West Africa is a large region of the African continent, covering over 5,000,000km2 of land. Over 350,000,000 people live in this area, which is generally said to be composed of 18 countries - Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Benin, Mauritania, Liberia, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, and Saint Helena. Show
A lot of people will have never even heard of many of these countries, let alone visited them, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have a huge amount to offer any adventurous traveller who wants to try something a bit different on their next trip abroad. Here are some of the things that make West Africa such a great destination for travellers.  It’s off the tourist trailWest Africa is not entirely unknown to tourists. There is some infrastructure in place to support an influx of foreign visitors, especially in major cities. You should not struggle to find accommodation in most places and there are a lot of good tour operators for when you want to have guided tours. However, while it has all these good elements of tourism, it would most certainly not be considered ‘on the tourist trail’. Far fewer people visit West Africa than, say, America of Europe. Even within Africa, West Africa is one of the less-visited regions. South Africa and Kenya are extremely popular with visitors, as are the North African states such as Morocco and Egypt. The relative lack of visitors is actually a good thing in a lot of ways. It means that crowds are uncommon, even at the most popular sights. There is also a palpable sense of adventure when travelling in this part of the world. You can feel that it is wilder and untainted by tourism, making it all the more exciting. Furthermore, it is unlikely that people you know will have been to this part of the world, which makes for some impressive travel stories once you get back home. It’s cheaper than many other placesA fortunate side-effect of the fact that West Africa has fewer visitors than other destinations, is that things are cheap. Everything from food, to transport, to accommodation is cheaper here than most tourists have come to expect from a vacation. This obviously means that your budget will stretch further, allowing you to travel for longer, or splash out on luxuries like activities or tours. The people are amazingFor a lot of people who have never been, West Africa can seem a little too adventurous. Names of countries like Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia often mean that people who aren’t familiar with the region can wrongly associate it with danger and political instability. Of course, there are problems in this part of the world, but most visitors are pleasantly surprised by how relaxed the atmosphere is when they do go. West Africa is, in reality, a very safe place for travellers. Basic precautions and common sense should always be practised when travelling, but beyond this, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Talk to the local people in all parts of the region and you will immediately realize how exceptionally warm, open and friendly they are. There are so many great volunteering opportunitiesAs mentioned previously, while West Africa is undoubtedly an excellent place to travel, it does have its share of social, economic, and environmental challenges to face. These issues make it the perfect place in which to volunteer, as there are so many good causes that can use your help. Volunteer in one of these countries and you will be rewarded by being able to see the positive change in front of your eyes. For example, you may choose to teach English to school children in Ghana, where you’ll be able to experience firsthand the tangible improvements in the children’s comprehension over time. Regardless of which cause you choose to dedicate your time to, be it social or environmental, you will come out of the program with a huge sense of pride and satisfaction in the knowledge that you have made a positive difference. Volunteering is also a very effective way to learn about an area and its people’s culture on a deeper level than would be possible for most travellers, as you are spending time living, working, and interacting with real local people. Nature is unlike anywhere else in the worldNowhere in the world has been blessed with the same kind of natural beauty and diversity as West Africa. Within a short distance of one another, and often even within the same country, you can find glorious coastline, wild jungles, epic waterways, endless savannahs, dessert and towering mountains. These vastly different habitats are not just beautiful to look at, but provide the right conditions for an incredible variety of animal and plant life. Across West Africa, you can find all of the exotic birds and mammals you would associate with Africa, such as giraffes, zebra, lions, rhinos, and much much more. These magnificent and often severely endangered species can rarely be viewed in such numbers and for such reasonable