Things to do in Nairobi

Two giant pairs of intersecting tusks located at the entrance of the city, along Moi Avenue forming dual archways over each side of the road. The tusks which form an interesting ‘M’ were made from aluminium in 1952 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s visit.

Designed in the shape of a man and built in 1593 by the Portuguese, Fort Jesus is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the city’s top tourist attractions.

Mamba Village is East Africa’s largest crocodile farm with over 10,000 crocodiles of varying age, size, and type including white crocodiles and newly-hatched baby crocs. The village also has a giraffe pen, an ostrich enclosure, a marine aquarium, and a botanical garden.

It may not have a particularly romantic name, but Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar, little changed in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. Stone Town was recently and deservedly declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Zanzibar’s brilliant white beaches lapped by the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean provide the perfect place to relax, soak up the sun and take a break from some busy sightseeing.

Whilst most visitors to the Zanzibar archipelago visit Unguja, commonly known as Zanzibar Island, fewer take advantage of the fact that this is an archipelago, with several other islands and numerous islets. Only a few kilometres from Stone Town are several islets such as Chumbe and Chapwani, where good accommodation is available. Bawe and Prison Islands are good for daytrips with excellent snorkelling available. Tumbatu Island, off the north-west coast of Unguja is one of the largest off-shore islands but has no facilities for tourists. Mnemba Island is located near the north-east coast featuring luxury accommodation. Although Mnemba is a private island, it is surrounded by a rich coral reef, which is great for scuba diving and snorkelling and is visited by several watersports centres in the area.

Mbudya Island (simply Mbudya) is an uninhabited island in Tanzania, north of the Country’s capital city, Dar es Salaam and is one of the four island of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS).

Bongoyo Island lies close to Msasani Peninsula in dare s Salaam city, about 30 minute by boat ride from the city mainland.

Kijiji cha Makumbusho - No one interested in the local culture should miss out on this museum. Open-air display of traditional habitats and crafts. The Village Museum was established in 1996. This museum was established for the purpose of demonstrating and preservation of traditional cultures of Tanzania. Visiting the village museum is like visiting the whole of Tanzania ethnic groups. The museum displays traditional huts of about 16 different Tanzanian ethnic groups. The idea of a ‘village museum’ seems a curious paradox ­is it a village, or is it a museum? Perhaps it is neither in the conventional sense. It is certainly not a living village, but rather a collection of authentically furnished homesteads representing some of Tanzania’s many different rural cultures. Nor is it a museum in the traditional sense (there is not a glass case to be seen). All 16 houses can be entered, and there are plenty of objects to see and handle. The Kiswahili word ‘makumbusho’, ‘reminders’, is more apt here than the English ‘museum, with its classical muse associations. Herein lies not only the unique charm of the place but also the real importance of the site.

The Dar es Salaam National Museum is a site that showcases the history of Tanzania and is located at the centre of Dar es Salaam's CBD - Tanzania. It is the oldest in the country and has three large buildings. The museum was first established in 1934 by then governor of Tanganyika Harold MacMichael [1] but was not opened to the public until 1940. Since then two more buildings have been added, with the last one being the culture wing in 2011. Find out more about the history of Tanzania from as early as the 6th century or even earlier if you consider the displays about the origin of mankind; However, most of the actual information is on stories and not in the actual pictures. There are no video or audio explanations, thus a lot of reading is required to gain any information, unless of course if you got a guided tour. There also are two libraries near the entrance, one for children and one for adults. Each of these is equipped with tablets from which to browse the library's archives.

Dar Es Salaam Zoo is a zoological park in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The zoo is located in the Kigamboni-district in the eastern part of the city, 37 kilometers from Downtown Dar es Salaam. The Dar es Salaam Zoo is best known for having many animals endemic to Tanzania, including but not limited to giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, antelopes, tortoises, gazelles, monkeys, hyenas, lions, leopards, snakes, and several species of birds. There is also a kids’ zone with slides, swings and jungle-gyms.

This Sudan National park is found in Sudan (northern Sudan). it was gazetted as a protected area under Sudan National parks and reserves in 1935 on the banks of river Dinder after which it was named. other rivers cross in the park include Rahad river. The park covers an area of 7,1823sq km. It is also listed as UNESCO Biosphere reserves together with another Sudan National park. Dinder Sudan Park is known for its bird watching adventures and is an important Ramsar site in Sudan. The area of the reserve is along with a transitional eco-system of two exotic vegetation zones namely Ethiopian High plateau and the Sudanese arid Sahara. The types of vegetation in the park include meadows, riparian forests, acacia woodlands and open savannah grasslands.

