Angola
Former Portuguese colony which went through a brutal civil war. Now largely safe, but has been surprisingly slow to appear on the tourist radar
Togo
A small, sleepy country that is home to no less than 40 different ethnic groups, and the surreal villages of Tamberma Valley.
Sierra Leone
Some of the best beaches anywhere in the world, and huge potential for tourism, but held back by enormous transport infrastructure problems, extreme poverty, and hardly any development.
Senegal
West Africa's other "visitor-friendly" destination, with tasty food, nice beaches, and French colonial history.
Nigeria
A vast, highly populated country with great wealth—unfortunately little of it shared with its people. It has huge tourism potential and a very diverse ethnic culture of over 360 ethnic groups. It is the second largest economy in Africa.
Liberia
Settled by former African American slaves in the 19th Century, this country has been through murderous conflicts, and it is too dangerous to visit outside Monrovia City, which is a completely underdeveloped city anyway.
Guinea-Bissau
A former Portuguese colony which has been through lots of struggle since independence, has little change since colonial times and is hardly visited by travelers.
Guinea
Some great hill scenery (the Switzerland of Africa), major rain forests and Atlantic beaches, ravaged by decades of political turmoil and lawlessness, now striving to develop.
Cameroon
Cameroon is in
Ghana
So-called "Africa for Beginners"—West Africa's richest, most-English speaking country, with highly varied landscapes, a few off-the-beaten-path beach getaways, and the solemn, imposing slave castles of the coast west of Accra.