Welcome to Africa, where graceful giant elephants lead their young to stomp through streams, where giraffes stretch their long spotted necks to the highest branches for the greenest leaves, and where a hungry lioness crouches low in the grass waiting for her moment to pounce.

Beyond Africa’s celebrated wilderness are joyful cities that unite optimistic cosmopolitan charm, stunning natural parks, gorgeous stretches of coast. Urban centers like Johannesburg and Nairobi are seducing more travelers than ever, and enriching themselves with vibrant arts and world class adventures right on their doorstep.

The 54 nations of this vast continent are a colorful patchwork of rich cultures. Africa speaks its past through woven embroideries still worn by the people of Ethiopia, through painted masks reserved for sacred ceremonies in the Congo, through drum circles carrying the rhythm of ancient ancestry from the Sahara Desert to the central rainforests. Bend an ear, tap into the music of this expansive continent, and you’ll leave with stories that will last a lifetime.