Taking tours of your own city or country may seem strange, but just because you live in Africa doesn’t mean you’ve seen and experienced everything it has to offer.
Many people think that taking a tour of their own city or country is only beneficial or interesting to tourists because they probably haven’t seen a giraffe before, which does kind of make sense.
However, what doesn’t make sense is the idea that living in Africa means you automatically know all the amazing things the country has to offer. The truth is, no matter how long you’ve lived in a place there are always weird and wonderful things that will take you by surprise or teach you something new.
Here are 3 tours you should do, even if you aren’t a tourist. You never know, you might just learn something new:
TOUR 1: TOWNSHIP
This type of tour is geared towards city slickers and those who want to experience 
Africa through the eyes of the locals. Township tours often have guides from the locations you’re visiting, who are a wealth of knowledge and they know where the best parties are.
Nowadays, township tours are extremely popular and often include experiences like visiting shebeens (local bars), trying shisa nyama (food cooked on an open fire) and site seeing.
TOUR 2: CANOPY
This one will thrill nature lovers and those who love the great outdoors, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for outdoorsy people. Canopy tours allow you to tour along the tree tops. Tours take place along an established route through forest-like and often mountainous landscape. Depending on the type of tour you take, you can either zip-line or use bridges to move between platforms built amongst the trees.
Afraid of heights? Don’t let that stop you! Just remember, during a canopy tour you’ll be wearing a harness and you’ll be connected to a cable throughout your tour. A safety precaution that is both legally required and reassuring at the same time. Plus, you can always look us at the sky and pretend you’re walking on clouds.
TOUR 3: RIVER
Whether it’s rafting down the Zambezi, or taking a boat down the Orange River, river tours are both an adrenaline rush and a unique way to explore the African country side. 
However, doing a river tour may mean you have to ‘rough it’ for a bit, but there’s nothing better than waking up to nature and setting off on an adventure every day.
If you’re not the adventurous type there are other much tamer tours which could still teach you something about the country you live in. For example, you could take a historical sites and landmarks tour or a natural history tour. Try signing up for nature walks, attend museum tours or even take a harbour tour. Just remember to have fun and enjoy what your home has to offer.