Walvis Bay to Tema (Accra)

Home to a beautiful lagoon, washed pale pink by a colony of resident flamingos, Walvis Bay is a colourful African call, where you can meet some of the continent’s most flamboyant wildlife. A small Namibian city on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, the city takes its name from Whale Bay – which gives a clue as to the wonderful wildlife watching opportunities available here. The deep-water blossoms with rich levels of plankton, drawing curious marine mammals in large numbers to feast.

A study in contrasting economies, Luanda is a boisterous coastal city of haves and have-nots. As capital of Africa’s second-largest oil-producing country, it has been deemed the world’s most expensive city, and since independence in 2002, everyone seems to be gunning for a piece of the post-civil war economy. Its renaissance offers a range of experiences, from cushy hotels to a restaurant-lined oceanfront promenade to locals hawking handmade goods at crowded public markets.

Pointe-Noire is a port city and oil industry hub in the Republic of the Congo. It’s also known for its beaches. The city’s train station is the terminus of the French colonial Congo-Ocean Railway. Nearby, dense rainforest surrounds the striking red cliffs of the Diosso Gorge. North of the city, Conkouati-Douli National Park features abundant wildlife and diverse terrain like lagoons, mangroves and savanna.

Pointe-Noire is a port city and oil industry hub in the Republic of the Congo. It’s also known for its beaches. The city’s train station is the terminus of the French colonial Congo-Ocean Railway. Nearby, dense rainforest surrounds the striking red cliffs of the Diosso Gorge. North of the city, Conkouati-Douli National Park features abundant wildlife and diverse terrain like lagoons, mangroves and savanna.

Pointe-Noire is a port city and oil industry hub in the Republic of the Congo. It’s also known for its beaches. The city’s train station is the terminus of the French colonial Congo-Ocean Railway. Nearby, dense rainforest surrounds the striking red cliffs of the Diosso Gorge. North of the city, Conkouati-Douli National Park features abundant wildlife and diverse terrain like lagoons, mangroves and savanna.

The two West African islands of São Tomé & Principe form the smallest nation in Africa and are probably the least known country in the world. Located in the Gulf of Guinea and straddling the equator, the islands cover an area of 386 square miles (1,000 km sq), roughly five times the size of Washington, D.C.
The Bom Bom Island Resort is located on Principe Island, which is smaller and more rugged than São Tomé. Only 10 miles (16 km) long and four miles (about six and a half kilometers) wide, Principe features breathtaking scenery of beautiful beaches and green clad mountains. Bom Bom Island Resort is the only hotel facility on Principe Island.

Tucked between Nigeria and Togo in Benin is the busy trading port of Cotonou. Named a “market town” for its coastal placement and lucrative palm oil and textile trades, Cotonou is a sprawling amorphous city, swaddled between the Atlantic coast and Lake Nakoué. Because of its especial geographical situation, Cotonou is bursting with life — visitors disembarking here will find a colourful port, alive with economic activity and very much the capital (although not in name, the official capital is Porto-Novo to the east) of the trading industry.

Lomé is the capital of Togo, in West Africa. It’s known for its palm-lined Atlantic coastline. The central Independence Monument is in a landscaped traffic circle. The nearby Congressional Palace houses the National Museum, exhibiting West African jewelry, masks, musical instruments and pottery. To the northeast, the Akodésséwa Fetish Market sells voodoo items like animal skins and skulls. ― Google

Lomé is the capital of Togo, in West Africa. It’s known for its palm-lined Atlantic coastline. The central Independence Monument is in a landscaped traffic circle. The nearby Congressional Palace houses the National Museum, exhibiting West African jewelry, masks, musical instruments and pottery. To the northeast, the Akodésséwa Fetish Market sells voodoo items like animal skins and skulls. ― Google

Ghana’s fourth-largest city plays serene beaches against a bustling commercial centre. People from around the world visit the shore, both for its beauty and to enjoy the fresh seafood served right on the sands. Frantic city life awaits a short distance inland, where an economy fuelled by Ghana’s oil industry is most apparent in the maze of vendors at Market Circle. Takoradi is also the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Elmina and Cape Coast Castle.

From a modest fishing port to the biggest in Ghana, Tema’s industrial activity has all but tarnished the charming, postcard scenery of the region. The neighbouring white-sanded beaches remain immaculate, still serving as a testimony of the rich variety of birds that can be found in the area.In the way Mother Nature intended it, gannets, boobies and kingfishers amongst other species fish in and around the cerulean waters of the coast.