African Adventure Holidays
Beautiful Africa Holidays
Bloukrans Bridge, in the Western Cape, has the highest bungee jump anywhere in the world, at 216 metres. There’s also a flying fox and various other activities.
Egypt is famous for diving, but you can also try camel safaris and dune-bashing.
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the world’s ultimate and natural adventures
Kenya has some great opportunities for hiking and mountain biking.
Tunisia has some fantastic desert excursions available – visit a Berber village, and go for a camel safari.
Victoria Falls has lots and lots of adventuresome activities. The actual Falls themselves are spectacular, and any trip that includes a visit will be worthwhile. However, a large number of activities have grown up around the falls. Bungee jumping is popular, as is white water rafting. Depending on the season, you may be able to go quite close to the edge of the Falls. You can also take helicopter trips, try abseiling, or ride an elephant. If that all sounds like too much, there’s a great nightlife scene in some of the nearby towns, or you can try fishing or game viewing.
Namibia has endless scope for adventure. Driving through the desert is an experience in itself – the Namib Desert has some of the highest dunes found anywhere in the world, and some spectacular gorges and National Parks. The Skeleton Coast is so-called because of the number of ships that were wrecked there, and the struggle that stranded sailors had to survive – you can still see the hulks of the boats to this day. You can take day and overnight treks into the desert, and hopefully see some of Namibia’s wildlife and find out more about this amazing environment. If you fancy something more immediately stimulating, then Swakopmund is a centre for sandboarding, skydiving, quad biking, paintball, or you can view the desert from a hot air balloon or a microlite plane.
Nigeria is an adventure in that it’s not a usual tourist destination, rather than the destinations above which have a lot of unusual activities. Lagos is one of the continent’s biggest cities, and is on course to become of the largest metropolises in the world. The city has some excellent beaches, and thriving markets. Yankari National Park, in the north of the country, is a great place to see elephants.
Benin is another destination that’s an adventure in itself. Benin is the place were Voodoo was born; the religion is an important part of cultural life here, and you can visit shrines and see ceremonies – particularly in Ouidah, where you can visit the Temple of Pythons and hold the snakes in your hands, and visit the Sacred Forest. From here, Voodoo spread across the Americas because of the slave trade. If that all sounds a bit spooky, you can enjoy the beach at Grand Popo, and go for a ride in a pirogue, a flat bottomed boat. Visit the ancient Royal Palaces at Abomey. Enjoy traditional music and dancing, and see the National Parks.
Some of the remoter parts of Africa are great for climbing and trekking, because they’re relatively or entirely untouched by tourism. Conversely, some of the more popular trails have tolls. Check local advice on customs and what’s safe before you set off – the local tourist office or your hotel will be able to help.
If you’re interested in venturing somewhere unusual or off the beaten track, then check your country’s Foreign Office advice page before you go. They usually publish information on their websites if travellers should be wary about travelling in a region, or if an area should be avoided.
