The beauty about exploring Africa is that the continent has a lot to offer. From Table Mountain in the south to Kilimanjaro in the east, one thing is for sure, you won’t run out of things to.
If you’re looking for inspiration in compiling a travel bucket list or looking for a dreamy location for your next adventure, then look no further. Here are seven things to do and places to visit that should be on your ultimate travel bucket list.
See gorillas in the wild in Uganda and Botswana
Considering their terrifying size and lumbering gait, gorillas remain one of the most mesmerising animals to see in their natural habitat. The massive apes are yet another species we’ve pushed to the brink of extinction but, thanks to conservation work, there’s a real chance we can fix our mistake, and rightly so.
Make sure you go gorilla spotting with a reputable agency as that will contribute to making sure others in the future will get to see these majestic creatures in all their glory.
Trek Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro rises out of the earth like an ancient deity. The world’s largest free-standing mountain straddles the border between Tanzania and Kenya, and offers sweeping views of the mountain forest that encircles its base, as well as the vast, untamed savanna that surrounds the mountain. You could try to summit it, but even just trekking through some of its more scenic parts is an otherworldly experience. Not for the faint-hearted, but certainly an experience that will remain imprinted on your mind.
Be awed by Victoria Falls
Seeing Victoria Falls can feel like being on the edge of the world. Located at the Zimbabwe/Zambia border and twice the height of Niagara, the falls are the world’s largest sheet of falling water, and the spray from it can be seen from nearly 50km away. The falls are also surrounded by indigenous flora and fauna, so once you’ve been wowed by their gushing power, you’ll have plenty more interesting things to see.
Safari in Maasai Mara
Stretching across the Kenyan and Tanzanian border, Maasai Mara is what you think about when someone says the word “safari”. Packed to the brim with wildlife of all kinds, including the Big Five, you could spend months wandering across its vast wilderness and see only a fraction of what’s on offer.
The landscape is defined by rolling hills, grassy plains and surging rivers, and there are a few tribes dotted around too, so a visit means a chance to experience the region’s culture and natural highlights all in one. There really is nothing like it.
Explore the Garden Route
There are few places where you can go from oyster fishing and seeing whales to hiking through temperate rainforests within the hour, but the famous Garden Route in South Africa is one of them. This heavenly stretch also delivers a host of quaint seaside towns to rest in, alongside the sort of natural highlights that you dream of experiencing during the morning commute. Best of all, you can drive yourself, so you can take it all in at your own pace.
Ride a camel by the Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza are famous, the “It Girls” of travel bucket lists. They’re in many films, but did you know they also serve as mausoleums for three Pharoahs? The largest pyramid, The Great Pyramid, was built for Pharaoh Khufu. It’ll leave you a little speechless as you spot it cresting over the dunes atop your camel. It’s cool, camels aren’t good conversationalists anyway.
Make sure you also look out for the Great Sphinx; it’s the one with the broken nose. Oh, and The Solar Boat Museum, home to one of the oldest ships.
Glide over Cape Town
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is a bit of a mouthful to say, but the view speaks for itself. If you’ve decided you’re not going to climb Everest because it’s a trek-and-a-half, then head to Cape Town and take the 1 000m-high cable car. You get to sit down, plus it takes you over Table Mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!
The mountain range was given the title due to its unique collection of plants and flowers, plus the architecturally-stunning cableway that showcases ocean views.
The list was sourced from contiki.com.