Quote: (01-08-2018 06:58 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:
I've been growing very curious about Africa. Almost went to Kenya about a year ago with a buddy. Which African countries would you say are a good place to start for a first timer to Africa?
Quote: (01-08-2018 03:24 AM)rottenapple Wrote:
As a first timer to Africa, you should probably not go to the West. Go to an easier country that is stable, has a somewhat decent economy and is safe. Also, you should read posts better.
Have not been to Sierra Leone or Liberia.
Well, to be honest it depends on how well travelled you are. Some guys here have been to Haiti, Venezuela, the middle east etc. so if that's the case then off course there's no issue in checking out West Africa.
But overall for a bit more the normal travel type of the forum, I'd say Uganda and Kenya are pretty nice. Very well developed tourism industry and everyone speaks English. South Africa as well off course and I heard Botswana is well developed, safe and a great country. Ethiopia a bit less, since it has some really shitty parts (such as the Afar region) and people don't speak English that much. Rwanda is super easy to get used to since its very safe, beautiful, people are more introverted, fairly developed etc., but there the tourism activities are expensive and English is not so good. Namibia might be interesting. Gabon and Angola are also safe, but very expensive due to oil inflation.
In West Africa the safest are Ghana and Ivory Coast, so you shouldn't have a lot of problems there in general either. If you speak French Senegal is also a big expat and tourism hub in the region, but all in Dakar, the rest not so much probably.
Avoid the super poor countries, where violence and conflict is more prone and countries with islamist influences (DRC, Burundi, Nigeria, Mali, CAF, Niger, Sudan, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Western Sahara, Mauretania, Somalia, Erithrea, ...)
I'm keen to check out unique places like Madagascar, Djibouti, Mozambique also. I don't think they are for first timers but they have a lot to offer.