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Mali is not the place to go for safaris. What it does have is a smorgasbord of surreal landscapes, beautiful artwork, Timbuktu, castellated mosques made entirely of mud, pink sandstone villages carved into cliff faces, and undulating desert scenes that look like outtakes from Lawrence of Arabia. Ghana has some of the friendliest people in Africa. Spend a few hours in the breezy capital at Accra, and you'll swear the wind and waves off the Gulf of Guinea have infused the land and people alike with equatorial warmth. Its craftspeople have a long, rich cultural history to draw from, and their work is thick with that tradition - be it the colourful kente cloth of the Ashanti or any of the stools, icons, beads or baskets you'll find in the major markets. Nigeria is the place to go if you're into music. It is constantly pounding to the rhythms of traditional African juju music, Afrobeat and reggae. This is by no means an easy destination, but if you're intrepid enough it can be highly rewarding. Ethiopia does not have much tourist infrastructure. But the landscape is splendid, the people are welcoming, the sense of history is tangible and you won't have to worry about crowds of tourists. You'll soon see that there's far more to the place than famine and misery. Ethiopia is just about the only country in Africa never to have been colonised, and its people have a proud tradition of fighting for their independence. The pride is justified. Ethiopia is arguably Africa's best kept secret. Uganda has beautiful mountains, trekking opportunities and communities of mountain gorillas. Kampala is now the modern, bustling capital of a new Uganda, a country with one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Before independence, Uganda was a prosperous and cohesive country. Its great beauty led Winston Churchill to refer to it as the 'Pearl of Africa', but by the mid-1980s it lay shattered and bankrupt, broken by tribal animosity, nepotism, insane corrupt politics, mass murder and military tyranny. Kenya is wild and a little dangerous. It is revered by anthropologists as the 'cradle of humanity'. If you're adventurous - and sensible - it promises the globe's most magnificent wildlife parks, unsullied beaches, thriving coral reefs, memorable mountainscapes and ancient Swahili cities. No matter how many Tarzan movies you've seen, nothing will prepare you for the annual mass migration of wildebeests in the Maasai Mara. The Democratic Republic of Congo: Other than in Kinshasa, travel throughout the country is hazardous and difficult, particularly in the east and northeast of the country. A shaky ceasefire has been in effect since mid-2003, but many regions are highly insecure, especially in the north and east. The district of Ituri is especially insecure. Entry from Uganda or Rwanda should not be attempted. Rwanda once evoked images of the amazing mountain gorillas and breathtaking mountain views, until the country was devastated by bloodshed. Still, much of it has been rebuilt by its inhabitants, the economy has been resurrected, and travellers can now move around much more safely. Rwanda's captivating natural features offer some hard-to-beat experiences, from the mountain gorillas in reopened Parc National des Volcans to the hundreds of species of trees and birds in the magnificent rainforests of Nyungwe. Tanzania has vast open plains that will make you feel very, very small. And so you should. It has one of the largest, wildest animal populations in the world. Wildebeest, monkey, antelope, lion, cheetah, crocodile, gazelle, flamingo - they're all out there. Tanzania offers some of the best wildlife spotting opportunities on the continent. Its famous parks make the many drab towns here well worth the stopover. Zanzibar is set like a jewel in tranquil coral waters. It is one of the world's most beautiful islands. The different races that have settled in Zanzibar over the centuries have left an imprint on the people and the architecture. For centuries the historic spice islands of Zanzibar has evoked a mystical and magical dream. Fascinating history, exotic spices, sandy beaches and hospitable people... this is the enchantment of Zanzibar. Angola's geography is diverse. From the coastal plain, the land rises in stages towards the high inland plateau covering almost two-thirds of the country. A peace agreement signed in April 2002 ended the 25-year-old civil war that devastated the country. However, Angola is still unstable and unsuitable for travel. The end of hostilities is just the first step in Angola's journey of a thousand miles. War leaves scars: millions of displaced, homeless, maimed, orphaned, starving and diseased Angolans. Zambia has excellent national parks teeming with birds and other animals, as well as the spectacular Victoria Falls and Zambezi River. Apart from sightseeing, these places are also centres for activities ranging from canoeing to white-water rafting and bungee jumping. For independent travellers Zambia is still a challenge - distances are long, and getting around takes persistence, particularly once you get off the main routes. Without a doubt, in Zambia you come pretty close to finding the 'real' Africa. Malawi has been called 'the warm heart of Africa'. It's scenery is gorgeous and varied and Malawians tend to be extremely friendly toward travellers. Nature lovers will adore the national parks and game reserves, mountain hiking and plateau trekking. The massive Lake Malawi is great for diving, boating or lazing about. The country's reliable transport and compact size make getting about a snap. A broad range of accommodation and activities makes it possible to have a great time. Namibia has deserts, seascapes, bushwalking and boundlessness. Blessed with rich natural resources, a solid modern infrastructure and diverse traditional cultures, it is a beautiful country of vast potential. It's hard to imagine how the German colonizers of Namibia coped with the unlimited elbow room, vast deserts and annual quota of 300 days of sunshine, but that's exactly what now draws travellers to one of Africa's most intriguing destinations. Botswana is a largely roadless wilderness of savannas, deserts, wetlands and salt pans. Skinflints and softies beware: This remains a destination for the intrepid, well-heeled traveller. Botswana is an African success story. It achieved independence from Britain in 1966 and immediately thereafter, in a mad stroke of luck, discovered three of the world's richest diamond mines. Today it enjoys a relatively enlightened government, and good health, educational and economic standards. Zimbabwe is a beautiful and usually safe country to visit. It boasts the majestic Victoria Falls, magnificent wildlife preserves and the medieval ruins of Great Zimbabwe, as well as the bustling city of Harare. Whether you're lying in a tent listening to hippos snuffle in the river nearby or shaking your booty at an all-night percussion jam, there's more than enough elbow room to raise a bucket of chibuku to your lips and toast this fascinating country. Mozambique is putting its shattering past behind it and Mozambicans are rebuilding their country at a remarkable pace. There's a fair number of things to see, including stunning beaches, World Heritage sites, funky colonial architecture and colourful local culture. A long, horrific civil war scarred the country and left a million land mines scattered about the countryside. Much of its wildlife was decimated and cyclones have ravaged its coastline. Droughts and floods take turns rubbing salt in its wounds. Swaziland, the smallest country in Africa, has a collection of parks and game reserves. You can trek, horse ride, raft on wild rivers or cycle through many of the parks and get surprisingly close to a huge variety of wildlife. The tension palpably lifts if you have crossed into Swaziland from South Africa. Festivals turn the Ezulwini Valley into a brilliant spectacle of dancing and singing a couple of times a year, as tribespeople decked out in flamboyant costumes reaffirm their belief in their culture. Lesotho is an often-surprising combination of rapidly-developing modern and ancient culture. It has managed largely to avoid many of the recent wars, racist policies and political instability that has plagued most of the African continent. Most travellers come to Lesotho as a side-trip following time spent in SA, and find it a real relief to escape post-apartheid tensions. Although, like most of Africa, Lesotho is a struggling Third World nation, it has built for itself a reputation for dependable tourism. South Africa is an exhilarating, spectacular & complex country. The infrastructure is constantly improving, the climate is kind and there are many places to see Africa's wildlife. The influx of tourists in recent years has brought about an explosion of tours and activities: everything from abseiling off Table Mountain to sipping cocktails while watching lions. As a backdrop to all this, SA continues to go through huge upheavals as it comes to terms with democracy & in these terms it's a young country.

 

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