The Places Africans Travel to Escape
- P2A
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
By P2A Staff
For many African travelers, escape is not about reinvention. It is about relief.
Relief from pace, pressure, expectation, and noise. The places Africans return to again and again are chosen for how they feel, not how they photograph. These are destinations that allow people to rest without explanation, to enjoy beauty without performance, and to reconnect with themselves and with others.
Zanzibar, Tanzania
For East Africans and travelers from across the continent, Zanzibar represents a complete reset. Life here unfolds slowly, shaped by the tides, the call to prayer, and the heat of the afternoon. Days are deliberately unstructured, built around swimming, walking, eating well, and doing very little else.
Zanzibar’s appeal lies in its balance. There is history in Stone Town, tranquility along the coast, and just enough infrastructure to feel comfortable without feeling staged. Many African travelers return repeatedly, often staying in the same areas, visiting the same beaches, and settling into familiar routines.
Escape here is sensory and grounding. The island does not demand activity. It invites stillness.
Vilanculos, Mozambique
Vilanculos is where Southern Africans go when they want the ocean without excess. As the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, it offers access to some of the region’s most beautiful waters while maintaining a low-key, unpretentious atmosphere.
Expects long beach days, dhow trips, and evenings that revolve around seafood and conversation rather than nightlife. Accommodation tends toward relaxed luxury that is comfortable, thoughtful, and intentionally simple. Vilanculos is not about being seen. It’s about disappearing for a while.
Assinie, Côte d’Ivoire
Just a short drive from Abidjan, Assinie is a coastal resort town that functions as a collective exhale. Once a fishing village, today the old houses have given way to elegant hotels, sophisticated private villas, exclusive resorts and trendy restaurants, a paradise for lovers of fresh seafood and crustaceans.
Assinie’s popularity lies in its familiarity. Food is recognizable. Language is shared. The atmosphere is relaxed rather than touristic. Villas and small resorts cater to comfort over spectacle, making it easy to arrive late, leave early, or do nothing at all. Assinie offers insight into how leisure is practiced locally, effortlessly, communally, and without the need to impress.
Nyeri and Kenya’s Central Highlands
Escape does not always mean the coast. In Kenya, cooler temperatures and elevation draw travelers inland to places like Nyeri and the surrounding highlands. Nyeri, located in the Mount Kenya region of Kenya, is known for its fertile land, proximity to national parks, and rich history, including being the burial site for Baden-Powell.
Here, rest takes the form of space—open landscapes, forest air, and quiet mornings. Travelers come to walk, read, reflect, and reset.
Paternoster, South Africa
Paternoster is one of the oldest fishing villages on the West Coast of South Africa. Paternoster attracts travelers who value calm and understatement. The village is small, walkable, and intentionally restrained featuring whitewashed buildings, open sea, and a rhythm that favors early mornings and early nights.
If you enjoy charming coastal villages, beautiful beaches, excellent seafood, and unique artisan shops, offering a perfect blend of tranquility and culinary delights just a couple of hours from Cape Town. It's ideal for unwinding, walking on pristine beaches, and experiencing South Africa's West Coast vibe, with highlights including its whitewashed cottages, lighthouse, and award-winning restaurants.
What unites all of these places is not luxury or remoteness, but permission. Permission to slow down. To opt out. To enjoy without justification. For travelers outside the continent, following where Africans go to escape reveals destinations that are relaxed rather than performative, restorative rather than transactional.
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