No matter what kind of traveller you are, these clever gadgets have got you covered, every step of the way.

Words Owen Bailey

Business Traveller

Trakdot
Best for: Keeping track of  your luggage
www.trakdot.com
Lets your luggage check in with you
The Trakdot Luggage Tracker is a small device that fits in your suitcase and uses GPS tracking to update you on its progress, anywhere in the world. It’ll send its reassuring message to any mobile, Apple, Android, or SMS capable devices in real time – once you’ve registered the device on the Trakdot site, you can enjoy your flight safe in the knowledge that your case won’t be one of an estimated 26 million that go missing each year.

Shirt Shuttle Mk 2
Best for: Smooth dressing
www.patrona.com
Arrive at your meeting crease-free
No matter how immaculately you’ve ironed your shirt, the chances are, once it’s been halfway around the world in your case, you’re going to have to start all over again. That is, until the advent of the Shirt Shuttle – you simply wrap your crisply ironed shirt round its grippy folding board (it even has curved edges to ensure there are no lines), then slip it into a tough, lightweight case, ready for travel. Smooth.

Touchfire Screentop
iPad Keyboard
Best for: Easier typing

www.touchfire.com
Type right on your iPad
It may not rank with the world’s most pressing difficulties, but for many, typing on the iPad’s digital keyboard is a frustrating experience, and the lack of physicality renders touch-typing a non-starter. One solution is the Touchfire keyboard – a slim device as thick as two credit cards which attaches magnetically to the inside of your iPad cover and provides cushioned keys. When you’re done, you can fold the Touchfire away with the iPad cover, all of which means goodbye laptop, hello Touchfire…

Tiny Traveller

Travel Trunki
Best for: Entertaining kids
www.travelkiddy.com
Get the kids off your case
Travelling tots aren’t exactly renowned for their tolerance and patience, but the Trunki could be just the ticket to keep them occupied. Doubling as both hand luggage and cute ride-on toy, the Trunki can be packed with their favourite things and even has specially designed teddy-bear seatbelts. It has a carry/tow strap, too, so you can lead them gently to the departure lounge, or they can take Trunki for a walk while you mop the sweat from your brow with your passport.

Breeze Playard Foldaway Crib
Best for: Babies on the go
www.shop4moms.com
One-push play (and sleeping) space for junior
The Breeze Playard is an elegant design based on a good idea – so good, in fact, that its initial production run sold out on pre-order within the first week! It’s a one-push playard for kids that opens or closes in one step via automatic latches. This ease-of-use is supplemented by a removable bassinet, a portable changing pad and a travel bag, adding up to a welcome helping hand for families on the move.

Autoseal Kids Trekker Cup
Best for: Avoiding spills
www.gocontigo.com
Ne’er a slip twixt cup and lip
Keep the little ones dry in the backseat with the Trekker Cup – for kids who insist they’re beyond sippy cups, but still somehow end up wearing their drink down their front. The cup’s Autoseal technology opens at the push of a button, then closes up again, making it 100 per cent leak and spill proof, in theory at least. It’s also ergonomically designed to be easy for smaller hands to grip and comes in a range of eyecatching colours.

Stylish Traveller

FieldCandy Tents
Best for: Cool camping
www.fieldcandy.com
The ultimate in outdoor style
FieldCandy describes each of its often limited-edition designer tents as “a unique and rare piece of practical outdoor art”, and claims many of them end up in private collections or being sold at charity auctions. Printed and manufactured to the highest-possible quality in the UK, the outer sheets feature designs by famous names hand-picked from the worlds of fashion, album-cover art design, photography and graphic design, and prints range from sci-fi raygun illustrations to photorealistic bricks and mortar.

Martian Passport Voice Command Watch
Best for: Slick communication
http://martianwatches.com
Talk to the hand
With wearable tech on the drawing boards of all the major forward-thinking manufacturers and pioneers, we’re going to be seeing a lot more of the kind of innovation that led to the new Martian Passport Voice Command Watch. Looking for all the world like a stylish, retro-flavoured regular wristwatch, the Martian Watches enable you to make and receive calls and write and receive texts without your phone leaving your pocket – all via the magic of voice control and Bluetooth.

Handpresso
Best for: Great coffee on tap
www.handpresso.com
Espresso-a-go-go
Coffee is very important to some people – particularly the clever folk at Handpresso, it seems. They’ve come up with a novel gadget to ensure you’ll get your Espresso fix wherever you are. The Handpresso Wild Hybrid machine is simple, light and compact, and you can use either ground espresso coffee, or insert an adaptor, generate 16-bar pressure with a built-in pump, add water, and you have the real deal. There’s even a Handpresso Auto model for the car…

Cosy Traveller

Zippo Hand Warmer
Best for: Staying warm
www.zippo.co.uk
Balmy palms
There are quite a few pocket-sized gadgets available to protect your extremities, but the windproof lighter people are onto a winner with their reusable Hand Warmer. A single 12ml dose of lighter fuel will not only last up to 12 hours, but the Zippo can kick out up to ten times more heat than disposable rivals, thanks to its catalytic combustion design. Once lit, you wait for its indicator to turn red, pop it in its warming bag, and kiss goodbye to frozen digits.

ThermaCell
Heated Insole
Best for: Curing cold feet
www.thermacell.com
Toasty toes
This is why technology rules. Instead of stomping around on numb feet, feeling miserable in the dead of winter, the brilliance of the ThermaCell Heated Insole means we can just press a button on a wireless remote control fob and decide how warm we’d like our feet to be. If that ain’t progress, we don’t know what is. Powered by rechargeable batteries, they’re self-contained, with no wires, batteries and so on, and they’ll kick out the heat for a full five hours.

Sennheiser PXC 250-II Travel Headphones
Best for: Noise cancelling
www.sennheiser.com
Silent flight
Frequent fliers and light sleepers may well have already invested in a set of these. But for the rest of us, Sennheiser’s highly portable, lightweight, travel-optimised headphones could improve our travelling experience no end. The PXC 250-II mini headphones are equipped with NoiseGard active noise-cancelling technology, and are designed specifically to tune out the ambient noise that forms the background noise to most of our trips. They also offer detailed sound reproduction, and have a handy integrated volume control.

Adventure Traveller

SpareOne
Emergency Phone
Best for: Off-road contact
www.spareone.com
Calling… international rescue
The SpareOne Emergency Phone could be anything from a timesaver to a lifesaver. It can be used anywhere within range of a cell tower, and even without a SIM card, it has one-button emergency dialling and can be geo-located. It operates off one AA battery and will stay charged for up to 15 years: it offers 10 hours of talk time and a torch – and perhaps most importantly of all, it can operate in extreme weather ranges.

Fleece 7.0
Best for: Dressing smart
www.scottevest.com
Geek chic
The Fleece 7.0 is so advanced, it actually contains a map showing each of the jacket’s many pockets. Any item of clothing requiring a map to navigate it may sound over the top, but take it from us, this could be one of the most thought-about items of clothing ever made. Among its many features is a pocket engineered to let you use a touchscreen device without taking it out; a total of 23 gadget-friendly pockets; and a padlocked zipper pocket for travel documents.

Polaroid XS100 Extreme Edition Waterproof Sports Action Camera
Best for: Sporty photographers
www.polaroid.com
Light camera, records the action
If you surf, ski, skydive, raft, hang-glide, mountain-bike or otherwise endanger yourself in the name of thrillseeking entertainment, the latest in affordable-yet-durable Action Cameras could make your trips even more unforgettable. As well as being tough, it’s an intelligently thought-out piece of kit  – dual-file recording for efficient uploads, slow- (or fast-) motion capabilities, single-button record, auto-rotation sensor and anti-shake technology is all onboard. Comes with a helmet and handlebar mount, and is ready to rock, straight out of the box.

