1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  ELMINA CASTLE

  Elmina, Ghana

  Perched on the water’s edge about 3 hours west of Accra stands Elmina Castle, the first European slave-trading post in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Originally built in 1482 by the Portuguese to protect the gold traffic, the castle was captured by the Dutch in 1637 and used primarily to trade, house, and dispatch slaves. While European merchants were lodged in luxury accommodations in the upper levels, slaves captured in the African interior were jammed into appallingly filthy quarters, sometimes as many as 200 or 300 to a cell, without enough space to move or sit. It is estimated that by the 18th century, 30,000 slaves a year passed through the “Door of No Return,” a small, metal-gated exit from the white stone fortress. From there, they were loaded onto ships for the brutal, months-long journey known as the Middle Passage, bound for a life of slavery, usually in the Portuguese colony of Brazil or the Carribean. Elmina Castle eventually fell to the British, who outlawed the slave trade in 1833. The building was restored in 1957 by the Ghanaian government after its people gained total independence, and a plaque now hangs at the entrance, imploring, “May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity. We the living vow to uphold this.”

  Despite its grim past, the town of Elmina now has its lighter distractions. The harbor is the site of a lively market, along with a collection of colorful pirogue fishing boats. Climb St. Jago hill for views of the “old town,” which has been undergoing restoration since 2003; it is due to be completed in 2015. And while passing through small fishing villages on the road to Accra, look for the coffin-carpentry shops. The Ga tribe in this area celebrate death by creating brightly colored “fantasy coffins,” whose shapes represent some facet or love of the deceased’s life: a fish for a fisherman, a hammer, a car, even a beer bottle for someone who loved to drink.

  Elmina Castle has become an important destination for African Americans looking to explore their heritage.

  WHERE: 100 miles/167 km west of Accra. HOW: U.S.-based Wilderness Travel offers 15-day trips to Ghana, Benin, and Togo. Tel 800-368-2794 or 510-558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.com. Cost: from $5,995. Originates in Accra. When: Mar and Dec. BEST TIME: Nov–Feb to avoid the rainy season.

  Magnificent Mud

  THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DJENNÉ AND DOGON COUNTRY

  Djenné, Mali

  Mopti, an energetic river port and trading center built on three islands at the confluence of the Niger and Bani rivers, is a melting pot. It is also the gateway to the centuries-old city of Djenné, 60 miles to the southwest, a once affluent and powerful market center in the trans-Saharan gold trade, located on the river route to Timbuktu (see next page). It fell under the influence of Muslim merchants in the 13th century, and within 200 years it was a center of Islamic learning, a place where children from all West Africa were sent to be educated. Magnificent buildings were constructed from the main material at hand—mud—and half a millennium later, Djenné has survived as one of the world’s largest and most beautiful mud-brick towns, with some 2,000 traditional houses. Its superb Great Mosque was built in 1907 after a 13th-century model and is touched up every spring after the heavy rains by thousands of volunteers amid a festive atmosphere. It is the largest and most elaborate mud structure in the world.

  Try to schedule your visit for Monday, when Mali’s most vibrant market spreads out in front of the mosque. Keep an eye out for bogolan, handwoven mud-cloth that incorporates the colors of the Malian bush, and ball-shaped soap made from shea butter harvested from a local tree. To quench shoppers’ thirst, vendors sell plastic bags of fresh ginger juice and bright-red bissap juice brewed from hibiscus petals, then chilled.

  South of here is the geographically isolated Dogon country, home to a civilization that has so far resisted both Christianity and Islam, preserving the traditions of its animist ancestors, who came here 700 years ago. More than 700 Dogon villages, most with fewer than 500 inhabitants, are built entirely of mud around a central toguna, the traditional men’s meeting place.

  The villages blend so harmoniously with the rocky, monochromatic surroundings that you can find yourself looking straight at one without realizing it’s there. The Dogon are highly artistic, as shown by their beautifully molded mud granaries, mosques, and churches and by their intricately carved wooden masks, whose meanings remain unknown to outsiders. They are used in fantastic damas (traditional dances honoring their ancestors) including those performed during the most important Dogon festival of the year, the Fête des Masques, held every spring.

  Three minarets stand above the mosque’s main face, one of the most recognized landmarks in Africa.

