The Century Long Journey of Harare

Traveling is a great pleasure during holidays in order to get a relief from similar locations and daily routines. If affordable, it is advised that one must travel to foreign lands as this is the best rejuvenation therapy for exhausted minds and bodies. However, not everyone wants to spend a big amount of money just for one holiday plan, hence it is important to look out for money saving. Harare is hence the perfect choice for holidaying as the city’s exotica is simply incomparable to that of any other city in the world. Furthermore, cheap flights to Harare are very easily available, thus going to Harare over a holiday is a complete package for the much needed peace of mind.

Harare is the capital city of Zimbabwe and also its largest city. It is the commercial and social hub of the country and to quite an extent Harare is a business center of Zimbabwe. With developmental projects and steadily growing economy, Harare has become one of the finest cities of Africa.

The history of Zimbabwe does not date back to very ancient times like those of many other African countries, but the city is now over a hundred years old. During these times, the city has matured into a world class cosmopolitan city mixing in many African and European cultures. The city is home to a spectacular skyline that boasts many beautifully designed skyscrapers. Some of these buildings shave been trend setters for European and American architects for having introduced environmentally friendly construction blended with an enthralling architecture. However, what remains of more interest to tourists are the colonial buildings of Harare. These Victorian buildings have been refurbished yet their originality and charm has been retained, this makes the city of Harare, grand and elegant. The many parks and gardens in the city are what mainly get Harare recognized. Together, all these beautiful construction works and greenery coupled up with serene environments make Harare an ideal holiday resort.

It was in 1890 that British came to this area to settle a fort and military individuals. The fort was named Fort Salisbury while informally, the settlement was called Salisbury. In 1897, Salisbury became a municipality and in 1935, its status was further raised to that of a city. In 1953, Salisbury became the capital of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and remained as such until 1963. With the formation of Southern Rhodesia, Salisbury was appointed as its capital. It then served as the capital of Republic of Rhodesia followed by Zimbabwe Rhodesia and finally of Republic of Zimbabwe. On Zimbabwe’s second Independence Day, Salisbury was renamed to Harare.

A number of airlines serve Harare International Airport which include; British Airways, Air Botswana, Air Malawi, Ethiopian Airways and South African Airways. Flights to Harare are also operated by the national carrier of Zimbabwe, known as Air Zimbabwe, from many countries such as China, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia.   

Queen Victoria National Museum, Queen Victoria Library, National Gallery, National Archives and National Botanic Gardens are some of the best offerings of Harare flights. Restaurants like Café Espresso, Avondale, Kwa Mereki and Shangri-La and hotels like Meikles Hotel, Rainbow Towers and Bronte Hotel prefect the trip to Harare.  In short, Harare has the maximum value among the other Zimbabwean cities.       

The Best of Accra

Accra is the capital city of Ghana as well as one of the country’s most important cities. It is a hub to most of the business activity in the country, thus the Ghanaian capital has been inviting large migrations of people. Due to its importance as a business center, Accra is one of the highest populated cities in Ghana. People keep on moving to the city for better jobs and this has set Accra flights as a new business for airlines around the world.

Along with the city’s fine living, excellent hotels, beautiful public buildings, exotic restaurants, beaches, shopping and astounding blend of many cultures, there are many other attractions to welcome the tourists. It is due to Accra’s innumerable tourist attractions and endlessly scenic landscaping, that it has become one of the highest visited cities in West Africa.

Accra Zoo:

Traveling north of Independence Avenue, the Ako Adjei interchange is passed. Afrikiko Restaurant is located past the interchange, from where a turn is taken to the left. Signs are then found on the road, which lead to the zoo. Typically African, Accra has an astounding zoo where many species of birds and animals can be found. The best part is that all these species are unique to Africa and are not found anywhere else in the world. These highlight of the zoo remain its crocodiles, lions, leopards, monkeys, duikers and snakes. At one time, the zoo was once owned by Kwame Nkrumah thus his house still stands in the zoo in its original condition.