Although not an official tourist spot, the Tank Graveyard is a large patch of overgrown land just outside Asmara containing military tanks, armored vehicles and other metal tokens of war which were abandoned by the fleeing Ethiopian forces.

The cathedral of Asmara was build in 1922 in the Lombard-Roma- nesque style. Its tall Gothic bell tower is visible from everywhere in the city and is a useful landmark if you ever lose your sense of di- rection. The cathedral, as well as the primary school, the monaste- ry and the nunnery, are in the same compound and can be visited.

Sudanese Museum is one of the main attractions of Sudan. The National Museum of Sudan is the largest museum in Sudan. Located on El Neel Avenue in Khartoum, the museum contains works from different epochs of Sudanese history.

The museum is located near The Mahdi’s tomb in Omdurman. The house was built for the successor of the Mahdi. The museum was established in 1928 and contains antiquities of the Mahdist period.

Real emblem of Malagasy flora, the baobab is a majestic and sacred tree that counts eight species. Six of them only grow in Madagascar. The baobab alley contains the most specimens in the world, so you will realize their impressive size and admire some trunks naturally intertwined (baobab in love). At 19 kms from Morondava, admire the unique forest of baobab trees in the world. This set of a dozen trees presents a landscape of a rare elegance. Most of these baobabs are more than 800 years old, a legacy of the dense forests that have flourished on the island a long time ago. You will admire there the most beautiful specimens in a wonderful scenery.

The Tsingy was the first refuge for the inhabitants of the island and it is located 820km west of Antananarivo. The Tsingy offers one of the most spectacular landscapes in Madagascar. This is why it was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by the Bemaraha park. You will be able to admire these fabulous landscapes with sharp spikes. The Tsingy was classified as UNESCO World Heritage in 1990 and occupies a part of the limestone plateau of the same name that is a part of the Bemaraha National Park which was classified as UNESCO World Heritage in 1997. The Tsingy is one of the most spectacular landscapes of Madagascar with its network of rifts, crevasses, and limestome blocks that are carved in sharped blades.

The Natural Museum of Zimbabwe located in the Centenary Park in Bulawayo, was built in 1962, and in 1982 all the natural science collections were moved here and it was renamed the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe. With its stunning displays and valuable research, collections are the best museum in Southern Africa and rank fourth in size among the museums of Africa. It is an impressive circular building with nine public display galleries, a lecture hall with a seating capacity of 120 people, a cafeteria, and eight research departments with substantial study collections and ongoing research in the following disciplines: Arachnology and Invertebrates; Entomology; Ornithology; Mammology; Herpetology; Ichthyology; Geology and Paleontology; Archaeology and Monuments.

Housed in one of the country’s finest monuments, the National Gallery in Bulawayo is a unique facility, which holds invigorating and challenging exhibitions. Douslin House where the Gallery is housed in more than 100 years today. Its architectural splendor makes evident the gallery’s own goal of aesthetic appreciation and artistic aim. As custodians of a growing Zimbabwean heritage, Art Gallery is tasked with the creative and intellectual discipline to select, to nurture and commend outstanding works of visual art, to select and display pivotal works, to generate and improve upon existing talent, to train and develop artistic skills, to educate, to empower, to mediate, and mostly to celebrate. Freed from some of the influences and concerns, which dominate other provinces in Zimbabwe, the unique thrust of the National Gallery in Bulawayo is its desire to dissolve barriers between art and its audience, to establish a consistent dialogue and intimacy. The personality of this gallery is embodied in its transparent windows in the Lower Gallery, which allow passers-by to view current exhibitions while going on about their daily business.

Khame Ruins are perhaps the least known of Zimbabwe's five World Heritage sites. Situated just 22 kilometres outside of Bulawayo, Khame was the capital of the Torwa state between 1450 and around 1683, after the capital at Great Zimbabwe in Masvingo was abandoned. It was a trading centre, as attested by the artefacts discovered here and the ruins are not places of defence but were prestige buildings designed to demonstrate Torwa wealth. Human evidence at the site can be traced back to the Early Stone Age, approximately 0.4 to 1.4 million years ago.

The story of the Ndebele from when they are forced out from present-day South Africa by a coalition of Afrikaners, Griquas and Zulu to the establishment of modern-day Bulawayo can appear confusing. During Mzilikazi’s reign as King there are four different capitals (Gibxhegu, Mahlokohloko, Inyathi and Mhlahlandleia) He was succeeded by Lobengula who established a new Gibxhegu and then renames it koBulawayo (this is the where the Site Museum is situated) and finally Umhlabathini, or the second koBulawayo, the site of modern-day State House. This was in keeping with tribal custom; the royal towns of Matabele kings were never intended to be permanent and whenever a King died, the capital moved and the old royal town was burned.

