AFRICA
Wild landscapes. Extraordinary wildlife. Ancient history. And rather a lot of places capable of completely changing your holiday plans.
AFRICA
Africa is the sort of continent that can completely derail your holiday plans in the best possible way.
You might start off thinking you fancy a safari, then somebody shows you photographs of Zanzibar and suddenly you're looking at beach resorts instead. Ten minutes later you're researching Marrakech, wondering whether you could squeeze in the pyramids and somehow convincing yourself that Namibia would make an excellent road trip.
The problem is that Africa offers so many completely different kinds of holiday.
There are enormous deserts, tropical islands, mountain ranges, ancient cities, national parks, rainforests and beaches that look like they belong in a travel advert. You can spend one holiday watching elephants at sunrise and the next wandering through colourful markets, exploring ancient temples or doing very little beside the Indian Ocean.
It is also a continent where the journey often becomes part of the experience. Some places are easy to reach and designed around tourism while others take more effort and a bit more planning, which can be exactly what makes them so memorable.
So if Africa has been sitting somewhere on your travel wish list, here are some of the destinations that are very much worth a closer look.
Morocco
Morocco is one of the easiest places to visit if you want a holiday that feels completely different without travelling halfway around the world.
Marrakech is usually the place people picture first, with its colourful souks, tiled courtyards, rooftop terraces and lively Jemaa el-Fnaa square. It's busy, noisy and slightly chaotic at times, but that is very much part of the experience rather than something to avoid.
Away from Marrakech, Morocco changes completely.
You can head into the Atlas Mountains, explore traditional villages or travel further south towards the Sahara where desert camps, camel rides and enormous night skies create one of those experiences that feels very far removed from normal life.
Chefchaouen is famous for its blue-painted streets while Essaouira offers a much more relaxed coastal atmosphere with sea views, cafés and a lovely old medina.
Then there is Fez, where the historic old city feels like stepping into another world.
Add in tagines, couscous, fresh bread and endless glasses of mint tea and Morocco becomes very difficult to resist.
↑ BACK TO TOPEgypt
Egypt has one of the biggest unfair advantages in tourism.
You can see photographs of the Pyramids of Giza a thousand times and they still feel different when you're actually standing in front of them wondering how on earth people managed to build them thousands of years ago.
Cairo gives you that extraordinary history alongside museums, markets and the energy of a huge modern city.
Further south, Luxor is packed with temples, tombs and ancient sites, including the Valley of the Kings. A Nile cruise is one of the loveliest ways to explore this part of the country because you can travel between historic sites while somebody else handles the logistics.
Egypt also works brilliantly if you want to combine history with a beach holiday.
Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam all offer Red Sea resorts with warm water, snorkelling, diving and plenty of opportunities to do very little for a few days.
So you can spend one part of your holiday exploring ancient civilisation and the other lying beside a pool wondering whether it is socially acceptable to order another drink before lunch.
South Africa
South Africa is one of those destinations that gives you far too many options.
Cape Town alone is enough to fill a holiday with Table Mountain, beautiful beaches, excellent restaurants and one of the most dramatic city settings anywhere in the world.
From there, you can head into the Cape Winelands where towns such as Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are surrounded by vineyards, mountains and some very appealing places to stop for lunch.
The Garden Route is another huge draw, particularly if you like road trips. It combines coastline, forests, beaches and small towns while giving you plenty of excuses to stop along the way.
Kruger National Park is one of Africa's best-known wildlife destinations and gives you the chance to see elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffalo in the wild.
South Africa is particularly good if you're travelling with people who all want slightly different things from the same holiday.
One person can have wildlife, another can have beaches, somebody else can have mountains and there is always one person quietly prioritising where lunch is coming from.
Kenya
Kenya is one of the classic safari destinations and for many people it is exactly what they imagine when they picture Africa.
The Maasai Mara is the star attraction, with enormous open plains and some of the best wildlife viewing on the continent.
Lions, cheetahs, elephants and giraffes are all part of the experience while the annual Great Migration brings huge herds of wildebeest and zebra across the landscape.
Even if you miss the migration, there is still plenty to see.
Amboseli National Park is particularly famous for its elephant herds and views towards Mount Kilimanjaro while other reserves offer everything from rhinos to flamingos.
One of Kenya's biggest strengths is that you can combine safari with the coast.
Diani Beach offers white sand and warm Indian Ocean water, making it a perfect place to recover from all those early mornings spent peering hopefully across the savannah.
Safari followed by beach is a combination I find very difficult to argue with.
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Tanzania
Tanzania has clearly decided that one world-famous attraction isn't enough.
The Serengeti is one of the greatest safari destinations anywhere in Africa with huge open landscapes and extraordinary wildlife.
