My 5 favourite African capital cities

After spending 14 months on the road on our round-Africa adventure, I’ve seen my fair share of African capital cities. Not counting South Africa, here is my list of my five favourites:

Yaoundé, Cameroon

The laid back vibe of the Cameroonian capital city and the genuine warmth of the people hit you as soon as you arrive. Unlike some West African capital cities, you can walk around in relative safety without constantly feeling like you have to watch your back. You can usually gauge the character of a whole city by your experience with the taxi drivers, and here, they were so relaxed that in spite of the fact that we were obviously tourists (and my appalling French) we never got ripped off. Yaoundé is dotted with patisseries and bakeries turning out a huge variety of exquisite cakes and pastries. I can honestly say that Yaoundé’s bakeries were comparable with anything I’ve tried back home.

Cameroon’s Yaoundé is easy to explore on foot

Some interesting architecture can be found in Yaoundé

The water towers overlooking the city of Yaoundé

Brazzaville, Congo

Capital of the Republic of Congo (a.k.a Congo-Brazzaville and not to be confused with the DRC), Brazzaville was one of the most cosmopolitan cities we experienced on our way down the west coast. The city has a huge expat community, smart hotels, and a couple of great cafes where you can sit sipping latte, plugged in to the free wi-fi, watching local businessmen in powder blue safari suits having their lunch. It’s a great city for people watching, and it buzzes with artists, expats and adventurers. Many overland travellers end up spending a lot longer in Brazzaville than expected, applying for visas for neighbouring countries or just recharging their batteries – it is certainly a great city to do that.

What could be better than football and curry with good friends?

Camping at the Hippocampe Hotel in Brazzaville

Happy days at the Hippocampe Hotel in Brazzaville

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

We crossed into Dar from the south, coming in on the Kigamboni ferry, which is usually crammed with overladen vehicles, raucous buskers, ladies with huge loads on their heads, and excited kids. Once we had crossed over to the heart of the city, we found ourselves in a huge traffic jam, but fortunately, stuck behind us was an open taxi full of jazz musicians on their way to a performance. They struck up a few catchy tunes and kept us all entertained. Dar has a number of great places to stay right on the beach – we holed up at the nearby Kipepeo Beach backpackers and took the ferry to Zanzibar for a few days of paradise.

Musicians entertaining us in a traffic jam in Dar es Salaam

There are a few potholes but Dar es Salaam is still a beautiful city

All aboard the Kigamboni Ferry!

Dar es Salaam’s charming tuk-tuks

The streets of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Busses & traffic fill the streets in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The ferry by night

Kigali, Rwanda

Central Kigali is really very small, and very, very French. Aside from sophisticated traffic lights and kerbstones with flashing lights to direct motorists, this beautiful, hilly city has several attractions. Tourists can spend time at the Union Trade Centre, where you can get a truly fantastic cappuccino on the veranda of the Bourbon Cafe and watch the stylish locals stroll around with their baguettes. Aside from people watching, the highlight of the city is the Genocide Memorial, a moving and informative memorial to those who lost their lives in the 1994 genocide.

Kigali – bring your walking shoes!

In the grounds of the Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda

The Genocide Memorial in Kigali is an unmissable and moving place to visit

The peaceful gardens at the Genocide Memorial in Kigali

Nairobi, Kenya

Despite the warnings from other travellers, we really loved Nairobi – a.k.a Nai-robbery. The scare stories are mostly just hype and we certainly felt safe here. Nairobi has several great shopping malls, perfect for tired travellers needing a dose of sophistication. We were stocking up for the next leg of our overland trip and for great food, ‘proper’ shops and lots to do close by, Nairobi couldn’t be beaten. Only seven kilometres south of the city is the tiny but beautiful Nairobi National Park, perfect for getting those photos of wildlife frolicking past a backdrop of the city’s skyscrapers.

The legendary Jungle Junction, where overlanders regroup & recharge

Hungry overlanders at the food court of the Westgate Mall in Nairobi

Bustle on the streets

For more about our trip, visit www.moonspaghetti.com

 
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