Words Diane Lemieux Photography Adolphus Opara

Winner of a Nigerian Youth Leadership Award, Peter Alumona, explains, “It’s not only being in politics that makes you a leader, it’s doing things like being class governor, how you talk with people, and what you do in your community.” Peter Alumona and Kehinde Ogundipe, both 13 years of age, stand proudly in their school uniforms at the entrance to Lagos’ Muson Centre. They and their classmates from Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior High Secondary School had just accepted a prize for Best Social Project in Lagos state.

The students had participated in the Leadership, Ethics and Civics (LEC) class offered at their school. The Nigerian Youth Leadership Awards celebrates the commitment, passion and innovation of young Nigerians, highlighting their efforts in order to inspire other youth to aspire to become change agents in their own communities. This year, the awards recognised the efforts of secondary school students for their design and execution of community development projects.

In the 2011/2012 school year, 27 public schools in three states were selected to participate in the programme. In each school, teachers trained in the LEC curriculum led a group of volunteer students in the first year senior secondary school. During the one-year programme, these young people are introduced to the concepts of youth-led social change. They reflect on their own abilities as individuals and the skills they need to cope with life in Nigeria today. The children involved are then asked to put the theory behind the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be a leader into practice, by designing and implementing a community development project.

In 2012, out of 35 school-led community projects in Lagos, Anambra and Ogun States, one class in each state won top honours for Best Social Change Project. The projects are judged on the basis of their creativity and innovation, their impact in the community and the sustainability of the project.

The LEC is one of several initiatives designed and supported by LEAP Africa, a non-profit organisation committed to developing dynamic, innovative and principled African leaders. Oje Ivagba, Director of Programmes, coordinates the Youth Leadership Awards, and manages the LEC programme.

“We take these motivated young kids and hope to change their mindset, and show them that they can make a difference,” said Oje. “It’s the youth who are taught to lead today, from within their own spheres of influence, that can guarantee effective leadership in public spheres tomorrow.”

At least with Peter and Kehinde, their efforts seem to be paying off.
“I want to become a journalist,” says Peter. “I’ve learned how to cope in this society and discovered my potential.” With the money he will earn, he wants to start a charitable organisation for less privileged people.

Kehinde wants to be a medical doctor. “For me, it gave me self-awareness, what I think about myself. I realise that I have my own weakness and strengths.” What did she learn from the LEC programme? “We see now everybody has their potential, no matter their age group. Everybody can do something.”

Award-winning initiatives by Youth Leadership winners

Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Senior High Secondary School, Lagos State
These students devised a project to provide free eyeglasses to support small traders, mainly low-income, and often illiterate individuals of the Onigbonbgo market, Maryland. The project required them to coordinate with the local council, the market association, religious heads in the community and health professionals who donated their time and professional assistance free of charge. By the end of their project, they had enabled sight-screening tests for the market vendors, as a result of which 15 people were given glasses and 18 received blood pressure checks. Most positively, the awareness created by this project generated a pledge by local authorities to make this project a regular outreach programme. The Chief of the community, the Onigbongbo local council, the Chief Imam and the nearest Redeemed Church have all promised their continued support.

Orile-Ilugun Comprehensive High School, Ogun State
The government-provided borehole in the Ona-Ilu community was out of use and long abandoned, giving residents little access to clean water. The students of the LEC programme mobilised and inspired community members to repair the borehole, clearing the site of debris, repairing the damaged pump, replacing old pipes and repairing the overhead storage tanks. A technician from the Odeda Local Government Authority repaired the power generator and everyone got involved in painting the structure. The project has had a big impact on the residents of the community who wrote a letter of appreciation to the school. Through the project, the residents have become aware of the power of self-help; they are now committed to raising funds locally to maintain the borehole and to use this valuable resource with care.

Community Secondary School Umuokpu, Anambra State
In this environmental protection project, the LEC students acted as a catalyst to bring together parties who could make a difference. The problem they addressed was soil erosion around the Umuokpu community. They approached the Anambra State Ministry of Environment who sponsored the purchase of 140 plant seedlings (80 tea plants, 20 palm trees, 20 ogbono trees and 20 breadfruit trees). The students gained community support in identifying the worst-hit area around their community and clearing the site for the planting of the seedlings. The community is now aware of the impact of soil erosion and determined to maintain the plants that now protect their community, plants that will eventually provide shade, protection and, as an added benefit, fruit.

When asked how the market vendors felt about a project run by such young people, Kehinde answered: “The market people were happy because someone thought of them. Though we are little, we are mighty. They were happy we had free eyeglasses for them.” And when asked what they would like to say to other young Nigerians like themselves they answered, “They should not be ashamed of what they have.”

Leading Lights

How to encourage leadership in young people

Support an organisation
Donate to an organisation such as LEAP or Save The Children to ensure that more Nigerian children receive a quality education and the skills to cope with life’s challenges.

Become a Mentor
Volunteer-based mentorship programmes are available at Arik destinations such as London (actionforchildren.org.uk) and New York (mentoring.org).

Encourage experiences
Children learn best by doing. Organise a cultural outing for kids in your community or engage them in activities that use your skills. Just one day of time will have a big impact.

LEAP Africa recently celebrated its 10th year anniversary and ninth Annual Nigerian Youth Leadership Awards. leapafrica.org

Words Nana Ocran

Over the last few years, with all the big conversations about Afropolitanism and its definitions in and beyond the African continent, one quirky development that seems to have been left out of the conversation is the growing level of can-do, hands-on, and sometimes otherworldly making and tinkering  that’s been going on. The loudly trumpeted tech explosion has definitely changed the tone of African-themed conversation in large parts of the globe – especially with the latest African-produced products like the Democratic Republic of Congo’s VMK smartphone or Nigeria’s Veda laptops. It seems, however, that Africa’s quieter revolution of incidental, or sometimes accidental inventors, dreamers, technologists and thinkers, who are earnestly burrowing away in minimally resourced or improvised workshops seem to exist beneath the more seductive Afropolitan radar of culturally canny bloggers, Afro-rhythmic DJs, or fashionistas styled up in brash prints. From African apps to waste-powered generators, there’s an unmistakable (and far more streamlined) design voice emerging from the continent, and it’s one that’s fuelled by young, young-at-heart and savvy techno-preneurs who are changing the world’s innovation-themed landscape.

South Africa for a start is no slouch when it comes to providing platforms for new technology for a broad audience. Initiatives like the FabLabs (or fabrication laboratories) that are situated in seven provinces, are co-ordinated by Lindi Mophuti, who manages them on behalf of the country’s Department of Science and Technology.

“The labs are a global initiative,” she says. “The name isn’t trademarked in South Africa as such, so no one has ownership over it. The FabLabs are open to all sorts of people depending on the location, so the Free State FabLab has mainly young students as it’s located in a Higher Education institution, while the lab in Soshanguve, a historically disadvantaged area is used by a community of kindergarten kids to community elders.”

These labs are feeding a real hunger that African makers from all walks of life have, to create solutions through experimentation, trial, error and a healthy dose of imagination. It’s perhaps the country’s most marginalised areas that are seeing the most urgent examples of dynamic thinking, “but the problem is the lack of resources and facilities to unlock this creativity,” explains Lindi. “The inventors that I’ve met so far have been frustrated over the past years because of lack of support. Open spaces such as the FabLabs stops many of them giving up to become job seekers rather than job creators, and this is the same in other African countries.”

It’s the basic level problems – usually those linking to environmental, health or security issues – that are what’s influencing the type of creative resourcefulness that’s been spilling out of these labs, and pretty often, it’s a simple back story that leads up to a specific invention.

Lindi: “A young unemployed man noticed that most stores in his area were throwing away unused cardboard boxes. He visited the Kimberley FabLab in Northern Cape and started making recycled cardboard furniture with the CNC router [a computer-controlled shaping machine] that was available. He’s now aiming to start his own small enterprise.”

Solar-powered street lamps (an almost no-brainer enterprise that’s been taken up by individuals and organisations throughout the continent) is another lab project that reached finalist status in the annual South African Bureau of Standards Prototype Design Awards, while another project featured a low-cost safety system to curb the challenges faced by people living in rural and township areas.