  WHERE: 395 miles/635 km northeast of the capital city of Bamako; 220 miles/354 km southwest of Timbuktu. HOW: U.S.-based Geographic Expeditions offers 9-day tours of Mali. Tel 800-777-8183 or 415-922-0448; www.geoex.com. Cost: from $4,800, all-inclusive. Originates in Bamako. When: Nov and Dec. BEST TIMES: Nov–Jan for coolest weather; Apr–May for the Fête des Masques.

  Doorway to the End of the World

  TIMBUKTU

  Mali

  Settled by Tuaregs—the nomadic Berbers known as the “Blue Men of the Sahara”—sometime in the 11th or 12th century, Timbuktu bears one of those fabled names that conjures up a far-off corner of the world that is impossible to reach, a cité mystérieuse et mystique, as the French called it. It thrived in the 13th century as a key location just north of the Niger River on the ancient trans-Saharan caravan routes, which transported ivory, gold, salt, and slaves. It was known in Europe for its material and intellectual wealth and for its dissemination of Islam throughout Africa. In the 15th century as many as 25,000 scholars may have studied here. Many historical documents were hidden in chests and buried in the sand, and are now being unearthed. In 2009, Timbuktu opened a library dedicated to preserving this ancient town’s treasure trove of books and manuscripts.

  Today the city, with a population of approximately 35,000, is little visited in spite of its great mosques—Djingareyber, Sankoré, and Sidi Yahia—built between the 14th and 16th centuries and still standing amid the city’s adobe buildings and the desert’s shifting sands. They evoke Mali’s former glory as one of the most powerful nations in Africa, while much that surrounds them points to its current status as one of the world’s poorest.

  Nevertheless, the government has made an effort to attract more tourism, most notably with Le Festival au Désert, a 3-day world music festival and celebration of Tuareg culture that takes place in January in the oasis town of Essakane, about two hours north of Timbuktu. The event harks back to the annual gatherings the Blue Men of the Desert have hosted for centuries to settle disputes, race camels, exchange ideas about the issues of the day, and then show off their swordsmanship and play music. The range of music today goes beyond Tuareg tunes—you might catch anything from an impromptu reunion of the famed Malian group Super Rail Band de Bamako to a duet by Jimmy Buffett and Oumou Sangaré, the “songbird” of West African Wassoulou music.

  Tuaregs are called the “Blue Men of the Sahara.”

  WHERE: 625 miles/1,006 km northeast of Bamako. HOW: U.S.-based Wilderness Travel offers a 15-day tour of Mali that features Le Festival au Désert. Tel 800-368-2794 or 510-558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.com. Cost: from $5,995, all-inclusive. Originates in Bamako. LE FESTIVAL AU DÉSERT: www.festival-au-desert.org. Cost: admission $190. BEST TIME: Nov–Jan for coolest weather.

  EAST AFRICA AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

  The Four Corners of Southern Africa

  CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

  Botswana

  At Chobe National Park, in a corner of Africa that evokes the game-rich continent of old, four countries come together: Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The 4,200-square-mile park teems with all kinds of wildlife but is best known for its incredible birds and also for its huge elephant population—in the dry season, it holds Africa’s highest concentration of them. Sunset boat rides along the Chobe River float you past herds of the creatures, along with yawning h
ippos, giant storks, and flocks of myriad waterfowl lining the banks. The floodplains are full of grazing buffalo and big game, while the skies and trees are dotted with raptors, including the lappet-faced vulture and the bright-beaked bateleur eagle.

  Overnight boat tours of the park are now possible as well, thanks to the 2009 launch of the Zambezi Queen, a sleek, three-decked riverboat that docks in Kasane and ferries 28 passengers (in 14 roomy suites) up and down the river. The park is also a perfect day trip from Victoria Falls (see p. 435), but for maximum impact, stay at the Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero. Secluded and sitting high on a hill, its 15 luxurious, thatch-roofed bungalows, each with its own garden, afford the best lookout over the park and the river. (The name of the lodge translates to “riveting view.”) Each has a spacious bathroom with a freestanding window-side tub. If those don’t provide enough relaxation, the lodge’s full-service spa is surely up to the task.

