any good photos myself (my camera equipment/skills are not really good enough) but I found this one – although most cloudless nights will be way more spectacular than this. With zero light pollution in Africa’s wilderness areas, you will be blown away by the night sky.
4. Wildlife encounters
This is another theme for which I have hundreds of photographs, but managed to settle on one. We came upon this lion with four others right by the side of the track as we were leaving Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. Africa is the home of the safari and home to an incredible range of animals. You will never tire of encounters with her wildlife – you never know what to expect and each experience is unique.
5. Human encounters
I said this list was in no particular order and this proves it, because the best reason to visit Africa is to meet the people. Their friendliness, openness and generosity put us to shame and travellers soon realise that Africans really understand the importance of human interactions in life.
It always irritates me when people refer to African countries as “developing”. In many ways Africa is developed, and we in the so-called modern world have strayed too far – we are over-developed. Come down and see for yourself. This pic is of the staff seeing us off after a wonderful stay at Hyena Pan in Botswana, in case you were wondering.
6. Adventure is waiting for you
Adventure is everywhere in Africa, whether you are on safari, visiting ancient ruins or diving in the Indian Ocean – but there plenty of additional ways to boost your adrenaline. Why not follow the example of our daughter Rebecca (marginally to the right) and her friend Helene (on the left) and jump off a cliff near the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe?
This is the terrifying “Gorge Swing”, which is a sheer drop down until the rope tightens and swings you like a pendulum above the raging waters of the Zambezi River, and is apparently amazing fun.
You may prefer the more sedate “Bridge Slide” like me (above), or to just watch…
7. Africans don’t give up – they “make a plan”
I first heard this in Zimbabwe, but later in several other countries in the region and it is hands-down my favourite expression from Africa. It is also one that I try to live by wherever I find myself. When something goes wrong, we are far too quick to find someone to blame, lodge a complaint and/or call someone to get it fixed.
In Zimbabwe, where god knows the people have been subjected to more problems that we can even begin to imagine, their response is “we’ll make a plan.” What a great attitude. At first glance the photo above from a completely flooded road between Maun and Nata in Botswana may not seem to demonstrate the principle. But allow me to elaborate. The truck in front of ours was put into service as a makeshift “ferry”, transporting vehicles across the waterlogged plain for a fee.
Not only did its owner make a plan, he made good money too providing an ingenious service to other drivers for whom the metre-deep water was impassable. This picture was taken on our Wild Botswana and the Victoria Falls – Small Group tour, which is highly recommended.
8. Music and dance are everywhere
As I wrote all those years ago when I returned to Africa for the first time since 1994, it was dancing (and smiles) that gave me the feeling of being back home again. Africa has a rhythm all of its own, and music is a huge part of daily life throughout the continent.
Whether in the form of impromptu performances by airport cleaners or more formal shows like the one put on by the dance troupe above in eSwatini (the country formally known as Swaziland), you will find entertainment everywhere. eSwatini features on our Walking South Africa – Small Group tour.
9. You may be surprised just how good the food is
From roadside chop bars to fine dining restaurants and everything in between, Africa is a food lover’s paradise. Prepare to be amazed at the delicious and varied food somehow conjured forth at a wildly remote lodge in the bush where the nearest shops are a day’s journey away.
Marvel at the preparation process as maize is pounded for hours on end to produce nzema or its local equivalent, then served with a tasty stew and eaten with bare hands in friendly company.
And be sure to visit extraordinary places like 4Roomed eKasi Culture above, a lifestyle concept based on the four roomed homes found in the township of Khayelitsha outside Cape Town in South Africa which brings tourists to areas previously considered off-limits. Eating here will be the most memorable part of your time in the Mother City.
10. Culture and traditions are strong – and treated with pride
Traditional medicine (as illustrated here with a snap of the Muti store in downtown Johannesburg) is alive and well across Africa, as are traditional beliefs and culture. All of these co-exist with their modern versions and offer visitors fascinating insight into ways and practices with which we are unfamiliar.
Explore Johannesburg in combination with our Walking South Africa – Small Group or our Wild Botswana and the Victoria Falls – Small Group
11. You will learn the valuable art of patience
Shit does, indeed, happen. You haven’t really been on safari until you get stuck in the mud like we did here in Botswana. And when it does, you make a plan. And you learn to be patient – not only while plans are carried out and problems resolved, but also when waiting.
