Africa! The very name conjures up the same mystery, romance and adventure that inspired Ernest Hemingway when he wrote "The snows of Kilimanjaro." You, too, can experience this magic, for Africa is a land that evokes the past, the present, and the future. It is a mysterious place that will touch your heart, and leave you with a new understanding of the natural rhythm of life. Africa is a continent like no other.

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With about 922 million people (as of 2005) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.2% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There are 53 countries, including Madagascar and various island groups, associated with the continent.

Africa, particularly central eastern Africa, is widely regarded within the scientific community to be the origin of humans and the Hominidae tree (great apes), as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago – including Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Australopithecus africanus, Homo erectus, Homo habilis and Homo ergaster – with the earliest Homo sapiens (human) found in Ethiopia being dated to ca. 200,000 years ago.

Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones.Because of the lack of natural regular precipitation and irrigation as well as glaciers or mountain aquifer systems, there is no natural moderating effect on the climate except near the coasts.

Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earth's exposed surface. Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, it is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez (transected by the Suez Canal), 163 km (101 miles) wide. From the most northerly point, Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia (37°21' N), to the most southerly point, Cape Agulhas in South Africa (34°51'15" S), is a distance of approximately 8,000 km (5,000 miles); from Cape Verde, 17°33'22" W, the westernmost point, to Ras Hafun in Somalia, 51°27'52" E, the most easterly projection, is a distance of approximately 7,400 km (4,600 miles). The coastline is 26,000 km (16,100 miles) long, and the absence of deep indentations of the shore is illustrated by the fact that Europe, which covers only 10,400,000 km² (4,010,000 square miles) – about a third of the surface of Africa – has a coastline of 32,000 km (19,800 miles).[16]

Africa's largest country is Sudan, and its smallest country is the Seychelles, an archipelago off the east coast. The smallest nation on the continental mainland is Gambia.

Climate, fauna, and flora

The climate of Africa ranges from tropical to subarctic on its highest peaks. Its northern half is primarily desert or arid, while its central and southern areas contain both savanna plains and very dense jungle (rainforest) regions. In between, there is a convergence where vegetation patterns such as sahel, and steppe dominate.

Africa boasts perhaps the world's largest combination of density and "range of freedom" of wild animal populations and diversity, with wild populations of large carnivores (such as lions, hyenas, and cheetahs) and herbivores (such as buffalo, deer, elephants, camels, and giraffes) ranging freely on primarily open non-private plains. It is also home to a variety of jungle creatures (including snakes and primates) and aquatic life (including crocodiles and amphibians). One can also go and see the Gorillas in their natural habitats.

With Travelshoppe discover the experience of a safari in the world famous Masai Mara, visit Ngorongoro crater – the African Eden, the most spectacular sight ever visited on an African safari, Daily games drives in the open plains of Serengeti brings you closer to the wildlife, see tree climbing lions in Manyara and photograph large herds of elephants with Mount Kilimanjaro as the backdrop in the Amboseli, cross the Equator into Mount Kenya region as you travel to the Samburu National Park in the northern region of Kenya. With Travelshoppe, transverse, the great Rift Valley with its famous lakes – Nakuru, Naivasha, and Manyara.

For the less adventure seeking, visit the unspoilt beaches of Zanzibar which is an island full of history and culture. Trips to Mauritius, Seychelles and Mombasa or Lamu can be organized, take leisurely walks and relax on the sandy beaches and enjoy golden sunsets and sunrises.

Whatever your perfect holiday may be, Travelshoppe is here to make it a memory to cherish forever…