South Africa
Highlights
- Kruger National Park
- Garden Route
- Wine tasting
- Cultural experiences
Located on the Southern tip of the continent of Africa, South Africa is a country of immense natural resources, including a world renowned wine making industry, gold and diamond mining, agriculture, manufacturing and fishing. The country is known for its natural splendor and social richness. A vast interior plateau is fringed by a narrow coastal belt and is separated by the mountains known as the Great Escarpment.
This nation of 43 million people is known for its diversity – a wonderful mix of races, creeds, colours, cultures, and languages. (There are 11 official languages with English being the most widely spoken). The land itself is diverse – different climates, high mountain peaks and grassland plains; rugged coasts and semi arid flatlands. The elegant Blue Crane is the national bird; its stature, grace and beauty are an appropriate symbol of this country.
Tourism and conservation are closely linked – in fact they are 2 arms of the same government ministry. Since the demise of apartheid, the new government has been focusing on conservation and ecotourism. There are many programs to introduce impoverished children to the wonders of Nature that surround them and to introduce them to the wealth of career opportunities in tourism and conservation
Pretoria is the administrative capital city and is known for of jacaranda trees which bloom in October and give the city a purplish glow.
Cape Town is the legislative capital and is known for its Dutch style architecture. Nearby Table Mountain can be reached by a cable car that climbs 1067 meters to an observation point that offers breathtaking views of the city and Atlantic Ocean.
Durban, on the Indian Ocean is a year-round Riviera. The six glittering miles of seafront, known as the “Golden Mile” contain lovely beaches that have some of the world’s finest surfing waves. Resort hotels, restaurants and nightlife make this area a popular holiday destination.
Johannesburg, commonly known as Joburg, is the largest city and the industrial and financial hub. Joburg was built on gold (discovered in 1866). Joburg is often the starting point or tours and safaris.
From Joburg, you can travel the route that Winston Churchill took when he made his dramatic escape (through a lavatory window) during the Boer War, to Kruger National Park – haven to more varieties of wildlife than any other game sanctuary in Africa. It supports 146 species of mammals – including lion, warthog, giraffe, buffalo, Burchell’s zebra, greater kudu, white rhino, cheetah and elephants. The Park is also home to 507 bird species and 400 different tree varieties.
