Africa Travel Guides

Posts Tagged ‘South Africa’

Among the most typical dishes of African country, topping the list are the “bobotie” meat, vegetables, rice and various spices, the South African barbecue or “braaivleis”, lamb, chicken, fish and seafood.

If you are in South Africa and want to opt for cooking “at home”, you can go to supermarkets, where there are high quality products, with standards, they say, similar or even superior to European parameters.

And if not, the holiday time is the right to visit the different places that offer culinary destinations you visit. In South Africa, for instance, more precisely in Cape Town, the best local restaurant offers a tasting menu of five dishes from the chef steps for a price of around a hundred dollars and that includes wine included. For those with a smaller budget, there are places where lunch can be worth $ 12.

Among South Africa’s main dishes include “bobotie, one of the most typical dishes of the country, made on a base of meat, vegetables, enough rice and various spices. Also the grill or braaivleis “, inspired by the traditional grille in Argentina, but with a lot more seasoning.

Then, too, lamb, chicken, fish and seafood, are very good quality and the most requested dishes from the menu offered. To accompany the food, South African wines are of excellent quality and very affordable prices: A bottle may be worth ten dollars in a restaurant.

KwaZulu-Natal is one of South Africa’s smallest provinces encompassing the territory known as Zululand towards the north. Near Eshowe visitors can stay in typical Zulu villages (with beehive shaped, thatched huts). In this region area number of important wildlife conservation areas, including award-winning Hluhluwe/ Umfolozi public game reserve, where the white rhino was saved from extinction, and the coral reefs and water wonderland of the St Lucia ‘estuary and Lake St. Lucia.

To the west are the soaring peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains, with protected public parks from which the magnificent scenery can be enjoyed. This region is famed for its proliferation of ancient rock paintings by the San (Bushmen), South Africa’s original inhabitants. Read the rest of this entry »

For years, South Africa has been proud to be home to the “Big Five” – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Now the country is starting to boast about the “Big Six”, the addition to the list being a creature somewhat larger then even the elephant – the whale. The Western Cape Tourism Board, together with the local Hermanus Publicity Association, recently established a Cape Whale Route, to guide visitors to the best spots for observing these leviathans of the deep as they swim close to the shoreline – so close in fact that it is not unusual for observers to be soaked from their spray!

Whaling along the Cape coastline dates back to the 1770s but was discontinued many decades ago. Little remains of the whaling stations, but implements from this era can still be seen at the South African Museum in Cape Town and at the Residency Museum in Simon’s Town. The whales themselves, though, are very much in evidence from June to September. Read the rest of this entry »

Large areas of South Africa’s vast tracts of diverse scenery are not accessible by vehicles. That’s why increasing numbers of visitors are voting with their feet and turning to hiking. Not only does hiking provide the opportunity of getting close to the natural environment, it is also an inexpensive way of exploring the country. There are self-guided as well as guided off-the-road hiking trails. The self-guided trails are ideal for groups of family and friends and are well marked, with sleeping huts for overnight stays on the longer routes. Be sure to take enough food, water and bedding, if necessary, for the trip. Guided trails in nature reserves could span a few days and are less demanding as the hike is usually led by a trained, armed and experienced game ranger, who provides information about ecology, plants and animals. There are more than 300 trails to choose from and for those backpackers on a budget (the great majority!) there are nearly 50 hostels featured by the HISA (Hosteling International – South Africa), which is recognised by the International Youth Hostel Federation.
Here is a brief, region by region description of some of the best know trails. Read the rest of this entry »

The coast of Mozambique is a region of multiple charms, with 2000km or more of beautiful tropical coastline, a growing number of blended beach resorts, camps and lodges, a history that is ancient by any measure, and a collection of islands that form part of the Bazaruto Archipelago that are aptly named The Paradise Islands.
Vilanculos

This is one of Mozambique’s most attractive and important coastal towns, and is the main jump-off point for the Bazaruto Archipelago. It is situated about 20km east of the main coast road, and is nestled in the elbow of a sweeping bay that makes up the archipelago.

Vilanculos has since the cessation of violence in Mozambique been a magnet for white Zimbabwean and South African escapees and drop-outs. Around an early core of these has grown a community of lifestyle travelers that make up most of the camp, lodge and tour operators that now dominate the tourist industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Any trip to Africa is usually accompanied by a visit to the famous Kruger Park, the richest reserves of the entire African continent. Perhaps a bit ironic, but it is not in this park you will see more animals and that there are several reasons. First considered in relation to Kenya and Tanzania the kingdoms of the Savannah, South Africa, you are in the bush and the difference is huge: if the first countries I mentioned, we can identify animals further and possibly leave the tracks to approach it, it is not the same here where the vegetation is much denser.

Discover an animal in the Kruger Park and it deserves to be in luck. This preamble said, Safari is even more exciting especially for those like me, have already seen wild animals in their natural environment . This may be disappointing for others who rely on tourist brochures are not always totally objective.

In my program runs, there was a day devoted to the Kruger Park, part of the park should I say it is so great. To find in its entirety would be ideal to spend a week, say … a few figures to give a clear idea of what it represents: its area is 20,000 km2 is the equivalent of three French departments means! About 1,000 km of paved roads and 1,500 km of tracks! No fewer than eight Read the rest of this entry »

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and populated with a number of people close to 4 million.

As you will see in Section Map South Africa, Johannesburg is located in north central South Africa, near Pretoria, the administrative capital of the country.

Because of the importance Johannesburg, many people erroneously think that this city is the capital of South Africa. However, this is false for two reasons: first, because South Africa has no capital, but three. Second, because Johannesburg is not even part of the three capitals (see map of South Africa).

Johannesburg is undoubtedly one of the cities busiest tourists, commercial and social development of South Africa. Johannesburg is a great trade in gold and diamonds, enhanced by the location of this town in the hilly area of the Witwatersrand, very rich in these minerals. Read the rest of this entry »

Known are the social struggles that South Africa has suffered throughout its history, however, to the delight of everyone present, the country is heading towards the consolidation of a more just, free and equal.

Amid this social progress, perhaps it is the strip of the greatest people that which is still struggling to adapt to the new reality in which they live, and are mostly young people who enjoy well-earned freedom, why not because the influence of education and knowledge, which boost has been given in South Africa in recent times.

The truth is that today South Africa is the country of the African continent that has grown as a society. Thus, for example, now middle-class population occupies sites before they were banned, such as restaurants, for example, performance spaces, and the beaches, now public. Almost every family has its own mobility, she moved in private cars, and although public transportation is still low compared to the number of users, this is one of the neglected subjects in which the government pledged to invest in the medium term.

As is known, the South Africans live well in terms of wage-cost ratio: in this sense, the salaries are quite variable and can range from basic to near $ 1,000, to approximate standards of 3000, or even higher to this figure, but it all depends on the type of occupation.