Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Africa

Africa’s exciting, bustling cities can be an assault on the senses; if you need to take some time out during a trip, head to one of these easy-to-reach islands and get away from it all

IMAGE TIM E WHITE, CORBIS, GETTY IMAGES, PHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Gorée

SENEGAL

Senegal’s capital offers plenty of treats, but quaint, cobbled streets are conspicuous by their absence. To experience old-world Senegal, head to Dakar’s ferry port (Boulevard de la Libération) and buy a CFA 5,000 (€7,62) return ticket to Gorée. This island boasts three museums and the infamous (and well preserved) House of Slaves, as well as enticing winding streets, antique buildings and street hawkers selling necklaces, T-shirts and local art.

The 20th century also left its mark on Gorée. World War II guns top the island’s fort, beside the towering modernist memorial to the conflict. Dakar fell to Vichy France in 1940, and the guns of Gorée helped to hold back a fearsome assault from Allied air and naval forces in September of that year.

Ganvié

BENIN

This man-made island village juts out into the northern waters of Lake Nokoué. Its stilt houses were fashioned by locals for safety’s sake, yet they’ve attracted tourists for generations. Just an hour north of Cotonou, it makes for a great day trip, and various local tour guides have it on their schedule; ask your concierge for more details.

Mussulo

ANGOLA

This sandbar to the south of Angola’s seaside capital Luanda has offered weary travellers respite from the big city for many years. The ‘island’ is in fact a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a sandy spit about 20km south of the city. The easiest way to get over to these uncrowded shores is to bargain for a good fare with the boatmen along the southern shores of Luanda’s coastline.

Ngamba

UGANDA

Built close to the Northern shores of Lake Victoria, Entebbe (where Brussels Airlines flights touch down) serves as the ideal embarkation point for the many islands within Uganda’s portion of this lake. One of the more popular destinations is Ngamba, 23km off the coast and famed for its native chimpanzees. The Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Conservation Trust (www.ngambaisland.org) can accommodate everything from day trips to longer stays on the island; prices start at around €300, which includes passage to the island from Entebbe.

Jinack

THE GAMBIA

Although it is, strictly speaking, a sand bar, Jinack – or Paradise Island, as it’s sometimes known – makes up the prettier half of the Niumi National Park. Catch the rickety ferry from Banjul to Barra Point on the far side of the Gambia river mouth and you’re in striking distance of this beautiful stretch of coastline. Expect sandy beaches, mangrove swamps and plenty of peace and quiet.

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