Welcome to Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. 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.
Here are the ochre foundation blocks of one of the most remarkable nations of Dravidian history, one of the few kingdoms to expand Hinduism beyond Ind...
The Cauvery River is the beating heart of South Indian agriculture and, back in its day, connected the entire region via riverine routes. Today the Ca...
At fi rst glance Kumbakonam is another Indian junction town, but then you notice the temples that sprout out of this busy city like mushrooms, a remin...
Kadmat Beach Resort (%0484-4011134; from €185 per person; a) has 28 modern cottages, administered by Mint Valley and can be reached by overnight boa...
The village located on this 2.7-sq-km island has several mosques, which you can visit if dressed modestly. There’s no alcohol on the island. Agat...