Capitals in Africa
Hate it or love it – Dakar is one of Africa's most chaotic and lively cities. It is West Africa's epicentre for art, music, nightlife, food and just about every other sinful joy of life. Once you've figured out how to negotiate the traffic, hustlers and con-artists, and gotten used to the pollution, here is plenty on offer. Except in the realm of sightseeing, where Dakar has surprisingly little to offer. However, some travellers find the city too much, too large and too chaotic and prefer to get out of there quickly after the main sights have been visited. Both stances are legitimate, though it would be a shame not to spend a few days here to figure out which of the two camps you belong to.
You might wonder why a third of the Seychelles' population live in uneventful Victoria, when there are so many other pretty places. But Victoria is the centre for business, education, transport... well, pretty much anything not related to beaches. The pace is adorably slow and even the main shopping street is a calm affair. There are a few historical buildings and a small local market, but else the prettiest thing is the setting at the foot of jungle covered hills.
Centred on a large Cotton Tree, spreading itself out along the coastline and up and down the hillsides of the peninsula's interior, Freetown feels chaotic at times. Sierra Leone's capital - once you've got your bearings - has a few gems to offer besides the usual nightlife, national museum and markets Africa's capitals have on offer. The city centre is where the first freed slaves based themselves and their Krio Houses, beautiful wooden structures are still found all over the city. Freetown is also one of the most openly religious, and religiously tolerant, cities on the continent. Hundreds, if not thousands, of churches and mosques line the streets. Public transport is decorated with religious slogans. It's not uncommon to be blessed by people on the street and don't be too surprised if the immigration lady who's extending your visa suddenly begin to sing praising tunes about Jesus in an otherwise crowded office.
It is no secret to those who have watch a news broadcast or read a newspaper that Somalia has been rife to turmoil and upheaval since seemingly forever. And there are reminders of the troubled past everywhere. But what the sensationalism does not prepare you for is the peace and stability (relatively speaking) of the self-declared independent region of Somaliland. Here, there are no bombings. There are no kidnappings. Just normal everyday folks going about their daily business. And it's capital, Hargeisa, is a laid-back, easy-going town. For the traveller, there aren't any real "sights" of note. But what you get is a genuine welcome. Locals don't see you as a tourist or an invader, but as a visiting friend. The honest nature makes a stay here shockingly easy. One of the last places like it on Earth.
Located smack on the border with Ghana, Lomé is a busy, busy place. The border location makes it brimming with business, and the city's central market is one of the most active in the region. It's also the primary port of the landlocked countries to the north, Burkina Faso and Niger, so the parts of the waterfront are dominated by the large port. Between the harbour and the Ghanaian border is a long sandy beach, where many locals spent their free time. It's too dirty for swimming and too crowded for sunbathing, but there are plenty of small restaurants and drinking holes, where it's easy to waste away an afternoon. Given the city's busy nature, it should come as no surprise that Lomé is also the best place for dining out and nightlife in all of Togo.
More often than not, the capital of whatever given country is the centre of life. With museums, nightlife, shopping, transport links and everything else, the Tunisian capital of Tunis is no different. While most people seem to gravitate towards the souqs, bazars and medinas in the city, there is much more up for offer. Firstly the magnificent Bardo Museum will tantalize the sense, as much for the building as the artifacts. Architecturally, the churches, embassies and such are wonderful. There are plenty of outdoor cafes and restaurants for those culinary inclined. And there are a smattering of bars and clubs to rock the night away. Tunis has what you'd expect of a capital... everything!
Western Sahara’s major city is home to around half of the territory’s population, around 200.000 people. However, it is mainly an administrative centre, without much interest for travellers. Most visitors nevertheless use the city a pit stop travelling between Mauritania and Morocco. Here is a large market east of Place Qum Saad, and Laayoune is the last place to stuck up before going further south if you need anything more specific. If you still have a couple of hours to kill, the city-planners clearly had a thing for big empty squares and roundabouts – so you might want to check out those. Alternatively, is there a big reservoir north of town with come impressive dunes around it. A good reminder that this actually is the Sahara. If you have even more time, there a decent beach 20 km to the west of town at Laayoune Plage.
Lusaka is roughly split into two parts separated by the rail line. On the east side is Cairo Rd, Lusaka's main road, with its odd collection of 70s-futuristic concrete buildings. The crowded (as crowded as it gets in Lusaka) commercial area extends a few blocks east where traders fill the sidewalks and corners with their goods of fruits, outdated cellphone accessories and second-hand clothes. The west side is the more modern one consisting of fancy malls among quiet tree lined residential neighbourhoods. There are no sights to speak of in Lusaka and the biggest landmark is probably the nuclear-power-plant-look-alike chimney. Welcome to Lusaka!