Mali
Mopti's port is a lively place, where boats from up and down the river unload their cargoes. You'll see slabs of salt from Timbuktu, dried fish, firewood,…
Must-see attractions in West Africa
Dakar
Plage de Virage is a popular spot with surfers. This small beach gets packed on weekends with a mostly local crowd, though a few foreigners pass by,…
Abidjan
Designed by Italian architect Aldo Spiritom, the Cathedrale St Paul is a bold and innovative modern cathedral. The stained glass is as warm and rich as…
Accra
This dramatic structure was completed in 2008 amid huge controversy around the tens of millions of dollars it cost to construct. Built to resemble an…
Nigeria
The founding site of Abeokuta, famed Olumo Rock has a rich history and great spiritual significance. Hire a guide and climb the rock – at one point it is…
Mali
Timbuktu has three of the oldest mosques in West Africa. While not as visually stunning as some in Mali, they're still extremely impressive and represent…
Ghana
This much-hyped hippo sanctuary on the Black Volta River was initiated by local village chiefs in 1999. Hippos can usually be seen from November to March;…
Benin
Those interested in Vodou could visit the python temple, home to some 60 sleepy snakes. The guide explains some of the beliefs and ceremonies associated…
³¢´Ç³¾Ã©
The labyrinthine Grand Marché is Togo at its most colourful and entrepreneurial. You'll find everything at this market, from Togolese football tops to…
Accra
For a great view of the city and the busy and colourful fishing harbour (haze and pollution permitting), climb to the top of the old lighthouse near James…
São Tomé & PrÃncipe
Physics wonks, who would have thought you'd strike gold on PrÃncipe? Here lies the site of the famous Eddington Experiment, which proved that gravity is a…
Mindelo
The city's photogenic fish market lies just beyond Torre de Belém, with a jetty right behind it where fishermen unload their daily catch.
Mali
Every Monday, the wide open area in front of the mosque is transformed into the clamorous Monday Market, which has barely changed since the days when…
Cabo Verde
A must-stop for visitors interested in history, culture and coffee, Dja'r Fogo is run by a local artist who splits his time between Lisbon, Paris and Fogo…
Guinea
Around an hour's drive south of Macenta is the 116,000-acre Forêt Classée de Ziama, a disturbed but still beautiful stretch of rainforest. The forest is…
Guinea
Covering some 1200 sq km, the Parc National de Haut Niger is one of West Africa's last significant stands of tropical dry forest and one of the most…
Accra
This gracious red-brick Anglican Church was completed by the British in 1894.
São Tomé
This impressive peak soars 2024m above the sea like a great green tooth bleeding mist. You can see it best from the EN-1 as you drive from Neves to Santa…
Mali
From the pleasant Fula village of Massina, you can start a trip along the Niger by public pinasse (large canoe). A good first stop is Diafarabé, where…
Gabon
The largest of Gabon's parks at 7000 sq km, Minkébé is the greatest refuge for elephants in the Congo Basin; there are said to be 30,000 individuals. You…
Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba
Mali
An amazing collection of ancient manuscripts and books are kept at the Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba. Home to (at last count) 23,000 Islamic…
Burkina Faso
Bobo-Dioulasso's centrepiece, the expansive Grand Marché, is hugely enjoyable and atmospheric, and a wonderful (and largely hassle-free) place to…
Senegal
At 900 sq km, Niokolo-Koba is Senegal's largest national park. It's listed as a World Heritage Site in danger, as park resources barely suffice to…
Niger
The sprawling Musée National du Niger is one of West Africa's standouts. Numerous themed pavilions, each tipping their hat to Hausa architecture, give…
São Tomé
Alternately fascinating and repellent, the Mercado Grande is divided into two cavernous and adjacent halls, the Mercado Municipal and the newer, and…
Réserve Satellite du Cap Blanc
Mauritania
A small nature reserve with an excellent information centre, dedicated to the colony of endangered Mediterranean monk seals (phoque moin) that live here…
Abidjan
Every middle-class Abidjani holds a dear memory of Hôtel Ivoire. Built in 1963 by Israeli architect Moshe Mayer, it was the place in town to go ice…
Batéké Plateaux National Park
Gabon
Vast swathes of savannah cover 2050 sq km and reach heights of 860m. The land is almost desertlike and erosion has caused canyons to form (known as…
The Gambia
Like a snapshot of The Gambia, Makasutu Culture Forest bundles the country's array of landscapes into a dazzling 1000-hectare package. The setting is…
Gabon
Waka contains ancient savannah dating back 40,000 years and forests known as a Pleistocene refuge, meaning it is of great importance as habitat for flora…
Nigeria
le-Ife is considered the birthplace of Yoruba civilisation, where people still worship traditional deities at revered spiritual sites. At the 18th-century…
Nigeria
Yankari is Nigeria's best park for observing wildlife. With a bit of luck you may come across buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, hyenas, leopards, plenty…
The Gambia
Archaeologists believe the Wassu stone circles are burial sites constructed about 1200 years ago. Each stone weighs several tonnes and is between 1m (3…
Fathala Wildlife Reserve & Lodge
Senegal
For those not heading to wildlife parks in other parts of Africa, this 60-sq-km reserve might be worth adding to your itinerary. This reserve was created…
Rio Muni
Monte Alen is one of Central Africa's best-kept secrets, and reason enough to visit Equatorial Guinea. A protected area covering 2000 sq km, the park is…
Benin
Abomey's main and seriously impressive attraction (and a World Heritage site since 1985), this sprawling museum is housed in two palaces, those of the…
Parc National du Banc d'Arguin
Mauritania
This World Heritage–listed park is an important stopover and breeding ground for multitudes of birds migrating between Europe and southern Africa, and as…
Ghana
The pond's reptiles, which are held sacred by the local people, are reputed to be the friendliest in Africa. Local women even do their laundry in the pond…
Cameroon
To enter the Palais du Lamido, the palace of the local Muslim ruler, you pass between three pillars stuffed with the remains of individuals who were…
Senegal
With its statue of the French governor who led the colonial expansion eastwards and initiated many ambitious infrastructural projects, this square sits…
