Mauritania study trips
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is located in the north-west of Africa and occupies an area there that is roughly three times the size of Germany. The landscape of Mauritania consists primarily of sand dune fields that form the edge of the Sahara, an extensive lowland, a flat highland with individual island mountains, as well as the coast on the Atlantic Ocean, which is in the south as a flat compensation coast, in the north as one with bays and Islands decorated cliffs. The coast is also bordered by the Banc d’Arguin National Park, located between the northern city of Nouadhibou and the capital Nouakchott, in which the different landscapes can be approached… whereby the nature there is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its importance as a migratory bird breeding site. There are also some fishing villages on the coast – off the coast there is an abundance of fish, several species of turtles and dolphins. In terms of nature, especially Tagant with a lonely, wild rocky landscape. Above all, Mauritania is culturally interesting, as it forms the transition country from Arab North Africa to black Sudanese Africa and thus has influences from both sides. On the one hand West African culture on the coast, on the other hand Arab way of life in the desert. The Mauritania cultural area includes important caravan cities such as Chinguetti, Quadane, Qualata and Tichitt, oases, semi-deserted places, traditionally living nomads, various black African peoples and several thousand Europeans as well as an art focused on ornamentation, the camel market in Atar or the busy metropolis of Nouakchott. This is also a popular starting point for a trip on the Route de l’Espoir, the road of hope, which stretches over 1,100 km through various regions to Nema.
Nigeria study trips
The West African Nigeria is one of the African countries in which tourism has hardly arrived… although there is a lot to discover – both in terms of nature and culture. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, home to around 250 different peoples, each with their own individual culture, tradition and religion. But Nigeria is also a country in whose national parks you can still observe West African wild animals, which in the southeastern part of the country is shaped by the Niger and the tributary Benue, which eventually flow together and flow into the Gulf of Guinea in the Niger Delta, and on whose coast the Atlantic Ocean Find lagoons as well as mangroves. In addition, Nigeria still has tropical rainforests (even if only remnants of what was once approx. 100 km wide strip are left), desert and part of Lake Chad, the area of which is known for its numerous species of birds. The breathtaking mountain landscape of Bius is known for alpine tours, and the Olumirin or Assob waterfalls for impressive excursions. Excursion destinations also abound in the heavily urbanized south, where Nigeria has a large number of cities, of which over 100 have more than 100,000 inhabitants and among which there are several with a population above 1 million. By far the largest urban area in Nigeria is Lagos, the almost unmanageable, chaotic city that surrounds the island of Lagos. The national museum, the arts and crafts market or the Jankara market are worth a visit here… but Lagos is especially worthwhile for its diverse scenery. Great contrast to one of the cities in the north: Kano, on the edge of the Sahel zone, with its old town built from clay, medieval flair, the palace of the emir and the great mosque. And Jos should be mentioned as a remarkable Nigerian city with a special position – not least because of its location on a 1,200 m high plateau and the pleasant climate.
Study trips to the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic is still known to some as the Central African Empire, which has suffered from a corrupt government for decades. In the meantime, however, the situation is changing, so that the country is gradually becoming more attractive as a travel destination (at least parts of it). The wealth of the Central African Republic is primarily one of the great natural gems on earth: the dense tropical rainforest of the Dzanga-Sanga National Park. The over 4,000 square kilometer park is located in the very south-west and, in addition to its unique fauna, is also known for the flatland gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffalo and bongos, a rare species of antelope, that live there. A specialty is a guided tour by pygmies, a boat trip in a pirogue, but also dance and music events. There are other national parks in the north of the country – but a visit is not advisable due to the security situation. What otherwise characterizes the landscape of the Central African Republic is its generally quite hilly terrain, large areas of wet and tree savannah, a somewhat drier and barren northern region, part of the Chad basin as well as the Congo basin, the Mongos Mountains and the 1,420 m high Kayagangiri. In some areas, the country is noticeably sparsely populated – where it is populated, one encounters Bantu, various Sahelo-Sudanese groups, Azande peoples and pygmies, who were the first inhabitants of the area. The largest city that is currently relatively safe for tourists is the capital Bangui on the Ubangi River, right on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once founded by the French colonial rulers, the city is now diverse, modern and with traditional elements, with wide avenues, a central market, the Boganda Museum and the African quarter Kilometre Cinq, the heart of the city. And in the area around Bangui, the Central African Republic finally shows itself with the Chutes de Boali waterfalls as well as coffee and tobacco plantations.