  WHERE: Kasane Airport is 63 miles/100 km west of Livingstone, Zambia. HOW: U.S.-based Abercrombie & Kent offers scheduled safaris and customized itineraries that include Chobe. Tel 800-323-7308 or 630-725-3400; www.abercrombiekent.com. Cost: 12-day trip from $8,495. Originates in Johannesberg. When: Apr–May, Jul–Sep, and Nov. ZAMBEZI QUEEN: In South Africa, tel 27/21-438-0032; www.zambeziqueen.com. Cost: 2-night cruises from $925 (off-peak), from $1,275 (peak), all-inclusive. CHOBE CHILWERO LODGE: Tel 44/20-7190-7728; www.sanctuarylodges.com. Cost: $655 (off-peak), $995 (peak) per person, all-inclusive. BEST TIME: Jun–Sep for cooler, drier weather.

  Land of the Bushmen

  JACK’S CAMP

  Kalahari Desert, Botswana

  Ostrich Jack—hunter, explorer, bush hero—fell in love with the magic of this remote corner of Botswana in the 1960s, pitched camp, and never left. Today an old-fashioned, permanent safari camp run by Jack’s son, Ralph Bousfield, stands on the edge of the Makgadikgadi salt pans in the middle of the Kalahari, a desert bigger than the state of Texas. This is the home of the much romanticized San Bushmen (aka Basarwa), hunter-gatherers who anthropologists believe represent the most ancient race on earth. Ralph has inherited his father’s passion for this moonlike landscape, and he and his partner, Catherine, arrange for such exhilarating activities as ATV treks across the pans, or sleeping under the star-studded black skies. You can join a traditional hunt with the Bushmen or simply accompany one on a walk as he points out the camp’s wildlife and unique and delicate ecosystem, including the ever-present meerkats. Even for the jaded traveler, the light, silence, solitude, and sheer vastness of the space here guarantee a unique safari experience.

  Jack’s Camp has a double life. When the rains come, the salt pans—once the bed of a lake the size of Lake Victoria—sprout green and create an abundant water source for enormous flocks of flamingos. It becomes one of the last open migration routes in Africa and wildebeest and zebra arrive by the thousands, with lions, cheetahs, and hyenas fast on their heels. This is an unblemished, wild Africa evocative of other times. So are the ten classic 1940s canvas tents set up in a palm oasis and furnished with the iron beds and worn Persian carpets that once belonged to Ralph’s grandparents. The outdoor showers—featuring the Southern Cross as your ceiling—clouds of mosquito netting, chambray sheets, and a silver tea service only enhance the irresistible romanticism.

  If you want something more affordable, try the nearby, funky-but-stylish Planet Baobab, owned by the same people and community-run. Here they eschew colonial trappings and offer comfortable, contemporary versions of the locals’ grass-and-mud huts. Guests gather at the colorful, open-sided bar, lounge on cowhide-covered chairs (under a surprisingly beautiful chandelier made from empty green beer bottles), sip a local brew, and exchange adventures of the day.

  Gemsbok are a kind of antelope commonly found in the Kalahari Desert.

  WHERE: 124 miles/200 km southeast of Maun. HOW: Uncharted Africa books trips to both Jack’s Camp and Planet Baobab. Tel 267/241-2277; www.unchartedafrica.com. Cost: Jack’s Camp from $1,020 (off-peak), from $1,275 (peak) per person, all-inclusive. Planet Baobab from $165 for double huts. BEST TIMES: Apr–Oct for dry weather; Nov–Mar for wildebeest and zebra migration in the wet season.

  Big-Game Hunting—for Lions Only

  NEW SELINDA RESERVE

  Botswana

  Lions, large herds of elephants, and packs of wild dogs are just part of what distinguishes the Selinda Reserve, a 320,000-acre private wildlife sanctuary in northern Botswana that links the outer reaches of the Okavango Delta (see below) in the west with the Linyanti marshes in the east. There’s much more that makes this place spectacular, however, and the husband-and-wife team of Dereck and Beverly Joubert have captured nearly all of it over the past 25 years in their award-winning National Geographic documentaries. But it’s only since 2007 that the two have truly been able to share this gem with the outside world. That’s when they and a small group of equally passionate conservationist friends purchased the Selinda Reserve, in the northeast corner of the park, with an eye to ecotourism. After imposing a moratorium on hunting, they rebuilt the camps, keeping them small and intimate. Today, Selinda Camp’s nine canvas tents have attractive wooden floors and verandas, and each is appointed with deep stone baths and beds that encourage siestas. You’ll see more elephants than you will other guests. Located to the south and powered entirely by solar energy, Zafara Camp (“the beloved one”) is even smaller, with just four open-air tents. But what grand tents they are. Each measures 1,000 square feet, and includes an outdoor shower, private plunge pool, leather sofas, and its own bar.

