Planning a Trip to Africa

By Anouk Zijlma, About.com Guide to Africa Travel

Plan your trip to Africa with the resources below. There's information about visas, vaccinations, air travel, health and safety. Get inspired about where to go in Africa using the vacation planner, maps and photos. Learn more about Africa's cultures and languages before you go.

1. Planning Your Vacation to Africa
2. Getting to Africa
3. Where to Stay in Africa
4. Photos of Africa

5. Visas, Vaccinations and Safety
6. When to Go to Africa
7. African People and Culture
8. Africa Facts & Information

Planning Your Vacation to Africa

Africa is huge and diverse, so deciding where to go will take up a lot of your planning time. If you just want a basic introduction to what there is to see and do in Africa then the links below will help you. For more details click on the tabs "Destinations" or "What to Do".

• Africa Trip Planner in 10 Easy Steps
• African Vacation Planner
• The Best of Africa - Where to Go
• First Time in Africa?
• Money Tips For Travelers to Africa

• Facts about Africa
• Maps of Africa
• Images of Africa
• Africa's National Tourist Information Offices

Getting to Africa

The most important thing to look into when you plan your trip to Africa is your flight. Flights book up months in advance because there just aren't that many available. If you can't find a direct flight to the African country you want to visit, then you'll have to look into regional flights. You can also opt to Cruise to Africa. A good option for getting around several countries in Africa is to choose an Overland tour.

• Cheap Deals to Africa
• Cheap Flights to Africa
• African Airlines

• African Airports
• Cruises to Africa
• Overlanding in Africa

Where to Stay in Africa

Below are some of my hotel and lodge recommendations in Africa. Deciding on your accommodation in Africa can take up a lot of planning time. If you're on a tour your lodging will usually be booked for you, but it's also nice to know if the hotel you're staying at has a good reputation. In some African destinations you may not have a lot of choice of accommodation. I add to hotel content regularly, so check back often.

• Best Treehouse Lodging in Africa
• Best Hotels in Morocco
• Where to Stay in Marrakech, Morocco
• Where to Stay in Fes, Morocco
• Where to Stay in Tangier, Morocco

• Best Hotels in South Africa
• Where to Stay in Cape Town, SA
• Best Hotels in Cairo, Egypt
• Where to Stay in Alexandria, Egypt
• Where to Stay in the Masai Mara, Kenya

Photos of Africa

Seeing is believing and once you get to browse through some of these Africa photo galleries, it won't be long before you'll want to visit.

• Best Photos of Africa
• Photos of a Tanzanian Safari
• Photos of Ethiopia
• Photos of Namibia

• Photos of Ghana
• Photos of Uganda
• Photos of a Southern Africa Safari
• Photos of Angola

Visas, Vaccinations and Safety

Many African countries require visas in order to enter and this can take a few weeks to sort out. Vaccinations are also very important, and some of the vaccinations that are highly recommended need to be administered a few months in advance of your trip. While most of Africa is quite safe for travelers, situations do change and it's important to keep up to date with travel warnings as they arise.

• First Time Traveling to Africa?
• African Embassies in the US
• Vaccinations and Travel to Africa
• First Aid and Medical Kit for Travelers to Africa

• How to Avoid Malaria When Traveling to Africa
• Is Traveling in Africa Dangerous?
• Current Official Travel Warnings for Africa
• Women Traveling in Africa

When to Go to Africa

Planning when to go to Africa depends on what you would like to see and do in Africa. Find out below when the best times are to go on safari, when you can get the best deal on a flight, when the festivals and events are happening.

• When to go on Safari
• African Festivals and Events
• Africa Travel Deals
• Climate and Weather in Egypt

• Climate and Weather in Morocco
• Climate and Weather in South Africa
• Climate and Weather in Tanzania
• Climate and Weather in Kenya

African People and Culture

Your trip to Africa will be much richer if you learn more about the local culture before you go. Even just learning how to say "hello" in the local language will enhance your experience.

• African Languages -- What is Spoken Where?
• African Greetings
• Best Movies About Africa
• Best Books About Africa
• Festivals in Africa

• The Maasai of East Africa
• The Himba of Namibia
• The San Bushmen of the Kalahari
• The Omo River Tribes of Ethiopia
• The Samburu of Kenya

Africa Facts & Information

Facts and information about Africa include geographic facts, travel facts, fun facts and individual country facts. Find out more about Africa's capitals, languages, main attractions, climate, and more useful facts for planning your trip to Africa.

• Africa Facts
• Angola Facts and Information
• Botswana Facts and Information
• Egypt Facts and Information
• Ghana Facts and Information
• Kenya Facts and Information
• Morocco Facts and Information

• Namibia Facts and Information
• Senegal Facts and Information
• South Africa Facts and Information
• Tanzania Facts and Information
• Tunisia Facts and Information
• Uganda Facts and Information
• Zambia Facts and Information