Africa offers a diversity of attractions and highlights. Each country in southern and east Africa is unique in its own right. You will find that Africa offers something for everyone - unspoiled beaches (Mozambique's Bazaruto Islands), spectacular scenery (Namibia's Sossusvlei and Namib Desert), rich cultural heritage (the Masai tribe of Kenya), bustling cities (the mother city, Cape Town), natural wonders (the Victoria Falls) and remote wilderness areas (Botswana's Okavango Delta and Kalahari), Africa has it all!
Below is a list of countries with a summary of its highlight & attractions, when to visit, cultures, landscapes and info on the weather.
Use the below map of Africa and choose the country or destination you plan to visit and see the highlights, attractions and activities on offer. The different countries can be combined easily as the region is serviced by regular flights on the major airlines.
BOTSWANA
Highlights: Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve & Okavango Region, Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve.
Best time to go: All year round. Best birding: Nov-March. Best botanical months: Dec-May. Peak season: July-October. Middle season: May-June.
Landscapes: Flat, landlocked country, almost entirely covered by the Kalahari Desert. There is a lush delta, arid sandveld, scrub savannah and several saltpans.
Cultures: Main ethnic groups are the Batswana (descendants of iron age immigrants from Central West Africa), the Basarwa (San, indigenous hunter gatherers, pre-iron age), and the Herero (pastoralists). 80% of the population of Botswana are rural inhabitants.
Weather: Summer: Nov-April. Winter: May-Oct.
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KENYA
Highlights: Aberdare National Park, Amboseli National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Meru National Park, Tsavo National Park, Mombasa, Malindi, south and north coast.
Best time to go: All year round. Great migration: June-September.
Landscapes: Lies on Indian Ocean and on the equator. Four geographical regions: arid desert, savannah grassland, fertile lowlands (coast) and the highlands. There are extinct volcanoes, lakes and rivers.
Cultures: Over 70 tribal groups. Differences between many of them are blurred - Western cultural values are becoming more deep-seated and traditional values are disintegrating. Other tribes include Kikuyu, Luhia, Luo and Kikamba.
Weather: Summer: Oct-April. Winter: May-Sept.
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MALAWI
Highlights: Lake Malawi, Nyika Plateau, Mvuu National Park, Likomo Island, Cape Mclear, kayaking the lake of stars.
Best time to go: All year round but especially good from late April to October or November. Southern regions: summer destination (Sept-April). Best birding: mid Oct to early November. Game viewing: late summer.
Landscapes: The third-largest lake in Africa, which covers almost a fifth of Malawi's total area. is part of the Great Rift Valley, forming the trough in which Lake Malawi sits. The islands dotting the lake is paradise and ideal for those planning a relaxing holiday. Vegetation includes Miombo woodland; lowland mopane; evergreen forest; montane grassland; and the wetland areas of lakeshores and riverbanks.
Cultures: There are 10 main tribal groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European. The main language is English.
Weather: May-October is least rainy and humid. Driest months: September and October with high winds sometimes creating dust storms. Rainy season: November-April.
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MOÇAMBIQUE
Highlights: Bazaruto Archipelago. Beautiful beaches and water sports: Bazaruto and Benguerra. Maputo (capital) and Beira.
Best time to go: Best time: winter (April-Sept). Best fishing months: summer (Oct-March)
Landscapes: Coastline on the Indian Ocean with lagoons, coral reefs and spectacular strings of islands. There is vast wooded savannah, mountainous regions, patched with forests and about 25 rivers.
Cultures: Indigenous tribal groups make up about 99% of the population. There are 16 major ethnic groups - the largest is the Makua in the north. Other groups include the Makonde, Sena and Shangaan. Europeans like native Portuguese and Asian residents make up less than 1%.
Weather: Summer: Oct-March. Winter: April-Sept.
