Edition 39: Summer 2007

Philip Briggs, regular Travel Africa contributor and prolific guidebook writer, has spent much of the last 15 years exploring the highs and lows of his favourite continent. Here, he tells us his five favourite African destinations.

1. Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, Kenya & Tanzania
Okay, so we’re not off to the most original start. But this really is the ultimate safari destination, both for the profusion of wildlife and its awe-inspiring sense of space. And no, I’m not going to choose which side of the arbitrary international border I prefer – the wildebeest tell me it’s all one bloody great pasture, and a few million baaing, chomping beardies can’t be wrong, can they? Perennial highlights include the misty dawn descent into Ngorongoro, the sculpted Lobo Hills, and the lion viewing on the Mara Plains. There are some undiscovered gems here too – none better than the game-rich plains wedged between the Mara River and Kenya border, a remote part of Tanzania accessible only from the recently opened Sayari Camp.

2. Rock-churches of Gheralta, Ethiopia
Of the 120 rock-hewn churches set in the northern Ethiopian province of Tigrai, fewer than ten were known to the outside world until 1966. Many still go months, even years, without hosting a single tourist. True, in purely architectural terms, these Tigraian edifices don’t quite compare with their better-known counterparts in Lalibela. But when it comes to emotional impact, the Tigraian rock-hewn churches are incomparable, their brooding candle-flickered aura of spirituality complemented by the Biblical apparel and discordant chanting of those who worship inside. Although it’s possible to spend months exploring here, my favourite picks are the dozen or so churches carved into the Spaghetti Western-like cliffs of Gheralta, 50km north of the provincial capital of Mekele.

3. Samburu/Buffalo Springs National Reserves, Kenya
I love this reserve. Everything is a bit different. The giraffes are reticulated rather than blotchy. The zebras have far too many stripes. Some of the antelope have silly stretchy necks and feed on their hind legs like goats. Others, like the local race of Grant’s gazelle, have such large horns that you fear they might overbalance. There are also dry country oddities like the lesser kudu and oryx. The leopards seem to be more habituated to people than the lions. The bee-eaters are almost as dull as sparrows. And, look, some prankster has even dipped the guinea-fowls in a cobalt gloss paint… Heck, it’s like being on safari for the
first time!

4. Parc des Volcans, Rwanda
You’ve read it on this page before (several times), and it’s all true – staring into the liquid brown eyes of a mighty silverback gorilla is the most emotionally uplifting and satisfying wildlife experience Africa has to offer. If you haven’t done it yet, it’s about time you did. Enough said.

5. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a ‘because it’s there’ sort of person when it comes to mountains. In fact, I’m the exact opposite. But 18 months ago, after a travel lifetime based out of big cities – briefly London, more recently Johannesburg – I relocated somewhat randomly to Bergville, an overgrown village set below southern Africa’s highest mountain range. Now, I’m greeted daily by the buttressed escarpment that the Zulu call uKhahlamba (Barrier of Spears), which stretches 100km from the Amphitheatre to Giant’s Castle and is capped by the skewed pyramidal outline of Cathedral Peak. There are few sights in Africa that can compare in beauty, especially after a winter snowfall.