South
Africa
In
a country with 9 official languages you can expect a diverse travelling
experience. When you add in the turbulent history, both in recent
years with the break from Apartheid and long tribal and colonial
influences, South Africa offers something for everyone.
HIGHLIGHTS
CAPE
TOWN
Cape Town is a fortunate city, much loved and with numerous nicknames,
from the "Mother City" to the "Tavern of the Seas".
The city and the mountains belong to one another. Cape Town without
the mountains would not be quite so interesting. The mountains,
Table mountain, Devil's Peak, Lion's Head and Signal Hill, would
be superb without the city. Look down upon Cape Town from the
mountain heights, one of the great views of the world. It is pleasant
to think then of the past of the city, of different stages of
growth, of the cosmopolitan people who have contributed to its
story and its culture. Africans, Asians, Europeans, all have played
a part in the history of Cape Town, building it at the foot of
the mountain.
The original Company's Garden founded in 1562 by Jan van Riebeeck
covered 18 ha of ground. Now it is a botanical Garden covering
less than 6 ha of the original area, and planted with flowers,
trees and shrubs collected from many parts of the world.
Castle of Good Hope, founded by Simon van der Stel as the headquarter
of the Dutch East India Company, is the oldest European building
in South Africa. Five bastions surround utilitarian structures
from dingy, graffiti-covered cells to armouries.
Long Street, laid out in the 18th century, runs right trough the
city centre, from sea to mountain. Wander slowly, craning upwards
at the delightful architectural details. There are churches, mosques,
cafés, restaurants, clubs, double-tiered verandas on Victorian
houses and neo- classical buildings - the roofline is a profusion
of turrets, gables and minarets.
CAPE
PENINSULA
The Cape Peninsula National Park stretches for approximately 60
km from Signal Hill to Cape Point in the south. The peninsula
is never wider than 10 km and includes the legendary Cape of Good
Hope and a wondrous array of habitats. The internationally renowned
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden lies on the eastern slopes
of Table Mountain, just outside the boundaries of the park, and
contains spectacularly landscaped indigenous trees and plants,
as well as natural forest. On the higher slopes lies its breathtaking
Protea Garden with king proteas and the lovely shimmering silver
trees. Set within the metropolitan area of Cape Town, South Africa's
oldest city, the park is representative of the Cape floral kingdom,
one of only six floral kingdoms in the world. It is home to some
2 285 species of plants, 90 of them endemic. The park has a Mediterranean-like
climate, winter rainfall, well-defined seasons and lush vegetation.
Boulders Beach - Near Simon's Town, the Boulders penguin colony
is home to a growing number of the endangered African or "jackass"
penguin. From a few breeding pairs in the late 1980s, the colony
has steadily grown and its members can be closely viewed from
a wheel-chair-friendly boardwalk.
Cape Point - At Cape Point, the tides ceaselessly pound against
the cliffs, churning up impressive amounts of spray. As one of
the main attractions of the Cape Point National Park, it can be
accessed either by foot or via the funicular. The renowned Cape
of Good Hope, still a beacon to sailors, also forms part of this
rock-bound coastal section. This southern part of the park contains
extremely diverse coastal fynbos, which have specifically evolved
to survive in the salty, sandy and nutrient-poor soil. Protea
and erica dominate and the dainty Cape sugarbird feeds exclusively
on the flowering fynbos. Small numbers of animal and bird species
still occur, including grysbok, otter and bontebok while the rare
white peripatus is found in the deep recesses of sandstone caves.
KRUGER
NATIONAL PARK
One of the most famous, one of the largest, one of the oldest
and one of the best game parks in Africa. Spanning across the
Mpumalanga region into the Northern Province lies the Kruger National
Park. Here, visitors will encounter indigenous bush, sub-tropical
lowveld vegetation, fertile valleys, and terraced hills. The northern
area offers many archeological and historical sites - Masorini
and Thulamela. The park, rich in biodiversity, was established
in 1898 and stretches for 350 km south to north along the Mozambiquan
border to where South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe meet in
the infamous Crooks Corner on the confluence of the Luvuvhu and
Limpopo rivers. Well known for its diversity of habitat and wildlife,
Kruger offers visitors an excellent opportunity to experience
close encounters with elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard
in a natural unfenced environment. Wild dogs, cheetah, zebra,
giraffe and a variety of other species are also indigenous to
the park. A paradise for the wildlife enthusiast with close to
150 mammals and over 380 species of indigenous trees, as well
as over 500 bird species, the park is a bird watch haven.
