West Coast Africa – Cape Town to Tema(Accra)

Sprawling across endless, staggeringly blue coastline, and watched over by the iconic plane of Table Mountain, Cape Town is without doubt one of the world’s most beautiful cities. A blend of spectacular mountain scenery, multiculturalism and relaxed ocean charm awaits in the Mother City, where you can venture out to rolling vineyards, dine in laid back sea suburbs, or spend days exploring cool urban culture. Cape Town’s natural splendour fully reveals itself as the cable car rears sharply to the top of Table Mountain.

From the summit, 3,500 feet above sea level, you can let the scale of the panoramic vistas of the city rolling down towards the ocean wash over you. Another heavenly perspective waits at the top of Lion’s Head’s tapering peak. A sharp hike and an early start is required, but the views of the morning sun painting Table Mountain honey-gold are some of Cape Town’s finest. Cape Town’s glorious sunshine and inviting blue rollers can be a little deceiving – these oceans are anything but warm at times, with nothing between the peninsula’s end and Antarctica’s icy chill. This cool water has upsides though, bringing a colony of adorably cute African penguins to Boulders Beach. Boarded walkways offer the perfect vantage point to see the cute creatures dipping into the sea and lounging in the sun. Nearby, journey to the end of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, where you can stand at the bottom of this mighty continent, watching out over the merging waves of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Cape Town’s beauty is counterpointed by the ominous island form, which sits four miles offshore from the bustling restaurants and lazy seals of the lively V&A Waterfront. A living history lesson, you can sail in the ships that transported prisoners out to Robben Island, before a former prisoner tells of the traumas of life on this offshore prison. Your guide will show you the cramped cells, and render Mandela’s long walk to freedom in heartbreaking, visceral clarity.

The scorched desert that surrounds Luderitz means the city’s collection of German art nouveau architecture couldn’t look more unusually placed along the Namibian coastline. This quirkiness is what gives the destination its charm. See gangs of playful penguins skipping across the waves, pink flamingos wading by the coast, and dolphins leaping into the air near Penguin Island and Seal Island.

Home to a beautiful lagoon, washed pale pink by a colony of resident flamingos, Walvis Bay is a colourful African call, where you can meet some of the continent’s most flamboyant wildlife. A small Namibian city on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, the city takes its name from Whale Bay – which gives a clue as to the wonderful wildlife watching opportunities available here. The deep-water blossoms with rich levels of plankton, drawing curious marine mammals in large numbers to feast.

Home to a beautiful lagoon, washed pale pink by a colony of resident flamingos, Walvis Bay is a colourful African call, where you can meet some of the continent’s most flamboyant wildlife. A small Namibian city on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, the city takes its name from Whale Bay – which gives a clue as to the wonderful wildlife watching opportunities available here. The deep-water blossoms with rich levels of plankton, drawing curious marine mammals in large numbers to feast.

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Pointe-Noire is a port city and oil industry hub in the Republic of the Congo. It’s also known for its beaches. The city’s train station is the terminus of the French colonial Congo-Ocean Railway. Nearby, dense rainforest surrounds the striking red cliffs of the Diosso Gorge. North of the city, Conkouati-Douli National Park features abundant wildlife and diverse terrain like lagoons, mangroves and savanna.

The two West African islands of São Tomé & Principe form the smallest nation in Africa and are probably the least known country in the world. Located in the Gulf of Guinea and straddling the equator, the islands cover an area of 386 square miles (1,000 km sq), roughly five times the size of Washington, D.C.
The Bom Bom Island Resort is located on Principe Island, which is smaller and more rugged than São Tomé. Only 10 miles (16 km) long and four miles (about six and a half kilometers) wide, Principe features breathtaking scenery of beautiful beaches and green clad mountains. Bom Bom Island Resort is the only hotel facility on Principe Island.

Lomé is the capital of Togo, in West Africa. It’s known for its palm-lined Atlantic coastline. The central Independence Monument is in a landscaped traffic circle. The nearby Congressional Palace houses the National Museum, exhibiting West African jewelry, masks, musical instruments and pottery. To the northeast, the Akodésséwa Fetish Market sells voodoo items like animal skins and skulls. ― Google

Lomé is the capital of Togo, in West Africa. It’s known for its palm-lined Atlantic coastline. The central Independence Monument is in a landscaped traffic circle. The nearby Congressional Palace houses the National Museum, exhibiting West African jewelry, masks, musical instruments and pottery. To the northeast, the Akodésséwa Fetish Market sells voodoo items like animal skins and skulls. ― Google

Ghana’s fourth-largest city plays serene beaches against a bustling commercial centre. People from around the world visit the shore, both for its beauty and to enjoy the fresh seafood served right on the sands. Frantic city life awaits a short distance inland, where an economy fuelled by Ghana’s oil industry is most apparent in the maze of vendors at Market Circle. Takoradi is also the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Elmina and Cape Coast Castle.

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