A final moment of African homesickness hit on my final beer when a power-cut plunged us all into darkness.

The city has been southern Egypt's strategic and commercial gateway since antiquity. It carries a distinctly African vibe, its lively souks and streets dotted with distinctive Nubian villages and splendid mud-brick houses, awash with colour and pattern.

Edfu, a city on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt, is the home to the incredible Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. This grand temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, is a spectacle of ancient Egyptian architecture.

Luxor was our embarkation point for a week long cruise down the Nile to Aswan and back. We had time to go to the museum in Luxor before boarding our small twenty cabin boat and settling in. Luxor is incredible, aside from its bustling nature as a city it is a hub for history.

Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, is a city that beautifully blends the old and the new. The city's heart, the Medina, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a labyrinth of narrow alleyways filled with colourful markets, or souks, selling everything from spices to traditional crafts.

When I was 19, I ended up in Accra, Ghana, working as an IT consultant due to my experience in a similar situation in Lagos. My memories of the city are shrouded in darkness, not because of any sinister undertones, but simply because I arrived late in the evening.

My trip to Douala, Cameroon, when I was just 20, was a blend of leisure and work - well, work for my father, at least. I was there for the ride, soaking up the experience. The city was a whirlwind of sights and sounds,

Cotonou, the beating heart of Benin, is a place where the hum of French conversation fills the air, a testament to its colonial past, and a stark difference to the English-speaking countries of West Africa.

For about three years, I spent my summer and winter breaks from university with my father in Lagos, Nigeria. We lived in the port city of Apapa, rather than Victoria Island where most other ex-pats made their home.

When I think back to my childhood trip to Agadir, the memories are filled with the warmth and charm of this coastal Moroccan city. Our beach holiday was nothing short of magical in the way only early childhood memories can be, with endless days spent on the golden sands, where the sun was always hot and the sky, a brilliant blue.