African time is different; you may not go as far as I do and simply not wear a watch in Africa, but you will learn not to be so hung up about having to sit and wait. And that is a good thing, no?
12. You can detox from modern life
That leads us nicely on to the next point. After all, modern life is indeed rubbish, to slightly misquote Blur. And you can really get away from it all in Africa. Put that damn phone away, forget the emails, the commute and all the other crap.
You will adapt quickly and feel a lot better for it – personally the only thing better than not having internet access is not having a mobile signal either, and while this is increasingly rare it still happens.
Cruising on Lake Malawi and watching fish eagles being fed is about as far as you can get from the 7.15 to London Bridge, too…
Experience Malawi on our Malawi – Tea estates, Mountains, Wildlife and the Lake tour and check out other reasons to visit Malawi here.
13. And you can retox with G&T
Sundowners are an integral part of the safari experience, and equally enjoyable at sunset anywhere else in Africa. There is really only one drink to sip at, too – Gin and Tonic. End of story.
14. The endless views will amaze you
The African landscape seems to go on forever; which is because in fact it does. Or rather, it goes on as far as you can see – which is essentially the same thing, right? In Africa the great outdoors is exactly that and wilderness means wilderness, not a patch of woods on the outskirts of a city.
Look, it’s impossible to convey it in words, so just start planning and experience it yourself, okay? From the Sahara desert to the Kalahari, the savannah of Laikipia in Kenya (pictured above) to the sheer vastness of Lakes Malawi or Victoria, you will gain a new perspective on the concept of “seeing for miles and miles”.
15. You can enjoy the road trip of a lifetime
One of the easiest places to drive with the cheapest car rental rates is South Africa, and a hire car is perhaps the perfect way to see the country. It has often been prohibitively expensive to hire a vehicle in other countries but it is beginning to get easier; our tour company can hook you up with a self-drive company in Tanzania and help you hire a motorbike in Malawi…
Here’s a taster of life on the road in South Africa…
Namibia is a country with a well-established self-drive culture and incredibly popular for an epic road trip. Wherever you choose, you will love the freedom of having your own wheels and being able to get to places you otherwise would not be able to reach.
16. Get even closer to nature – by taking a walking safari
You can’t do this everywhere, but some safari destinations (Zambia was the forerunner here) offer guided walking safaris. You can’t get much closer to nature – but of course your guide will keep you a safe distance from wildlife.
A walking safari is more about the details – such as learning about animal tracks, plants used in local medicine and insects. And yes, there is a special focus on poo. You would not believe how much you can learn from what animals leave behind.
17. You can make a real difference while having the time of your life
Provided that you choose your tour operator well, the money you spend on your holiday of a lifetime will go a long way to helping wildlife conservation and assisting local communities. Our sister operation, The Grown-up Travel Company, only works with suppliers who demonstrate that they make such efforts.
Tourism can be a real force for good in Africa, providing employment and prospects for often-marginalised rural communities. In addition, many service providers put money directly into building or refurbishing and expanding schools, healthcare centres and many other projects.
Without wildlife tourism benefitting the people living with said wildlife, there is no incentive NOT to kill animals that destroy crops, for example. If compensation is provided or a farmer is able to educate his children and has access to healthcare because of foreign tourists paying to go on safari, he understands that animals are worth more to him alive. For some fantastic examples of social projects funded by safari tourism, check out this post about the work carried out by Imvelo Safari Lodges in Zimbabwe.
18. Obviously Africa has fantastic beaches, too
Africa has a LOT of coastline. And a huge amount of it consists of sandy beaches, many of which win awards – such as Diani Beach in Kenya pictured above. This allows for some fabulous combination holidays, with “beach and bush” being a favourite – relax on the beach after enjoying the thrills of a safari.
But many people travel to Africa just to spend time on the beach, perhaps venturing into a big city for a spot of contrast. Nothing wrong with that, either. Or you could go trekking up Kilimanjaro and then paddling in Zanzibar.
