Africa's top landscapes

Encompassing myriad landscapes, which range from the baking volcanic depths of the Rift Valley to the ice-capped summits of Kilimanjaro and the Rwenzoris, Africa has few peers when it comes to natural beauty.

Introducing Mt Kilimanjaro National Park

Since its official opening in 1977, Kilimanjaro National Park has become one of Tanzania’s most visited parks. Unlike the other northern parks, this isn’t for the wildlife, although it’s there. Rather, it’s to gaze in awe at a mountain on the equator capped with snow, and to climb to the top of Africa.

At the heart of the park is the 5896m Mt.Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and one of the continent’s magnificent sights. It’s also one of the highest volcanoes and among the highest freestanding mountains in the world, rising from cultivated farmlands on the lower levels, through lush rainforest to alpine meadows, and finally across a barren lunar landscape to the twin summits of Kibo and Mawenzi. (Kilimanjaro’s third volcanic cone, Shira, is on the mountain’s western side.) The lower rainforest is home to many animals, including buffaloes, elephants, leopards and monkeys, and elands are occasionally seen in the saddle area between Kibo and Mawenzi.

A trek up Kili lures around 25,000 trekkers each year, in part because it’s possible to walk to the summit without ropes or technical climbing experience. Yet, non-technical does not mean easy. The climb is a serious (and expensive) undertaking, and only worth doing with the right preparation. There are also many opportunities to explore the mountain’s lower slopes and learn about the Maasai and the Chagga, two of the main tribes in the area.

There are entry gates at Machame, Marangu (which is also the site of park headquarters), Londorosi and several other points. Trekkers using the Rongai Route should pay their fees at Marangu gate.

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The Victoria Falls are one of the world's most spectacular plunges. The 2km(1.2mi)-wide Zambezi River drops more than 100m (328ft) into a steeply-walled gorge. The Zambian side of Victoria Falls has long played second fiddle to its better-known Zimbabwean counterpart, but trouble next door means Livingstone is positively booming.

For close-up views of the Eastern Cataract, nothing beats the hair-raising (and hair-wetting) walk across the footbridge, through swirling clouds of mist, to a sheer buttress called the Knife Edge. If the water is low and the wind favourable, you'll be treated to a magnificent view of the falls and the yawning abyss below the Zambezi Bridge. Adrenaline junkies can indulge in white-water rafting, abseiling, river-boating, jet-boating, bungee jumping and a host of airborne activities. At certain times of year it is even possible to visit Livingstone Island and swim at the very edge of the Falls, though sadly it's no longer free. Don't get so caught up with activities that you miss one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.

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