“These would be everyday challenges ranging from shack fires to the length of time it takes an Emergency service to respond to a call out to a remote area,” explains Lindi. “Other inventions like talking road sign booklets are all produced using fairly standard FabLab tools. What’s usually available are laser and vinyl cutters, a milling machine, and 3D printers.”

Keeping these tools on hand doesn’t come cheap, and with the labs initially open to the public for free, there now has to be a sustainable shift in strategy, which will ultimately come in the form of ‘a foundation for membership registration and funding from industry’.
A further challenge is to attract more females to the labs. Lindi’s status as the first black woman to manage a FabLab in South Africa is great, but it’s still rare for girls to visit the labs of their own accord. This isn’t just a South African concern, it’s an African one, and it’s why over in Kenya, a powerhouse, geek-chic organisation, Akirachix has set up an online membership of female developers, entrepreneurs, students, engineers, researchers, activists and creatives who meet up for training and mentorship to have their ideas recognised wherever they choose to take them.

Akirachix was set up in 2010 at Nairobi’s iHub – a space for hackers, designers and bloggers – and now has around 200 members whose call to arms – amongst many – is to be ‘positively disruptive’ in a world where female tech skills have pretty much been unsung or underdeveloped. Its president is coder, blogger and tech enthusiast Judith Owigara, who, along with her team of female techies has a longterm goal is to create Akirachix communities throughout Africa.

The continent wide innovation focus has also been harnessed over the last three years by Maker Faire Africa (MFA), a yearly pan-African community of makers ‘that hail from Africa’s tiniest villages to her most expansive burgs’.

Co-founded and curated by Emeka Okafor – a New York-based entrepreneur and African innovation blogger at Timbuktu Chronicles – the MFA bandwagon kicked off in Accra in 2009 and has rolled into Cairo and Lagos so far, spawning a ‘fellowship of creators’ who can interact with each other across African borders and beyond. It’s an arena that this years saw four Nigerian schoolgirls successfully developing urine-powered generators, and a pre-teen who created a mini robotic excavator using plywood, hydraulic cylinders and syringes.

Bit it’s not just hardcore engineering that gets a look in. Playful, artistic and handcrafted talent is also recognised, and local stars from the MFA stable are starting to emerge on the international stage. One such creator is Cyrus Kabiru. His C-Stunner glasses are a sculptural take on ‘real’ spectacles. Big, bold and crafted from found or recycled objects, his theatrical designs have caught the eye of the TED talks community who have selected him as a Fellow for this year’s spring conference in Long Beach, California.

“I never knew that I was a designer or an artist,” Cyrus responds, when asked about his influences. “I was inspired by my dad. He was given real glasses by his father when he was younger. One day he hung on to a lorry, his glasses fell off and were crushed. He was beaten by his mother, and from that time he hated glasses.”

A strange type of inspiration, particularly as his father’s anti-glasses stance meant that Cyrus himself was banned from wearing real glasses in the house. That’s what led to his improvisations, which are now snapped up and end up being displayed as art pieces by most of his customers.

Design and innovation paradigms are shifting throughout the continent in ways that are putting emerging African inventors and organisations on the map. What ultimately works best is when innovation is merged with entrepreneurship, and this is happening more and more within the evolving world of development. One example of this is the Bottles To Buildings project in Nigeria. Set up by Katrin MacMillan, Director of The Africa Community Trust, the project’s first house made entirely from recycled plastic bottles went up in Kaduna in 2011. Used bottles from hotels, restaurants, homes and embassies were collected, filled with earth to form ‘bricks’ and linked at the neck by a network of string. Packed down with a mixture of mud and cement, the curved-shaped bungalows are sturdy, earthquake-proof example of new architectural design. The idea came from a collaboration between Katrin’s organisation and the Development Association for Renewable Energies (DARE) who set out to build solar-powered houses from recycled materials, while training local masons in the bottle-building technique. It’s a wonderful example of business, craft and education working systematically to create something new.

Also in the experimental picture is Ghana’s Ashesi College Robotics Experience, a type of computer-science rally for high schoolers to converge in Accra for workshops and competitions between 17 temporarily rival schools. Last year’s debut event saw winning teams ‘Platinum’, ‘Sharks’ and ‘Determination’ creating robots named ‘Perfect’, ‘Navigator’ and ‘Jigger Bot’ in a science-off that stretched their abilities at building and programming.
This, and the ability to take innovation in any direction, from architecture, to sculpture and sustainable business enterprise is what seals African inventors as fully a part of the Afropolitan experience, which should hopefully see endless partnerships and collaborations happening right across the cultural map, from robotics, to music, film, photography, art and fashion. Can’t wait.

A Change Is Gonna Come

Sites, blogs and people behind Africa’s innovation revolution

Africa Community Trust
A community-led development organisation that runs projects including the creation of bottle buildings and bottle blankets. africacommunitytrust.org

Africa Gathering
African ideas and innovations are harnessed by this group that organises global events for like-minded businesses, inventors and investors. africagathering.org

Akirachix
A community of female technologists who take part in networking, training and mentoring.
akirachix.com

Ashesi Robotics Experience
The annual robotics rally and workshops forum for Ghana’s computer science students and fans of technology.
ashesi.edu.gh/arx.html

FabLab
Small-scale production factories for technologists, inventors and experimenters in South Africa.
www.fablab.co.za

Maker Fare Africa
A yearly pan-African faire for designers and makers. The organisation also runs a Made in Africa film project. makerfaireafrica.com

Marieme Jamme
Co-founder of the Africa Gathering innovation think tank, Marieme Jamme is also a blogger, technologist and social entrepreneur. mariemejamme.com

Timbuktu Chronicles
This excellent blog by Maker Faire co-founder Emeka Okafor highlights Africa and Africans, with a focus on innovation and technology. timbuktuchronicles.
blogspot.co.uk

Photographer George Osodi is on a mission to record and preserve the legacy of Nigeria’s traditional rulers for generations to come…

Photography George Osodi

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture,” said Marcus Garvey, one of the founders of the Pan-Africanism movement in the early 1900s, “is like a tree without roots.”

Documenting and archiving culture is the key to understanding origins and thus developing a sense of identity. Few would argue that in Nigeria, there are simply not enough cultural archives in existence.

Garvey then would no doubt approve of the roots being planted by photographer George Osodi’s latest project,” ‘Nigeria Monarchs: The Custodians of Peace and Culture.’

‘Nigeria Monarchs’ sets out to take viewers into the inner circle of 200 Nigerian ethnic groups and their kings and queens via formal portraits of royalty in their full regalia. Portraits are accompanied by  biographies and notes on the rituals and history associated with each ruler, introducing a way of life rarely glimpsed, with anthropological roots as deep as any on earth, as they make the transition into a new millennium.

“Although there is very little known about the many different royalties in Nigeria,” says George, “they are considered to be a major part of Nigerian history, they are the custodians of our cultural heritage.”

While there are no official figures of the number of Nigeria’s royal figures in our current period the guess is that there as many kings and queens as there are ethnic groups. “Unfortunately,” says George, “a lot of the newer generations cannot relate with or identify their traditional rulers. Traditional rulers are vestiges of a former age however their ancient ways are preserved; their wisdom and power still honoured. They still command great respect.”
Completing the project is a daunting logistical prospect but George is no stranger to photographic feats. Based in Lagos he began his career as a photojournalist for the  now defunct Comet Newspaper Lagos from 1999-2001. He then joined the Associated Press News Agency until 2008 and has since covered many assignments for a range of media including Time Magazine, the New York Times, CNN, and The Telegraph. He’s photographed for organisations like Amnesty International and Oxfam, had numerous international exhibitions and published a photography book all around documenting life in his country.

“The idea of this project,” he says, “is to travel around the country and go beyond the portrait to explore the subjects environments, architecture and fashion. The view is to showcase and celebrate Nigerian royalty and to mirror the country’s great culture. People will learn about all major aspects of Nigerian culture and customs.”

The book would be the first of its kind in Nigeria to document the important and rich history of Nigeria’s monarchs. “It’s important for me,” says George, “that the young generation view the diverse nature among its various people as a strength and not a weakness.”

