Active
bodies will have no trouble wearing out their sneakers in South
Africa. There are excellent hiking trails, usually with accommodation,
although the intrepid might find them a bit overpopulated.
Mountain
biking is getting more popular and it's even possible to cycle
through some of the game parks.
If that sounds a bit hairy, it's
easy to plan safari in South Africa's national parks and reserves.
Airborne pursuits are popular: hang-gliding is a buzz off Table
Mountain and there are ballooning and parachuting operators at
the beach resorts.
South Africa isn't known for its rafting and
canoeing - it's more floating through landscape than testing out
your life jacket - but there is some beautiful desert wilderness
to glide through on the Orange River in the far north. Birdwatchers
and flower sniffers love it here: for diversity, colour and sheer
numbers, it's hard to beat. South Africa also has some of the best,
least crowded surfing in the world. Most surfers will have heard
of Jeffreys Bay, but the east and south coasts tube right the way
along.
National Parks and Tourist Attractions
The diversity of the scenery, people and cultures, the wildlife,
climate and vegetation make South Africa one of the most interesting
and attractive places to visit. <www.ecoafrica.com>
The Mpumalanga region is well known for it's spectacular
scenery, wildlife and historical interest. En route to the Kruger
National Park, you have the advantage
of some stunning scenery. The Mac Mac pools are worth stopping for - and you
can treat yourself to a swim in the crystal clear pools. A small detour leads
you to the town of Pilgrim's Rest, a historic gold rush town, well worth exploring
before you continue to Blyderivierspoort Nature Reserve, where you can feast
your eyes on attractions like the Blyde River Canyon and the view across the
Lowveld from God's Window. From here it is a short drive to the world famous
Kruger National Park. This internationally renowned game and nature reserve,
almost 2,000,000 ha in size, supports the greatest variety of wildlife species
found on the African continent. The Paul Kruger Gate opens at 05h30 and closes
at 18h30. Skukuza restcamp situated in the southern portion of the park on the
bank of the Sabie River is the operational and administrative headquarters of
the park. The speed limit in the park is 50km/hr on the tar roads and 40km/hr
on gravel.
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KwaZulu
Natal's extraordinary scenic diversity encompasses wilderness,
sandy beaches, the soaring mountain peaks of the Drakensberg
and the farmlands, towns and hills of the midlands. Durban's
leisure options provide a mulititude of choices to keep you endlessly
entertained. When you're not playing golf, fishing or lying on
the beach, you can visit a crocodile farm, a nature reserve or
follow an arts and crafts trail. A short flight takes you to
the historic city of Pietermaritzburg, gateway to the Natal Midlands
and the charming Drakensberg Resorts. No holiday is complete
without a visit to one of the game reserves, renowned throughout
the world.
There is so much to see and do in Cape Town <www.capetown.co.za>,
the peninsula and the Boland, that it's a pity that the average holiday
itinerary only provides for a few of the major attractions: Table Mountain, The
V&A Waterfront, and the winelands among them. Birders should make a point of
visiting the West Coast National Park. Northward the flowers in the Spring should
not be missed. A drive to the coastal holiday playgrounds of the Garden route
presents another range of challenging choices. The most attractive towns include
Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, but many of the smaller seaside
resorts are also worth exploring. Further afield, Oudtshoorn is best approached
through the Great Karoo, passing through Matjiesfontein, Laingsburg, and Prince
Albert en route crossing the magnificent Swartberg Pass. The Ostrich capital
of the world provides a fascinating introduction to the habits of the great,
ungainly flightless bird.
Another very popular tourist attraction is Sun City < www.suncity.co.za>,
situated in the North West province, just over an hour and a half from Johannesburg.
Here you will find yourself on the southern boundary of the Pilanesberg Game
Reserve. There are many upmarket leisure options and sporting facilities of every
description, championship boxing tournaments, casinos, cinemas, excellent restaurants
and star studded extravaganzas.
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