SOUTH AFRICA ~ 'The Rainbow Nation'...
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa is known as ‘the Rainbow Nation’, with 11 official languages which is among-st the highest number of any country in the world. It is tiered sixth out of the world's seventeen mega-diverse countries with unsurpassed wildlife where travelers will encounter ‘the big 5’, distinct landscapes, waterfalls and breathtaking world-class views such as the famous Table Mountain, the world’s best land based whale watching, the worlds most beautiful Spring of Namaqualand & world famous wine tasting vineyards of Stellenbosch...
South Africa is the southernmost country in Africa which hold some of the oldest archaeological and human fossil sites in the world. Stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans is 2,798 kilometers of one of the most diverse coastlines in the world…
South Africa is a destination where you can experience it all from the vibrant nightlife of Cape Town to the pristine beaches along the coast to the raw deserts of the Kgalagadi, drive along the Garden Route to the lush subtropical green forests of the Tsitsikamma mountains, experience unforgettable safari adventures, walk among-st lions & leopards, dive with great white sharks, deep sea fish, taste the wines & tour the numerous vineyards under the most brilliant every-changing South African sunset…
Capitals: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
Currency: South African rand
Population: 52.98 million
Official languages: Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Northern Sotho, Venda, Tsonga, Swati, Ndebele, South
African English
TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
World famous Table Mountain is the most iconic landmark of South Africa & the most photographed attraction. Endemic to this mountain, are about 2,200 of plant species found and 1470 floral species.
Over 70% of the flowers are endemic to Table Mountain.
The spectacular Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are found on the eastern foot of the mountain spanning an area of 1300 acres of biodiversity that is rare to find in other places on earth.
The flat table top peak of the mountain reaches 1,086 m above sea level.
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa & covers an area of 19,485 square kilometers (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in Northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 kilometers from north to south and 65 kilometers from east to west.
To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces (In the north is Zimbabwe & to the east is Mozambique)
The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.
The 'big five' game animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve.
Stellenbosch vineyards &wine tasting tours
Stellenbosch
South Africa's second-oldest urban town, with the Great Drakenstein and Stellenbosch Mountains beyond it...Situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa and about 50 kilometers east of Cape Town, along the banks of the Eerste River...After Cape Town, it is the second oldest European settlement in the province. Known as the 'City of Oaks' due to the large number of oak trees that were planted here.
Annual, the South African wine industry produces about 1,000,000,000 liters of wine. Stellenbosch is the primary location for viticulture and is a world-renowned and popular tourist destination for wine lovers.
The region has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters.Grapes grown in this area are mainly used for wine production rather than table grapes.
TSitsikamma & garden route
Tsitsikamma & Garden Route
The Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park encompasses a marine reserve made up of over 80 km of very scenic rocky coastline.
Storms River Mouth is a must stop, offering visitor spectacular scenery, a small beach, restaurant & shopping. The famous Storms River Suspension Bridge spans the river mouth, a popular walk by tourists.
About 8.6 km past the Storms River bridge is Tsitsikamma National Park.
The Garden Route is a 300 kilometer stretch of breathtaking south-eastern coast which extends from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River in the Eastern Cape.
A region diverse with vegetation is encountered here with several lagoons and lakes. It has the mildest climate in South Africa and the second mildest climate worldwide, after Hawaii...
BOULDERS BEACH
Boulders Beach
The most popular recreational hot-spot is Boulders Beach & visitors can observe the famous African Penguins within a few meters of them. It is also a popular sheltered beach for a swim made up of inlets between the granite boulders that are 540 million years old..
These African penguins are only found on the coastlines of Southern Africa - (South Africa & Namibia) and sadly are currently on the verge of extinction & therefore under the protection of the Cape Nature Conservation.
Hermanus
Hermanus
Hermanus is a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa - famous for southern right whale watching during the southern winter & spring.The whales can be seen from the cliffs as early as June and usually depart in early December.
In the nearby town of Betty's Bay, they were once hunted but are now protected to ensure their survival.
The Old Harbour Museum contains several exhibitions explaining the whaling industry & houses the skeleton of a whale and shows an audio-visual presentation of whales and dolphins twice daily.