Africa Travel Guides

Posts Tagged ‘South Africa’

For Africa oriental clothes should be comfortable, predominantly cotton garments for the sensation of coolness in the body to alleviate the high temperatures at which we are exposed, but do not forget something warm for the sunrise and every evening where the temperature drops are significant. Read the rest of this entry »

Angola , which was for centuries a Portuguese colony, and has declared its independence in 1975, more precisely a November 11, tourism is one of their biggest sources of income. And this is no accident. Located northwest of Africa , presents a stunning natural wealth, we talked about fishing, hunting, beaches, safaris and logically.

Accommodation is varied, in Luanda , the capital, and in the other central cities, the tourist will have no problem to stay. The route network linking the cities also is complete and without major problems connecting the main, very often that tourists are traveling in rented cars.

We talked of Luanda, the capital. There is the international airport, and all the shopping and the best accommodations. Some of its attractions are La Fortaleza de Sao Pedro, Banco Nacional de Angola, the Castle of St. Michael and the entire area of ??colonial houses. Huambo city is another prominent, since there is located on Mount Moco, Bearer of the highest peak in Angola.

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The Drakensberg Mountains are the highest of all South Africa and also the best known. Its name means “dragon mountain” and is home to all kinds of landscapes, meadows, peaks and an incredible variety of sports and tours in the surrounding area.

For those who enjoy mountain activities, the peaks of the Drakensberg mountains are part of the world’s most spectacular sporting activities. Once we got there, we can practice climbing, climb ropes, and walks will be accompanied by tour guides.

Camping and rest in the mountains, it is recommended that at the first stop because there is less cold. Although the temperatures over 30 degrees during the day, evening drop to reach 10 degrees below zero, with one of the world’s largest thermal amplitudes, so it is always advisable to travel in summer and camping in the off areas not to suffer the harsh climate.

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Robben Island is one of the most ideal spots in the world and one of the most visited in South Africa. It is a small island that is home to clear beaches, picturesque meadows and a perfect view of Table Mountain, the largest in the country. On the island there are activities for every taste and an incredible range of possibilities to stay, eat and enjoy an unforgettable vacation.

As in the past the island was used to house prisoners and the sick, has a large prison now uninhabited marking its sparse population and its slow development. The vicinity of the prison can be visited during the year, especially since we find reminders when Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, something that we talk very often the inhabitants of the island

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This landlocked province between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the south is an area of wide, open spaces – an immense rolling prairie, checkered with farmsteads and windmills.

Hospitality is one of the province’s prized assets and a Free State farm holiday offers a unique opportunity to get to know the friendly people who inhabit this region. One of South Africa’s major rivers, the Vaal the flows through the province and there are attractive holiday resorts near two of the river’s largest dams.

The mountains of the eastern highlands harbour romantic hideaways and rugged hiking Park in the trails. The Golden Gate National Park in the north-east, with its spectacular sandstone formations, an area of scenic beauty, has a network of nature trails and provides the opportunity to see a variety of antelope and birdlife. The adjoining Qwaqwa National Park is sanctuary to rare species of vulture.

Other protected areas include the Mount Everest Game Reserve at Harrismith and the Seekoeivlie Nature Reserve, a birdwatchers’ paradise near the small town of Memel. Qwaqwa and many other parts of the Free State are home to the South Sotho people and their culture can be appreciated at the Basotho Cultural Village.
Capital of the Free State is Bloemfontein, known as the ‘City of Roses’

Sir Francis Drake described it as “the fairest Cape in all the circumference of the World.” Situated at the foot of Table Mountain, Cape Town is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, offering outstanding interest and variety to the visitor. Blending the old with the new, it has a relaxed, almost continental atmosphere that will charm even the most sophisticated jet-setter.

East of Cape Town are the famous winelands, around the towns of Stellenbosch and Paarl. The old estate houses are built in the attractive Cape Dutch style and there are plenty opportunities for sampling the vintages. To the east of Cape Town, set along a rugged coastline, are a number of quaint fishing villages and picturesque resorts.

