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.
Now into its seventh edition and written by Philip Briggs, the world's leading writer of guidebooks to Africa, Bradt's Rwanda has been the go-to guide for visitors to this historical and resurgent 'Land of a Thousand Hills' for nearly two decades, and it continues to be in a class of its own when it comes to in-depth information on this emerald slice of East Africa. With freshly researched and updated details on developments across the country, Bradt's Rwanda includes up-to-date maps of rapidly modernising Kigali, information on hiking to the summit of Mount Bisoke and a newly expanded chapter on excursions into the neighbouring DRC.
In this new edition are extensive and recently updated maps and natural history information, details of kayak and canoe excursions on Lake Kivu and the Mukungwa River, all you need to know about tracking not only mountain gorillas in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park but also lowland gorillas in the Congo, and information about overnight stays on tea plantations at Sorwathe or Gisovu. Also covered are Nyungwe Forest National Park, where a wealth of endemic birds and primates inhabit the largest surviving montane forest in East Africa; Nyanza, where the hilltop Rukari Palace Museum marks the site of the old mwami's (king's) palace; and the National/Ethnographic Museum of Rwanda, the top cultural site in Rwanda's second city, Huye (Butare). Coverage of nearby cities and national parks in the neighbouring DRC has been expanded since last edition, providing all the necessary information to take an excursion into Rwanda's enormous and poorly understood neighbour.
Rwanda continues to change and develop at an unprecedented pace, and there's hardly a more accessible part of Africa to be found anywhere on the continent. It's no less intriguing for the convenience, however, and Rwanda's superlative natural attractions seem to improve by the day, with growing animal populations and an on-going rhino reintroduction program in Akagera National Park.
Having now gone through nearly 18 years of editions, Bradt's Rwanda is not only the most in-depth guide available, but also the guide with the longest history in the country itself.
For the UK.
This new tenth edition of Bradt's Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia remains the most in-depth guide available to these exotic and alluring islands. Thoroughly updated following extensive on-the-ground research, accommodation listings are near comprehensive, with over 300 properties spanning all budget levels featured, many newly built and the vast majority not featured in other guides. Bradt's Zanzibar also offers for more detailed coverage of the islands' cultural, historic and environmental status than other guides, and the authors make a point of featuring more ethically- minded hotels, tour operators and activities, from fair- trade shopping opportunities to marine awareness guidelines. All maps have been accurately updated with every property, major attraction, eatery and road recorded using GPS. No other guidebook provides this level of guidance.
Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia have become increasingly accessible dream destinations. All offer some wonderful beach resorts catering to most styles and budgets, but they also offer superb diving and snorkelling, while Swahili-related cultural highlights range from the history-steeped alleys of Zanzibar Stone Town to a scattering of evocative ruins spanning several centuries, and the more low-key fishing villages that line the coast.
Bradt's Zanzibar is the most frequently updated book on the islands: the authors are personally known in the region for their face-to-face research methods and this is the book of choice for hoteliers and expatriate workers/residents on Zanzibar. The guide also includes a dedicated section on southern Tanzanian safaris in the Selous/Nyerere and Ruaha National Parks, making this the ideal choice for a bush and beach combination.
Boasting dozens of national parks and reserves, Uganda is a supremely diverse wildlife-viewing destination. Home to a wealth of forest and savannah mammals, as well as 1,000-plus bird species, here you can track chimpanzees, walk with white rhinos, get up close to shoebills, and take a safari in search of tree-climbing lions. But it's not just about the fauna : scale the lofty volcanic peaks of the Virengas, experience life among the Karamojong at a traditional manyatza, or simply enjoy some peace and relaxation at lovely lake Bunyonyi.
Now in its ninth edition, Bradt's Uganda remains the most comprehensive guide to this exciting country. Written by Africa expert Philip Briggs and Uganda specialist Andrew Roberts, it includes detailed background and freshly updates pratical information, plus a new 32-page colour wildlife section.
Tanzania has grown to be one of the top safari destinations in Africa. This new edition of Northern Tanzania focuses solely on the northern region and Zanzibar. This area accounts for a tiny fraction of the country's surface area but around 95% of tourist developments.
Written by Africa expert Philip Briggs, the guide reflects the growing trend away from large lodges towards small exclusive eco-friendly camps in remote parts of the Serengeti and other major reserves. This edition is more critically selective than previous editions, detailing the best on offer in all price brackets. It includes new chapters on the North Coast and on the Usambara Mountains both of which offer good off-the-beaten-track travel opportunities, as well as an expanded chapter on Lake Victoria. There is in-depth coverage of Tanzania's wildlife including where to see tree-climbing lions, and a full-colour wildlife guide. Philip Briggs keeps readers up-to-date with the highly controversial proposal to build a highway through the Serengeti. Northern Tanzania is an essential travel companion for both first-time visitors and seasoned safari-goers.
