Destination Africa

African air travel only accounts for three percent of total air traffic, however a number of quality airlines did emerge in more developed countries, some even 70 years ago. With the change in air travel, African skies have also changed. There are now a number of low-fare airlines in Africa, especially in North Africa and Southern Africa.
Air traffic in Central and West Africa is still very unstable and many airlines appear on the market, only to dissolve a few month later. This is why there has not been a development of reliable airlines until today. With the change in politics and less wars in Africa, this might become possible in the future.
There also strong restrictions in many African countries, making it difficult for airlines to set up operations to other countries within Africa and to provide good connections within the continent.
The discount airlines described below are stable and safe. Although many people think that low-fare airlines are not as safe as others, especially in Africa, this is not true. Cheap prices are created by having less service, no drinks and food for free on board and faster turn-around times.

Mali
Point Afrique has cheap flights from France to Mali.

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Mozambique is on the Indian Ocean coast of Southern Africa, bordered by South Africa to the south, Tanzania to the north and has inland borders with Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Mozambique possesses a very long eastern coastline along the Indian Ocean, a fantastic drawcard for scuba divers, fishermen, sailors and beach lovers.

Maputo is the capital city of Mozambique. It is the largest city of Mozambique also with the country’s most important harbour. It is situated at the mouth of the Santo River in the extreme south 90 km from the border to South Africa.
Compared to some other sub-Saharan African cities the urban area feels small and concentrated with wide avenues and old trees. People are generally out and about in the streets, walking driving and getting on with life. The vibe is healthy and active, with little begging and lots of street vendors and markets. There is no heavy presence of police during the day, and no feeling that it is needed.
- The Railway Station on Praca dos Trabalhadores was designed by Gustave Eiffel (after his fall from grace in the Panama canal scandal), and bears the mark of his genius.
- The National Art Museum has a small but good collection of Mozambican art, including several large canvases by the world-renowned Malangatana.
- The Jardim Tunduru is a very pretty (albeit small) botanical garden.
- The Museum of the Revolution chronicles Mozambique’s fight for indepedence from Portuguese colonialism.
- The Mercado Central in the Baixa district has fresh fish, crabs, calamari, fruits and vegetables, and many household staples. Safe, lively and recommended, especially if cooking for yourself.
- Walk up Avenida Julius Nyerere. Start from the Hotel Cardoso or Natural History Museum along R Mutemba to Nyerere then left (north) to the Polana Hotel. Boutiques, restaurants, curio vendors, video stores, etc. to be seen in the relatively upscale Polana neighborhood.
- Visit some beautiful beaches, such as Catembe and Ponta d’Ouro. Ponta d’Ouro is a popular destination for South African divers and surfers. There is a small village, but it is mostly overshadowed by the tourist camps. It is very jovial in these atmospheres and it is not dangerous in the least bit.

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• Casablanca may be the cosmopolitan, industrial and economic heart of Morocco (and its largest city), but it is one of the less endearing of the country’s sights. With a small, unassuming medina and a traffic-congested ville nouvelle, travellers arriving via Casablanca may be tempted to find the first train out of to nearby Rabat. The awe-inspiring Hassan II Mosque and happening nightlife, however, are worth at least a day of your Moroccan itinerary.
The King Hassan II Mosque, a relatively recent mosque, it’s one of the largest in the world and the largest in Morocco, and has the tallest minaret on the planet. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque’s courtyard. It’s one of the two main mosques in Morocco open to non-muslims.
The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) is the city’s largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathedrale du Sacré Coeur, which is disused, but is a splendid example of Mauresque architecture.
Le Vieux Port (The Old Port) restaurant is one of Mohammedia restaurants, which is located just in front of the fishing port, offering a magnificient view. It specialises in sea food, and crustacees.
Modern, hip and slightly seedy, Casablanca is a mixed bag of Moroccan extremes.