And you are not restricted to the seaside, either. Lake Malawi has beaches that are easily mistaken for Mauritius, and even the Zambezi has stretches of blindingly white sand…
19. Village life will put yours into perspective
Make sure you get a chance to visit a rural village – many safari lodges offer such activities if you are staying in the bush, or you can often arrange cultural trips from operators in towns and cities. You will gain a proper insight into village life and the difficulties – and positive aspects – faced by those living there.
Hearing how someone has to walk several kilometres just to collect water, how school fees are out of reach for many families and that even if a child is lucky enough to get an education they may have to trek miles to get to school will put our pampered lives in perspective. And yet you will never encounter any bitterness – on the contrary you will receive a friendly welcome and be moved by people’s hospitality.
20. Don’t overlook the cities, either
Urban Africa is always exciting – cities can be chaotic and overwhelming at first but you will soon get into the rhythm. Many are misunderstood and avoided – like Johannesburg, above – which is a mistake. Sure you need to take care but that is the case in London or New York too. A guided tour is a great way to find your bearings and learn about a new place – and to break down any fears and prejudgements you may be harbouring.
A city like Cape Town is deservedly on most bucket lists but do get off the tourist trail and see how the majority of people live – you will likely be shocked by the contrasts. Don’t discount the less famous place, either. For the record, we far prefer Durban and Johannesburg to Cape Town…
21. Enjoy real family time – and make new friends
If you travel with your family, you will have plenty of quality time together without distractions. You will be surprised just how quickly teenagers forget about the fact that they can’t get wifi or even a phone signal and how parents really can live without Facebook.
With or without spouses and children in tow, you are almost guaranteed to make new friends; one of the best ways to get to know others is at shared mealtimes, bumping around on a game drive or enjoying a drink round an open fire.
22. You can learn about real life in Africa
Cultural visits are another good way to gain insights into local traditions, history and day-to-day life. These may be organized trips to meet a village headsman, as pictured here in Zimbabwe, or to watch a dance performance or food being made.
You can visit a traditional doctor or a store where local medicine is sold, take part in a lesson at a school or learn how handicrafts are made at a cooperative. Do you know how tea is made? Coffee? Chocolate? Africa can teach you all about these and much more.
23. A safari is an education
You will learn a LOT on safari. As we touched on earlier, you’ll learn a few things about yourself, but also about nature and wildlife. With a professional guide such as Sibs shown here, you’ll be able to bore your friends back home with your newly-acquired knowledge of how to differentiate between a cheetah and a leopard or the mating habits of impala.
And who wouldn’t want to do that?
24. Go hiking – or just walking – in spectacular countryside
If walking or hiking is your thing, you will be spoilt for choice in Africa. As an example, for most of the year, the climate in South Africa (above) is perfect for walking in the hills and there are spectacular destinations to explore across the country. Hiking is well established here, with marked trails and plenty of accommodation along the way.
Kenya’s highlands are perfect for walking as are the crater lake areas of Uganda. So pack those boots…
25. Craft beer has been here for a while, too
If you like good beer (doesn’t everyone?) then you will be pleased to hear that there are alternatives to the standard industrial stuff that is found throughout the continent under different names but with suspiciously little variation in flavour.
Yes, microbreweries have been around for a while (I took this picture in South Africa in 2015) and two of the best of the many I have tried were in Stellenbosh and Victoria Falls – so you can now find a decent brew outside of the capital cities.
It’s true that you will still have to resort to some variant of Carlsberg most of the time, but in Cape Town you can work your way through 100 cracking beers in one bar. In other words, things are getting better.
26. Yes, you may find yourself
I know it’s a horrible expression, but it is conceivable – even likely – that you may indeed “find yourself” in Africa; it is downright inevitable that you will be changed by your time there. You will certainly realise that there is more to life on this earth than working in an office and living in a city.
You will discover what really matters – companionship, an open mind and gratitude for all that we take for granted, to name just three examples. You will understand that we humans are pretty insignificant in the great scheme of things and understand more clearly the urgent need to conserve wildlife and the environment.