prices as they can in many of the West African reserves, such as Mole national park in Ghana. The history and culture are fascinatingPhoto by Julius Cruickshank Any visit to West Africa should encompass some effort to learn about the rich and varied past of the region. There is so much to learn about the cultural history, from the ancient tribes to colonialism - the effects of which can still be seen today. Visit West Africa to open up a world you never knew existedWest Africa is one of the most diverse areas, both culturally and environmentally, in all of Africa, if not the world. Any traveller who makes the trip to this amazing part of the world is likely to be hooked by its fascinating richness and will want to return again and again. Top ChoiceSights in Cape Coast Cape Coast’s imposing, whitewashed castle commands the heart of town, overlooking the sea. Once one of the world's most important slave-holding sites, it provides horrifying insight into the workings of the trade. Staff conduct hour-long tours, during which you’ll visit the dark, damp dungeons, where slaves waited for two to 12 weeks, while contemplating rumours that only hinted at their fate. A visit to the dungeons contrasts sharply with the governor’s bedroom, blessed with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic ocean views. Top ChoiceSights in Oshogbo The Sacred Grove is a large area of rainforest on the outskirts of Oshogbo. Within the forest is the beautiful Shrine of Oshuno, the River Goddess. In addition to natural beauty, there are many stunning sculptures by Suzanne Wenger (known locally as Aduni Olosa, the 'Adored One'), an Austrian painter and sculptor who came here in the 1950s. Top ChoiceSights in Príncipe Once the subject of a world-famous Bacardi advertisement (you'll remember it when you see it), this picture-perfect tropical beach is located on the grounds of Roça Belo Monte, a 15-minute walk from the front gate. It is first seen from above, at a clifftop mirador (overlook; where the ad was shot), before descending to sea level, where you'll find its golden sands, in the shape of a banana, beneath swaying palms. Top ChoiceSights in Southern Coast Cão GrandeThe Great Canine is the poster image of São Tomé, and an awesome sight. An enormous tooth of rock 663m high, it is a hardened column of magma, the remains of an ancient volcano whose softer outer shell has long since eroded away. Top ChoiceSights in Príncipe Baía das AgulhasThe spectacular Bay of Spires is not just Príncipe's top attraction, but STP's as well. It's best seen from the water, where the postcard view of the island's world-class skyline slowly unfolds, including phonolite towers named (for obvious reasons) the Father, the Son and the Grandson, along with Table Mountain. You expect to hear the primordial roar of T-Rex at any moment. If you've flown all this way, you do not want to miss this. Top ChoiceSights in Foumban Palais RoyalThe must-see attraction is the sultan's palace, home to the 19th sultan of the Bamoun dynasty. It has a fascinating, well-organised museum providing great historical insight into the region. At the time of writing, the treasures were being transferred to a startling new building symbolically shaped as a serpent and a spider; the palace itself will remain open to visitors. Sights in Príncipe Praia BoiA postcard tropical beach, with turquoise water, swaying palms and no people. You will need to bring your own food, but it is perfect for a picnic. Located around the headland from Praia Macaco, it is accessed by car via a signless complex of rough dirt roads best navigated with local assistance. The guard at the entrance to Roça Belo Monte is a good source of information, and may be able to find you a local guide. Top ChoiceSights in The Gambia Abuko Nature ReserveAbuko is rare among African wildlife reserves: it's tiny, it's easy to reach and you don't need a car to go in. With amazing diversity of vegetation and animals, this well-managed reserve is one of the region's best bird-watching haunts (more than 250 bird species have been recorded in its environs). There are 5km of paths through the 106-hectare reserve, and a field station with views over a watering hole that's often a good place for wildlife watching. Sights in The Ring Road Fon's PalaceJust north of Bamenda is the large Tikar community of Bafut, traditionally the most powerful of the Grassfields kingdoms. The fon 's (local chief's) palace here is home to the representative of a 700-year-old dynasty and is a fascinating insight into Cameroon's traditional culture. Top ChoiceSights in Kumasi From afar, the Kejetia Market looks like an alien mothership landed in the centre of Kumasi. Closer up, the rusting tin roofs of this huge market (often cited as the largest in West Africa; there are 11,000 stalls and at least four times as many people working here) look like a circular shanty town. Inside, the throbbing Kejetia is quite disorienting but utterly captivating. Top ChoiceSights in São Tomé (city) Claudio Corallo Chocolate FactoryClaudio Corallo is both an extraordinary person and a local institution. For over 40 years this native Italian has pursued an overriding passion for coffee and cocoa in Africa, first in Zaire and later in STP, where he has two plantations and a factory in the capital. The results are on display in this fascinating little tour, which takes you not only through the chocolate production process, but through all the thought and experimentation that went into developing the bean. Sights in Accra JamestownJamestown originated as a community that emerged around the 17th-century British James Fort, merging with Accra as the city grew. These days, Jamestown is one the poorer neighbourhoods of Accra – full of beautifully dishevelled colonial buildings, clapboard houses and corrugated iron shacks – but it remains vibrant. For a great view of the city and the busy and colourful fishing harbour (haze and pollution permitting), climb to the top of the whitewashed lighthouse. Sights in Fogo Pico do FogoCabo Verde's highest peak (2829m/9382ft), the conical, cinder-clad Mt Fogo, rises dramatically out of the floor of an ancient crater known as Chã das Caldeiras. A scenic, cobbled road, punctuated by hamlets with lava-block houses, encircles the island. Top ChoiceSights in Dakar Île de N'GorFor a quick escape from the frenetic streets of Dakar, head to peaceful Île de N'Gor, a tiny island just off Dakar's north shore. It has a few calm beaches on the bay side, and some legendary surf on the northern coastline. Most visitors just come for the day, to relax on the beaches, stroll the sandy lanes of the village and have lunch in one of the waterside eateries, but there are several appealing guesthouses here as well. Sights in Elmina St George's CastleSt George’s Castle, a Unesco heritage site, was built as a trading post by the Portuguese in 1482, and captured by the Dutch in 1637. It was expanded when slaves replaced gold as the major object of commerce, with storerooms converted into dungeons. The informative tour (included in the entry fee) takes you to the grim dungeons, punishment cells, Door of No Return and the turret room where the British imprisoned the Ashanti king, Prempeh I, for four years. Top ChoiceSights in Freetown Peninsula Tacugama Chimpanzee SanctuaryIn the dense rainforest of Western Area National Park, Sri Lankan founder Bala created Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a leafy, waterfall-framed hideaway set up with the purpose of rescuing and rehabilitating endangered primates, and in the process educating humans about one of our closest relatives. The passionate and committed staff offer twice-daily tours of the sanctuary, during which you'll watch rescued chimps frolic in enclosures and spot those who have been released to a larger area in the mountains beyond. Top ChoiceSights in Ghana It's not everywhere you can get up close and personal with bus-sized elephants. Face-to-face encounters with these beasts, plus roving gangs of baboons, warthogs, water bucks and antelopes – 90 species of mammals in total – are possibilities at this national park, Ghana's largest at 4660 sq km and best as far as wildlife viewing goes. The park consists for the most part of flat savanna, with gallery forests along the rivers and streams. Walking and jeep safaris take place daily. Top ChoiceSights in Conakry Centre d'Art Acrobatique Keita FodebaThe Centre d'Art Acrobatique Keita Fodeba is perhaps the single most amazing experience in Guinea. Every weekday morning scores of acrobats spin, twirl and flip through routines that have made them the envy of circuses the world over. As good as the acrobats are, it's the contortionists who steal the show. When they bend themselves 180 degrees the wrong way you can only wonder if they actually have backbones or if they are in fact jellyfish. Sights in Cotonou Grand Marché de DantokpaThe seemingly endless Grand Marché du Dantokpa is Cotonou's throbbing heart, bordered by the lagoon and Blvd St Michel. Everything under the sun can be purchased in its labyrinthine lanes, from fish to soap, plastic sandals to goats, pirated DVDs to spare car parts. More traditional fare, such as batiks and Dutch wax cloth, can be found in the market building. The fetish market section is at the northern end of the larger market. Sights in Accra Makola MarketThere is no front door or welcoming sign to the Makola Market. Before you know it, you've been sucked in by the human undertow from the usual pavements clogged with vendors hawking food, secondhand clothes and shoes to the market itself. For new arrivals to Africa, it can be an intense experience, but it’s a fun – if, perhaps, a little masochistic – Ghanaian initiation rite. For Explorers Everywhere Follow usSubscribeGet 20% off our online shop.© 2022 Lonely Planet. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Language |
What is one thing West Africa is known for?
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