Tag - Capital City

HARARE

One of the best roads we drove in Zimbabwe brought us to the capital in just five enjoyable hours. After many days of navigating pothole-ridden highways, the smooth 317-kilometre journey felt almost magical (toll fee 2x 4 USD). We spent two nights and one full day exploring Harare...

LUSAKA

Lusaka is the booming, cosmopolitan capital and largest city of Zambia. Centrally located on a high limestone plateau at an elevation of 1,280 meters, it serves as the nation’s political, economic, and cultural heart. It is also one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. Designed...

LILONGWE

We spent two nights in what was, for us, the least interesting town in Malawi – Lilongwe. Situated on the fertile Central Region Plateau, Lilongwe lies at an elevation of about 1,050 metres above sea level. Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and lush greenery, it is...

ANTANANARIVO

Our visit to Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital (1,431 m), felt like stepping into a layered story—one in which every hill, street, and building carries echoes of the past. Perched across twelve sacred hills, the city’s history is deeply tied to the Merina kingdom. The city...

HARGEISA (هرجيسا)

We spent one day in Somaliland’s capital, located in a valley within the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands of northwestern Somaliland, at an elevation of approximately 1,334 meters. Hargeisa’s history began as a watering and trading stop founded by the Isaaq Sultanate in the 19th...

ADDIS ABABA (አዲስ አበባ)

After long preparations and in challenging times, we finally arrived in Addis Ababa, situated in the Ethiopian highlands at 2,300 meters, making it one of the world’s highest capitals. The city was founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Betul, named “New...

DODOMA

Finally, we arrived in Dodoma, located in the semi-arid, central plateau of Tanzania, characterised by hot, dry conditions and a single rainy season, making it prone to drought. Its topography features elevations of 1,200-1,500 meters, including parts of the Great Rift Valley, with sandy...

GITEGA

Gitega, formerly known as Kitega, is the political capital of Burundi. Located in the heart of the country on the Burundian central plateau, it lies about 62 kilometres east of Bujumbura. It is Burundi’s fourth-largest city and was once the royal capital of the Kingdom of Burundi...

KIGALI

Once we arrived in Kigali, we realized that if Rwanda is the Land of a Thousand Hills, then Kigali’s setting right among rolling green vistas makes this a fitting choice of capital. It is a contender for Africa’s most scenic capital and the cleanest, safest, and most relaxed...

KAMPALA

It was supposed to be an easy drive from Namagunga to Kampala, but 39 kilometers took us 7 hours. Uganda’s capital and largest city occupies a series of hills at an elevation of about 1,190 meters and is situated just north of Lake Victoria. Kampala lies just north of Mengo, the...