Sunsets are awesome in Africa & the rest of the world

Are sunsets the same everywhere?

African sunsets are beautiful

A magnificent day in the bushveld is winding down, nearing its end. After a busy day on safari, the harsh African sun still blazes on your skin, devising how to create one last performance before it hides behind the earth.

You scan the plains once more and bask in the splendour of watching elephants wading in the muddy pool. A hundred tiny golden suns reflect on the condensation droplets of your spouse’s glass of beer. You both salute the day. Ice tinkles in the glass as a sip of highball cocktail sooths your dusty throat. Straining your ears as the creatures of the savannah whisper gently, you could be lucky and once more hear the plaintive cry of a fish eagle before he dives into the water for his last meal of the day.  

I would say that is an epitome of a good day in Africa. But you could do the same in the rest of the world, with a different view.

Elephants kicking up the dust in Africa

Sunset in the Waterberg, South Africa

One of the best times of day is that magical hour. The slow dance of the sunset comes to an abrupt end with a finale: a crescendo of colour bursts forth before darkness engulfs the light.

The fiery brilliance takes your breath away. We often say there is nothing like an African sunset. What do you think?

Watching the sun set over the Zambezi river at Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, with Zambia on the other side

The sun peeping through the trees in Hwange, Zimbabwe

Beautiful sunsets on the beach

Not all sunsets hues are fiery.

You’ve rinsed the salty crystals out of your hair and washed the slightly scratchy tight feeling off your sunburnt skin. Refreshed, the allure of the sea coaxes you back and it’s time to relax with a sundowner on the beach.

Silky pastel ribbons swirl in the sky, teasing the sun as it slips into exotic waters. This is paradise. Muted colours soothe your eyes as the intoxicating fragrance of tropical flowers lingers in the evening air. As gentle waves swish on powdery sand, a cool sea breeze caresses your skin.

Muted colours over the sea at Praslin, Seychelles

Capturing silhouettes at sunset

This is an entirely different mood to a bushveld sunset, as mellow moments tantalise you after an intense day of swimming or diving – or just reclining in the shade of a thatched umbrella.

There is very little that tops sitting on a beach with palm trees swaying, breathing in the fresh air and watching the sun set over the sea. The only worry you may have is that a coconut decides that your head is a good landing spot.

Which sunsets grab you

Let’s face it, we’ve all taken loads of sunset pictures. But which one delights you or inspires you? It is hard to choose which is the best. Both of these scenes appeal to me, although there are many more that can be equally delightful.

Does your personality play a large role in the type of sunset or setting you prefer? Just by analysing colour alone, it could be the deciding factor.

Some people prefer soft calming pinks and blues. Take a look at what they wear, the colours they prefer in their décor; the hushed shades of flowers in their garden. And yet, a vibrant, dramatic splash of pulsating red or orange can be so exciting.

Then again, drifting on the water in a boat with a good mix of the two could be equally pleasurable.

No matter which you prefer, each situation has a special charm that makes for an appealing way to end the day.

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Pastel colours over False Bay, from Boulders Beach, Simonstown

Are African sunsets the best?

I’ve decided to create a gallery of sunsets as we’ve sailed foreign waters, curled our toes in the sand on remote beaches or drove overland in the African dust. Each sunset is different, no matter where you are – and yet there are some similar elements that will fill your soul. So of course African sunsets are the best, until you see another one in a foreign land.

A unique beauty is released, together with a diverse ambience. Still the fundamentals are the same. It remains a magnificent way to bow out the day.

Sunset in the Bushveld, South Africa

Savannah, thorn trees and the African sun

Sunsets from around the world

By sharing some of these sunsets with you from around the world, but mostly from Africa, (not that I’m biased!) I hope you’ll pick up a tiny grain of enjoyment looking at them. I’m sure it will inspire you even more to watch sunsets.

Australia, you can do sunsets too - Sussex Inlet, New South Wales, Australia

Sunsets and trees make for great reflections on still water - Waterberg, South Africa

Dust particles add to the sunset extravaganza in Africa

The United Kingdom can also put up quite a show

Reflection of the sun on the mighty Zambezi river, Mana pools, Zimbabwe

Another sunset in Africa

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