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NAMIBIA
Highlights: Namib Desert (highest dunes in the world), Namib-Naukluft Park, Skeleton Coast, Etosha National Park, Kaokoveld (the Himba), Fish River Canyon, Damaraland and Caprivi Strip.
Best time to go: All year round. Best birding: summer (Nov-April). Best botanical months: Dec-May. Peak season: July-October. Middle season: May-June.
Landscapes: Large, mostly arid country. Its four geographical regions are the Namib Desert, the Central Plateau, the Kalahari sands and wooded bushveld.
Cultures: Ovambo tribe make up 50% of the population. Other tribes include Kavangos, Herero, Himba sub-group, Damara (or Nama), San (Bushmen) and remaining German colonials.
Weather: Summer: Nov-April. Winter: May-Oct.
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SOUTH AFRICA
Highlights: Mpumalanga region (Kruger National Park, Pilgrim's Rest, Blyde River Canyon), KwaZulu-Natal (Drakensberg Mountains, Durban), Western Cape (Cape Town, Peninsula, Winelands, Garden Route), Limpopo Province (Waterberg region) and Sun City.
Best time to go: All year round. Best game viewing (in north): winter (May-August). Southern regions: summer destination (Sept-April).
Landscapes: Washed by the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Three major geographical regions: the coastal belt, high plateau and mountain ranges. There are also veld plains and rivers.
Cultures: 75% black, 13% white (60% Afrikaner descent, rest mostly British descent), 8% Coloured race, 3% Asian descent. The two major cultural groups are Nguni (Ndebele, Swazi, Xhosa and Zulu tribes) and Sotho (Tswana, Pedi and Basotho).
Weather: Summer: Sept-April. Winter: May-Aug.
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TANZANIA
Highlights: Great migration, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park, Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Zanzibar, Pemba.
Best time to go: All year round. Best climbing Mount Kilimanjaro: Aug-Oct and Jan-March. Great migration: April-June and Oct-Dec.
Landscapes: Lies on Indian Ocean. Includes Zanzibar. Mainland has lush coast, savannah, and semi-desert. Extinct volcanoes, lakes and mountain ranges including Mount Kilimanjaro.
Cultures: Tanzania's culture is a result of African, Arab, European and Indian influences. There are 120 African tribal groups. The largest group are of Bantu origin including Dukuma, Nyamwezi, Makonde, Haya and Chagga. The Maasai are of Nilotic origin, as are the Arusha and the Samburu.
Weather: Summer: Oct-March. Winter: April-Sept.
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ZAMBIA
Highlights: Livingstone Town, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Liuwa Plains, Lower Zambezi National Park, Kafue National Park, South Luangwa National Park.
Best time to go: Many lodges are closed Nov-May. Victoria Falls spectacular after rains: April-May.
Landscapes: Landlocked country, bordering eight countries. Vast plateau with deciduous savannah, small trees, grassy plains and marshland. Rain forest around Victoria Falls. Major rivers include the Zambezi.
Cultures: About 99% of the population are made up of over 70 indigenous tribal groups. The major groups are Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja and Tongo.
Weather: Summer: Nov-March. Winter: April-Aug.
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ZIMBABWE
Highlights: Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Zambezi Valley & Mana Pools, Gonarezhou National Park, Save Conservancy, Chimanimani, Hwange National Park, Eastern Highlands, Great Zimbabwe and Matobo Hills National Park.
Best time to go: All year round. Best white water rafting: Aug-Dec. Best botanical months: Dec-May. Peak season: July-Oct. Middle season: May-June.
Landscapes: Landlocked; lies entirely between the tropics. Largely plateau with bushveld, giving rise to many rivers like Zambezi.Mountainous highlands and Victoria Falls, Africa's biggest waterfall.
Cultures: The Shona people make up about 71% of the population and are the ruling class of Zimbabwe. The Ndebele make up about 16% and occupy the area around Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. There is slight animosity between these two tribes.
Weather: Summer: Oct-April. Winter: May-Sept.
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