Nearby, the Ngorongoro Crater offers something completely different. This enormous volcanic crater contains an incredible concentration of animals and is one of the best places to see wildlife in a relatively compact area.
Then there is Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and a major challenge for walkers and climbers from around the world.
This is definitely not the gentle scenic stroll category of holiday, so perhaps don't pack the flip-flops for that one.
And just when you think Tanzania has done enough, Zanzibar is sitting off the coast with tropical beaches, historic Stone Town and warm turquoise water.
Which makes Tanzania one of the easiest places to combine adventure with complete relaxation.
↑ BACK TO TOPZanzibar
Zanzibar is technically part of Tanzania, but it deserves a section of its own because it feels like a completely different type of holiday.
The beaches are the main attraction and they are exactly as lovely as you hope they will be.
Long stretches of pale sand meet clear Indian Ocean water while palm trees provide the sort of scenery that immediately makes you question why you don't live somewhere warmer.
Stone Town adds history and culture with narrow streets, old buildings and a fascinating mixture of African, Arab and European influences.
You can take spice tours, go snorkelling, visit smaller islands or head out on traditional sailing boats.
Zanzibar also works incredibly well after a safari because the pace could not be more different.
A week of getting up before sunrise to look for lions followed by a week of refusing to move from a sun lounger seems like perfectly sensible holiday planning to me.
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Mauritius
Mauritius is one of those destinations that seems determined to look good from every angle.
The beaches are beautiful, with white sand and clear lagoons, but the island has plenty going on beyond the resorts.
Black River Gorges National Park offers hiking, forests and waterfalls while Chamarel is known for colourful landscapes and viewpoints.
There are markets, villages, botanical gardens and plenty of opportunities to explore local food and culture.
Mauritius is also brilliant if you're travelling as a couple or family and not everybody wants to spend two weeks lying beside the same pool.
You can snorkel, dive, take boat trips, explore the island or simply decide that today's activity is moving from the beach to lunch and back again.
Seychelles
Huge granite rocks sit beside white beaches while tropical vegetation runs right down towards the sea.
Mahé is the main island and home to the capital Victoria, but Praslin and La Digue are where some of the most famous beaches are found.
Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue is one of those places that appears constantly in travel photography and somehow still manages to look even better when you see it from different angles.
The Seychelles are especially popular for honeymoons and luxury holidays, but they are also brilliant for island-hopping, snorkelling and anyone who simply wants to be surrounded by ridiculous amounts of natural beauty.
The biggest challenge is probably the journey home.
↑ BACK TO TOPBotswana
Botswana is one of Africa's best safari destinations and feels wonderfully wild.
The Okavango Delta is the main attraction and it offers a completely different type of safari experience.
Instead of endless dry plains, the landscape becomes a maze of waterways, lagoons and islands filled with wildlife.
You might see elephants wading through the water, hippos resting in lagoons or big cats moving through the surrounding grasslands.
Traditional mokoro canoe trips are one of the most memorable ways to explore the delta because you move quietly through the waterways at a completely different pace from a normal game drive.
Chobe National Park is another huge draw and is particularly famous for its large elephant populations.
Botswana isn't really somewhere you visit casually.
Safari is the main event here and it does it exceptionally well.
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Namibia
This is a destination of enormous desert landscapes, towering dunes and roads that seem to disappear into the horizon.
Sossusvlei is one of Namibia's most famous areas with giant orange-red sand dunes surrounding bright salt pans.
The Skeleton Coast feels wild and remote while Etosha National Park gives you the chance to see wildlife around waterholes in an entirely different setting from East Africa.
Namibia is one of those places where the road trip itself becomes the holiday.
You can drive for hours through landscapes that look almost completely empty and somehow find the whole thing fascinating.
If you like photography, scenery and the feeling that you've escaped absolutely everything, Namibia is hard to beat.
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Rwanda
Rwanda is green, mountainous and one of Africa's most memorable wildlife destinations.
The main reason many people visit is mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
Spending time with gorillas in the wild is the kind of experience that tends to stay with people for years and it is one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters you can have.
Kigali is also worth exploring and offers museums, restaurants and important insight into Rwanda's recent history.
Elsewhere you'll find lakes, forests and national parks.
Rwanda is not the cheapest destination for wildlife tourism, particularly when it comes to gorilla trekking, but for many travellers this is a genuine bucket-list trip.
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Uganda
Uganda offers one of the most varied wildlife and adventure holidays in East Africa.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is famous for mountain gorilla trekking while other parts of the country offer chimpanzee tracking and more traditional safari experiences.
The landscapes are incredibly varied too, with forests, mountains, lakes and waterfalls.
The River Nile begins its long journey here and areas around Jinja are popular for rafting and other outdoor adventures.
