UNESCO World Heritage Sites To Visit In Africa

Throughout the world, UNESCO has hundreds of World Heritage Sites. These are extremely important for our society, as they are kept safe for future generations. Africa alone has 89 heritage sites which are among some of the most fascinating world heritage sites in the world. So, today we are telling you about some of the best UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa, about which you might not even know till now-

Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

A major center of pilgrimage, the holy city of Lalibela is the site of 11 monolithic rock-cut churches, including the most well-known, the Church of St. George. Carved from solid red volcanic rock, the church's construction is attributed to King Lalibela, who set out to build a “New Jerusalem” during the 12th century.

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, Seychelles

The lush green Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve was once believed to be the original site of the Garden of Eden. In the heart of Praslin National Park, which was untouched until the 1930s, the valley is home to the coco de mer palms found only on the islands and known for its distinctively shaped nut.

Victoria Falls – Zambia/Zimbabwe

Known locally as ‘Mosi-o-Tunya’ (the smoke that thunders), Victoria Falls can be found 2700km from the ocean, along the mighty Zambezi River. Victoria Falls did not get its status for nothing! The towering sheet of water plunders down a 100m vertical drop and is 1.5km wide. In fact, it’s so large that there are even different countries on either side of the Falls; Zimbabwe on one side and Zambia on the other. Dr. David Livingstone was the first European to see Victoria Falls during a research trip and described his experience seeing this World Heritage Site as “scenes so wonderful it must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. He, in fact, named Victoria Falls after his monarch, Queen Victoria.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Serengeti National Park has Africa’s densest “big cat” predator population. One of the oldest ecosystems on the planet, lions, gazelles, zebras and spotted hyenas are among the many animals that roam the landscape. The Serengeti Plain is especially known for its annual wildebeest migration, which begins in December in the Ngorongoro area.

Great Lakes – Kenya

The Great Lakes of Kenya constitute part of the East African Rift Valley. It comprises of 3 lakes that formed due to tectonic activity. You may think, ‘what’s so magical about a lake?’. Well, these particular lakes are home to around 4million lesser flamingos. 4 MILLION! Let that sink in. There are many other bird species and fish species in the area, but you’ll also find large mammals roaming the area. The specialty of this place lies within the continuing ecological and biological processes occurring and is a must-visit if you’re into animals of the flying-kind.

Robben Island – South Africa

When South Africa is mentioned in conversation, many things come to mind. One of those things may have been the Apartheid regime that dominated in the 20th century. Robben Island was famously known as the place where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27 years. But, many don’t know the history of the island itself. The first people who were banished to the island were two Malagasy men who led a mutiny on a slave ship in 1766. The island was also used to house a leper colony in 1845 who were separated from society. There is no surprise Robben Island made the World Heritage Sites list based on its cultural significance.