| Introduction |
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South Africa has a truly diverse range of attractions, activities
and experiences to offer the visitor. From game viewing and outdoor
activities to shopping, wining and dining and a range of adventure
activities to suit any adrenalin-seeker - there really is something
for everyone beneath South African skies.
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Visit Cape Town and experience the beautiful 'Mother City' with Table
Mountain as its backdrop. Travel to the top of Table Mountain by
cable car or on foot and get a birds eye view of the city and
Table Bay. Take a ferry trip to Robben Island and visit the prison
where Nelson Mandela spent many years of his life.
Soak up the sun on white, sandy beaches; hike amongst forest and fynbos;
visit Cape Point Nature Reserve and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Shop till
you drop at world-class shopping malls and, at the end of the day dine
at excellent restaurants offering everything from ostrich to oysters.
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The rich and fertile vineyards of the Cape produce some of the best wines
in the world. Visit the wineland regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch,
Franschhoek, Paarl and the Breede River Valley and enjoy wine tasting
and cellar tours in picturesque surroundings. Sample other fresh produce
such as cheeses and olives, go horse riding or enjoy a picnic in the
vineyards and dine at a quaint French Bistro in Franschhoek.
Read more about the Winelands...
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The seaside town of Hermanus, just an hour away from Cape Town, is known
for its fantastic land based whale watching. The best whale watching
months are from August to November when the giant Southern Right Whales
come into the bay to calve. The cliff paths that hug the shoreline
surrounding Hermanus are the perfect vantage point for watching the whales
spouting and breaching in the bay.
Hermanus is a popular holiday and weekend destination and offers plenty
of other activities including golf, walking and hiking and canoeing on the
nearby lagoon. There is also a weekly craft market on Saturday mornings,
as well a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants to choose from.
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The Kruger National Park is the largest in South Africa and this
world-renowned park offers a diversity of wildlife, terrain and vegetation
that cannot be matched by any other park. Traversing through both the
Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces in the northern part of South Africa -
the 2-million hectare park is open for exploration and discovery and offers
an unforgettable safari experience. Here the wildlife roam freely and in
their natural habitat - the park boasts all of the Big Five as well as
other big game, large herds of antelope and over 500 types of bird.
Read more about the Kruger National Park...
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The Klein Karoo town of Oudtshoorn, ringed by the majestic Outeniqua- and
Swartberg Mountains, is the ostrich capital of the world. Many of the
sandstone 'feather palaces' of yesteryear are still standing and are a
reminder of the ostrich feather trade boom of the early twentieth century.
Today there are four ostrich show farms in Oudtshoorn where visitors can
come face to face with these unusual birds, take part as a jockey in an
ostrich race, sample ostrich meat dishes and buy hand-made ostrich leather items.
Each year in March and April Oudtshoorn hosts the annual Klein Karoo National
Arts Festival where over 250 000 people gather to enjoy arts, crafts, theatre
and music. Oudtshoorn is also home to the famous Cango Caves - one of the
world's natural wonders. The three limestone caverns that make up the Cango
Caves are filled with stalactites and stalagmites and visitors can enjoy guided
tours through the caves. Also in Oudtshoorn is the Cango Wildlife Ranch and a
range of activities from walking trails and birding to 4x4 trails in the
rugged Klein Karoo terrain.
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Stretching between the coastal towns of Mossel Bay and Nature's Valley in the
Western Cape the Garden Route is named for its lush greenery and dense
Tsitsikamma Forest. This picturesque stretch of coastline is a popular
holiday destination and is well worth visiting with activities on offer
to suit outdoor enthusiasts, adrenalin junkies and families or those simply
looking to sit back and relax.
The Garden Route begins at Mossel Bay, and then journeys through George,
Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay before ending at the
beautiful Nature's Valley. Each of these small towns has its own charm
and attractions and each has a wide variety of accommodation to choose from.
The Garden Route region is ideal for a self-drive holiday and all of the
towns are within easy driving distance of one another. Choose between
having one base and making daily day trips to the nearby towns and
attractions, or alternatively spend one or two nights in a few different towns.
Read more about the Garden Route...
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Only 50 kilometres north-east of Port Elizabeth, the Addo Elephant
National Park is situated in the tranquil and malaria free Sundays
River Valley - known for its elephants as well as its citrus orchards
and roses. The park is home to over 300 elephant and visitors can experience
game drives by day or night to come into contact with herds of elephant,
Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope and extensive birdlife.
Also nearby is the private Shamwari Game Reserve where visitors can see a
full range of wildlife including the Big Five of elephant, lion, rhino,
buffalo and leopard.
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The coastal city of Port Elizabeth is also known as the 'friendly city' and
rests on the shores of Algoa Bay. Port Elizabeth is a popular summertime
holiday destination and with warm waters and calm seas the beaches are popular
amongst families. There are over 40km of safe beaches to choose from as well
as many water activities including sailing, windsurfing and scuba diving. Pay
a visit to the oceanarium and snake park for fun and entertainment.
Port Elizabeth provides a good base from which to explore the other highlights of
the area including the lush coastal forests of the Tsitsikamma region, the
world-renowned surf spot of Jeffreys Bay and further inland the historic
university town of Grahamstown.
