18 Days Central African Adventure Tour

About the destination: Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Ethiopia is an ancient land with rich history and cultural heritage and its capital city is no exception, Addis is full of culture and impressive monuments of colonial architecture. The huge area around Mercato is a picturesque part of the city. It is a colorful open market that offers everything from food to paintings of biblical scenes. The calls from the minarets happen five times a day to call the faithful Muslims to prayer. The mosques and churches are close to each other offering a fascinating merging of worlds worth experiencing. Other important sights of the city are the Emperor’s Palace, the Menelik II Mausoleum located in a cellar under a small church on a hill overlooking the city, the Africa Hall, a convention hall with beautiful stained, the Lion Park, the Ethiopian Museum, the Grand Mosque, the Lion of Judah statue and the octagonal Church of St. George. Addis Abeba is exciting and full of contrast, a mix of the past and the present, and it offers the chance to experience big-city Africa in an entirely inviting atmosphere.

About the destination: Located in the far south-western reaches of the country, Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the third largest city in Africa. Once dubbed Kin-la-belle, traces of the colonial city can still be observed along the nicer suburbs of Gombe and Ma Campagne where huge shady trees provide shelter to well-to-do homes and embassies that dot the area. The main road, Boulevarde 30 Juin, which runs parallel to the Congo River, is wide and spacious and is considered as Kinshasa's business center. On this road, there are high rise buildings that house the nation's banks and government offices. This area of Kinshasa is busy, yet not as chaotic as one would imagine. Some areas of Kinshasa are actually quite pleasant and safe. The warm and verdant capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo is abuzz with African rhythms and colors. One can still find vestiges of the European invaders, but Kinshasa now is a true African city.

About the destination: This likeable border town on Lake Kivu is unlike anywhere else in DRC, being home to an enormous UN and NGO presence that gives it an unusually cosmopolitan feel. Having been almost wiped off the map by the eruption of the nearby Nyiragongo volcano in 2002, Goma has done much rebuilding in the past decade and a half, and as a result the city has a surprisingly attractive centre. Indeed, it's fascinating to visit the parts of town that are covered in the lava field, and see how the resilient locals have gone back to their lives and rebuilt their houses in these new and challenging conditions. People generally visit Goma en route to tracking mountain gorillas, climbing Nyiragongo or trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains. The city itself has no proper attractions, but it's a great pre- and post-Virunga hang-out, with some excellent sleeping and eating options.

About the destination: Kigali is the national capital of Rwanda, placed in the center of the country, with a population of approximately 851.024 inhabitants.Founded in 1907 during the German control, the city turned into the capital of the country after obtaining the independence in 1962. Before the independence, in 1962, Belgium was administering the country from the current capital of Burundi, Bujumbura. The traditional capital of Rwanda was the headquarters of the king mwami in Nyanza and the colonial power had headquarters in Butare, so called Astrida at the time. With the independence Kigali was chosen, thanks to his position in the geographical center of the country. Since it is the capital of Rwanda, the population of Kigali has grown notably. The number in the sixties was about 5.000 inhabitants approximately. It is built in a zone of hills, with an altitude that changes among 1.433 to 1.645 meters, which makes it have a rugged relief. The landscape of Kigali has a lot of variety of trees and plants. Among the important buildings we highlight the building of the airport and the Chinese embassy. One of his tourist attractions is the Craftsmen's Market, where it is possible to admire how they elaborate different typical utensils. Another place of importance is the Episcopal Church. It possesses diverse hotels, someone of them of luxury, and restaurants where you can try the African food. Also it has his cultural part in the Cultural French Center were they are in the habit of organizing exhibitions, cycles of cinema, documentaries and other cultural activities.

About the destination: The city is the location of Uganda's international airport. The drive to or from Kampala is about an hour. The United Nations uses Entebbe as a depot and staging area for their vehicles and heavy equipment that are part of peace keeping and other missions in the central African region. Entebbe offers a relaxed stop-over alternative to Kampala on your way into or out of the country by airplane, as the air is clean, the streets are safe to walk, and the old colonial gardens and parks with the lake in the background make for a serene atmosphere. Entebbe is perhaps most famous for an Israeli commando raid on July 4 1976, when over one hundred mainly Jewish hostages held on a hijacked Air France plane were rescued. The rescue was complicated by the fact that the then Ugandan president, Idi Amin, was supporting the hijackers. Over 40 Ugandan troops were killed by the Israelis during the rescue. State House, the official residence of the President of Uganda, is on a hill overlooking the center of Entebbe.

About the destination: Nairobi is the capital of Kenya, situated on the Nairobi River, the city is not only the largest and fastest growing city in Kenya, but one of the largest in Africa. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa and a great place to tune into modern urban African life. Nairobi is known as the safari capital of Africa, however the city has still managed to keep up with modernization. Unlike other cities, Nairobi is surrounded by plains, cliffs and forest that makes up the city’s Nairobi National Park. The city is filled with many things to do during the day and the night. Tourists can have their pick from numerous safaris, ecotourism tours, restaurants, culture, shopping and entertainment. Stay in Nairobi and you'll find a town full of hustle and bustle, which gives you a chance to experience a very real part of Africa.