Philip Briggs

Designed as a starting point for first-time visitors wanting to make the most of a safari or vacation to eastern and southern Africa, this tightly-focused book concentrates on the region's main highlights, which include the spectacular mile-wide Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the wildebeest migration between Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and the Maasai Mara in neighboring Kenya, tracking mountain gorillas in the misty highlands of Rwanda and Uganda, a long and idyllic Indian Ocean coastline whose crown jewel is the Spice Island of Zanzibar, and the world's tallest freestanding mountain in the form of snow-capped Kilimanjaro. Illustrated by color photographs, the concise text provides an authoritative introduction to Africa's major safari destinations, i.e. Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the wildlife you're likely to see there. Also included are brief overviews of the best and most popular add-on beach and gorilla- tracking destinations: Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini (Swaziland), Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles. All proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit Wildlife Superheroes, a global nonprofit organization that mobilizes our next generation - kids under the age of 18 - to make a tangible, meaningful, and lasting impact on our most valuable shared asset: Mother Earth and all her beings.

This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt's Suriname remains the only dedicated English-language guidebook to this emergent and largely unspoiled ecotourism destination and offers by far the greatest depth of coverage available. It is also the first guidebook in any language with a comprehensive section on the Upper Suriname River, an exciting and remote area serviced by around 20 small lodges. Detailed coverage of all accessible parks and reserves is included, including the three main marine-turtle viewing sites and the Central Suriname Nature Reserve (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), with information geared to people joining organised tours as well as those who prefer the independent travel approach. Also included are detailed maps and town plans - many of which are unavailable in any other resource and have been drawn by the author using GPS specifically for this book. Peaceful and politically stable, Suriname is one of the world's most thinly populated countries. Its Caribbean coastline is famed for its peerless turtle-watching opportunities, while the interior is swathed by a vast tract of pristine Amazonian rainforest,rich in wildlife and accessible only by air or along the tropical waterways that incise it. The guide includes a detailed introduction to the diverse wildlife and intriguing history of the only former Dutch colony in South America, along with detailed regional coverage of the tropical coastline, the Historic Inner City of the culturally diverse capital Paramaribo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the thrilling opportunities for exploration afforded by the jungle-swathed interior.

This 8th edition of Bradt's Ghana remains the only dedicated guidebook on the market and the most comprehensive source of travel information on the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence and the world's second-largest producer of chocolate. Covering everything from Ghana's 550km of Atlantic coastline to its remote and sparsely populated northern border with Burkina Faso, this new edition has been thoroughly updated and is an ideal companion no matter what your interests are. Written by Philip Briggs, arguably the world's most experienced guidebook writer, it covers everything from inexpensive opportunities to see wildlife to cultural and historical aspects such as the slave trading posts. Background, practical and health information are complemented by a dedicated, illustrated chapter on wildlife, 63 maps and 18 chapters split across five regional sections, from Accra and surrounds to the coast, through eastern and central Ghana, right up to the north. The popular Cape Coast and the Ashanti regions are both covered, as is the increasingly high-profile Chale Wote Street Art festival. Friendly, safe and inexpensive, Ghana is an ideal destination for first-time visitors to Africa. It is rich in little-visited national parks, forest reserves, cultural sites and scenic waterfalls and blessed with bleached white beaches and the lush rainforest of the Atlantic coastline. Bradt's Ghana is accompanied by a dedicated, updated website run by the author himself and caters for everyone from birdwatchers to bar-hoppers. Whether you want to cruise the world's largest man-made reservoir, Lake Volta, on a pokey old steamer, hike with elephants in Mole National Park, or party all night in Accra's glittering Osu district, Bradt's Ghana is an indispensable companion.

This new eighth edition of Bradt's Malawi remains the only standalone practical guidebook to this magical East African destination, long known as the 'warm heart of Africa' (and the first country outside Denmark to have a Carlsberg brewery). Malawi is a small country with a big lake - accounting for around a third of its territory - and a big welcome. Written by Philip Briggs, arguably the world's most experienced guidebook author, this new edition benefits from a thorough country-wide update of all the practical information, with the addition of significant new game park accommodation. Dedicated chapters on background information, health and flora and fauna are complemented by a 19-chapter breakdown of the country and 37 maps, making this an ideal companion for backpackers, over-landers, wildlife spotters, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Included in the guide are the many outstanding adventure opportunities: kayaking on the vast lake amongst dug-out canoes; hikes from tea estates up to the heights Mount Mulanje; and watching the 'big five' animals in wonderful natural surroundings. There's also a resurgent music scene, intriguing monuments built by former colonisers and compelling village culture to discover. With the reintroduction of species including lions - and the recent translocation of large numbers of elephants to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve - Malawi is a wildlife destination to savour. From luxury camps to local guesthouses, from rhino trekking to cycle tours and from crafts to cultural tourism, Bradt's Malawi covers every aspect of your trip.