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Essaouira. An ancient sea-side town newly (re)discovered by tourists. From mid june to august the beaches are packed but any other time and youll be the only person there. Good music and great people.
The beach dominates the Essaouirans’ leisure time. Although the strong wind and currents makes relaxed tanning and swimming a little difficult at times, it is perfect for windsurfing. With good winds for most days of the year, Essaouira is a windsurfer’s paradise. The best spots are reported to be Essaouira Bay, Sidi Kaouki, Cape Sim and Mouley Bouzertoune. Equipment can be hired from the Windsurfing Club on the beach front.
The nearby town of Diabat and its beach is allegedly where Jimi Hendrix once spent some time. Even if the stories aren’t true, this long, windswept beach with its ruined fort, about 5km from Essaouira, is a lovely place to walk to. Diabat is an empty, concrete Berber village that is practically devoid of attractions except the Hendrix ruin and a Hendrix Cafe. It’s best visted in the early morning via taxi and then return to Essouiara via a short and very romantic walk on the beach past the castle in the sand of Hendrix fame.
Essaouira’s craftsmen are renowned for their woodwork and lacquerware. Intricately inlaid boxes, chessboards and curios can be found for good prices in the city’s hundreds of shops; however, beware that extensive deforestation is taking place in the area due to these woods not being replanted. Artwork of all kinds can be had here.

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Fez is the medieval capital of Morocco, and a great city of high Islamic civilization. It also has the best-preserved old city in the Arab world, the sprawling, labyrinthine medina of Fes el-Bali, which is incidentally also the world’s largest car-free urban zone.
It is famous for the hats of the same name, which originated here, and also for its ancient walled city, which many compare to the walled city of Jerusalem.
Ignore the travel guides that tell you that you’ll get lost in the medina and that you must hire a guide. Most guides will simply take you from shop to shop where you will be pressured to buy. There are some basic landmarks that you can use to get around, and there is an increasing amount of signage. The main drag is the Talaa Kbira, which runs from the Bab Boujloud area to the Karaouiyne mosque in the heart of the medina. Once you get into the narrow, windy heart of the medina, you can find your way out again by constantly heading downhill. That way you will eventually come out onto the Place R’cif, a dropoff for buses and taxis, where you can get a petit taxi out of the medina.
One of the most fascinating activities to do in Fez is a trip in the medina (Old City Market). The medina is so complex to navigate that sometimes it’s easier to simply lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of the market, and find your way out once you have had enough of all the sights, sounds, and smells that will overwhelm your senses.
Make sure you find an opportunity to escape from the bustle of the streets and see the medina from one of its rooftops - some shops and restaurants have rooftop terraces. The view is particularly spectacular after dark.
The Berber pharmacy in the Medina has hundreds of jars of twisted root and twig neatly lined up along the walls. Don’t eat the seed-pod like things the proprietor offers you. Although he’s eating them also, they are very high in oestrogen and can cause a man’s nipples to be sore for several days afterwards.
Just walking around, you will see a great deal! Bou Inania medersa, a breathtaking 14th-century religious college, is the best example of Islamic architecture a non-Muslim can see in Fez, with wooden walls elaborately carved with geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy, and a beautiful minaret. In the courtyard there is a portico with a still-functioning mosque, separated by the rest of the courtyard by a small moat.
The view from the hills surrounding the old city is spectacular- there are two fortresses overlooking the old city, the Borj Nord which contains an armaments museum, and the Borj Sud, which is being developed for tourism.
Fez is safe, but crowded. Take standard precautions regarding wallet, purse, etc. Appear to know where you are going, even if you don’t, or you will get offers from false guides. False guides are not dangerous but they can be exasperatingly tenacious.

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Morocco is a North African country that has a coastline on both the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Western Sahara to the south, Algeria to the east and the Spanish North African territories of Ceuta and Melilla on the Mediterranean coast in the north. It is just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Gibraltar.
Despite having freed itself from colonial rule, French is still widely understood in Morocco, and it is the most useful non-Arabic language to know.