Cocoloco Beach:

Cocoloco Beach is situated in the area, known as Ada Foah. It is one of the most picturesque places in the region where Volta River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Ada Foah is nearly an hour’s drive east of Accra where many species of turtles breed at the Cocoloco Beach. It is one of the most distinguished beaches in Accra along with Labadi Pleasure Beach and Kokrobite Beach, highly popular amongst tourists. A wide variety of birds can also be found at the beach and this makes it a paradise for bird watchers. At the beach, accommodation is very easy and can be done by camping or by renting one of the many traditional style huts.

Makola Market:

Makola Market is one of the most popular markets of the African continent and is an important trading hub of Accra. Accra’s economy is highly dependent on this market, thus it chiefly accounts for increasing demands of  flights to Accra. Makola Market is home to a wide range of products ranging from spices, cooked food, traditional medicines and traditional cloth to electronics, clothing, shoes, African handicrafts, cosmetics and textiles. The market has been reconstructed and greatly refurbished and it now, also houses a bank, many restaurants and offices. The handicrafts from Makola Market are also found in the European markets and sold at very high prices as unique and elegant pieces.

There are a number of museums, libraries and monuments in the city which can be of great interest to history lovers. Accra has something to offer to everyone, thus tourists of all tastes and interests can enjoy a holiday in Accra. To meet the demands of increasing tourism in the city, cheap flights to Accra are now widely available from many major airlines.

Accra: the Year round Climatic Conditions

It is the cultures and lifestyle of a place that mainly drive tourists towards it. Until recent times, the world headed to Europe every holiday season however, with improving economy and enhanced advertisements, Accra flights are becoming a replacement. Ghanaian capital is one African city, widely reckoned for its cultural blend, scenic beauty and history. In order to plan an itinerary to this city, one needs to know its weather conditions and pack accordingly.

Kwame Nkrumah Monument

Humidity is generally high in Accra except for the months of July, August and September, when it is slightly better. Thus keeping along roll-ons, deodorants, talcum powders or any other products that you might feel comfortable with is quite a necessity. The temperature range in January is 23oC-31oC and one must note that temperatures in Accra can well vary around 31oC until the month of May. From February till May, temperatures go only as low as 24oC though April has shown a record of 19oC. Temperatures fall in June to range between 23oC and 29oC while from July till September, a range of 23oC-27oC is maintained. In October, although a temperature as low as 19oC has been recorded, this is quite rare. Generally, in this month of the year, temperatures range between 23oC and 29oC which increase to a range of 24oC-31oC for November and December. Humidity level rises to become high for the last three months of the year. Hence cotton, rayon and silk-weight dresses would best work in Accra for most times of the year.

Aburi Botanical Gardens

At an average, sunlight in January is available for around 7 hours. This timing increases to 8 hours for February only to reduce back to 7 hours from March till May. From June till August, sun shines for no more than 5 hours allowing for just a little time for comfortable explorations. However, since evening falls quickly at this time, the highly famed nightlife of Accra starts to glitter earlier and can be enjoyed to the fullest. In September, sunlight hours increase to 6 and continue to increase to become 7 in October and 8 in November and December. Downpours increase from January till June starting to measure at 15mm. For the months of February, March, April, May, and June, rainfalls can reach up to 33mm, 56mm, 81mm, 142mm and 178mm respectively. From July, a decreasing trend sets in which reduces the rainfalls to 46mm. in August, precipitation further lowers to 15mm only to increase up to 36mm in September and 64mm in October. Rainfalls then reduce considerably to 36mm in November and 23mm in December. In order to keep yourself comfortable, you must keep along umbrellas at all times for rainfall may occur at any instant. Rain lovers will see the best of Accra in the months of May and June.

Cocoloco Beach

Inevitably, the African sun shines over this city too, thus keeping a sun-block lotion is highly recommended. Mosquito mats and a rather detailed first aid box should also be a part of the packing. Accra’s beaches make the trip thus adding swimsuits and other beach gear to the suitcases would be a great thing to do. Land topography resulting in scenic landscaping, local customs and the uniqueness in ambiance and aura are some of the factors that make a place, worthy of explorations. No matter what season it is, cheap flights to Accra can compensate for ticket fares as the city has something to offer, the whole year.