Let’s be honest, we haven’t read much about beautiful landmarks from Africa. All the advice seems to be centered on Europe, Asia, and maybe south America. And this is why I wanted to bring to light some beautiful landmarks from the African continent.
Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria
Deep into Sahara, there is a national park like no other.
If archeologists believe that in the past people lived in this area, now the deserted place is only visited by adventurous tourists.
And speaking of tourists: go before the sunset to see the golden summits of the mountains, a blend of purple and red that dances on the sand. Beware of the temperatures that can reach 70 degrees Celsius.
It could be hard to imagine anyone wanting to live here, but even the name indicates that this area had suffered a process of desertification (Plateau of Rivers). You can see the hints of rivers in the way water sculpted the stones, the ravines, and the monoliths. And even the bones that had been dug of various animals that do not live here now.
But what grabs the attention of everyone is the collection of cave paintings You will not need a guide to tell you the story of Tassili n’Ajjer because you have the paintings. There have been identified 3 periods of them. After that, no one knows where the people from Tassili n’Ajjer left.
Hoggar Mountains, Algeria
A bit to the north of the Tassili n’Ajjer, there are the Hoggar Mountains. You can’t miss them. And I mean that because they are almost as big as France.
It is said that someone that was lost here could only prepare for his death. It is commonly known as the end of the world.
In the Atakor region, volcanic fields can be found.
Another place that you can find is the oasis. Even if it rarely rains, in the canyons the evaporation process is slow. This is why here is one of the few places where you can find plants and flowers.
Oulad Said Oasis, Algeria
If you thought that no one lives at the oases, that people stay for a couple of hours and then wander through the desert again, then you are very wrong.
They are so rare that they became a blessing and some oases also became permanent settlements with irrigation channels that help the local population to grow vegetables and fruits, and of course, dates. The most precious food in the desert grows in trees and no part of it is thrown away (people use all parts of the date tree: from the seeds which they make coffee, to bark for rope and leaves for baskets or sandals.)
Ténéré, Niger, and Chad
There is the solitude and barren land of the desert, and there is the Ténéré dessert, often nicknamed the dessert within the dessert.
Almost as big as California, you cannot imagine crossing this place. Well, maybe you cannot but the salt merchants have to do it. You can easily recognize them because they paint their faces blue to protect themselves from the sun.
In the village Bilma, there is a little patch of land that after it rains forms a crust, the salt. After they mount their camels they start the 15 days trip to reach Agadez.
Or at least, they did it in the past this way. Now they might use a car to save time.
Lake Assal, Djibouti
The lowest place in the whole of Africa (155 m below sea levels), one of the hottest places in Africa, and the saltiest body of water (yes, even saltier than the Dead Sea). This is what you should remember about Lake Assal.
If you hope to see vegetation or fauna, then save those hopes for a place that doesn’t look like death.
If you do not think about this, then this is an amazing place where you can see geography moving.