Visit nigeriamonarchs.photoshelter.com or contact gosodi@gmail.com

Wings’ top five ‘get set to jet’ guides for three distinct travel types: planners, nature lovers, and those crazy for culture.

Words Alexander Ponsonby

The Wild One

Jaw-dropping destinations for feeling at one with nature

1 Yankari National Park, Nigeria

The heartland of the West African savannah has much to offer nature lovers, with hot springs, rolling hills, and of course the stunning wildlife, from antelope and elephants to hippos and hartebeests. Stay in a bungalow or camp at the Wikki Warm Springs Hotel.

2 Kruger National Park, South Africa

With good air and road links from Johannesburg, 31 camps to stay at, and its huge expanse, Kruger is a natural choice for those hoping to see the Big Five of African wildlife – lions, elephants, buffalo, white rhino, and leopards.
sanparks.org/parks/kruger

3 Birdwatching in the Gambia

With over 500 species and good travel infrastructure, the Gambia is quickly becoming the destination of choice for twitchers, including professional TV birdwatcher Chris Packham, who runs his own tours.
gambia.co.uk

4 Collines de Niassam Lodge, Senegal

Indulge your inner child at this charming eco resort, with well-appointed rooms set in a baobab treehouse, on a lagoon, accessed by a footbridge, and on the savannah itself. Best of all, the lodge is environmentally sustainable and works in cooperation with the local community.
niassam.com

5 Ankobra Beach, Ghana

Gilligan would be right at home on Ankobra Beach. With crystal blue water lapping against the sand and edged by shady palms, it’s everyone’s idea of a perfect tropical beach. Rent one of the luxury bungalows and pretend you’re a castaway.
ghana-resorts.com/en

The Knowledge Seeker

Innovative and interesting museums for Arik travellers.

1 Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg

The shockingly recent history of apartheid in South Africa is presented sensitively and thoroughly in this Johannesburg museum. With an emotional permanent exhibition, it’s a must-see location to understand the rise and fall of apartheid. (Northern Parkway and Gold Reef Road, Ormonde, Johannesburg, open Tue to Sun 9am to 5pm).

2 Calabar Old Residency Museum, Calabar

This impressive museum documents the history of Cross River since it was discovered by the Portuguese. It’s set in what used to be the old residency building of the British Consul. A curator is on hand during opening hours to guide you on a tour. (Eyo Ekpo Ln, Calabar).

3 Horniman Museum, London

One of the lesser-known museums in London is also one of the most fascinating, with its hodgepodge of collections to sate the most curious of cats, including an ‘African Worlds’ permanent exhibition and displays that take in anthropology, music, and natural history. (100 London Road, Forest Hill, London; open daily 10:30am to 5:30pm, except Christmas period).

4 IFAN Museum of African Arts, Dakar

One of the oldest art museums in the region, this is both an important educational institution and a place for the casual visitor to admire art from across Francophone Africa. (Rue Emile Zola, Dakar; open Tue to Sun 9am to 6pm).

5 Brooklyn Museum, New York

Harried culture seekers would do well to bypass the crowds and head to this museum. It was the first American museum to present African objets as art, and alongside its African gallery also houses masterpieces from Monet to Cezanne. (200 Eastern Parkway, New York, NY; open Wed-Sun 11am to 6pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day).

The Prepared Traveller

Five of the best websites for pre-trip planning.

1 Mr and Mrs Smith

With reviews from the likes of Stella McCartney, Raymond Blanc, and Dita von Teese, you’re sure to find the perfect luxury hotel on this site, which boasts 850 hand-picked hotels for you to holiday in style.
mrandmrssmith.com

2 Secret Escapes

Like GroupOn, but exclusively for travel, Secret Escapes offers discounts of up to 75 per cent on luxury hotels, adventure travel tours, spa breaks and more. It’s especially great for places in the UK.
secretescapes.com

3 Booking.com

Not all of us are concerned with chocolates on the pillow. Although you can find that kind of hotel on this site, the idea here is to streamline hotel bookings so you can find the perfect hotel for your needs worldwide, whether it’s business, budget, or boutique.
bookings.com

4 Couchsurfing

Locals are the best people to help you explore a new city, and how better to do that than to stay with them? Backpackers will find spare rooms and welcome new friends in thousands of cities across the world on this site. couchsurfing.org

5 The Man in Seat 61

Those of us who harbour romantic dreams of Orient Express-style train travel can often be frustrated by the murderous practicalities of overland travel planning, so replace Agatha Christie with The Man in Seat 61, who has a wealth of information on train travel across the world, including international routes and timetables. seat61.com

Destination Spotlight

Owerri

Three reasons to visit the heart of Igboland.

• The culture Owerri is home to the Mbari Cultural and Art Centre, an open air museum dedicated to peace and prosperity in Igboland
•  The entertainment The newest attraction in Owerri, the amusement park, is a weekend place for families.
• The nature Oguta Lake, once a Biafran naval base, is now a place of placid waters, with lake cruises and a nearby golf course.

Book flights at Arikair.com

Illustrations in your inbox, Chiwetel Ejiofor and the most fashionable of festivals – 10 things to read, see, watch and listen to from March to May, and beyond…

Words Emma Woodhouse

Exhibition

Sony World
Photography Awards
In January 2013, professional and amateur photographers from around the world entered their best images of 2012 into the prestigious 2013 Sony World Photography Awards, in categories from Nature and Wildlife to Current Affairs and Travel.
Free to enter and with cash prizes of up to $25,000, there must have been enough snaps submitted to rival Instagram. Luckily jury member and Magnum Foundation Director Catherine Chermayeff, along with other professionals from the World Photographic Academy, have a hawk’s eye for a good photo. Winning and finalist photographs will be on glittering display at London’s Somerset House from April to May 2013. Worldphoto.org

Theatre

Our Man in Kinshasa
Laurence Olivier and BAFTA Award-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor OBE will star in A Season in the Congo at the Young Vic Theatre, taking on the role of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1960.
The actor teams up with filmmaker Joe Wright, the director behind Oscar-nominated adaptations of Pride And Prejudice and Atonement.

Bursting with song and dance, this drama charts the rise and fall of the legendary leader whose passionate determination to free his people from Belgian rule inspired great courage and betrayal. Tickets begin at £10 so book early. With Chiwetel at the helm, this will be one of the Summer’s best productions. A Season in the Congo, 6 July–10 August 2013, youngvic.org

Website

Going Underground
Keeping one’s finger on the pulse can be ever so trying. Trendland takes the best fashion, design, art, photography, culture, travel, and music from the ground up, and presents it all in an inspiring, visually-explosive format. For a creative kick, check out Dripbook, a daily dose of the hottest portfolios from leading creatives. There’s also an online shop, or more specifically, “A shoppable curation of trends.”

The best part is that you can sign up to a daily, deliciously-designed newsletter containing a hitlist of very hip things. Finally, a site to take the effort out of being effortlessly cool. Trendland.com

Documentary

Out of Africa
Africa, by British broadcaster, naturalist and national treasure Sir David Attenborough, the latest documentary in 60 years of nature-focused television, reveals the complexities of a continent’s nature and wildlife, using cutting-edge film technology.

For many people, knowledge about African wildlife amounts to an animated safari backdrop peppered with cute Disney characters. This five-part series will change all that, and opens up the vast natural diversity of the continent. From the Atlas Mountains, through the Savannah, to the Cape of Good Hope and from the Roof of Africa and the Kalahari to where the dark rainforests of the Congo meet the Atlantic Ocean.

Each episode shifts the focus onto a different region as it contrasts the immense power of the landscape with the epic struggles of its creatures. It’s accompanied by a rousing and occasionally sentimental soundtrack throughout, which you will need to help you cope with the emotional fallout from  battling giraffes going neck and neck. Available at iTunes and Amazon.com

Album

Comeback King
When music artists stage a comeback, the majority of the time it ends up being as bad as a Spice Girls album.