The pioneering first edition of this guidebook was the first dedicated entirely to Somaliland, and this second edition, fully updated and with a foreword by Simon Reeve, continues Bradt's groundbreaking tradition of publishing highly specialist guides to newly emerging destinations. Significantly, this new edition also covers Addis Ababa and eastern Ethiopia - the main gateway into Somaliland. Also included is a detailed historical and archaeological background to a region whose wealth of rock art, ancient burial sites, ruined cities and historical ports stretches back 5,000 years and has links with ancient Egypt and Axum as well as the more recent Ottoman and British empires. Comprehensive birdwatching and wildlife sections include details of where to look for of the region's endemic and near-endemic birds and mammals, while the guide also contains the only proper maps available for the capital Hargeisa and other large towns such as Burao, Berbera and Borama, compiled from scratch using GPS. Somaliland ranks among the world's most obscure and uncharted travel destinations. It comprises the former colony of British Somaliland, which merged with its Italian namesake to form the Somali Republic upon attaining independence in 1960, but unilaterally seceded from the rest of war-torn Somalia in 1991. Now a peaceful and fully functional self-governing democracy, Somaliland still awaits official recognition by the UN AU and most other such organisations more than quarter of a century later. Yet despite its obscurity, this ancient and largely arid land has much to offer the truly intrepid traveller, and the low-key, low-rise capital Hargeisa Is easily reached by air or overland from neighbouring Ethiopia. With this unique guide, discover Las Geel, the most alluring rock art site on the Horn of Africa; the charmingly decayed Ottoman port of Berbera, which provides access to some splendid beaches and offshore reefs; the spectacular Daallo Escarpment, swathed in fragrant evergreen forests that support several endemic bird species; and the abandoned city of Maduna, the most impressive of several mediaeval Islamic ruins dotted around the arid interior.

This new, fully-updated 8th edition of Bradt's Ethiopia remains the most comprehensive, detailed and thorough guide available, particularly known for its strength of background information, coverage of off-the-beaten track areas, and in-depth details of hotels and other tourist facilities. It also contains far more maps than other guides. Bradt's Ethiopia is also the longest serving English-language guidebook dedicated to the country, with a history of 25 years of research and expertise. This new edition has been updated by the original author, Philip Briggs, the world's foremost writer of Africa travel guides. Recent years have seen a notable rise in domestic and foreign private investment in the development of new hotels and national parks; this new edition includes all the most up-to-date details reflecting all the most recent changes, from development of tourist facilities to improved road infrastructure. Bradt's Ethiopia is ideal for visitors of all ages no matter the interest, whether travelling independently or part of an organised group, from adventurous and active travellers interested in cultural, historical, and wildlife sightseeing to international conference visitors, spa tourists and community-based visitors looking for activities such as trekking and horse-riding in the Rift Valley and Simien Mountains. Wildlife and birding visitors who come for Ethiopia's wealth of endemics are also catered for and this new edition includes a dedicated full-colour chapter on wildlife and birds. Of all the African nations, Ethiopia is most prone to misconceptions. The 1985 famine and the cracked barren earth of the Danakil Depression are not images quickly forgotten. But this fully updated guide refocuses the lens to reveal an ancient country that continues to surpass all expectations: from the ancient Judaic cultures of the fertile highlands to the Animist people of the South Omo Valley, from the Afroalpine moorland of the Bale Mountains National Park to the thundering Blue Nile Falls. This book also leads you further off the beaten track, so travellers can see more of this expansive and beautiful land, believed to be the cradle of humankind.

With 16 well-researched chapters and 26 useful maps, this new thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt's The Gambia remains the most comprehensive guide available in any language to what is the smallest country on mainland Africa. Significant development has taken place in recent years and this new edition offers all the latest updates, including new restaurants and hotels, detailed coverage of the many new eco lodges and camps that have sprung up, information on festivals, music workshops and opportunities to experience the unique local culture, and informed advice about birdwatching possibilities in a country very popular with first-time birders to Africa. As well as encompassing the popular coastal resorts, the guide also provides all the detailed information required to explore the relatively undeveloped interior, making it ideal for both visitors on organised packaged holidays and independent travellers alike. Bradt's The Gambia reveals all the background and practical information needed to explore arguably Africa's most welcoming and safest country with its plethora of beach resorts ¬ catering to all tastes and budgets ¬ that line the 80km stretch of tropical coastline running from the capital Banjul to the remote southern border. Small in size but rich in African character, The Gambia offers perhaps the closest English-speaking 'winter sun' destination from Europe. Justifiably popular with birdwatchers, the lush mangrove- and jungle-fringed river is also home to crocodiles, hippos, chimpanzees and a variety of monkeys. Historic attractions include the mysterious megalithic stone circles at Wassu and Ker Batch, and the fortified James Island and former slave-trading village of Juffureh (to where Alex Haley traced his ancestry in the book and TV programme Roots) - all of which form part of the country's two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and offer rich pickings to moderately adventurous travellers. All in all, Bradt's The Gambia is the perfect companion for discovering this safe, welcoming and decidedly tourist-friendly English-speaking country which makes for an ideal short-stay introduction to the unique atmosphere of Africa.

South Africa has one of the world's most diverse tourist offerings. Attractions range from stately Cape Town with majestic Table Mountain, to the scenic winelands around Stellenbosch and the world-renowned Kruger National Park and adjacent private reserves. With hundreds of different national parks and reserves, Africa's longest coastline and several of the region's oldest and most vibrant towns, visitors are often dazzled and confused by the array of options. This compact Highlights guide, written by South African resident and travel expert Philip Briggs, focuses on the genuine 'must-see' sights, and will aid anyone planning their first trip to this magnificent country.