Landscapes in Africa

Nachtigal Falls is a series of falls and rapids on the Sanaga River. The falls can be seen from the Batchenga bridge, but a hike will bring you closer. The Sanaga River is by the way 603 km long, making it the largest river in Cameroon.

Most of the coastline of Grande Comore is made up by black lavarocks, however there are beaches here and there, some more stunning than others. The stretch from the town of Mitsamiouli and onwards to the bay Trou du Prophète is particularly blessed with a handful of palm fringed, white sand beaches with crystal clear water so picture perfect that it leaves you wondering why you are the only one there. Adding further to the mystery is the lack of trash, which seems to be the norm for Comorian beaches elsewhere. There are a few dilapidated, out-dated hotels, which might be in business, else this little piece of paradise is just short walk from groovy Trou du Prophète or an hour minibus ride from Moroni.

This small lake is reached by a 1.5 hours hike from the village of Itsamia. Though the lake can't match up with the sea turtle nesting in Itsamia in terms of amazingness, it makes a nice day trip while waiting for the turtles (they come at nighttime). The lake is apparently connected to the sea and is therefore salty (and is fishless). The trail follows the fields of the villagers and climbs up to 100 m before descending down to the lake shore (alt. 25 m). It's best to take a guide with you from Itsamia.

Look up a map of Grande Comore, and you’ll see that this impressive volcano takes up almost half of the island. This imposing mountain is still an active volcano (the last eruption was in 2007), and many of the flows from previous eruptions can be seen around the island, some of them passing through villages. The crater of the volcano can be reached in a two-day hike (or in one long day if you are very fit), in a pretty steep and steady ascent going through plantations and dense forest, then through bushes and shrubs covered in ashes. At the rim of the crater, you could very well think you’re on the moon. As of 2014, the lava lake is under a layer of ashes, so the expected red glowing glare is not part of the scenery, but the smoking crater and the view coming down are well worth the effort.

Below the village of Miremani splashes this rather small waterfall almost straight into the sea. In words it might sound amazing, but the reality is more modest. The locals charge a small fee, which seems reasonable since they made a staircase down to it, and it's the only cut they get from the small trickle of tourists to the area. The waterfall lies a 20-minute walk from the village of Ouallah 2/Sambadjou Beach.

Most of Côte d'Ivoire is flat. The exception is the aptly named Région Dix-Huit Montagnes (Eighteen Mountains) bordering Guinea and Liberia in the western part of the country. The region isn't only the greenest and most pleasant temperature-wise, it's also the best place in Côte d'Ivoire to hike and trek. Just five kilometres to the north-west of Man is Les Cascades des Zadéplau waterfall. A further 7.5 km to the north-west is Mont Tonkoui (1,223 m), meaning "the Majestic Mountain", which can be scaled in a day by climbers and hikers accompanied by a guide. An easier target is Le Dent de Man (The Tooth of Man) just 5 km north-east of the town. Further afield, on the border of Guinea is Côte d'Ivoire's highest peak, Mont Nimba (1,752 m). This takes more planning and hikes to the top should be arranged in either the town of Danané or the border village of Gbapleu. It's well worth the trouble as the UNESCO-recognised mountain offers gorgeous views of the region as well as into both Guinea and Liberia.

The Congo River is the second largest river in the world by discharge volume (only second to the Amazon) and the second longest river in Africa (4700 km, only second to the Nile). Its basin spans nine countries in West-Central Africa and it's estimated that 75 million people depend on it for water and food. It's also the deepest measured river in the world with a mind-blowing depth of 220 m.

People will for sure be impressed when you casually slip into a conversation that the biggest granite rock in the world is in Eswatini. The rock is called Sibebe and is even the 2nd biggest rock in general, only outdone by Ayers Rock (Uluru) in Australia. However, at 3 billion years old, Sibebe is roughly 3 times older than its Australian counterpart and hardly receives any visitors. You can climb and scrabble up the face of the massive granite dome to heights over 200 m. During the clamber you will enjoy the enormity and tranquility of Sibebe, as well as be rewarded with stunning panoramas that stretch to the eastern Lubombo mountains.

The picture doesn't do Sibebe justice for it only shows a tiny ripple of this massive rock.

There are few rivers more iconic than the mighty Nile. But what most people don't realise is the Nile River is actually two rivers in one. While the White Nile starts somewhere in the Great Lakes region of central Africa, it is the Blue Nile that will be of interest to visitors in Ethiopia. Born from the waters of Tana Lake, the nearby Blue Nile falls make for an excellent day trip out of Bahir Dar. Somewhat sadly these days, with a nearby dam, the falls may be a mighty torrent one day and then a tiny trickle the next. It's a bit of the luck of the draw what you're going to get. Even still, the pleasant walk, including a suspension bridge, a 17th-century Portuguese bridge and fun river taxi are worthwhile in themselves.

Close to the border to Togo lies Wli Falls, which is known as the tallest waterfall in West Africa. It's a spectacular sight, no matter whether you scramble all the way to the top waterfall or just swim in the pool at the lower waterfall. The flat trek to the lower waterfall takes about 45 min from the entrance through lush gardens and woods. The top trek is a different story. About 4 hours return scrambling up a mud trail through trees and bushes. However, if you don't want to do the full top trek, there is nice viewpoint of the top fall about 15 mins up the trail.