Night drives and bush braais become the highlight of the bush
experience offering glimpses of nocturnal animals often not seen
during the day. Early morning drives offer their own attraction
as the bush and waterholes awaken.
HLUHLUWE-UMFOLOZI
PARK
One of the largest parks in South Africa, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi
Park is renowned for its wide variety of bird and animal life.
Besides the "big five", elusive cheetah, wild dogs and
many other well-known bushveld species inhabit the park, offering
visitors a rich game viewing experience. Established in 1895,
this is a 96 000 ha complex of two parks linked by a corridor
of land with habitats ranging from woodland and forest to savannah
and grass-land. It shares with St. Lucia the distinction of being
the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Africa. In the 1960's, it was
the home of Operation Rhino, a conservation program to ensure
global survival of the white rhino, and the park still has the
world's largest concentration of black and white rhino.
NATAL
DRAKENSBERG
The Drakensberg which run for 200km along the western border of
KwaZulu-Natal, are part of a much longer chain of basalt stretching
from the Cape to the Limpopo. With jagged 3000 m peaks, flowing
fields of red-gold grass, meadows as rich in flowers as a medieval
tapestry, San rock paintings, raptors soaring on the thermals,
and gushing waterfalls, this is one of southern Africas many highlights.
The mountains are preserved as a recreational wilderness, with
unsurpassed walking, hiking and climbing. Activities include superb
trout fishing, climbing, bird watching, riding and hot-air ballooning.
TSITSIKAMA
COASTAL NATIONAL PARK
A place of mystery, of ancient rivers and forests, deep ravines
and long forgotten tales, this is "the place of sparkling
water" or Tsitsikamma. Dedicated in 1964, this combined marine
and forest park, stretches for some 80 km along the coast and
5.5 km out to sea, covering a extraordinarily rich variety of
ecosystems. Inland there is coastal forest, part of the great
Knysna Forest belt, where ancient yellowwoods grow up to 50 m
high. On the coast, freshwater wetlands give way to dunes, crashing
waves and shallow pools, coral reefs and plunging deep waters.
Tsitsikamma was the first marine national park in Africa and visitors
will delight in its wonderful diversity. This is a hikers paradise
and the otter trail is one of the most sought after hikes in Africa.
WILDERNESS
NATIONAL PARK
Lush forests and green-clad mountains unveil a loosely knit web
of fertile wetlands threaded by snaking rivers. A brilliantly
plumaged Knysna loerie gives its distinctive call as it heads
for the woods and a malachite kingfisher skims over the lake's
clear surface in search of food. Five striking kingfisher species
frequent the four lakes of this unique wetland ecosystem in the
Wilderness National Park, which has been awarded Ramsar status.
A variety of activities are available including nature trails,
angling, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing and pedal boating.
ADDO
ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK
Tucked away in the dense bushveld of the Eastern Cape lies the
Addo Elephant National Park. Proclaimed in 1931, when the number
of elephants had dwindled to only 11, the park now provides sanctuary
to some 350 elephants as well as buffalo, black rhino, plenty
of birds and several species of antelope. The unique flightless
dung beetle is treasured and road signs implore visitors to yield
to them. Rains occur throughout the year, some 450 mm annually,
and with temperate to warm climate both the animals and the vegetation
thrive.
CEDERBERG
WILDERNESS AREA
Within the Western Cape, this rugged mountainous area extends
roughly North-South for 100km. 71,000 hectares are protected and
contain San paintings and bizarre sandstone formations. Offers
great hiking trails in an area of genuine wilderness.
DE
HOOP NATURE RESERVE
The reserve includes a scenic coastline with lonely stretches
of beach, rocky cliffs, large coastal sand dunes, a freshwater
lake, fynbos, diverse coastal ecosystems, Cape mountain zebra,
bontebok and a wealth of birdlife. The coast is an important breading
ground for the Southern Right Whale.
KALAGADI
NATIONAL PARK
Spanning South Africa and Botswana, the Kalagadi is a sea of sand
dunes and dry river beds, cloaked in scrub, grass and thorn trees.
This is the home of the famous Kalahari lions and one of the best
areas in Africa to view Cheetah while they hunt.
MKUZI
GAME RESERVE
36,000 hectares, this reserve is far from the largest game park
in South Africa but it offers the intimacy of hides at waterholes
with some of the best game viewing you can experience.
AUGRABIES
FALLS NATIONAL PARK
This is more than just a large waterfall, although when carrying
a large amount of water the waterfalls are stunning. The name
of the area derives from the Namaqua word for "place of great
noise" and the desert/riverine environment on the either
side of the river is unequalled.
