10.) Sahara Desert
One of the striking features
of the desert that sometimes gets no rain for several years is the mountain
ranges whose peaks offer magnificent snow during the winter season. They
include Tibesti in Chad, Hoggar in Algeria and Azbine in Niger.Sand sheets and dunes are
also major attractions of the Sahara Desert and so is the Qattara Depression
(Egypt) – the lowest point of the Sahara at 130 meters above the sea level.
9.) The Nile River
The Nile River is a major
north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, running for 6,695 kilometers
through ten countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC Congo,
South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt.The river has two major
tributaries: the Blue Nile (source of most water and fertile soil) and the
White Nile (the longer tributary). The two tributaries meet near the Sudanese
capital, Khartoum, from where the river flows almost entirely through a desert.
The Nile river ends in a wide delta that drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
8.) Table Mountain
Offering a spectacular
backdrop to South Africa’s city of Cape Town, the Table Mountain is a
flat-topped mountain forming part of the Table Mountain National Park.
The prominent landmark is
one of the most famous mountains in Africa and a significant tourist
attraction, offering mountain climbers several trails of varying difficulty.The mountain is renowned for
the sheets of clouds (referred to as table cloth) that pours incessantly down
the slopes – attributed (in old women tales) to a smoking competition between
the devil and a local pirate called Van Hunks.Table mountain was named one
of the Seven Wonders of Nature in
November 2011through an Online poll.
7.) Okavango Delta
Situated in northern
Botswana within the Kalahari Basin, Okavango Delta is the world’s largest
inland delta and one of the world’s greatest enigmas of water in a desert.The delta covers an area of
over 17,000 square kilometers and it was formed thousands of years ago after
the drying up of Lake Makgadikgadi. The lake used to be fed by the Okavango
River, which today empties its water into the sands of the Kalahari desert
forming the Okavango Delta – a spectacular labyrinth of inland lagoons,
floodplains, waterways and forested islands.
Okavango Delta is considered
one of the best safari destinations in Africa due to its diverse flora and
fauna. The delta is home to the Nile crocodile, African buffalo, African bush
elephant, the black and white rhino among many other animal species. Over 500
species of birds have been recorded in the delta.
6.) Ngorongoro Crater
Located near the Southern
Serengeti in Tanzania, Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unbroken
volcanic caldera measuring 19 km across and 600 meters deep from its rim to its
floor.Ngorongoro Crater has a
total floor area of 260 square kilometers and is considered a natural enclosure
for wildlife, thanks to the thriving population of animals inhabiting the
floor.
5.) Congo Basin
Lying astride the Equator in
central Africa, the Congo basin is home to the second largest rain-forest in
the world after that of the Amazon.Covering more than one
million square kilometers in six countries, it represents about a fifth of the
earth’s remaining closed canopy tropical forest.Congo basin is one of the
most popular eco tourism destinations in Africa. The rich flora and fauna and
the diverse landscapes make the basin an ideal destination for an African
holiday
4.) Fish River Canyon
Located in the south of
Namibia, the Fish River Canyon is the world’s second largest canyon after the
famous Grand Canyon in Colorado.
The spectacular canyon
features a mammoth ravine (160km) which is up to 27 km wide and 550 meters deep
in some sections.
In the belly of the ravine
flows the Fish River, Namibia’s longest interior river. The river flows
periodically, flooding in summer and becoming a chain of long narrow pools for
the better part of the year.The Canyon is home to a
thriving population of wild animals including kudu, mountain zebra, wild horses
as well as a prolific bird life with more than 60 bird species.
3.) The Great Wildebeest
Migration
The plains of Masai Mara
Game Reserve (Kenya) and Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) are renowned for
the Great Wildebeest Migration – an annual wildlife show that sees over 2.5
million wildebeest and zebras moving to greener pastures as the seasons change. Although the event is
unpredictable, visitors who tour the Masai Mara between July and September are
likely to catch the migration.
2.) Kilimanjaro
Located in northern Tanzania,
Mount Kilimanjaro is an extinct volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park and the
highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 meters above sea level.The mountain has three
peaks: Shira at 3,962 meters, Mawezi at 5,149 meters and Kibo (also known as
Uhuru) at 5,895 meters. Kilimanjaro is also the world’s tallest free-standing
mountain.
Thanks to its accessibility
to anyone of modest fitness level, Kilimanjaro is extremely popular with both
experienced and inexperienced climbers.
At 1,708 meters wide and 108
meters high, Victoria Falls – also known as “Mosi-o-Tunya,” (the Smoke that
Thunders) are the world’s largest curtain of falling waters.
Its depth varies from 80
meters on its western end to 108 meters in its center. Read more on Victoria Falls. What a wonder !
One should see one of these wonders.
Africa travel guide.
