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Your Guide To Cosmopolitan Africa

Your Guide To Cosmopolitan Africa

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If you’re the type of traveler who needs to be near the buzz of busy streets, who likes to see what every country has to offer in the way of modern accommodations, and who gets a serious shopping bug while abroad, here are 10 cosmopolitan areas of Africa not to miss.

telegraph.co.uk
telegraph.co.uk

Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek is like little Germany in Africa. You’ll see men wearing lederhosen and smell sausage around every corner. Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, is influenced by German colonial days and looks remarkably different from most African towns. The town has lots of gardens and restaurants serving up schnitzel. As for shopping, the Port Street Mall market is filled with interesting souvenirs and has a display of 33 meteorites that are more than 4 billion years old.

tripadvisor.com
tripadvisor.com

Mindelo, Cape Verde

Often called Cape Verde’s “French Riviera,” this enchanting town sits on a moon-shaped port and has cobblestone streets, pastel-colored colonial buildings, extravagant yachts in the harbor and even the occasional celebrity. During the day, locals lounge in the charming cafes and at night when it finally cools down, they crowd around the main plaza to listen to live Latin bands and dance until sunrise. For a calmer evening, catch a nighttime soccer match on the beach.

ismailimail.wordpress.com
ismailimail.wordpress.com

Maputo, Mozambique

Maputo is equal parts tropical and colonial, and all around a happy place. During the day locals read the newspaper in sidewalk cafes and at night they indulge in seafood at the many beachside restaurants before hitting the salsa and jazz clubs for some dancing. Portuguese is the local language and you’ll need it to bargain in the numerous marketplaces.

dailymail.co.uk
dailymail.co.uk

Alexandria, Egypt

This city has a strong Mediterranean vibe with beaches as far as the eye can see, and most life happening around them. As historic as it is beautiful, Alexandria was once home to the world’s greatest library, which has since been recreated masterfully with more than 14 terraces and a huge rotunda with room for eight million books. Feel like royalty when you drink hand-crafted cocktails on the terrace of the El-Salamlek Palace Hotel—once a stomping ground of King Farouk and the place with the best views of the city.

bahighlife.com
bahighlife.com

Accra, Ghana

This beach town is also Ghana’s capital and it loves to party. You’ll hear reggae music coming from the various clubs almost anywhere you stand during the night. You’ll smell the fried plantains that party-goers are fueling up with. You’ll hear the Atlantic crashing on the palm tree-lined beach. Posh ocean-view resorts are popping up quickly here and you’re never far from the famous Labadi Beach, buzzing with onshore entertainment.

filmapia.com
filmapia.com

Kampala, Uganda

Kampla is coming up amazingly as a sophisticated destination after civil war almost destroyed it. It has one of the greatest economies in Africa and is very much active and fun. Modern buildings are being rapidly built, and those crippled by the war are being renovated. Local Makerere University lends to the educated, global vibe of the town, not to mention the buzzing nightlife. Kampala also has a surprisingly high percentage of Asian residents, making the culinary and entertainment scene even more diverse.

asisten-travel.blogspot.com
asisten-travel.blogspot.com

Antananarivo, Madagascar

Nicknamed “Tana,” Madagascar’s capital might be the least “African” city on the continent. Wooden houses with painted shutters are the architectural norm, and tea rooms serving luxurious towers of hot beverages and decadent pastries fill the air with their smells. At night, locals hit the cabarets for some jazz, or the Antananarivo clubs for Malagasy.

allposters.ie
allposters.ie

 

Dakar, Senegal

Dakar is everything you’d expect and want from urban Africa. It’s a city that almost never sleeps. Locals favor staying up, dressing up and swarming to the numerous nightclubs of Youssou N’Dour or Thione Seck (international music celebrities who perform locally when not on tour), or any of the other hundreds of clubs. It is a truly music-devoted population. If you need a reprieve from the crowds, a ferry will take you to relaxing Goree island.

easyvoyage.co.uk
easyvoyage.co.uk

Libreville, Gabon

Often compared to Miami Beach, this capital city is full of high-rise hotels sitting on the beach, shimmering office buildings, luxury cars and locals dressed to the nines in designer clothes. The restaurant and store prices are, admittedly, cosmopolitan. In fact, Libreville is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

travel.nationalgeographic.com
travel.nationalgeographic.com

 

Marrakech, Morocco

This fairy-tale town is where you’ll find the snake charmers, fire-eaters and magic-carpet vendors you were hoping for in Africa. The old town’s square is full of this old-world charm but only a short drive away is Gueliz, an art-deco region that feels like Paris. Gueliz is crowded with well-dressed locals, charming bistros and an odd but popular neon-lit cinema playing Hollywood blockbusters.