Africa

Destinations > Africa

Morocco is where Africa’s chapter begins for us — a country of medina alleyways, desert light, and mountain roads that reward slowing down. Our first guide covers 48 hours with Team USA, and more of the continent is on the way.

Planning an Africa Travel Guide, One Country at a Time

Africa isn’t a single destination, it’s 54 countries with wildly different landscapes, languages, and travel logistics, which is exactly why I’m building this Africa travel guide one country at a time instead of rushing out a shallow overview. Morocco is where I started because it’s where my own trip took me first, but the plan is to keep adding honest, tested guides as I actually visit each place rather than writing about countries I’ve never set foot in.

Before booking anything on this continent, I always check the latest country-specific guidance from the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisories, since entry requirements, safety conditions, and visa rules can shift quickly and vary enormously from one African country to the next. I also look at the CDC’s travel health notices a few weeks out, since recommended vaccinations depend heavily on where exactly you’re headed and how long you’ll be there.

The practical details matter more here than almost anywhere else I’ve traveled. Currency, language, and even the best time to visit change dramatically depending on whether you’re in North Africa, West Africa, or Southern Africa, so treat the quick-reference details above as a starting point rather than a rule that applies continent-wide. If you’re new to planning a trip to Africa, I’d start with the beginner travel guide on this site, then narrow in on the specific country guides as they go live.

For now, Morocco’s 48-hour guide is the best place to dig in, and I’ll be linking new country guides here as they’re published. If there’s a specific African country you’re hoping I cover next, that’s genuinely useful for me to know, since it helps me prioritize which trip to plan next.

Packing for this part of the world usually means planning around layers rather than one climate. Mornings in the Atlas Mountains can be cold enough for a real jacket, while afternoons in a coastal medina call for the lightest cotton you own. I’d rather overpack a daypack with both than assume one forecast applies to an entire trip.

Connectivity is another thing worth sorting out before you land rather than after. A local SIM or an eSIM tends to be far cheaper than international roaming, and having reliable maps and translation apps on hand makes solo navigation through unfamiliar streets far less stressful. None of this is unique to any one country, but it’s the kind of practical prep that makes the difference between a trip that flows and one that doesn’t.

Budgeting also swings widely across the continent. Morocco can be genuinely affordable if you eat where locals eat and travel by train or shared taxi, while other African destinations lean luxury-safari territory with prices to match. I’ll break down real numbers, not vague ranges, as each country guide goes live, since that’s usually the detail I want most when I’m the one planning a trip.