How do you capture the essence of
Africa on paper without using up every cliché in the
book? No other continent comes close to it for scale,
variety and pure, raw impact. Africa offers a travel
experience a thousand kilometers from the well-backpacked,
air-conditioned tourist trails of Southeast Asia or
the cash-cow theme parks of
Australia or
Europe.
Africa’s natural history alone would make a dozen visits
worthwhile – where else on earth can you fall asleep
to the sound of lions roaring, or watch a million flamingos
take off from the waters of a remote soda lake? Parts
of Africa boast scenery so spectacular they’ll damn
near blow your mind, but the essence of this incredible
continent isn’t in any desert, mountain or lake. It’s
the spirit of the people – pushing, shoving, sweating,
dancing, singing and laughing – that infects so many
visitors with a travel bug so powerful they’ll never
stop coming back, sometimes against all sense or reason.
Debate with venerable merchants among the cool, narrow
streets of an Arabic medina, dance to the thumping reggae
beats coming from a West African market stall, or shoot
the breeze with fishermen under Indian Ocean palm trees,
and you’ll be struck more than anything else by the
honesty, warm-heartedness and vitality of the African
people.
Africa’s not always an easy place to travel in. It can
be frustrating and challenging at times. Hardships and
logistical disasters can happen. But don’t believe everything
you see on TV: Africa’s not a hell hole full of civil
war, plague, famine and violent crime. It’s a fantastic,
enlightening, surprising and intriguing continent. Try
it once, and we guarantee you’ll dream about coming
back for the rest of your life.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