Morocco is one of Africa’s most popular destinations. The most important cities and tourist destinations are:

- Agadir - Agadir is all about the beach! The town is a nice example of modern Moroccan design, but not much in the way of history or culture. Take the local bus for a few cents and go 2 or 3 villages North. The beaches are much better there and there are no burglars at all.
- Amizmiz - With one of the largest Berber souks in the High Atlas Mountains every Tuesday, Amizmiz is a popular destination for travelers looking for a day trip that is easily accessible (about an hour) from Marrakech.
- Asni - Starting point for treks into the High Atlas Mountains.
- Casablanca - This modern city by the sea is a common starting point for visitors flying into the country. If you have the time, both the historical medina and the contemporary mosque (the second largest in the world) are well worth an afternoon.
- Chefchaouen - A mountain town just inland from Tangier full of white-washed winding alleys, blue doors, and olive trees, Chefchaouen is clean as a postcard and a welcome escape from Tangier.
- Essaouira - An ancient sea-side town newly (re)discovered by tourists. From mid june to august the beaches are packed but any other time and youll be the only person there. Good music and great people. Nearest Coast from Marrakech.
- Fez - Fez is the former capital of Morocco and one of the oldest and largest medieval cities in the world.
- Marrakech - Marrakech is a perfect combination of old and new Morocco. Plan to spend at least a few days wandering the huge maze of souqs and ruins in the medina. The great plaza of Djeema El Fna at dusk is not to be missed.
- Meknes - A modern, laid back city that offers welcome break from the tourist crush of neighbouring Fez.
- Ouarzazate - Considered the Capital of the South, Ouarzazate is a great example of preservation and tourism that hasn’t destroyed the feel of a fantastic and ancient city.
- Rabat - The capital of Morocco; highlights include a 12th-century tower and minaret.
- Rissani - This small oasis town lies near the northwest edge of the Sahara.
- Tangier - Tangier is the starting point for most visitors arriving by ferry from Spain. An enigmatic charm which has historically attracted numerous artists (Matisse), musicians (Hendrix), politicians (Churchill), writers and others (Malcolm Forbes)
- Taza - At the Medina the more “touristic” sights of Taza are located: the Great Mosque (”Jemaa el-Khebir”), the Medersa Bou Abul Hassan, the Andalusian Mosque and the souks with the “Jemaa es-Souk”, the Market Mosque.
- Tetouan - Capital of the North of Morocco, has very beautiful beaches and is the gateway to the Rif Mountains.

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Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border. It is comparable in size to France, and is somewhat smaller than the US state of Texas.
Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and the most important city in the country. It is a cosmopolitan and multicultural religious city, with many immigrants from former British colonies, including India, Somalia and Sudan. This is highlighted in the number of churches, mosques, temples and gurdwaras within the city. As a reflection of the cities multicultural composition, the night life offers a diverse range of watering holes.
Nairobi has the informal title “The Green City in the Sun”. Nairobi is not a prime tourist destination, but it does have several tourist attractions. The most famous is the Nairobi National Park. The national park is unique, in being the only game-reserve of this nature to border a capital city, or city of this size. The park contains many animals including lions and giraffes. The park is home to over 400 species of bird, which is more than the entire British Isles. Located just 10 mins from the city centre off Langata Road, its ideal to get your first feel of what Kenya has to offer, or for those quick visits without the time to see the Mara, Serengeti, Amboseli etc. It’s the ideal park to visit.
Nairobi has several museums. These include the Nairobi Railway Museum and the National Museum of Kenya, which houses many artefacts including the full remains of a homo erectus boy. The National Museum is currenly closed due to renovation, but is due to be reopened in 2007.
Nairobi is also home to the largest ice rink in Africa, the Panari Sky Centre. The rink covers 15,000 square metres and can accommodate 200 people.
Langata is a suburb of Nairobi, lying south west of the city centre and south of Karen. It is home to a large European population, and to a giraffe centre. The center was established in order to protect the endangered Rothschild’s Giraffe, that is found only in the grasslands of East Africa. The main attraction for visitors is feeding giraffes from a raised observation platform.
A tourist village Bomas of Kenya is in Langata. Bomas (homesteads) displays traditional villages belonging to the several Kenyan tribes. Langata also has the famous Carnivore restaurant and Carnivore grounds, where many concerts are hosted.
The Karen Blixen Museum situated in the suburb “Karen” was the home of the author Karen Blixen between 1917 and 1931. She spent much of her life in Africa, Kenya in particular, and wrote the book Out of Africa. The museum includes many books from Karen Blixen’s library and also a number of her African portrait paintings.

