Oscar Scafidi – författare

Written by long-term resident, adventurer and experienced travel writer Oscar Scafidi, this brand new Bradt publication is the most up-to-date, comprehensive travel guidebook to Tunisia produced by a mainstream publisher. Taking account of this North African country's recent political and social flux, and covering each of the nation's 24 governorates, the book's listings for hotels, restaurants and activities cater for all types of travellers and budgets. Complemented by 80 detailed maps and advice on navigating bureaucracy, this guide provides all the practical information you need to visit or explore here.The birthplace of the Arab Spring in 2010, Tunisia is readily accessible from European cities. From relaxing on Mediterranean beaches to camel-trekking or quad-biking in the Sahara Desert and marvelling at the moonscapes of Chott el Djerid salt lake, this fascinating nation crams much excitement and interest into a small area. In the 2,000-year-old capital of Tunis, originally a Berber settlement, you can haggle in the ancient Medina, browse artefacts at the Bardo National Museum or enjoy fresh seafood at waterfront restaurants. Archaeology afficionados will hardly know where to begin in Africa's fourth-richest country for UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the remnants of Ancient Carthage, perhaps, or superbly preserved Roman ruins, such as the world's second-largest amphitheatre of El Jem? Djerba, where Berbers, Muslims and the world's oldest Jewish community have co-existed for centuries, is a world-renowned kitesurfer's paradise. Sunseekers have over 1,000km of coastline on which to bask - why not sip cocktails at the upmarket resort of Gammarth, just north of Tunis - while hedonists can party at a mammoth 30-hour rave in the desert at Ong Jmal. Meanwhile, film buffs can make pilgrimages to sets used in the Star Wars movies or explore canyons used by Steven Spielberg' for an Indiana Jones film, and culture vultures can visit Islamic sites such as the Ribat of Monastir fort or 7th-century city of Kairouan. With a language appendix covering Tunisian Arabic and French, detailed context that helps visitors travel with awareness and sensitivity, and in-depth travel information, Bradt's Tunisia is an indispensable practical companion to exploring this exciting country.

This new third edition of Bradt's Angola remains the only dedicated English-language guide to this increasingly popular southern African nation. Thoroughly updated, it includes full practical and background information, everything you need to know about the capital city, Luanda, plus coverage of the rest of the country in 16 chapters. Also featured are 38 maps, including detailed city maps for all 18 provincial capitals, plus a specific section devoted to the sometimes-tricky process of applying for a visa.Bradt's Angola is written by expert author Oscar Scafidi who lived and worked in Angola for five years, has travelled to all the country's provinces, and who has successfully completed a record-breaking kayak trip along the length of Angola's Kwanza River. Thanks to his knowledge, Bradt's Angola is ideal for everyone from independent surfers and bird-watchers on organised tours to fishing enthusiasts, conservationists, surfers, NGO workers and overlanders, not to mention adventurous travellers simply wanting to discover this intriguing country. Angola continues to change at a rapid pace and offers everything from colonial Portuguese ruins to $100-a-plate sushi bars, landscaped waterfronts to grand public buildings, Portuguese and Brazilian heritage to frontier diamond towns, tropical rainforests to desert, and relaxed coastal resorts on 1,000km of unspoiled beaches. It's also the site of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Mbanza Kongo, once the centre of power for the Kilukeni dynasty, who founded the city almost 100 years before the arrival of the Portuguese. Whether wildlife watcher or surfer, business traveller or pioneering adventurer, Bradt's Angola provides all the information you will need to get the most out of this vast country.

The new fourth edition of Bradt's Angola remains the only dedicated, full-length English-language guide to this increasingly popular and now readily accessible southern African nation, which offers a heady combination of wildlife-rich rainforests, world-class surfing and beaches, remote deserts and richly diverse human culture.Luanda is a capital of contrasts, offering everything from colonial Portuguese ruins to $100-a-plate sushi bars, a vibrant carnival to sophisticated nightclubs, and landscaped waterfronts to grand public buildings. Venture beyond the urban bustle, perhaps on the recently rehabilitated Benguela railway, and you can discover attractions ranging from frontier diamond towns to relaxed beach resorts, excellent sea-fishing to some of the world's most enthralling surfing (at Cabo Ledo). The country's Atlantic coast stretches through landscapes as varied as tropical rainforest in the north and desert in the south, and includes over 1,000 km of unspoilt sands. In eight ever-improving national parks, large mammals lost to poaching are being reintroduced. African Parks-run Iona is the jewel in the crown, while Luando remains one of the only places left to spot the critically endangered giant sable antelope, Angola's national symbol. Elsewhere, visitors can discover Africa's third-highest waterfall (Kalandula), numerous highly regarded birding spots and a rich human culture that binds together more than 40 ethnic identities. Unmissable attractions include the 20,000-year-old rock paintings at Tchitundo-Hulo, and M'banza Congo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was formerly the centre of power for the Kilukeni dynasty, who founded the stone city a century before the Portuguese colonisers arrived.Across 19 chapters, Bradt's Angola offers full practical and background information, and incisive coverage of the whole country. This fourth edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect Angola's rapid rate of change, notably the reinvigoration of the tourist industry - including through a new international airport, lower flight costs, high-quality roads and now-straightforward visa processes - as a key plank in Angola's plan for economic diversity and sustainable development. Bradt's Angola is ideal for everyone keen to unveil the secrets of this vast, intriguing country - from surfers visiting independently to birdwatchers on organised tours, adventurous travellers to fishing enthusiasts, and overlanders to NGO workers.