Capitals in Africa

One of the busiest port in Africa, Djibouti City has a sort of salty-seaman feel to it. Hot, humid and decaying, the former French colony still bares the markers of its former ruler. The old town of Djibouti abounds with the pastels and facades common in 19th-century French buildings. The tight and hemmed in streets are full of vibrant cultural life, while the buildings seem to be slowly dying. Even the mosques and market are stylistically in tune with the period. Sure, Djibouti is expensive. Sure it's hard to get to. But the reward is being one of the few tourists to wander its streets caught in a time warp.

On the paper Cairo can seem like an exciting capital filled with amazing sights: Pyramids, the Nile, historical museums, ancient mosques, traditional souqs, cave churches, the list goes on, but for first time visitors Cairo will just be a chaotic traffic jam. Sights are spread all over town, meaning you have to crisscross downtown, which is a confusing maze of roads and small lanes. There are no really city centre and every street is jampacked with people, goods, and cars, meaning getting from A to B takes an eternity. The air is dusty and the heat is suffocating. So yes, the first couple of days in Cairo will probably be hard, but then the city will grown on you.

The Eritrean capital of Asmara is not at all what you might expect from an African capital of one of the poorest countries on Earth. Firstly, as the 6th highest capital city, Asmara literally elevates you above the heat and humidity plaguing neighbouring big cities. But Asmara's cool feel is more than mere geography. The anarchy and chaos of places like Djibouti or Addis have not made their way here. Wide boulevards remain largely uncongested and shockingly orderly. While the city may lack any significant tourist sites, it's instead the Italian influenced, street-side cafe culture that ends up filling your day. People watching is the name of the game. Although considering Eritrea is also one of the least visited countries on Earth, most of those people are likely watching you!

Despite being the capital and the largest city in Eswatini, Mbabane has the atmosphere of a large village. The town is relaxed and the people are welcoming and friendly. Not many visitors drop by, so they are curious about the few who come. There is not much to see in Mbabane in terms of... well, anything. However, Mbabane does have an oversized Taiwanese embassy, probably due to the fact that Eswatini is one of the few nations that officially recognise Taiwan as an independent state. The centre of action is at the minibus station and the next door open air Swazi Plaza, but don't get fooled with the fancy name, it's very simple. Mbabane is best used as a base to get to nearby sights like Sibebe Rock and Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, but if you have your own mean of transportation, there is no reason to stay there.

Downtown Libreville is so chilled and easygoing that it's hard to believe it's an African capital. The sidewalks are clean and nobody is harassing you as you stroll along the picturesque waterfront. Libreville is flooded with oil money, so it is known as one of the most expensive cities in Africa. However, there aren't any major sights beside some funky looking architecture, so many travelers choose not to spend much time here.

Let's be honest. The Gambia's capital is pretty much a dump. Most streets are full of litter and undrained rainwater; it's completely dead after 8 pm, and it's probably the only African capital where people are moving out of the city. Not surprisingly, locals and tourists alike prefer the busy market town of Serekunda or the beach towns along the coast. Despite this, the town does have a few sights that justify spending half a day here. Notable the informative, if slightly confusing, national museum and Arch 22. The latter celebrates the 1994 military coup and offers fine views over the city. A stroll between these two museums passes both the Parliament, the Supreme Court and the State House (presidential palace) – just don't pull out your camera as this will land you in trouble with the security forces. Finally, the Albert Market has hassle written all over it and should be avoided unless in cases of extreme desperation for bringing home that last souvenir. The only other reason for going to Banjul is the ferry crossing across the Gambia River to Barra.

Accra doesn't feel very much like a capital city. Too spread out, without a central business district or another obvious centre. Most interesting for travellers are probably the area around Independence Square with its Black Star Triumphal Arch. Here visitors will also find the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park for Ghana's first president, and the National Cultural Centre – a glorified collection of craft stalls. To the west are Jamestown and Ushertown, known as Old Accra, and to the east Osu (or Christiansborg) Castle, which will eventually open as a museum. North of Independence Square is the central government quarter with governmental and administrative buildings as well as the National Museum. Foodies and party people will want to head northeast where nightlife and the restaurant scene is concentrated around Oxford Street.

Guinea's capital is, by most accounts, horrible. It's chaotic, dirty and poor. It's also uncomfortably humid and overpriced. Photographers will instantly be targeted by corrupt officers in the downtown area should they flaunt their cameras. The city's saving grace, however, is its nightlife. Easily on par with Dakar's, Conakry's nightlife distinguishes itself from typical West African partying by being dominated by local music. Nightclubs, live music venues, bars and dives rarely play the typical American pop and RnB that is otherwise rotated through sound systems across the region. Instead, local and regional music are favoured by the city's DJ’s. And it's not only Guinea's starts who get the parties started. Tunes from across the region, as far afield as Capo Verde and Nigeria, will turn dusk into dawn throughout the city.

By far the most pleasant of West Africa's capital cities. The small city centre of Bissau, called Praca, has more in common with a provincial town in Portugal than with the chaotic atmosphere usually associated with West Africa's big cities. The streets are lined with Portuguese-era buildings, usually only one or two stories high; traffic is relatively light; and it's safe to take a stroll after daylight has fainted - restaurants, rather than bars or nightclubs, keep Bissau awake once the sun has set. Granted, "only" 400.000 people call Bissau home, but it is still more than five times as many as in Guinea-Bissau's second city, Batafá. Thus, Bissau is, no doubt, the country's first city and the country's only large city. The markets lie in the sprawling suburbs and keep the hectic characteristics of trade outside the centre, and the port, while right next to the central city, is too small to be of any real annoyance. To sum up, Bissau's central district is pleasant and inviting, without been too dull.

Let's face it, Maseru is not the centre of the world. It's even located as far from the centre of Lesotho as possible, right on the border to South Africa. It's a clutter of those buildings that any nation needs to function, like public offices, banks, hospital, etc. and a few coffee shops which seem to be favoured by foreign NGOs. Though the pace is slow and people are friendly, there is absolutely no reason to spend more time here than necessary, particularly when the beautiful Lesotho highlands are right at the doorstep.