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Cape Town is one of the largest cities in South Africa and located in the Western Cape Province. It is located in the south-west corner of the country near the Cape of Good Hope, and is the most southern city in Africa. It is a stone’s throw from South Africa’s world-famous Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek.
Today Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city with numerous sites of historical significance, and a lively nightlife, as well as a big gay community.

Thing to do:

- Hike Table Mountain. This is the mountain located in the center of Cape Town, part of the Table Mountain National Park (part of the UNESCO Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site) running along the peninsula to Cape Point. Table Mountain is known for the unusual “table cloth effect.” That is, when the top of the mountain (which is relatively flat) is covered in clouds, the clouds drape down the side as a table cloth hangs over the edge of a table. The hike takes about 2 to 3 hours, depending on your fitness and enthusiasm, but is well worth the effort for the sense of achievement; there’s even a café at the top of the mountain to reward your quest. For those seeking less strenuous hiking, numerous other paths trace the contours of the mountain and wander through the protea bushes and fynbos, with breathtaking views. There is also a cable car that goes up if you prefer not to hike (which is how most people get to the top!). Both the cable car and the pathways on top of the mountain are wheelchair accessible.
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While many safari visitors are keen on seeing the “Big Five” - buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino - there is a lot more out there if you know where to look.

- Carnivores. The meat-eating mammals are the kings of the bush
– Cheetahs are the fastest hunters in Africa, but you are quite lucky if you can see them very close because they tend to be hidden in the high grass. You don’t see them in the dense thickets of South Africa whereas the savanna in Kenya and Tanzania allows better viewing. Cheetahs usually travel alone or in small groups consisting of mother and offspring.
– Leopards are famously elusive hunters that stalk their prey at night. For most visitors the only chance of spotting one is on night drives, and Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park (which allows night driving) is claimed by some to have the highest density of leopards in all Africa.
– Lions are common in the wider part of Africa and can be best seen in Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti and to a lesser extent in South Africa, nevertheless you have to be lucky to see them very close. Lions hunt early in the morning or in the night and during the day they allow themselves to be lazy. To see them in action you have to get up before the crack of dawn or you see them only resting after a big dinner.
– Spotted hyena has a bad reputation for no good reason. They are good at hunting and are not dependent on the leftovers from lions. They live in packs of 3-4 animals and can form larger groups as well. The leader of the pack is a female and they hunt often during the night but can be spotted during the daytime as well. They tend to explore bins in national parks.
– Wild dogs live in packs of 10-15 members. Wild dog sightings are always a big event so watch out for them because they are considered to be the rarest predator in Africa. Wild dogs are mainly active during the day and they hunt in the early hours or late afternoon.

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Situated in southwest Mauritius and surrounded by the most beautiful mountains of the island, the region of Chamarel is home to two natural wonders:

- The 83m (272ft) high Chamarel Waterfalls. They fall from the River St Denis in the Black River Mountains and plunge seaward to form the River du Cap. The site possesses a rare beauty. Wooden walkways from the roadway enable closer views of the waterfalls.

- Seven coloured earth caused by volcanic erosion. Geologists are still intrigued by the rolling dunes of multi-coloured lunar-like landscape. The colours, red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow never erode in spite of torrential downpours and adverse climatic conditions. The phenomena has never been explained but it is believed the earths are composed of mineral rich volcanic ash.

More are awaiting to be discovered by you visiting these small islands in the Indian Ocean.

[Photo 1: Highest waterfall in Mauritius. Photo 2: Seven coloured earth in Chamarel, Mauritius.]