Africa is a great place to visit, with many tourist attractions like jungle safaris, beaches, museums, but what you might know is that the African bazaars and markets are also worth giving a try. These markets and bazaars depict their local artisans work and a good peek into the culture, sounds, smells and food. But before visiting these crowded markets, make sure you take enough precautions because being a nomad travel insurance is a necessity in Africa with many incidents of thefts, diseases and other emergency situations.

Every African town consists of its own market and some of the best and most interesting markets are:

The souks:

Located in Marrakech and Fes, Morocco this is an excellent tourist attraction in Africa. It has narrow alleyways which smell of exotic spices, making it a must-visit place for foodies touring Africa. Here one will get variety of tea suitable for everyone’s taste. Bicycles repairers and carpet sellers are also a part of this market and shopping here makes Morocco one of the must-visit destinations.

Islamic Cairo bazaar:

This bazaar is basically a huge market and one of the major tourist attractions of Egypt. If one is looking for something unique from the history of Africa, like King Tut’s

Mask replica or a belly dancing costume, this is the best place where one can find these. Bargaining skills and some humor will help one in the market.

Kejeta market:

Kejeta market is considered to be the best market in West Africa, located in Ghana in a town Kumasi. This market consists of ashanti crafts, kente cloth, dried chameleons and bubble gums which are the major products available in the market. This market is always crowded with the locals, but tourists are welcomed warmly here.

Maasai Cattle market:

This Tanzanian market is famous for its cattle auction. The market is held weekly in the small villages between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. This is a great place where one can experience the busiest market for cattle auction. This market is the only place where one can buy motorcycle tire sandals.

Merkato:

Merkato market is the biggest open market in the African continent, situated in Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia. It is also considered to be the best market for tourists. One can buy kalashnikovas, spices, incenses and many more African specialties.

While visiting these markets can be a unique and interesting experience, being a foreigner, you should also be careful. Take proper care of your belongings and avoid drinking water and eating from an unknown place. And while shopping, do not forget to do lots of bargaining!