Further into the interior is Namaqualand, a semi -desert area until the rains of June or July turn the arid countryside into a spectacular floral splay in August or September.

Kango CavesEast of Cape Town is the Garden Route. Indigenous. forests, lakes, golden beaches and mountains contrast with semi-arid expanses. This enchanting area stretches along the South Cape Coast from the town of Heidelberg, eastwards to the Tsitsitkamma Forest and Storms River. Riverdale, Still Bay, Albertina, Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are some of the towns that are included in this area. Inland from the Garden Route is the semi-desert Little Karoo, the location of ostrich farms, particularly around the town of Oudtshoorn. In the Swartberg Mountains are the spectacular Cango Caves, with their limestone formations.

There’s nothing tame about sports angling off the coasts of South Africa, with fishing trips often taking on a tough, pioneering atmosphere. At least 250 species of fish are caught by sea anglers. Where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean currents meet near the Cape of Good Hope, a greater concentration of game fish can be found than anywhere else in the world. The Cape is famed for its concentration of large tuna, including the albacore, yellowfin and southern bluefin, whilst the recently discovered populations of swordfish have drawn international attention amongst the world’s big game fishing fraternity.

There are about 750,000 marine anglers in South Africa and the staging of regular tournaments has been well-developed throughout the region – so the infrastructure for angling is excellent, with accommodation, charter boats, party boats and specialist guides available at most venues. There are some important fish runs which take place.

The highlight of the Sardine Run (June), along the Natal coast, is the hordes of feeding game fish and sharks. In the summer, tuna and king mackerel abound, while the autumn and winter brings huge runs of snoek. Inshore there are opportunities for freshwater fishing all year round. Trout fishing is also available in various places from September to May.

There are four categories of diving:

Tropical reef diving- Sodwana Bay (on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal) is similar to the Florida Keys in the USA while Aliwal Shoals (on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal) is where divers look for ragged-tooth sharks.

Wreck diving – The rugged Cape Coast is notorious for the number of sunken ships;

Cape Diving – Conditions here vary from those in KwaZulu/Natal and compare favourably with those off the California coast in the USA. Diving for abaloni, crayfish and great white sharks is popular. Tsitsikamma Coastal Park offers excellent opportunities for underwater photography with two underwater diving trails.

Shark dives – Sharks migrate through False Bay, at the Cape, from June to August, and ragged-tooth sharks move into the Durban (KwaZulu/Natal) area from October to January.

More than 10,000 scuba divers are trained in South Africa each year and over 100,000 dives took place in the coral reefs of the St Lucia Marine Reserve in a single year.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK AND PRIVATE RESERVE

• The accommodation in the private reserves is more luxurious and more personalized service.
• The package includes meals is better than in the Kruger National Park.
• As the number of clients in the private reserves is usually limited to 18 guests, there are fewer vehicles when they see an animal in the park.
• Also included are night safaris in private reserves.
• In the private reserves may leave the animal tracks to follow, allowing longer observation and more closely.
• Private reserves are in the same area as the Kruger National Park and there are no fences between them.

We recommend a mixture of the two options, or if time is limited, 2 or 3 nights in a private reserve. It is a unique experience.

South Africa is a country with unparalleled tourist attractions, which this year will be enhanced by hosting the World Cup. Thousands of tourists come here to enjoy the sporting event, but also to discover its beauty.

South Africa has a varied geography, rich culture and wildlife ideal for adventure lovers. With a territory that has thousands of kilometers of coastline and mountains and a climate conducive to outdoor activities. Their natural surroundings make it inevitable destination for those who like extreme sports of all kinds. In this sense has operators especially dedicated to assisting the tourists in this regard, with guides and climbing courses, surfing, diving, hiking, horseback safaris, mountain biking, river rafting and more. With huge cliff climbing, kloofing in South Africa (as it is known to canyoning, hundreds of hundreds of launch sites for paragliding, hang gliding, and similar activities less popular.

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