Uganda is particularly good if you want your wildlife holiday to involve a bit more than sitting in a safari vehicle.
Although after a few long days of trekking, sitting in one may suddenly seem very appealing.
↑ BACK TO TOPGhana
Ghana is a brilliant introduction to West Africa.
Accra is lively, colourful and full of energy with markets, food, music and nightlife.
Along the coast, places such as Cape Coast and Elmina are home to historic forts and castles connected to the transatlantic slave trade.
These sites are difficult but important places to visit and give valuable insight into an enormous part of global history.
Further inland, Ghana offers forests, waterfalls and national parks.
Kakum National Park is particularly well known for its canopy walkway high above the rainforest.
Ghana is a destination for travellers who want culture, history and nature rather than a polished resort experience.
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Tunisia
Tunisia works brilliantly if you like the idea of combining Mediterranean beaches with history and desert landscapes.
Resort areas along the coast offer plenty of sunshine while Tunis gives you markets, museums and historic neighbourhoods.
Nearby, the ruins of Carthage provide a glimpse into one of the ancient Mediterranean world's most important cities.
Travel further south and the scenery changes dramatically as you move towards the Sahara.
There are desert villages, old fortified towns and landscapes used as filming locations for Star Wars.
Which means you can technically combine a beach holiday with pretending you're on another planet.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a particularly good option when you're desperate for winter sunshine but don't fancy travelling too far.
Sitting off the west coast of Africa, the country is made up of volcanic islands with beaches, mountains and a distinctive African-Portuguese culture.
Sal and Boa Vista are the main choices for beach holidays while islands such as Santo Antão are much better suited to hiking and scenery.
The climate is one of Cape Verde's biggest attractions, with warm temperatures throughout much of the year.
Which starts sounding particularly appealing around the point that Britain enters its annual six-month relationship with grey skies.
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Madagascar
Because it evolved in isolation for so long, much of its wildlife exists nowhere else on Earth.
Lemurs are the obvious stars, but the island is also home to unusual chameleons, birds and plant life.
The Avenue of the Baobabs is one of Madagascar's most recognisable landscapes while national parks offer rainforests, mountains and an extraordinary variety of wildlife.
There are also beautiful beaches and coastal areas, although getting around can require more planning than a straightforward resort holiday.
Madagascar is perfect for people who want wildlife and adventure and don't mind putting a little more effort into getting there.
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Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe offers one of Africa's most spectacular natural attractions.
Victoria Falls sits on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is one of the world's largest waterfalls.
The scale of it is difficult to appreciate until you're actually there with enormous amounts of water crashing into the gorge below.
The surrounding area offers boat trips, wildlife activities and adventure experiences while Hwange National Park is one of Zimbabwe's best safari destinations.
Hwange is particularly well known for elephants but is also home to plenty of other wildlife.
Combining safari with Victoria Falls makes Zimbabwe a strong choice if you want a trip that feels properly adventurous.
↑ BACK TO TOPZambia
Zambia shares Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe, but there is much more here than the waterfall.
South Luangwa National Park is particularly famous for walking safaris, giving you the opportunity to experience the landscape and wildlife on foot with experienced guides.
Lower Zambezi National Park offers river-based safari experiences with canoeing, boat trips and game viewing along the water.
Zambia tends to appeal to travellers who want a more adventurous, less resort-focused safari experience.
It is also one of those destinations where you quickly realise just how enormous and wild Africa can feel.
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SO, WHERE IN AFRICA
SHOULD YOU GO?
This is where choosing becomes difficult, because Africa can offer completely different holidays depending on what you're looking for.
If safari is the main reason you're going, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe are all excellent choices.
For tropical beaches and beautiful resorts, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zanzibar and Cape Verde are very difficult to beat.
If history and culture are calling you, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana and Tunisia give you completely different but equally fascinating experiences.
For huge landscapes and road-trip adventures, Namibia stands out immediately while Madagascar is perfect if unusual wildlife is high on your wish list.
And for those truly unforgettable animal encounters, Rwanda and Uganda offer the chance to see mountain gorillas in the wild.
Then there is South Africa, which rather inconveniently manages to give you a little bit of everything.
You can explore cities, drive through vineyards, watch wildlife, head into the mountains and finish the trip beside the sea.
The wonderful thing about Africa is that no two trips need to feel remotely alike.
One holiday might involve watching elephants cross the savannah at sunrise while another could see you wandering through the souks of Marrakech, sailing along the Nile, climbing desert dunes in Namibia or spending several very lazy days on a beach in Mauritius.
You can go for adventure, wildlife, history, culture or complete relaxation.
Or combine several of them and turn it into the sort of trip you spend years talking about afterwards.
Which leaves us with the same problem we always seem to have.