Then there are those whose talent and ability to move transcends time and place. Dubbed the ‘Golden Voice of Africa,’ Salif Keita fits firmly in the latter category.

Born albino and subsequently ostracised, the soulful singing superstar has shattered a lot of stereotypes in his long career.

Keita’s new album, Tale, released by Universal Music destroys yet more. Produced by Philippe Cohen Solal, it features guest appearances from Roots Manuva, Esperanza Spalding, Bobby McFerrin and Manu Dibango. It’s a mixture of jazz, roots, African sounds and even a dose of hip hop.

Bobby McFerrin improvises a soft melody on the simbi over Salif’s beatboxing. Esperanza Spalding features on the song Chérie s’en va – a dedication to young girls who leave home to marry, and British prodigy Roots Manuva’s flow is captured on C’est Bon C’est Bon.”

Meanwhile, the distinctive sound of the calabash combines with the sounds of Seventies Disco and afro-beats. Elsewhere, we hear the haunting sounds of the Gnawas’ guembri and their metal qraqebs. Now this is the voice of a musical sovereign. Available at Amazon.com

Group Show

The Insider’s Account
In 2010 artist and photographer duo Olusola Otori and Adolphus Opara launched The Silent Majority Project, an art and photography workshop for underprivileged kids. The project took off in January 2010 in Makoko, a community built on stilts located in Ebute Metta.

After two years of hard work an exhibition has been made possible by the Goethe Institute Lagos. Opening on the 2nd March 2013, The Insider’s Account exhibition features fifty 6ft x 10ft  photographs taken by the children of Makoko in their own environment. A 25-minute documentary will also feature,  focusing on four youths that finished the project and their daily lives.

16 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 assembled by the community chief were taught the principles of art, design and photography. Cameras and art supplies were independently donated and the goal was two-fold. On the one hand they would be able to share their world while on the other creating a future for themselves in the creative industries. Plans are already underway to work in other Nigerian communities. Goethe-Institut, Catholic Mission St, Lagos www.goethe.de/ins/ng/lag/enindex.htm

Book

Stop Press
Already a star on the Nigerian art scene, Victor Ehikhamenor is an award-winning artist, writer and photographer. He’s also former Creative Director of Lagos-based NEXT newspapers, a stint that forms the subject matter of his book, Excuse Me.
The book is a non-fiction compilation of Ehikhamenor’s experiences and observations while he was the creative director of NEXT between 2009 and 2011. The majority of the content is informed by actual socio-political events that took place within that period of time.
Peppered with illustrations created during editorial meetings the book provides insight into the forward-thinking minds behind an important publication during a crucial period, delivered with doses of brilliant satire. Excuse Me, Parresia Publishers parresiapubishers.com

Website

Moment of Silence
When one’s mind is whirring at the speed of a Twitter feed and a spot of transcendental meditation would look out of place in the open-plan office, how is a modern worker to relax? Log on and tune in to your inner serenity. It can seem counterintuitive to look for the antidote within the source of anxiety, aka ‘the internet‘, but this works. The site’s homepage says simply “Millions of souls choose quiet, see why.” Cue muscle-melting music and a blank screen. Aaaaaah. thequietplaceproject.com

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From cinema franchises to cultural centres, Wings charts the fabulous film festivals and unconventional venues making their mark, from Abuja to Johannesburg.

Words Nana Ocran

From Nigeria’s Nollywood to Ghana’s Ghallywood, African films have globally come into their own over the last decade or so. Directorial names such as South Africa’s Matthew Jankes (Umkhonto) are making their mark in innovative short films or full-length features, as well as other directors who are sharpening their skills in the production of romance, fantasy or full-blown sci-fi. Many of these movies have found their way into the international conscience at film festivals, or through DVDs and online streaming, but despite this healthy appetite for film entertainment, Africa doesn’t do so well in its number of cinema venues. Much as the quality and level of film output has increased, the number of regular places to watch them has pretty much done the opposite. Over the same few decades that have seen more cinematic experimentation, many a cinema building within Africa has morphed into a religious venue, been bulldozed to make way for property development or simply closed its doors and faded into the local architecture. Yes, it s a DVD or a smartphone viewing world out there, but there are a few places that are maintaining the need for communal film viewing. From cinema franchises to cultural centres, we’ve taken a whistle-stop tour of a few venues in African cities that are doing their (admittedly Hollywood-dominant) bit for the silver screen.

Abuja

When the Silverbird Entertainment Centre (Plot 1161, Memorial Drive, Central Business District – 09 2906368) opened in Abuja in 2009, it did a huge job in putting a leisure and entertainment scene on the map in Nigeria’s capital city. Its 12 screens, arcade games, restaurants and sprawling shopping mall have slightly eclipsed the older, and smaller Silverbird Cinema venue across town at Ceddi Plaza (264 Tafawa Balewa Way, opposite Central Bank of Nigeria, Central Business District – 09 6723573). But still, there’s a huge gap in the market for smaller more niche houses, or for clubs, cafes and restaurants to offer any quirky film nights. For now, it’s pretty much the French Cultural Institute (52 Libreville Street, Wuse 2 – 0805 9478456) that offers cinematic alternatives with its showings of French language or French-themed films, with screenings taking place every Friday night.

Accra

Up until the 1980s, travelling cinemas were almost the only way that Ghanaians could watch films communally, and those on offer often had an educational theme. Although this is still the case in some rural areas, it was the arrival of the Nigerian-owned and influential Silverbird Cinema (Accra Mall, Tetteh-Quarshie Interchange – 0302 823270) that started to change things. Its five theatres show five films, five times a day, with Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood all getting a look in. Although Ghana’s own Ghallywood industry is making its own inroads in its mother country, many of these are still predominantly found on the DVD circuit. Other venues for film screenings are the Goethe-Institut (30 Kakramadu Road, PMB 52, Cantonments – 0302 776 764) and the Alliance Francaise d’Accra (Liberation Link, Airport Residential Area – 0302 773 134) with its vast library of French-language DVDs. Movie nights (classics or recent releases) take place on Sunday nights at Champs Sports Bar (40 Ring Road Central, behind Paloma Hotel – 024 095 9406) and the Surfers Inn (East Legon, near American House – 0302 505 111) is a German-run restaurant with a hireable screening room complete with a 130-inch screen and 700 DVDs to choose from.

Dakar

It’s fair to say that the number of films coming out of Senegal has severely declined over the last decade or so. Since the country’s cinematic heyday of the 1960s and its golden years of the 1970s, its number of homegrown films – of which many of the classics were directed by the iconic auteur Ousmane Sembene – has dwindled in what is now a particularly bijou film industry. Today, there are no 35mm films projected in Senegal, and as recently as 2008, the popular U3 cinema and the Cinéma Médina both closed down. Of the 18 or so cinemas that once existed in the capital, Dakar, there are only a handful still running, with some doubling up as bars or restaurants. Worth mentioning is Kadjinol Station (Avenue Albert Sarrault, X Salva – 33 842 8662), a lounge bar and global food restaurant where viewings of world films and old and new Hollywood flicks are free with a purchase of drinks or food. There’s also Le Cinema Paris (Place de l’Independence), a one-screen venue showing recent films to a mainly US or European audience.

Johannesburg

Much like other African cities, Johannesburg has seen many a film house spring up, thrive and eventually make way for a mall or private apartments. The general pattern seems to be a series of characterful one-screen cinemas opening up in the early-to-mid- 20th century, and fading out from the 1970s onwards. Names like the Bijou Theatre in Jo’Burg’s Jeppe Street, the Cinerama in Noord Street and the Colisseum in Commissioner Street all came and went, taking historic features like orchestra pits and crushed velvet curtains with them. Today, it’s the suburban, multi-screen Nu Metro (Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg 2196, 011 3254257) inside the Hyde Park shopping centre that pulls in the crowds, along with an endless number of cinema chains throughout the country coming under the banner of Ster-Kinekor (sterkinekor.com, 082 16789). These venues regularly screen blockbusters inside multiplexes in Johanesburg’s Fourways, Westgate, Eastgate, Sandton and Rosebank malls, as well as a programme of arthouse films in the Cinema Noveau subdivisions. One fairly recent loss has been the Velskoen drive-in in Randburg. A perfect, rites-of-passage option for al-fresco movie watching, its last showing was Men in Black III in the summer of 2012. However, there are said to be plans for a new drive-in, 35 miles away, over in Hartbeespoort, north of Johannesburg. For cracking independent cinema, The Bioscope (thebioscope.co.za, 011 039 7306) in downtown Johannesburg is the place to head to. World films, arthouse classics, talks, live shows and film festivals are all showcased at this dynamic cultural hub.

