Five Places You Should Visit In Africa Before You Die

Sometime last week, my little cousins and I re-watched the movie, ‘The Bucket List’. If you haven’t seen the film, the story line goes something like this: On realizing they’ve got only few months to live, two terminally ill men embark on an around-the-world vacation to exotic destinations they never had the chance to visit. After the movie I found myself drawing up a list of African places/wonders everyone must visit before they die. These are my top five. Make sure you visit at least one of these places before you make the journey home.

1. The Annual Wildebeest Migration

Location: Serengeti, Tanzania & Masaai Mara, Kenya

The annual wildebeest migration has often been referred to as ‘The Greatest show on Earth.’ Every year, two million wild animals – wildebeests, buffaloes and zebras – leave Serengeti in Tanzania in a united force to the northern plains of the Masaai Mara Conservation Area, located hundreds of miles away in neighboring Kenya. The animals go in search of fresh grass and water, defying national barriers and enduring attacks from crocodiles in the high waters and carnivorous beasts in the fields. It’s a breathtaking spectacle better experienced than imagined. Each year, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world flock to the Serengeti and Masaai Mara to savor the experience.

2. The Great Pyramids

Location: Gaza, West of Cairo.

Built between 2700-2500 BC as tombs for Pharaohs, the great Pyramids of Giza remain Egypt’s most renowned landmark and heritage site. The Great Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu is the largest of the lot and one of the original Seven Wonders of the World.  Khufu’s Pyramid was constructed with 2.3 million stones each weighing 2.5 tons and covers 13 acres.

3. Ngorongoro Crater

Location: Ngorongoro, Tanzania.

The world’s largest volcanic crater, Tanzanians refer to the spectacle as ‘Africa’s Eden.’ The crater was formed about 3 million years ago when a giant volcano of about 19,000 meters in height collapsed as the magma beneath it exploded. Today, Ngorongoro Crater is the permanent home of over 25, 000 wild safari animals including lions, tigers, rhinos, hyenas, zebras and elephants, providing one of the best game viewing sites in the world.

4. Victoria Falls

Location: Zambia & Zimbabwe.

Located on the Zambezi River, the Victoria Falls is the most powerful waterfall in the world. Its perimeter measures 100 meters high and 1700 feet long. The magic of the waterfall comes into play when the tranquil waters of the Zambezi River run into the edge of the Victoria Falls chasm on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. The water plunges 100 feet to the bottom, creating towering mists and roaring sounds. As a result, locals fondly refer to the waterfall as “Mosi-oa-Tunya” which translates as ‘The smoke that thunders.’

5. The Sahara Desert

North Africa

With frequent sand storms, dust devils and a generally unfriendly climate, the Sahara is not much of a vacation destination, but you can dare to visit anyway. The world’s largest desert, the Sahara stretches 5,000 kilometers across Northern Africa and occupies half the area of the African continent. In area, the Sahara is as big as the United States and larger than Australia. Despite its dryness and intense heat, the desert reportedly has occupied villages.