Cities

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town preserves an urban landscape shaped by Swahili coastal trade. Its buildings reflect long exchanges among African, Arab, Indian and European cultures. The waterfront, shown here, offers one entry into that layered city history.

Bamako

A city portrait through music, creative spaces and life beside the Niger River.

Dakar

An Atlantic city seen through its artists, everyday tables and ocean-facing neighbourhoods.

Marrakech

Courtyards, materials and the art of looking closely: a different way into the city.

Nairobi

Creative energy and green spaces form the starting point for this city notebook.

Cape Town

A city notebook framed by mountains, the ocean and conversations about design.

Algeria

Mediterranean beaches, Sahara desert and ancient monuments

February to October, from Algiers’s normals

Egypt

The Nile, the pharaohs and the Red Sea

Jan–Apr, Oct–Dec

Morocco

Medinas, Atlas, Atlantic and Sahara

Mar–May, Sept–Nov

Tunisia

Mediterranean beaches, Sahara desert and historic cities

September to June, from Tunis’s normals

Benin

Splendid beaches, breathtaking views, safaris, hiking and culture

November to February

Burkina Faso

Wildlife parks, wild hiking, waterfalls and waterfalls

In January, from Ouagadougou’s normals

Côte d’Ivoire

Magnificent beaches, nature reserves and buzzing cities

December to February, from Abidjan’s normals

Ghana

Magnificent beaches, tropical forest, buzzing cities and culture

November to March

Mali

Rivers, desert, forest, waterfalls, nature reserves and culture

December to January, from Bamako’s normals

Nigeria

Niger Delta, wildlife parks and buzzing cities

November to April, from Abuja’s normals

Senegal

Wild beaches, nature reserves and cultural journey

October to July, from Dakar’s normals

Togo

Splendid beaches, villages, hills, nature reserves and culture

November to April

Angola

Paradise beaches, Namib desert and waterfalls

May to February, from Luanda’s normals

Cameroon

Mountains, breathtaking views, paradise beaches and food

December to February, from Yaoundé’s normals

Congo - Kinshasa

Congo Basin, tropical forest, waterfalls and buzzing cities

June to September, from Kinshasa’s normals

Gabon

Splendid beaches, tropical forest, nature reserves and marine parks

June to August, from Libreville’s normals

Eritrea

Red Sea, paradise beaches and desert

September to June, from Asmara’s normals

Ethiopia

Monuments, volcanoes, mountains, lakes, deserts and culture

October to January, and September

Kenya

Safaris, the Rift, Mount Kenya and the Swahili coast

Jan–Mar, Jul–Oct

Mozambique

Paradise beaches, safaris, culture and buzzing cities

May to October

Rwanda

Lake Kivu, volcano, nature reserves, cities and culture

June to September, from Kigali’s normals

Tanzania

Dream beaches, lagoons, safari, mountains and culture

January–February and June–October

Uganda

Tropical forest, lakes, mountains, safaris, cities and culture

June–August and December–February

Zimbabwe

Safari, rivers, Victoria Falls, monuments and culture

May to October

Namibia

Wild beaches, Namib desert, nature reserves and culture

May to September

South Africa

Breathtaking views, buzzing cities, paradise beaches, safari and culture

March–May and September–November

The Jardin Majorelle

The painter Jacques Majorelle began planting this Marrakech garden with species from all over the world in 1922.

Jemaa el-Fna square at night

Proclaimed Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2001, Jemaa el-Fna is the heart of the Marrakesh medina.

The Khan el-Khalili bazaar

In the historic centre of Cairo, Khan el-Khalili began as a centre of trade in the Mamluk era and is named after one of its caravanserais.

Alexandria’s harbour and the Citadel of Qaitbay

At the entrance of Alexandria’s eastern harbour, on the former Pharos Island, Sultan Qaitbay had his citadel built from 1477 to 1479.

Safari in Nairobi National Park

Kenya’s first national park, opened in 1946 about 7 km from Nairobi’s centre, it covers 117 km².

The Soumbédioune craft village

On Dakar’s western Corniche, facing the Médina, the Soumbédioune craft village was created in the early 1960s at the initiative of Léopold Sédar Senghor.

Table Mountain

A flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town, Table Mountain rises to 1,086 m at Maclear’s Beacon.

Mindelo, Cape Verde’s cultural capital

A port city in the north of São Vicente island, founded in 1793, Mindelo is considered Cape Verde’s cultural capital.

The Medina of Tunis

Founded in 698 around the Zitouna Mosque, the Medina of Tunis holds some 700 monuments: palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains.

Port Louis, the capital

Mauritius’s capital and largest city, Port Louis mixes the Jummah Mosque, St James Cathedral, a Tamil temple, a Chinese pagoda and a colonial theatre.

Swakopmund, between desert and ocean

352 km west of Windhoek on the B2, Swakopmund is a beach resort on the edge of the Namib Desert.

Kigali, the capital

Rwanda’s capital and largest city, Kigali spreads over rolling hills linked by steep slopes near the country’s centre.

Victoria and its market

The capital of Seychelles, Victoria lies on the north-eastern side of Mahé.

Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos

Set up in 1990 in Lekki, Lagos State, the Lekki Conservation Centre is a 78-hectare nature reserve.

Nike Art Gallery, Lagos

Founded in 2009 by Nike Okundaye, Nike Art Gallery is West Africa’s most extensive art collection, with 25,000 works.

Freedom Park, Lagos

In downtown Lagos Island, Freedom Park stands on the site of the former Broad Street Prison.