Republic of the Congo
Huge tracts of forest with a small population mean great potential for eco-tourism, but the country is still to fully recover from a terrible war in the 1990s
Gabon
Has escaped the strife afflicting other Central African states, rich in oil and mineral reserves and a high biodiversity.
Equatorial Guinea
Perhaps one of the continent's most corrupt countries, where massive oil wealth is confiscated by a thuggish government, is not a terribly safe place to travel, but it has great beaches, laid-back beach bars, and locals speak Spanish.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Huge, blessed with incredible natural wealth and beauty, culturally diverse, and is developing extremely fast though it's still a quite poor country.
Central African Republic
Dense jungle in the south and semi-arid in the Sahelian north, this very unstable country is very much off the radar for visitors.
Angola
Former Portuguese colony which went through a brutal civil war. Now largely safe, but has been surprisingly slow to appear on the tourist radar
Togo
A small, sleepy country that is home to no less than 40 different ethnic groups, and the surreal villages of Tamberma Valley.
Sierra Leone
Some of the best beaches anywhere in the world, and huge potential for tourism, but held back by enormous transport infrastructure problems, extreme poverty, and hardly any development.
Senegal
West Africa's other "visitor-friendly" destination, with tasty food, nice beaches, and French colonial history.
Nigeria
A vast, highly populated country with great wealth—unfortunately little of it shared with its people. It has huge tourism potential and a very diverse ethnic culture of over 360 ethnic groups. It is the second largest economy in Africa.