Durban is a real melting pot; not only does the city feel more authentically African than Cape Town, it’s also home to a large Indian community that lends the city a distinctly Asian flavour. The lovely waterfront promenade was revamped for the 2010 World Cup, and the beach is a popular destination for domestic tourists.

Richards Bay itself is an industrial city with little in the way of tourist sights, but the port serves as a gateway for the many attractions of KwaZulu-Natal province. Head inland and you’ll find traditional Zulu villages, undulating hills and wildlife including crocodiles, hippos and the rare black rhino.

Mozambique’s laid back capital is an eclectic mix of elegant Portuguese colonial architecture and concrete blocks that hark back to the days of Soviet influence. Maputo also has an excellent selection of restaurants and a lively nightlife scene, as well as some interesting museums and markets.

There’s not much to see in the seaside town of Morondava, but nearby attractions include one of the most famous sights in Madagascar, the Avenue of the Baobabs. These uniquely weird and bulbous trees grow up to 30 metres tall and 10 metres in diameter. Also close by is Kirindy Forest, home to endemic wildlife including common brown lemurs, sifakas and fossas.

Mayotte is part of the Comoros archipelago, off the east coast of Africa, governed by France as an overseas territory. It’s something of a post-colonial oddity; the white sand beaches and laid back pace are typical of the Indian Ocean, but the cost of living is more reminiscent of mainland France.

The island of Nosy Be, just off the northeast coast of Madagascar, remains a laid back locale in spite of its popularity as a tourist destination. The beaches are the main attraction for most visitors, along with the colourful chameleons and tiny frogs hiding in the Lokobe wildlife reserve.

Antsiranana, sometimes known by its old name of Diego Suarez, sits at the northern tip of Madagascar on a beautiful natural bay. It’s a pleasant city with pretty colonial architecture, and worthwhile day trips include the lush Montagne d’Ambre National Park and the red laterite rock formations of Tsingy Rouge Park.

Toamasina, also known as Tamatave, is Madagascar’s main seaport, situated on the east coast. The streets are a little hectic, thronged with rickshaws (known locally as a ‘pousse-pousse’), and the colonial buildings are a little run-down, but there are some interesting local markets, and the nearby Parc Ivoloina Zoological Park is a popular excursion.