Western perceptions of African countries are shaped by the media focus on the events that take place within its borders. Let’s take the example of Sierra Leone which was ravaged by civil war for 11 years from 1991 to 2002. The stories of atrocity and bloodshed were given high coverage by the western media. In 2006 Hollywood highlighted the plight of the people in Sierra Leone by making the film Blood Diamond. This told the story of diamonds mined in African war zones, sold to finance the civil war and in turn profiting the warlords and global diamond companies. With such high media coverage the image and reputation of Sierra Leone as a war-torn, dangerous country has stuck. Now eight years after the civil war has ended, Sierra Leone wants to change that image for good to show the world that the country is a totally different place today. It...

  Once considered as a beach resort paradise with approximately 3500km of coast line dotted with palm trees and covered with white sand, West Africa has seen a steady decline in traditional tourists over the past few years. Now there seems to be a renewal of interest and tourists are beginning to trickle back to the hustle and bustle of the colourful markets, the relaxing sound of the Atlantic waves crashing on a pristine beach or to the exhilarating beat of the Jembe and talking drum.   There are several recent articles that have appeared within the UK press which have demonstrated that tourists are choosing West Africa as a ‘good value for money’ region where there is a wealth of activities, sites, ‘untouched’ beaches and landscapes to explore (The Times, The Telegraph and CNN) . However, these tourists are not the traditional type, those who come to the resorts...

In our second instalment of West Africa’s best adventure travel destinations, we explore Ghana, a Land of sunshine and reputed for the friendliness of its people. Rich in history, and home to the Ashanti Kingdom, a once prosperous and powerful dynasty, this country is a great place to start of in Africa due to its ‘user-friendliness’ and offers a great deal of opportunities for the demanding traveller looking for the next best beach, the most succulent dish, the intense cultural encounter, or the fast paced adventure activity. Ghana is on the Gulf of Guinea, the ‘under-belly’ of West Africa, facing south towards the Atlantic Ocean.In terms of geography, the country presents flat plains, low hills and a few rivers. The coastline is mostly a low, sandy shore backed by plains intersected by several rivers and streams while the northern part of the country features high hills and rolling plains. Southwest and...

Check out this video from one of our partners in Ghana, West Africa! An amazing montage with an excellent soundtrack. It definitely made me want to visit their responsible tourism project! To discover more about their project, click here. ...

Adventure travel has to be the most invigorating form of travel out there, combining the thrills of physical exercise and adrenaline rushes with the beauty of local scenery and the immersion in the destination. We all know of Australia as an adventure destination with the many possibilities to stimulate those rushes of adrenaline such as bungee jumping or skydiving, or Chile for its white water rafting and trekking possibilities, but what do we know about West Africa as an adventure destination? Not much I suspect. That is why I decided to explore, bycountry over a four part series’, the opportunities for a good old escapade in a few of the 16 countries of this little known part of the World. For those of you who are in to exploration, you may well have heard of Scottish born Mungo Park who made it his life mission to go where no man had...