Africa Safaris and travel 2016 - Botswana, Zimbabwe & Zambia
African Safaris and travel 2016 -
Botswana,
Zimbabwe &
Zambia -
Africa trip 2016
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Africa has 54 sovereign countries—the most on any continent—and is the second largest continent in terms of both land area and population. Africa is bounded by the
Mediterranean Sea to the north, by the
Atlantic Ocean to the west, by the
Red Sea to the northeast, and by the
Indian Ocean to the southeast. Africa is a vast continent spanning over 8,000km (5,
000 mi) north to south and 7,500km (4,800 mi) east to west (not including islands) and contains a wide array of peoples, skin colours, religions, and cultures. Africa contains the world's longest river—the 6,650km long (4,
100 mi)
Nile River running from
Burundi to
Egypt—while the
Congo River in the
DRC is the second largest in terms of discharge as well as the deepest with a depth of over 230m (750 ft) in some spots.
Tanzania's
Mount Kilimanjaro is the world's tallest free-standing mountain at 5,890m (19,340 ft).
Djibouti's
Lake Assal is the second lowest
point on
Earth, the saltiest lake outside
Antarctica, and one of the hottest places on Earth.
While the first activity most people associate with Africa is safaris, there are endless possibilities for adventure. You can purchase crafts in markets, venture into the
Sahara with a
Tuareg caravan, visit pygmy villages, hike through jungle to watch gorillas, relax on tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, snack on exotic treats, travel down a river in a dugout "pirogue", travel across savannah on a colonial-era railway, and much more.
Africa is a very diverse continent, with each country, or even each part of a country having its own unique culture. While it is common for people in the
West to refer to Africa as if it was a single country, one should remember the sheer size of the continent, and that Africa is not one country but 54 different countries, meaning that it is impossible to make generalisations of Africa as a whole.
Tragically misunderstood by many people as a land of poverty, corruption, war and famine, and simply as a land of suffering—a misconception only bolstered by the media and the numerous
NGOs on the continent—
Africa today is a vast continent with many bustling metropolises, friendly people, and amazingly diverse and beautiful landscapes. While there are some places resembling the stereotypical Africa of war, famine, and poverty, most of the continent is peaceful, well-fed, and of working class .
See
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Flora &
Fauna
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Many visitors are attracted by the African flora and fauna and several countries benefit from
Safari tourism to
African National Parks.
Natural Wonders
Africa is home to many famous natural wonders, from the Nile River, the world's longest river, to
Victoria Falls. The continent is home to two of the world's four volcanoes with permanent lava lakes—the dramatic
Mount Nyiragongo which rises hundreds of metres above
Goma, DRC and Erta Ale in
Ethiopia's stark
Danakil Depression (the others are
Mt.Erebus in Antarctica & Kilauea in
Hawaii). Both volcanoes can be climbed by the adventurous tourist to stand at the rim gazing in awe at the bubbling lava below, an especially incredible sight at night!
Landscapes
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Historical civilizations
While the continent's diverse and unique wildlife is often all that is mentioned in regards to African travel, as home to the oldest civilizations on the planet, Africa has equally impressive cultures and history. The most famous civilization on the continent, and arguably in the world, is that of ancient Egypt. From the southern city of
Abu Simbel to
Luxor and all the way north to
Alexandria and
Cairo, including the
Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving of the original
Seven Wonders of the World and the most iconic symbols of this ancient kingdom. Sites from the Nubian-Kushite
Kingdom that broke away from Egypt can be found in
Sudan, such as
Gebel Barkal and many other pyramids in
Meroe.
Ethiopia offers many ruins from the ancient
Axumite Kingdom where the
Queen of Sheba ruled. The obelisks and
Dungur ruins in
Axum were built prior to the kingdom's conversion to
Christianity, while many other great monuments, such as the
Ezana Stone and the
Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, where the
Arc of the Covenant is said to be stored, were built after the conversion as religious sites. Other famous
Christian structures built later by the kingdom's successor, the
Abyssinian Empire, especially during the 12th and
13th centuries, can also be found in
Lalibela.