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10 Of The Most Naturally Stunning World Heritage Sites In Africa

10 Of The Most Naturally Stunning World Heritage Sites In Africa

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If you’re a tourist hoping to skip costly museum fees, mother nature has given us some pretty awe-inspiring sites that no company or individual can lay claim to and charge you a ticket for. Here are 10 of the most naturally stunning World Heritage Sites in Africa.

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wikimedia.org

 

Ethiopian Highlands, Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Highlands are sometimes called “The Roof of Africa” because they are the largest mass of land with continuous peaks reaching as high as 14,928 feet, and almost none of the area going below 4,921 feet. The climate here is tropical monsoon, and here you’ll find plants like wild coffee growing, and animals like the endangered Gelada baboon.

Source: Unesco.org

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pixabay.com

 

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The Serengeti National Park makes up an enormous portion of the savannah and is where you can see the yearly migration of animals like the wildebeest, gazelles and zebras to new watering holes.

Source: Unesco.org

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wikipedia.org

Fish River Canyon, Namibia

Fish River Canyon is the largest canyon on the continent, with a ravine running about 100 miles long and at some places nearly 2,000 feet deep. The Fish River Canyon hiking trails is one of the most visited in Southern Africa and beginning in 2011, a yearly marathon takes place here.

Source: Unesco.org

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wikimedia.org

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria

This is a dense forest on the outskirts of the city of Osogbo and is said to be the home of the goddess of fertility, Osun. It’s a naturally gorgeous landscape but it has been outfitted with man-built shrines, sanctuaries, and art throughout. This is one of the few last sacred groves that has been maintained in Africa.

Source: Unesco.org

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

 

Rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar

The Rainforests of the Atsinanana are home to six national parks and forests and are an important part of keeping Madagascar’s impressive biodiversity alive. Since Madagascar broke off from mainland over 60 million years ago, its wildlife is rare and very unique and the rainforests support critical natural processes.

Source: Unesco.org

Wikipedia.org
Wikipedia.org

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, Madagascar

Madagascar makes our list again simply because its natural life is so unique and stunning. The Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is an area of irregular limestone that has formed sharp peaks, almost creating a look of a forest of limestone “trees.” The swamps, lakes and forests here are also home to endangered species.

Source: Unesco.org

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wikimedia.org

 

Vredefort Dome, South Africa

The Vredefort Dome sits not far from Johannesburg and is the result of a meteorite that hit probably over 2 million years ago. It is the oldest such structure of its kind on earth, as well as the largest and deepest impact structure. It has helped scientists uncover crucial information about the earth’s history.

Source: Unesco.org

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons), Mali

The Land of the Dogons is a mixed natural and cultural site. It consists of impressive cliffs and an expansive sandy plateau, but it is also dotted with cultural items like sanctuaries, communal meeting-places and altars. Ancient rituals still take place here like ancestor worship and feasts.

Source: Unesco.org

Wikipedia.org
Wikipedia.org

 

Banc d’Arguin National Park, Mauritania

This park runs along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and has a huge diversity of natural landscapes including swamps, small islands and sand dunes. It’s quite stunning to stand with the dry, orange desert to your back with the vibrant coastal landscape in front of you. Here you can spot sea turtles, dolphins and the occasional fisherman.

Source: Unesco.org

Wikimedia.org
Wikimedia.org

Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley), Egypt

Wadi Al-Hitan is very much what it sounds like—a valley full of fossil remains from an extinct line of whales. This site holds important evidence about the evolution of the whale from a land-based animal to an ocean-dwelling one. Most of the fossils represent the final stages of the animal losing its limbs.

Source: Unesco.org