Love exploring? See 10 Africa's coldest countries to visit
Snowy resorts, freezing mountain peaks and chilly highland towns make these African destinations worth knowing for a cold-weather trip.
Africa has plenty of places built around sunshine and warm weather. It also has snowy mountains, freezing winter nights and towns where a coat is very much part of the luggage.
If you're looking for a colder side of the continent, these countries have some of the best-known places to find it.
1. LESOTHO
Lesotho is probably the clearest example of how cold Africa can get.
The country's highlands regularly fall to around -8°C (18°F) between June and August. At about 3,200 metres above sea level,Afriski Mountain Resort is also home to the only fully operational ski resort in sub-Saharan Africa.
Winter brings snow to the Maluti Mountains, drawing skiers and other visitors from across southern Africa.
2. MOROCCO
Ifrane, the code side of Morocco
For cold weather in Morocco, Ifrane is a better place to look than Marrakech or the Sahara.
The Middle Atlas town hasJanuary nights averaging around 4°C (39°F), with daytime temperatures reaching roughly 15°C (59°F) in the available climate data. Snow is also part of its winter landscape.
Ifrane has long had a reputation for its European-looking architecture, alpine setting and snowy winters.
3. SOUTH AFRICA
Sutherland, in South Africa's Northern Cape, has one of the country's coldest winter climates.
In July, the town's average low is about 1.7°C (35°F), while the average high is around 12.1°C (54°F). Some winter nights fall below freezing.
Sutherland is also known for something that has little to do with its cold: its exceptionally clear skies. The town is home to theSouth African Astronomical Observatory, making it a popular destination for stargazing.
4. TANZANIA
The coldest part of Tanzania is almost 6,000 metres above sea level.
Mount Kilimanjaro rises to 5,895 metres, and the temperature drops dramatically as climbers move towards the summit. Around theupper mountain, nighttime temperatures can fall well below freezing, with conditions around -20°C (-4°F) possible.
Snow and ice at the summit may seem strange for a country known for tropical beaches and safaris, but Kilimanjaro's elevation creates its own climate.
5. KENYA
Mount Kenya offers another African mountain where the temperature can plunge below zero.
At the higher elevations, nighttime temperatures can reach around -5°C to -10°C (23°F to 14°F). The summit area hasglaciers and permanent ice, although these have been shrinking over time.
For climbers, the cold becomes increasingly noticeable as they move higher up the mountain, far from the warmer conditions of Kenya's coast.
6. UGANDA
Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains are one of the continent's more unusual cold-weather destinations.
The range lies close to the Equator, yet temperatures drop with elevation. In the higher sections, nights can fall below 0°C (32°F), whilelower parts of the mountains can record daytime temperatures of around 10°C to 15°C (50°F to 59°F).
The highest peaks are covered by snow and glaciers, giving hikers an alpine landscape in the middle of equatorial Africa.
7. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has some of the country's highest and coolest terrain.
In the mountains, temperatures can fall to around 10°C (50°F), particularly at night. The region also contains part of theRwenzori range, whose high peaks extend along the Uganda-DRC border.
The climate here is a far cry from the hot, humid conditions found in much of the Congo Basin.
8. ETHOPIA
In Ethiopia, you don't necessarily need to climb a famous mountain to find cool weather.
Addis Ababa sits at about 2,350 metres above sea level, and nighttime temperatures during the dry season commonly fall to around 5°C to 10°C (41°F to 50°F). The city has also recorded temperatures around freezing.
Outside the capital, Ethiopia's highlands contain even more elevated terrain, with cool temperatures, mountain scenery and a climate that changes noticeably with altitude.
Algeria may have the Sahara, but its northern mountains can deliver a very different winter experience.
TheAtlas ranges can receive snow and frost during winter, particularly at higher elevations. Northern Algeria also has a Mediterranean climate, so temperatures there are considerably cooler than in the desert.
For travellers, that means a country famous for sand dunes also has mountain landscapes where winter weather can be genuinely cold.
10. TUNISIA
Tunisia's colder weather is easiest to find away from the coast.
Thala, a highland town in western Tunisia, experiences some of the country's lowest winter temperatures. January nights can hover around 2°C (36°F), with daytime temperatures around 11°C (52°F).
The town is surrounded by the rugged landscape of northwestern Tunisia, where winter can bring frost and occasional snow.
You don't have to leave Africa to find a proper winter.
From Lesotho's ski slopes to Kilimanjaro's snow and ice, the continent has mountain towns, highlands and peaks where temperatures can fall far below what the usual image of an African holiday suggests.
And that's probably the more interesting way to look at these destinations: not as countries that are simply "cold," but as places where you can find cold in some genuinely unexpected corners.