West Africa travel guide

West Africa is a place where darkness and light sit side by side, balancing, complementing and creating an intriguing mix of culture and history that fascinates travelers. Its grim stories of slavery contrast with its vibrant contemporary cultures – all singing, all dancing, draped in a rainbow of wax print cloth. The darkness of voodoo stands amid stunning tropical landscapes – wild beaches, ancient rainforest and undulating, sun-baked dunes. Unlike in much of the continent, many of West Africa’s countries are compact, meaning it is possible to travel overland between two or even three different countries in a single, two-week trip. However, their diminutive size does not make these nations any less diverse; West Africa encompasses both Franco- and Anglophone nations, speaking between them hundreds of tribal languages. It also stretches from the arid Sahel, at the Sahara’s edge, through monkey-filled forests all the way to the Atlantic.

Our West Africa travel guide welcomes you into this most fascinating of regions.

Most of our West African vacations take advantage of these tightly clustered borders to visit more than one country on a 10-day or two-week trip. One classic combination is Ghana, Togo and Benin – for voodoo culture, slave forts and gorgeous coast, as well as the opportunity to discover both Anglo- and Francophone Africa. The other combo is Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, with brief excursions across the river into Mauritania.

If you’d rather stay in one place, Ghana and Senegal both offer ample attractions for a fortnight’s break. Alternatively, lengthier overland tours cross the Sahara, before reaching the lusher southern regions and finally the Atlantic. Organised tours – whether small group or tailor made – give access to these little visited corners of the world, with expert guides, local insight – and opportunities to encounter many local people along the way.