Despite the climatic hazards of which it is a victim, Africa contains on its territory riches of incredible diversity and beauty. If only in the field of natural tourist attractions, they compete with each other. And sometimes in one and the same country. Among these, we can mention twenty (20) great Nature Destinations that are really worth the detour and deserve to be discovered.
16 - Kruger Park in South Africa
Its reputation precedes it to the four corners of the world. The Kruger Park is a must for Parks in Africa.
Kruger National Park or Kruger Park, is South Africa's largest game reserve. With an area that extends over 20,000 km2, i.e. a length of 350 km from North to South and a width of 60 km from East to West, its vastness often makes it compared to countries like Israel or Wales. This is called the Greater Kruger.
Originally, there were several more or less large reserves. In the first half of the 1990s, they were groupe together to form what would become the Association of Private Nature Reserves (APNR) and integrated into the Kruger Park domain. It owes its name to Paul Kruger (1825-1904), President of the South African Republic of the Transvaal. It was following his initiative to create the Sabie Game Reserve that the Park was finally established in 1926.
Visitors will be able to discover several African animal species, including the Big 5: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo. But there are also spotted hyenas, Burchell's zebras, hippos, wild dogs, etc. to see. It offers opportunities for travel and discovery all year round. But the best times are from November to April.
Located in the Northeast of the country, in the East of the former Transvaal (now Mpumalanga and Limpopo), the Kruger Park shares its borders with Zimbabwe to the North and Mozambique to the East. This proximity has created a large biodiversity protection area that includes Kruger Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. This makes it one of the regions of Africa with a large transfrontier park called the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Since 2001, it has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
17 – The Danakil Desert between Ethiopia and Eritrea
The Danakil Desert or Danakil Desert is an equally amazing, wonderful, and dangerous place. It is found in Northeastern Ethiopia and Southern Eritrea. There, the elements of Nature express themselves, with all their strength, to produce a breathtaking spectacle.
There is certainly the desert as such and the aridity that characterizes it, but also the famous Dallol or Dallol Volcano which is located in this Danakil Desert. Located about fifteen kilometers from the border with Eritrea, this volcano is a geological site that is the subject of numerous studies. It is precisely under the thick layer of salt that the volcano is located. In the language of the Afar, Dallol would mean "disintegrated" or "dislocated". Indeed, the Dallol is made of salt, sulphur, geysers, acidic hot springs which give it an air of beginning or end of the world.
The Danakil, as it is commonly called, between the Danakil block and the Dancalie depression is part of what specialists call the Afar depression. Despite the exceptionally high temperatures found there, life thrives there. Besides its salt deposits that have made this desert an attraction, there are several species of animals. We can mention among them the African wild ass, which is probably the region of birth, the Grévy's zebra, the gazelle of Soemmering.
18 – Pendjari National Park in Benin Republic
It is located in the North-West of Benin Republic, in the Department of Atacora, and extends over the territories of the Municipalities of Matéri and Tanguiéta. The Park has 3 entrances: Porga in the North-West, Batia in the South and Konkombri in the East, the main entrance being that of Batia.
Located 650 km from Cotonou, 420 km from Ouagadougou and about 490 km from Niamey, the Pendjari National Park is the last largest park in West Africa. Apart from the Safaris it offers, its flora and fauna are just as diverse. There are more than 360 recorded species of birds, with rare species such as the Pluvian Fluviatile and the Crowned Crane.
Throughout West and Central Africa, with the sole exception of the Rhinoceros, this is the park where you can observe all the other animals of the Big 5: lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo.
Pendjari National Park has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve under the name Pendjari Biosphere Reserve since 1986. The government of Benin Republic has decided to entrust the management of the park to African Parks since 2017.
Like many other parks, the Pendjari is part of a whole that includes the parks of neighboring countries to form the transnational complex W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP). Covering an area of 32,250 km2 and covering the territories of Benin Republic, Burkina Faso and Niger, the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex was inscribed in 1996 on the World Heritage List, covers a large expanse of Sudano-Sahelian savannah intact, with vegetation types including grasslands, shrublands, tree savannahs and extensive gallery forests. This is the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savannah belt. The property is a refuge for wild species which have disappeared elsewhere in West Africa or which are highly threatened. It is home to the largest population of elephants in West Africa.
19 – Mount Kilimanjaro between Tanzania and Kenya
Mount Kilimanjaro or Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa. It culminates at an altitude of 5,895 m. This mountain, which is the highest peak or the roof of Africa, is a great attraction for climbing enthusiasts, tourists and other high-level athletes.
Its summit is covered with snow and the microclimate that has developed around this altitude has given rise to a kind of mountain forest where several species have found refuge. Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes in the world which comprises three main volcanic peaks. Namely: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. It is the largest isolated volcanic massif in the world.
Apart from trekking and other excursions, Kilimanjaro offers in its cloud forest species such as Podocarpus milanjianus, epiphytes whose including mosses and pteridophytes cover are observable on 80% of the trees. In its cloud forest, one can discover the African Juniper but also Afrocarpus gracilior, Hagenia abyssinica, the arborescent Heather, mosses and lichens. Fauna includes: monkeys, birds, etc. Since 1987, Kilimanjaro National Park has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
20 – The Seychelles and its islands
The Seychelles is a country that is known to be a hotspot for biodiversity in Africa. With some 115 islands scattered between the Indian Ocean and East Africa, the Seychelles is one of the most popular tourist Destinations in Africa. The richness of its fauna and its highly endemic nature soon led to the country being baptized as the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”. Both 85% of its animals and 45% of its plant species considered endemic. Which makes it a kind of exceptional Nature. Moreover, the objective of this island country is to manage to protect 30% of its oceanic territory.
Apart from the islands with fine sandy beaches, another type of tourism is possible, that of the discovery of Nature. Several activities are available to choose from: hiking or water sports. Big game fishing allows you to go offshore. But there is also scuba diving, either snorkeling or scuba diving.
Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the outer islands that the initiative will help preserve. Its coral reefs have been naturally protected, due to its isolation which has kept it away from tourist flows. Morne Seychellois National Park and Praslin National Park have a range of animal and plant species that are typically endemic. In the Praslin National Park, the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve that can be discovered includes a forest of palm trees which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Continuation and end.
By Serge Félix N’Piénikoua
