If you are looking for a variety and an original travel experience, and you've come to the right place: west and central Africa, comprised of over 20 countries and an array of landscapes to suit whatever you loop, from lazy beaches to overland adventures from jungle to desert.

 

The Sahara Desert stretches across Mauritania, Morley, Niger and Chad. Before transitioning into a belt of dry grasslands called the Sahel. And into savanna and tropical forests stretching from Senegal in the west to the heart of Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Despite its many attractions, the region is for travelers with serious skill. The tourist infrastructure here is not always as developed as in other parts of Africa, and political conflicts can bring a leisurely travel to a sudden halt.

 

Consult the US State Department website for traveler warnings before visiting the region and plan your adventures accordingly.

 

The lush rainforest of the Republican of Congo offers a wondrous setting for wildlife lovers. Some of the best opportunities for seeing animals are Odzala National Park, here a patchwork of wide clearings called bais dot the landscape.

 

There are abundant vegetation and mineral deposits attract a menagerie of animals including forest elephants, sitatunga, wild hogs and rare lowland gorillas, to name just a few. 

 

 

Working together, park officials and a variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations have developed a tourist infrastructure for this special place in the hopes that dollars raised will aid wildlife conservation here and across the region.

 

For more wildlife watching, head west to the coast of Gabon to the Loango Park. Members of the local communities within the park act as eco guides, scientists and wardens and with good reason. At its mangroves and shores, it's not just people who come to the beach. Here forest elephants wander across the sand, hippos surf the ocean and whales come to mate off Gabon's shores.

 

While there are loads of chances to see wildlife in this part of Africa, it's the region's cultural heritage that truly sets it apart from the rest of the continent. In many places, modern life is still influenced by age-old traditions.

 

Southern Mali is Dogon country. At its center is a stretch of broad plateaus and stunning cliffs known as the Bandiagara. The cliffs shelter the villages of the Dogon. An intensely spiritual people, the Dogon are also famous for their artistry. They create elaborate masks and dances for their religious festivals. One festival called the Dama is particularly important. It marks the passage of life until death, and establishes the connection between this world and the next.

 

In Ghana, ceremony is both old and new intermingled. Funerals especially are anything but a drab affair. Coffins come in fantastic designs. As a procession makes its way, mourners pay tribute to the deceased life and ask for blessings as the deceased joins other honored ancestors.

 

In Togo and Benin, the traditional religion Voodoon, or as it's more commonly known in America, Voodoo, is an integral part of the community spiritual health.

 

One tradition is the Epe Ekpe festival held every September in the coastal town of Glidji, Togo. Followers purify themselves for the upcoming year, give thanks and ask for divine blessings. On this day, the festival priest receives a lucky sign. This year will be a fortunate one for Voodoo followers and travelers, lucky enough to witness their rocky celebrations.

 

To genuinely experience the region's rich cultures, this is the sort of place where you'll put down your guidebook and hit the road. New adventures can await you literally right around the corner.