Lagos

You’d think that Lagos, the hometown of the Nollywood industry, not to mention Nigeria’s most bubbling city, would have enough commercial and independent cinemas to give most metropolises a run for their money, but no. The city’s main hub for onscreen entertainment is the popular, five-screen Silverbird Cinema (133 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, 01 2701413) at the top of the Silverbird Galleria shopping mall. It’s this dynamic chain that dominates the country’s cinema scene with its even bigger Federal Capital-based entertainment centre in Abuja, plus four other Nigeria-based venues and one more in Accra. Alongside a programme of blockbusting imports it does show a range of Nollywood films, which provides an alternative to the straight-to-DVD player experience. Next in line is the Genesis Deluxe (The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, 01 8436190). With six screens and stadium seating, it’s another moviegoers’ paradise. City Mall Cinema (opp. the Muson Centre, Onikan, 01 2714300) is a smaller two-screen affair, while the plush Ozone Cinema in mainland Yaba is also part of the Silverbird chain. Quirkier, independent screenings are more likely to happen at special film nights in places like the laid-back Bogobiri Boutique Hotel (9 Maitama Sule Street, Ikoyi, 01 4747421), which often shows arthouse and African films, with a post-film discussion, on the first Sunday of each month. The Goethe Institut (10 Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, 01 4613416) runs regular screenings of international films and the CCA,Lagos gallery (9 McEwen Street, Yaba, 01 7913274) and the stage at Lagos Island’s Freedom Park (Broad Street, Lagos Island, freedomparklagos.com) are good venues for public film programmes and festivals.

African film festivals

Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)
Nigeria
Set up to award excellence in African filmmaking, the next glamorous awards ceremony takes place in Lagos’s Eko Hotel and Suites.
ama-awards.com

Animafrik Animation Festival
Ghana
This much-anticipated four-day annual festival usually takes place in September and is dedicated to African and Caribbean film animation. animationafrica.org

Bioscope Film festivals
South Africa
Short-film festivals take place on a regular basis at Johannesburg’s Bioscope cinema venue. Check their website for details of The Encounters Documentary Film Festival, the Tri Continental Film Festival, HorrorFest, and many more exciting festivals scheduled for 2013. thebioscope.co.za

Durban International Film Festival
South Africa
South Africa’s longest-running film festival is to take place in July 2013. It will screen almost 300 films from around the world, focusing heavily on South African and African cinema. cca.ukzn.ac.za

Cinemas for Africa

This organisation was set up in 2009 by the Mauritian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako to counteract the fact that with such a rapid decline in cinema venues over the last couple of decades, some African countries only have one working cinema to entertain whole populations. Sissako is backing plans to renovate many of the venues across Africa to give something back to the legions of film fans and film makers throughout the continent. cinemasforafrica.com

Emerging from years of turmoil, get the low-down on the cultural mega-city at the centre of the continent, and the adventures that lie beyond…

Words Stuart Butler

“Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest.” reads a passage from the novella, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. “And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.”

Written in the late 1800s and considered a literary classic, Heart of Darkness follows a journey along the Congo River. It’s a powerful indictment of the evils of imperialism and has done its part in painting the Democratic Republic of Congo as a place of unspeakable strife. Indeed, the country has had more than its fair share of tragedy and there’s still a long way to go towards rebuilding. But as any visitor will soon discover there is much lightness and joy in this giant of a nation, beginning in Africa’s second most populous capital.

Kinshasa moves to its own rhythm. The enormous capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is like a giant whirl pool sucking in anything and everything that comes within its grasp. A pulsating mass of humanity from across Central Africa all being spun around and around faster and harder than almost anywhere else on the continent; the city spits out and rejects almost all notions of what constitutes the word ‘normal’, but yet, somehow, from out of the reverberating chaos, comes a city with soul and undeniable character.

If you’re a first time visitor to this, one of Africa’s true mega-cities, then you’re probably approaching Kinshasa with a certain amount of trepidation. This, after all, is a city, and a country, with a reputation that precedes it. Images of war, violence and corruption are commonplace, but while nobody could realistically deny such images don’t exist in the DRC, they are only one side of the picture.

The other side, and one that is only now starting to replace the idea of a city and country embroiled in civil strife, is that of Kinshasa and the DRC as a cultural and artistic powerhouse just awaiting discovery by the wider world. Kinshasa’s Museé National (Ave de la Montagne, Mont Ngaliema; admission US$10; hours 7.30am-3pm Monday-Friday) could be seen as something of a symbol of this rebirth. Thanks to a combination of disinterest, lack of funds and an unstable security situation this enormous ethnographic archive, comprising of some 45,000 objects covering all the Congos’ ethnic and historical diversity, has been kept largely hidden from sight inside dusty cupboards and warehouses for years on end. Today, though, a new future awaits. Thanks to a US$10 million investment from South Korea, a sparkling new museum is to be constructed in the Lingwala area of the city, (close to the Palais du Peuple) and for the first time in decades, visitors to Kinshasa will have the opportunity to stare wide-eyed at the cultural richness of the DRC.

But there’s more than just human interest in the DRC. This enormous country, the second largest in Africa, is an eco-tourism destination in the making. Kinshasa might be one of the world’s ultimate urban jungles, but beyond the city limits spreads a sodden, green mat of steaming rainforest punctuated by smoking volcanoes, chocolate-coloured rivers and sunbleached savannahs crawling with all manner of weird and wonderful creatures, including the half-giraffe, half-zebra okapi and an ape obsessed with sex. Given time, and these creatures will start to draw in foreign tourists looking for the next slice of untrammelled wilderness. And with them will come a network of game lodges and fully protected national parks.

So, rather than nervously biting your fingernails at the thought of your arrival in Kinshasa, sit back and feel smug in the knowledge that by using our guide to the DRC, you are about to become among the first to get to know the new heart and soul of Africa.

You, me & the DRC
10 reasons to get to know the Democratic Republic of Congo

1 Kinshasa

The world’s largest Francophone city isn’t so much a city of fear, but rather a city of fun. The huge, sprawling mega-city of Kinshasa (population 11 million) is the cultural capital of Central Africa. It bursts with bars, heaves with thumping nightclubs and has a live music scene second to nowhere else in Central Africa. Throw in an expanding array of restaurants (although these are generally pricey compared to similar establishments elsewhere in Africa or Europe), a pulsating street life and a general sense that this is a city on the up, and the result is a compelling urban adventure.

2 Bonobos

Bonobos (previously known as pygmy chimpanzees) live in the forest regions south of the Congo River, and are endemic to the DRC. Closely related to both common chimpanzees as well as you and I, there is one overwhelming difference between them, us and common chimpanzees. Bonobos prefer to make love than make war! As soon as tempers start to fray or stress levels rise, bonobos refrain from turning to violence and instead turn to sex. We think that any animal that’s got life this wired is worth seeking out. Encompassing 30 hectares of rolling forest, the Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary (friendsofbonobos.org; foreigners US$5; hours 9.30am-4pm Tue-Sun) just an hour and a half east of Kinshasa, is a centre for orphaned bonobos, which can be observed by following one of the walking trails inside the sanctuary. It’s 8km off the Kinshasa-Matadi road.