And you will have the adventure of a lifetime…
27. Climb every mountain
Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash
If you happen to be one of those people who gets their kicks by trekking up mountains, Africa has you covered. As well as the queen of them all, Kilimanjaro (above), in Tanzania (5895 metres), you can also go nuts with Mount Kenya in, er, Kenya (5199 metres) as well as plenty of other peaks over 4000 metres if you so desire.
As for me, I prefer to look at mountains from the ground these days. I mean, you can’t see them when you’re on them, can you?
For the record, even Nairobi is just shy of 1800 metres above sea level which is higher than plenty of mountain ranges in Europe so you can feel proud of your achievement as soon as you get off the plane at the airport…
28. Ford every…sorry. Let’s try Scuba diving/snorkelling
If you prefer the ocean to the summit, you are going to love Africa. With an enormous coastline and plenty of tropical waters teeming with fish, you can enjoy some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving the world has to offer.
And it’s not just the sea, either – Lake Malawi is like an aquarium and home to more species of fish than any other lake, including at least 700 species of cichlids.
So come on in, the water’s lovely!
29. Historic sites
As well as buzzing cities and modern beach resort, Africa has some spectacular historic sites. While everyone has heard of the pyramids in Egypt, far fewer are familar with the amazing archaeological finds further south.
Let’s take just one example – Great Zimbabwe pictured above. This is a ruined city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe and was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country’s Late Iron Age. Construction on the city began in the 11th century and continued until it was abandoned in the 15th century.
The stone city spans an area of 7.22 square kilometres (1,780 acres) which, at its peak, could have housed up to 18,000 people. It is recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Great Zimbabwe is believed to have served as a royal palace for the local monarch. As such, it would have been used as the seat of political power. Among the edifice’s most prominent features were its walls, some of which were over five metres high. They were constructed without mortar (dry stone). Eventually, the city was abandoned and fell into ruin.
If that doesn’t impress you, nothing will.
30. Prehistoric sites
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, Lukas Kaffer
Now given that Africa is the birthplace of humankind, it stands to reason that there are a lot of prehistorical sites to explore, too. While the actual site where we all began is the subject of much debate (most recently, Botswana has emerged as the latest favourite), there is no doubt that we came from Africa.
There are countless examples of cave paintings throughout Africa, and indeed since 2018 South Africa can boast of having the earliest known drawing by human hands.
The etching is estimated to be between 70,000 and 100,00 years old and predates all other previously identified drawings by roughly 30,000 years.
The drawing was discovered by Christopher Henshilwood, a professor of archaeology at Norway’s University of Bergen, and his colleagues during their expedition in Blombos Cave – a site on the southern coast of South Africa known for its rich history as a reserve for early modern human cultural activity.
The country has plenty of sites to view prehistoric art but you’ll also find examples in many other places throughout Africa – most recently I viewed some artwork in Savuti, Botswana.
31. Hot air ballooning
You don’t have to climb a mountain to look down on the African landscape. Indeed the view is a lot better from a hot-air balloon. It’s an expensive treat but worth every penny. Trips are available in many countries – I was lucky enough to float over the Serengeti in Tanzania (above) and it was breathtaking.
The advantage of balloons over planes and helicopters is that it they are practically silent so you don’t scare the animals away. You have to set off at sunrise which means you are in the air at the best time to see wildlife so your chances are high of spotting those lions everyone else was talking about.
In Namibia and South Africa the stunning landscape is the draw, rather than wildlife – but wherever you choose you will never forget your flight.
32. Learn the real meaning of luxury
You will soon realise that true luxury has nothing to do with silk sheets and bathrooms with gold fittings. True luxury is having the wilderness practically to yourself; the ability to disconnect completely and realise how little you miss the internet after a day or so under African skies.
That’s not to say that lodges need not be comfortable or even luxurious – but when you are face-to-face with a lion, watching the sun set over the plains or enjoying a sundowner overlooking a wild river in an untouched landscape, then you will understand what luxury really is.
33. Visit townships
When visiting African cities – especially in South Africa – it’s easy to forget or indeed not even realise that the vast majority of the urban population live some way from the city centre. Even almost three decades since the end of apartheid, the sad fact is that most locals (let’s face it, blacks) live in near poverty in townships purposely kept far away from downtown areas.