  While the fondness of Selinda’s lions for hunting large animals is legendary, this is also a place to glimpse spotted predators—cheetahs on the open plains and leopards in the dense woodlands. Or you can track elephants, hippos, and giraffes; quietly observe packs of wild dogs; or wait in a secret hide to see what comes along—perhaps the rare slaty egrets and wattled cranes coming to fish, or a herd of buffalo in search of a drink. Lodge guests may also follow the trails through riparian forests and open plains, arriving at a remote clearing to find that an overnight bush camp has been set up for them and dinner awaits under the stars.

  WHERE: In northern Botswana, 30 minutes by air charter from Maun. SELINDA and ZAFARA: www.greatplainsconservation.com. Cost: Selinda from $650 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), from $995 (peak); Zafara from $1,095 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), from $1,630 (peak). HOW: U.S.-based The Wild Source provides customized itineraries featuring Selinda. Tel 720-497-1250; www.thewildsource.com. BEST TIME: Jul–Sep when weather is drier and game is most abundant.

  An Incomparable Wildlife Oasis

  OKAVANGO DELTA

  Botswana

  The inland delta where the Okavango River meets the Kalahari Desert has been called the world’s largest oasis. The Okavango, a tributary of the mighty Zambezi, creates a unique “water in the desert” ecosystem the size of Switzerland, forming floodplains, lagoons, channels, and islands that all act as a magnet for wildlife. As a local brochure puts it, “If you see 10 percent of what sees you, it’s an exceptional day.” The birdlife is second to none, and there are legions of elephants, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, and hippos. As you glide through a labyrinth of papyrus-fringed, lily-covered waterways in the traditional mokoro dugout canoe or explore islands and islets on foot, you’re immersed in a lush environment of otherworldly colors and sounds. Climb atop an elephant for an even better view of the wildlife. At Wilderness Safari’s Abu Camp, consisting of six canvas tents on elevated wooden decks, the stars are a motley crew of elephants that owner Randall Moore adopted from zoos. The smell from these sure-footed beasts masks your own, so the mahout (trainer) who straddles the neck of your mount can approach animals that would normally run from humans.

  The camp is one of several excellent private safari concessions that surround the Okavango Delta’s Moremi Wildlife Reserve. Also owned by Wilderness Safari is Mombo Camps, a group of perched, tented suites on Chief’s Island, in the northeast, and the spare and
beautiful, wood-decked Vumbura Plains Camps overlooking a waterhole on the edge of a large floodplain in the extreme north. Or you can choose to stay at either Xudum or Xaranna, two new properties opened by the luxury travel firm &Beyond in the southern part of the delta. There’s nothing rough about these camps’ huge billowing tents, contemporary lines, indoor-outdoor showers, and, in some cases, private plunge pools.

  Mokoro dugout canoes carry travelers through the endless waterways of the Okavango Delta.

  WHERE: 62 miles/100 km north of Maun; 30 minutes by scheduled air charter. ABU, MOMBO, AND VUMBURA CAMPS: www.wilderness-safaris.com. Cost: Abu from $2,625, Mombo $1,570 (off-peak) and $1,995 (peak), Vumbura $1,095 (off-peak) and $1,630 (peak), all per person, all-inclusive. How: U.S.-based Natural Migrations offers customized safari itineraries, including to the Wilderness Safaris camps. Tel 866-988-7575 or 541-988-7575; www.naturalmigrations.com. XUDUM and XARANNA: Contact &Beyond in South Africa, tel 27/11-809-4314; in the U.S., 888-882-3742; www.andbeyondafrica.com. Cost: from $600 (off-peak), from $1,500 (peak) per person per night, all-inclusive. BEST TIME: May–Sep for coolest, driest weather.

  Palaces, Castles, and Churches in an Ancient Capital

  GONDER

  Amhara Region, Ethiopia

  Strategically positioned at the foothills of the Simien Mountains, one of the highest ranges in Africa, the fortress city of Gonder became in the 17th century the first capital of the Ethiopian empire, under Emperor Fasilides. The city flourished for more than 200 years, thanks to its location at the meeting point of three caravan routes, until Emperor Tewodros II (aka Theodore) relocated the capital to Magdala, a mountain stronghold that fell to the British less than 13 years later.