FROM TENERIFE TO Cape Town

The Atlantic waves meet the coast at Dakar and the city itself seems to sway to their rhythm. There’s a lot going on in the colourful streets and the markets are filled with fragrances and sounds. Echoes of the past, the dark history of the slave island Ile de Goree, can still be felt here now. And yet hope is in the air: drums, lively street music, children’s laughter and the smiles on people’s faces tell the story of a new beginning. Dakar is a kaleidoscope of colour and emotion, a city that never stands still and is always alert, always in motion, full of life and energy.

Where the Gambia River flows into the ocean, experience the vibrant life of the city in all its colours. Banjul’s Albert Market, a lively tapestry of exotic fruits and handicrafts is filled with the scents of the tropics. The palms that line the river whisper of colonial times, while Arch 22 proudly rises up into the sky. Everywhere you go, you will feel the rhythm of everyday life as drums ring through the air and the ocean glitters on the horizon. Banjul is lively, full of movement and a centrepiece of West Africa that never stands still.

Thick vegetation rising up towards the sky and palms bending over golden beaches – Sao Tome is an island full of contrasts and unspoilt nature. The region is part of a chain of volcanoes, with remarkable rock and coral formations as well as rainforests – and home to the Obo National Park, a jungle region with a wide variety of species. The island’s interior is enticing with clear streams and waterfalls amongst forests and mountains. Sao Tome is a place where you’ll feel the heart of Africa in all its beauty and tranquillity.

Life never stands still in the streets of Luanda: the rhythmic beating of hands on drums, the scent of grilled fish and the warmth of a city that makes the most of life – a blend of modernity and tradition. Along the Marginal promenade, the Atlantic waves shimmer and the Sao Miguel fortress stands over the capital city of Angola like a silent guardian. Here, state-of-the-art buildings meet colonial relics and the Mercado do Artesanato reveals a bright kaleidoscope of colours and fragrances: Luanda has its own unique way of bringing contrasts together.

Like a gleaming gem, Lobito nestles in the wide arc of the bay of the same name. Palm trees line the Avenida Marginal and on the horizon fishing boats bob up and down on the glistening water, while the tropical sun caresses the coastline. Here, the city’s colonial past meets the present-day life of a lively port city, whose houses tell the tale of ancient trading routes. The tranquillity of the sea and the hustle and bustle of the port form a harmonious backdrop to the meeting point between modern life in Angola and the traces left behind by its history.

Walvis Bay nestles softly in the coastline of Namibia, where the dunes of the Namib desert meet the deep blue of the Atlantic. Flamingoes and pelicans gather at the lagoons, while dolphins glide playfully through the glittering waves. The panorama of golden dunes and blue water seems surreal, as if nature is revealing its most beautiful colours. The breeze carries the salty scent of the sea over the waterfront promenade as the fishing boats bob up and down on the waves in the distance. Walvis Bay is a place in which the bleak grandeur of the desert and the tranquillity of the ocean come together in a magical way.

In the barren expanse of the Namib desert, Luderitz appears like a mirage on the edge of the Atlantic. The colonial houses with their bright facades tell the story of the town’s past, while time seems to have stood still in the ghost town of Kolmanskop. Penguins and flamingoes gather at the water and the natural beauty seems raw and untamed. Luderitz, where the desert meets the sea, is a place full of contrasts, in which tranquillity, melancholy and the beauty of solitude have a story to tell.