3 Music

The music of the Congo, known as Musique Zaïroise, is probably the DRC’s biggest cultural export. It has taken much of Central and West Africa by storm, and its popularity is such that it has now spread beyond the borders of Africa and can be heard moving dancefloors across the Francophone world (Paris is a real hot bed for Congolese music). But it’s in Kinshasa, the spiritual centre of this infectious beat, that Congolese music is truly at home. Whether it’s blasting out of the doors of a back street bar, reverberating through the sound system of one of the city’s minibuses or coming across loud and clear at a late-night live performance, the streets of Kinshasa seem saturated with music.

4 Shopfronts

What Kinshasa lacks in tourist attractions it makes up for in atmosphere. Nowhere is this more evident than the hundreds of shopfronts that line the streets. From hair salons to shops selling spare car parts, most outlets are covered with bright paintings using every colour of the rainbow, and more fonts than a graphic designer’s MacBook. The creativity is boundless, and it doesn’t end with the appropriation of well-known brand names. If an Yves Saint Laurent suit is out of one’s budget, in Kinshasa there is tinned fish for the penny-saving YSL fan.

5 Sapeurs

Le Sape (The Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes), is the most exclusive Congolese club, with members in both Brazzaville and Kinshasa. Sapeurs are mostly men from low-income neighbourhoods who spend their pennies to sport tailored suits with silk pocket squares and colourful accessories. Their style and relationship to clothes is a throwback to pre-colonial elegance, though with a modern twist. Members have their own codes of honour and conduct and strict notions of morality. Some sapeurs are hired from agencies to give events a touch of style…

6 Adventure

For those intrepid travellers who yawn at the mere thought of a lazy holiday, the DRC will turn your hands sweaty with excitement. It’s a cliché to say it, but this enormous country, with its carpet of jungle traversed by mile-wide rivers, is truly one of the planet’s last real wildernesses. And for any self-respecting explorer, Africa’s ultimate adventure is a boat ride down the Congo River from Kisangani and Kinshasa. Taking anywhere from two to six weeks (depending on both luck and whether you travel up or down stream), a journey along the Congo River by one of the regular public barges will mean sleeping out on the deck exposed to the elements alongside hundreds of other people. If that sounds too hardcore, then Kinshasa-based tour company, Go Congo (www.gocongo.com) organise multi-day Congo River expeditions aboard their customised boats several times a year.

7 Gorillas

Coming face to face with the massive bulk of a mountain gorilla is one of life’s great experiences. There are only three countries in the world where this can be done, and the DRC is one of them. But the DRC isn’t just home to mountain gorillas. Lowland gorillas are also here. These guys receive significantly less publicity, and therefore visitors, than their mountain-dwelling cousins; the hiking through the forest to find them is a little tougher, the jungle around them a little denser and the viewing a little less predictable, but we think all that only makes the final encounter with a chest- thumping silverback male all the more heart stopping. The best place to see lowland gorillas is in the criminally under-visited Parc National de Kahuzi-Biéga (http://kahuzibiega.wordpress.com), near Bukavu in the east of the country. For mountain gorillas head to Parc National des Virunga (www.visitvirunga.org) also out in the east near Goma.

8 Lava Lakes

Arguably one of the continent’s most breathtaking sights, the 3,470m cone of Mount Nyiragongo sits right in the east of the country close to the border of Uganda and Rwanda. It’s not the mountain’s height which impresses, but rather it’s what sits inside the belly of this beast. Mount Nyiragongo is a live and grumbling volcano (which came very close to wiping the nearby city of Goma out after an eruption in 2002), and at its heart is the world’s largest permanent lava lake. When security allows, it’s possible to climb the mountain and spend the night asleep in a hut overlooking this bubbling cauldron of super-heated anger. Note that recent security concerns have meant the volcano is not always open to tourists.

9 Jungles

Jungle doesn’t come much bigger, wilder or pristine than the forests of the Congo basin. This is the world’s second-largest rainforest, and the gorillas’ share of it lies within the DRC. Almost anywhere you choose to go in the north and east of the country will be under the canopy of a dense umbrella of giant trees, but for the deepest jungle immersion of all, head to the rarely visited Salonga National Park. Covering 5 per cent of the entire Congo basin forest system, this vast park is home to bonobos, forest elephants, bongos and Congo peacocks among others. Getting there is an adventure in its own right, and anyone planning on visiting should get in touch with the World Conservation Society (www.wcs.org) who manage the day-to-day running of the park.

10 The Future

This is a country that has been plundered to such an extent that until recently, it could hardly be regarded as a normal country at all. Today, that’s all changed and slowly and surely, the DRC is taking its rightful place at the heart of Africa; both figuratively and literally. Despite continued outbreaks of violence in parts of the east, the DRC’s first legitimate elections were held in 2006, with further presidential elections held in 2011 (though the results of these have been disputed by foreign observers and opposition candidates). The economy is on the up (the GDP growth rate currently stands at an impressive 6.9 per cent); the nation’s decimated infrastructure is on the mend with numerous road construction programmes underway; investors are starting to return to the country, and if you talk to the Congolese, they’re sure to tell you that though things are still far from perfect, they’re certainly better than they have been for decades.

Kinshasa Symphony

In a dilapidated urban neighbourhood, Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste is beating all the odds to bring harmony home.

20 years ago, maestro and former commercial pilot Armand Diangienda’s airline went bust. Out of a job and with no experience, he founded the only symphony orchestra in Central Africa, and the only all-black orchestra in the world.

“Here in our country, music is listened to so that you can dance,” he says. “It is rare that it is listened to for meditation, but I think classical music takes you far.”

Indeed, the transformative power of his dream has taken hundreds of people to the farthest reaches of happiness. The journey, however, has not been easy.

In the beginning Armand had no teachers, no instruments, no musicians and nobody who knew how to read music. Undeterred, he taught himself how to read sheet music, play the piano, the trombone, the guitar and cello. A few members of his church joined. They brought their friends and numbers grew until they had six violins and 12 people who wanted to learn how to play. Eventually, as ridicule turned to reverence, instruments were donated; some were rescued from markets and pieced together with bicycle wires replacing the strings on a violin. Armand’s home became a makeshift conservatory, teeming with tunes from every tiny corridor.

The musicians – most of whose lives are a daily struggle to meet basic needs – travelled from hours away over difficult terrain. The group grew to over 200 musicians and vocalists, the vast majority of whom have never been out of the DRC.

For years, Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste remained one of Kinshasa’s best-kept secrets until 2010, when two German filmmakers made a documentary called Kinshasa Symphony. The film inspired musicians to travel from Germany to Kinshasa to give masterclasses. Their inspiring story was subsquently picked up by the 60 Minutes programme on US TV channel CBS, providing further publicity.

Fast-forward to the present, where we witness a concert in a rented Kinshasa warehouse. Elegant market traders in ankara dresses and their counterparts in sharp tuxedos tune their instruments and warm their  vocal chords , and the music begins. The French-speaking musicians deliver a rendition of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, defying myriad linguistic and logistical barriers. The audience is awestruck.

But there is one notoriously difficult song that activates the tear ducts. It encapsulates the power of music to transcend, transport and uplift. It’s Beethoven’s Ode To Joy.

Find out more about the orchestra at oskimbangu.org. The  website is in French but can be copied into Google Translate.

Congo File
A Congophile’s guide to Kinshasa and the DRC

Need To Know
Getting There Arik Air operates flights to Kinshasa two times per week. (Arikair.com)
Getting Around While Kinshasa does have a public bus network, it’s very busy and there’s a risk of pick-pocketing. Taxis are the best method of getting around the city, but they’re expensive. A taxi from the international airport to the city centre costs anywhere from US$60 to 80. A taxi across the city centre is around CDF5000 (US$5). Newcomers are advised not to walk anywhere unaccompanied at night.
Due to the state of the roads and the vast distances, air travel is often the only realistic way of getting from Kinshasa to most other places in the country.
Out of Town Goma, out in the far east, is at completely the opposite end of the country (and is best reached by frequent plane from Kinshasa). The city is a cosmopolitan place that sits on the edge of the magnificent Virunga National Park. With its rainforests, cloud-scraping mountains and moody volcanoes, this is one of Africa’s most diverse parks and is home to the mountain gorillas. Recent security concerns means that it’s advisable to check if it’s open to tourism before travelling.