Huge granite masses – seamed, split, shaped and sculptured by time and the elements – form an array of giant whalebacks and castellated kopjes that cover 3000 square kilometres of Matabeleland South Province. Much of the country’s history has been written and played out within the confines of the Matobo Hills – from the time thousands of years ago when ancient bushmen used the granite faces as a canvas for their unique and extraordinary art, to more recent times, when black and white met in war and peace. These are the Matobo Hills, located south of Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, Bulawayo. Forty thousand years ago the caves and crevices carved out of these rocks became home to Zimbabwe’s earliest inhabitants, the “San”. Twenty thousand years later “San” artists began painting on the walls of caves and rock shelters, using special pigments and natural minerals that have survived the onslaught of climate and time.

The primary forest is formed by two distinct protected ares – the Analamazoatra special reserve and the Mantadia national park. The Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is only about three hours from the capital. Almost the whole park is formed by primary forest which has never been modified by human beings. It is also a refuge for many animals and plants. Thus, it is not uncommon to come across a multitude of species: lemurs, birds, chameleons, and insects of all kinds.

The Zafimaniry occupy a mountainous area to the southeast of Ambositra and have developed an exceptional architectural art across the ages. Doors and windows are elaborated in wood and sculpted in the form of geometric figures representing the Zafimaniry universe. Registered as a UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Site, this incredible art will impress you. The Zafimaniry use 20 different species of endemic trees, each one is adapted to a specific type of construction or decorative function. The geometric motifs which decorate the shutters and windows of these wooden houses are reminiscences of magic signs designed to protect the community and to testify to its links with its environment. This is the peculiarity of their art: in the ties that the Zafimaniry weave between themselves and with nature.

Dedicated to educating people about the history and culture of Angola, the National Museum of Anthropology has a collection of over 6,000 objects and artefacts, ranging from arts, masks, musical instruments, tools, fabrics, jewelry and weaponry. There are also cultural exhibits on traditional religion, female societal rites, and other traditional ceremonies.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, Säo Miguel fort was built in 1576 by Paulo Dias de Novais who founded the city of Luanda. In 1627, the fort became the administrative colony and was a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil. With thick walls fitted with cannons, it was a fortified enclosure, and it remained the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Army in Angola until 1975. The fort presently houses the National Museum of Military History.

Located about 40km south of Luanda, the Moon Viewpoint is a spectacular landscape, shaped by years of rains and erosion, which in turn makes it look similar to the surface of the moon

Walk along an imposing stone causeway that leads from the banks of the lake to the first pylon of the temple, pass a colonnaded court and into the eight columned hypostyle hall. Note the hieroglyphs and the reliefs of Greek pharaohs paying homage to Ancient Egyptian deities. Look for Mandulis, the god clad in the vulture feathered cloak. Built during the late Ptolemaic period and completed during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, the Temple of Kalabsha was dedicated to the Nubian god called Mandulis.

Philae is dedicated to Isis - the Goddess of motherhood, magic and fertility. As a symbolic mother of the king, she appears as a woman with a throne-shaped crown or sometimes depicted with the sign of motherhood and fertility: the two horns and the solar disc between them. Her cult spread over Europe since the Greco-Roman period. The cult of Isis at Philae goes back to the 7th century BC, but the earliest remains date from the 4th century BC. And Isis was being worshipped at Philae until the 6th century AD! By Roman times Isis had become the greatest of all the Egyptian gods, worshipped right across the Roman Empire even as far as Britain.

"Is there no supermarket, you know, like a big mall?" a Japanese woman asked me - and indeed - there is none. Instead there is the suq, a big market about three kilometres long, where you can get everything, ripe and tasty fruits and vegetable, live poultry, meat cut with a sabre from the half of a cattle hanging between street and shop, at one stall fresh fish is brazed in tins for conservation, the soldering iron heated on coal. Soft foulards, clothes, tea, herbs and frankincense bis as cobbles are offered in the narrow alleys of the suq. Children ask to polish shoes to earn money for their families, Juiceshops provide refreshments. For example "Assir Assab", juice from sugarcane pressed out of rods, two meters long, made in front of your eyes, and which is as refreshing, that most people drink it without setting the glass down inbetween.

The last house in which President Paul Kruger was to live, between 1883 and 1901, before he left South Africa to go into exile in Europe, the Kruger House Museum lies just a few blocks from Church square, where his bronze statue takes centre stage facing the Palace of Justice.

Melrose House is a charming historical museum that can be found in Jacob Maré Street in the picturesque town of Pretoria. Conveniently perched across from Burger's Park, it is elegant and a remnant of the colonial South Africa of times past.