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East London is South Africa's only river port city and is set on the
banks of the Buffalo River. Miles of white beaches are fairly untouched
and unspoilt providing excellent opportunities for many watersports and
the various lagoons and river mouths are a haven for anglers. Further
along the coastline from East London is the Wild Coast region where some
of South Africa's truly wild and untamed beaches can be found.
This region is steeped in rich Xhosa tradition where rolling hills give
way to thick indigenous forests, craggy outcrops, sheer cliffs and white
sandy beaches. Visitors can enjoy hiking trails and bird watching, fishing,
swimming and horse riding - all while absorbing the spirit of the Wild Coast.
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With a subtropical climate, sunshine all year and the warm Indian Ocean
lapping on its shores, Durban is a popular holiday city with beaches,
activities and attractions to suit all ages. This bustling city is
the third largest in South Africa as well as being the biggest port in
Africa - it's a melting pot of cultures with strong British, Indian
and Zulu influences.
Laze away your day on the beach or enjoy a range of sporting activities
from surfing to golf and when the sun sets make the most of balmy summer
evenings to take in Durban's nightlife. Durban is also a good access point
for the coastal resort areas of the North Coast and South Coast, the
beauty of the Midlands with its popular Midlands Meander and the majestic
mountains of the Drakensberg region.
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The extensive Drakensberg mountain range stretches along KwaZulu-Natal's
Western border creating a semi-circular border with the adjoining Lesotho.
These majestic mountains are known to the Zulu people as Ukhahlamba meaning
'Barrier of Spears' and its sharp peaks rise up to over 3000 meters in places.
The Drakensberg - "Mountain of the Dragon" provides kilometres of spectacular
escarpment, peaks, trails, streams, pools and solitude to explore and enjoy.
In 2000 the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park was declared a World Heritage
Site. Not only is the park one of great scenic beauty, but it is also home to
a rich collection of rock art - a legacy to the San people. There are over
600 sites within the park where the rock paintings can be seen, and the work
is better preserved than in any other area south of the Sahara.
Visitors to the Drakensberg area can choose from a wide range of activities to
enjoy from hiking and climbing to horse riding and fishing. The area is one
of great rest, relaxation and solitude with a variety of accommodation on offer
including quaint country inns and lodges, luxurious hotels and ample camping facilities.
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The town of St Lucia is an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding
region - in particular the wonders of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. St
Lucia itself is situated at the estuary of Lake St Lucia and offers plenty of
accommodation as well as a wide range of activities from whale watching in
winter and turtle tours in summer, to boating, canoeing, horse riding and
bird watching. Alternatively, sit back and relax or enjoy some shopping at
one of the nearby craft centres.
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999
and is an eco-tourism haven offering amazing outdoor and wildlife experiences.
Incorporating various national parks, game and marine reserves the park covers
an area of more than a quarter of a million hectares, making it the third
largest reserve in South Africa. Encompassing five eco-systems the park offers
one of the most exciting eco-experiences in the world.
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park offers everything from bird watching and
walking to hiking trials and diving. Experience scuba diving with the giant
Manta Ray at Sodwana Bay, and the birth of Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles
in the Maputaland Marine Reserve. Mangroves, swamps, lakes and rivers provide
opportunities for sightings of hippo, crocodiles, leopard, antelope, bush pig
and warthog as well as an amazing array of birdlife.
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Set along the eastern slopes of the escarpment in Mpumalanga, the Panorama region
is one of breathtaking views and vistas. Here you will find the Blyde River
Canyon - the largest green canyon in the world. The breathtaking canyon with
soaring cliffs of up to 700m creates a vast 'green' chasm, at the bottom of
which a river winds through sub-tropical vegetation home to variety of wildlife.
Also in the region is the aptly named God's Window, as well as Bourke's Luck
Potholes and the Three Rondawels. While in the Panorama Region, pay a visit
to the towns of Sabie, Hazyview, Graskop and Pilgrim's Rest dating back to the
heydays of the gold rush. Discover crashing waterfalls and beautiful scenic
trails or try your hand at bungee jumping or white water rafting.
The Panorama Region is also a good base from which to explore the nearby
Kruger National Park and its wildlife.
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The stunning displays of wild flowers that transform the West Coast and
Namaqualand regions in early Spring each year are a sight well worth seeing.
The dry and lifeless scrubland of the north-western region of South Africa
is transformed after the winter rains into a carpet of wild flowers -
mostly daisies - in white, yellow, orange and purple. The flowers are at
their best in the Namaqualand region in the Northern Cape, but can also be
seen all the way down the West Coast of the Western Cape towards Cape Town.
In Namaqualand pay a visit to the towns of Garies and Kamieskroon and
visit the Namaqua National Park and the Goegap Nature Reserve. Although
renowned for its wild flowers, Namaqualand has far more to offer and is
also a popular eco-adventure destination including 4x4 and mountain biking
trails and river rafting on the mighty Orange River. The stark desert
landscape of the Richtersveld National Park is home to an astonishing variety
of succulent plants, leopards and lizards and strange rock formations sculpted
by years of sun and wind.
In the Western Cape, the wild flowers can be seen at a variety of
locations along the West Coast road from Clanwilliam to Langebaan,
Yzerfontein, Paternoster and Darling and at the host of nature reserves
in the region.
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