You really should not visit South Africa without visiting a township. Go on a guided tour and you will soon find out that these are dynamic, colourful places with a populace making the absolute best out of very difficult circumstances. People are friendly and keen to tell their stories – and you will be humbled by seeing the real urban Africa.
Townships also exist in other African countries but are most prevalent in South Africa. When you drive from the airport in Cape Town into the wine area you will see hundreds of shacks on one side of the highway and verdant vineyards and wine estates practically on the other. Which leads me on to the next section…
34. Wine!
African wine essentially means South African wine – at least in terms of volume and quality for the moment. There are several wine-producing regions in the country but Stellenbosch is perhaps the most famous. It’s proximity to Cape Town is undoubtedly a factor and there are more vineyards here than you could hope to visit in a month.
So pick one or two (the picture above is from Middelvlei, which I wholeheartedly recommend for both their fantastic wines and superb braai lunches every day of the week.
Stellenbosch even has a hop-on, hop-off wine bus so you can try out a few vineyards in a day without worrying about how to get back to the hotel in one piece. “Stagger on, roll off” is probably a better description, though…
But there is another side to the wine industry too. So as well as enjoying the wine, remember who is picking the grapes – there is a large township right outside of Stellenbosch where you will find the answer and guided tours can be arranged at the tourist office in town and are highly recommended.
35. Desserts!
Africans have a sweet tooth too and there are a ton of tasty treats waiting for you after dinner. Or indeed at any other time, but let’s focus on puddings.
Most of the English-speaking countries in Southern and East Africa have varieties of what the South Africans will claim are “their” desserts. But Brits will recognize many recipes and the general style as what we call “classic school dinner puddings” – you won’t go home hungry if you stick it out to the final course, in other words.
If you get the chance to try Malva Pudding (pictured above), Milk Tart or Koeksister (we’ll let the Saffers have that one) then go for it. I won’t spoil it by explaining what awaits you, either…
36. Deserts!
Africa has the most stunning desert in the world (the Sahara) which I was lucky enough to cross back in the day in a truck I bought and drove with a mate. Yeah, that’s another story for round the campfire after a day on safari…
There are many others equally worthy of your time, though. The Namib is enormous and quite possibly the oldest desert in the world and you can climb many of its awe-inspiring dunes (like the one above) or just admire them from afar.
Then there’s the legendary Kalahari, stretching over Botswana, Namibia and South Africa…
37. Wake up happy every day
This is a very famous quote from Ernest Hemingway. He was totally right, too. It is downright impossible not to wake with a smile on your face with sunrises like nowhere else on earth, the early-morning sounds of a city coming to life or the incomparable dawn chorus.
With each day pregnant with exciting possibility, how could you not be happy?
38. Fly in tiny planes to remote places
There are plenty of places in Africa that you will want to go that can only be reached by light aircraft, as well as many more where it is the most practical form of transport.
In addition, you can often book a scenic flight over a spectacular area (the Okavango Delta, the Maasai Mara etc.) Whatever your reason, flying by light aircraft is incredibly exciting and the views are amazing. The experience is a lot more “raw” in a 6 or 9-seater propeller plane than a 747 – and you will feel the bumps a lot more – but you will remember it far longer.
As well as private charter flights arranged by lodges and tour operators, there is a growing network of budget airlines operating small passenger planes on scheduled routes – especially in Kenya and Tanzania. Happily this is a growing trend which is pushing down costs in other countries too.
39. Unleash your inner photographer
I always say that you have to try really damn hard to take bad photographs in Africa. The light is amazing, the colours vivid and there is always something worth a picture.
You will come back with more photos than you thought possible – and there will be plenty of “keepers” among them even if you shoot on “auto” the whole trip.
The more you travel on safari, the more you understand why people lug those enormous camera lenses around with them. But you don’t have to go that far, just keep your eyes peeled for yet another “Kodak moment”. Yes, I am really showing my age here…
Ready to make plans yet?
If you’ve read through this article then I’m certain you must be itching to to experience the wonders of the continent. If so, have a look at the rest of the website and contact me to discuss your dream holiday.
Don’t expect a hard sell; I love to help as many people as possible get the Africa bug and and creating the perfect itinerary based on what YOU want to do. Use the contact form to send in a few details and I’ll get right back to you.