KINSHASA IN CULTURE
Some seriously stylish pickings to get you excited about the DRC Book

Gentlemen of Bacongo
Gentlemen Of Bacongo by Daniele Tamagni (Trolley Books) with a foreword by designer Paul Smith, is a fascinating book for anyone interested in style subcultures. The visually explosive photography book charts the phenomenon of the Congo’s sapeurs, granting access to the homes, hangouts and everyday lives of a real-life cast of colourful characters. When the book was first released, Western designers and musicians were so enamoured by the inimitable Congolese fashion phenomenon that designer Paul Smith created an entire collection of amazing colour-pop suits. Singer Solange Knowles’ music video Losing You, released in 2012, is also heavily influenced by sapeur style. Amazon.com

Singer
Baloji
Le Jour d’Après / Siku Ya Baadaye is one of the coolest music videos ever (really, YouTube it). It’s by Baloji, a Congolese-born Belgian rapper who combines rap with Congolese rhumba and classic national songs. In this video, he marries rap with singing by veteran Congolese musicians. It’s a lyrical reworking of a classic hymn to independence that will have you feeling patriotic even if you’re not Congolese and your French is a little rusty (there are English subtitles). Before you board your flight to Kinshasa, make sure his latest album, Kinshasa Succursale, is on your iPod. Baloji.com

Album
Kinshasa One Two
This seminal album was recorded in Kinshasa, over five days in 2011, by DRC Music in aid of Oxfam. DRC Music are a collective of 11 Western producers, gathered by Damon Albarn. They set out to make an album with contemporary Congolese musicians, working with 50 local performers including Nelly Liyemge, Jupiter Bokondji and Bokatola System. The result is electrifying.

Oxfam DRC country director, Pauline Ballaman, said in a statement, “Not only will DRC Music shine a light on the incredible musical talent coming out of the country, it will raise much-needed funds for Oxfam’s invaluable work here and focus the world’s attention on Congo once again, seeing it as a place of inspiration, creativity and hope.”
Proceeds from the album benefit local musicians and Oxfam’s work in the Congo. Download the album online or purchase a CD or deluxe vinyl edition. Drcmusic.org

Film
Kinshasa Kids (2012)
This feature film by Belgian director Marc-Henri Wajnberg is fiction but shot in a documentary style. It follows a group of Kinshasa street kids, charting their run-ins with the local authorities, their squabbles, and the individuals that pepper their lives. Our heroes eventually decide to form a band, led by the crazy Bebson De La Rue, and pull themselves out of poverty by putting on a knockout gig. The film is difficult to watch in parts, but it provides viewers with a look-in to life for many of Kinshasa’s residents with fantastic musical respite.

Dance the Night Away
The capital moves to the music. Check out these places and you’ll quickly discover the best of this megacity.

The Hôtel La Crèche (0999494155; Ave Badjoko) is one of the longest standing venues for live music. Up-and-coming bands rock the rooftop bar nightly.

L’Atmosphere (Ave Batetela) is a nightclub where some of the biggest names in Congolese music put on frequent live shows.

Ibiza Bar (Ave de la Nation) is a really popular city centre bar-club with live jazz weekly. It’s closed on Sundays.

For something a little more highbrow check out the happenings at the Espace Mutombo Buitshi (0999933336; Ave Lubumbashi) which puts on an ever-changing calendar of Congolese theatre, music and dance performances. It’s located out in the Bandal neighbourhood.

Looking for alternative ways to restore body and mind? Here’s our pick of original and  unusual spa journeys in two of the best cities in the world – New York and London.

Words Emma Forrest

There’s more to a visit to the spa than scented candles and aromatherapy massages – some of our favourite spa spots in London and New York all offer unique treatments that bring a new spin to the regular spa journey. Whether you’re looking for something speedy, a treatment with a specific purpose or even just a quirky new way to experience a massage, there will be a spa experience that suits you.

Jettison your jetlag
Jetlag-Eliminator, Peninsula Hotel spa, New York
Just arrived in to New York
from Lagos on an Arik flight? Even if you found the long journey comfortable, you’re probably feeling tired and discombobulated. That’s where the jetlag treatment at the plush three-storey rooftop spa at New York’s Peninsula Hotel comes in. This is a massage that gets results by teasing out the knots and getting your circulation going again. Restore your energy levels with a rebalancing massage, or opt for a relaxing massage that will prepare you for a full night’s snooze – either option will help you reset your body clock.
$195, peninsula.com

Beer meets beauty
Pale Ale Pedicure, Brown’s Hotel spa, London
Soaking in beer is not usually seen as beauty-enhancing, but they become a winning combination in Brown’s Hotel’s new range of treatments that use British beer, barley and hops. Pick the Pale Ale Pedicure and you’ll slurp on a hot malt drink and crunch a barley snack as your fatigued feet are scrubbed with a blend of hop flowers, salt and sesame seed oil, then steeped in a refreshing bath of Hooky Gold Ale from Oxfordshire. Soles and toes are then treated to a pressure-point massage using a beer-based lotion, followed by a hydrating barley wrap before a nail tidy and polish.
£85, roccofortehotels.com

Instant multi-makeover
Cowgroom Maintenance, Cowshed, Carnaby, London
Short of time? Then give yourself a zippy beauty refresher at Cowshed’s upbeat day spa in London’s Soho. You’ll get an hour’s worth of pampering in just 30 minutes as two therapists work together on your makeover. The treatment starts with a peppermint salt foot scrub, followed by a relaxing forehead pressure-point massage and shoulder massage before you are treated to a speedy facial, eyebrow tidy and manicure or pedicure, depending on what most needs instant attention.
£80, cowshedonline.com

Lift your spirits
Gin And Tonic treatment, Chancery Court Hotel, London
Going to a spa doesn’t always necessitate deprivation in the name of restoration. This attractive and effective treatment aimed squarely at gents starts and ends with a full measure of gin and tonic. The 85-minute experience involves a vigorous body scrub-down with a rugged blend of tonic, Juniper berries and sea salt that even the most macho of men will confess to enjoying, followed by a satisfyingly deep massage. They’ll then trade herbal tea for a classic gin and tonic as they unwind in the relaxation room.
£130, spachancerycourt.com

Led Zep muscle zap
Rhythm & ‘Bliss’ Massage, bliss spas, New York
Love a massage but loathe spa Muzak? With Bliss Spas’ unique 75-minute musical muscle-melter you can unwind to the sound of U2, Bach or James Blake rather than have to endure interminable whale song or piped Celtic chanting. Your therapist will fine-tune your muscles to the beat of your choice of spa soundtrack; choose from their selection of world music, chill-out electronica, rock or classical playlists which you listen to on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
$155, blissworld.com

The pocket holiday
Meder Spa Voyage Exfoliation, Urban Retreat at Harrods, London
Tackle your post-holiday blues with this exotic 80-minute exfoliation treat at Harrods’ luxurious day spa. Pick from a choice of eight experiences inspired by senses-stimulating holiday hotspots – French, Mediterranean, Japanese, Jamaican, Scandinavian, Mexican, Chinese or Russian – and you’ll be transported as your body is scrubbed, showered and then smoothed. Chocoholics will love the Mexican ‘voyage’, where formulas based on ancient Aztec recipes feature fat-busting dark chocolate and cocoa bean extracts to reduce rather than add to your waistline.
£125, urbanretreat.com

Stick it to sore joints
Bamboo Joint-Release Experience, E’Spa life at Corinthia, London
There’s no messing about
with the bamboo joint-release experience at the glossy four-floor E’Spa life spa at Corinthia, London’s largest hotel spa. This energetic, tension-releasing treatment is a great choice for those that have overdone it on the treadmill: therapists use bamboo sticks to roll the tension out of your stressed-out body, stretching scrunched-up muscles and ease out stiff joints, leaving you feeling flexible as well as seriously chilled out. Take yourself on the full journey by adding the full body treatment including foot body exfoliation, facial and full-body massage.
£150, espalifeatcorinthia.com