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Western Cape
This southwest province is the most visited region with its
amazing flora, sea life, wine lands and mountain scenery.
Described by Sir Francis Drakes as "the fairest Cape
in all the circumference of the World", the Cape of
Good Hope, with its crashing rocks and floral blooms,
has been widely traversed by daring seafarers. The Wine lands
region around Stellenbosch and Paarl is loved
for its quaint fishing villages, Cape Dutch architecture and
chances to sample new world wine vintages. Namaqualand,
a semi-desert area, is spectacular in the spring (August/September)
when it burst to life with a vibrant floral display. East
of Cape Town, head out along the Riviera-style Garden
Route full of luxury resorts, golden beaches, lush forest
and lakes, a rugged coast fringed with towering mountains,
and great golf courses. You can even saddle-up and ride (and
later eat) an ostrich in Oudtshoorn.
Cape Town
Nestled beneath the cliffs of Table Mountain on a
peninsula where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, Cape
Town has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Its name originated from the term 'Cape of Good Hope' when
Bartholomew Diaz and other seafarers looked forward
to the sight of Table Mountain, like an inn that promised
hospitality and prosperity. It's the most relaxed and cosmopolitan
city in South Africa and home to the majority of the country's
colored (mixed race) population.
A city of contrasts, Cape Town is the legislative capital
city of South Africa. The hip and trendy affluence of today
contrasts a history of anguish, sacrifice, and oppression.
You can experience this contrast by first visiting De Waterkant
Village, stopping for a drink at Café Manhattan.
This is the gay village, and it represents a South Africa
that has the most progressive constitution in the world. No
one cares whether you are gay, straight, black, white or brown.
They're just all here to have fun.
For a more sobering reminder of Cape Town's recent apartheid
history, take a trip to Robben Island. Here the future
president, Nelson Mandela (among other ANC leaders),
spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. The island was first used
as an asylum and then a leper colony and since the 18th century
has served as a high-security prison. It's only other inhabitants
are penguins and deer. The last prisoners left in November
1996, and its inmates have forgiven but will not forget their
experiences - today you can tour the prison colony with a
former political prisoner.
For the best views out over the city and surrounding areas,
climb (if you are active) or take a cable car (if you prefer
a gentler climb) to the summit of Table Mountain. You
will not be disappointed as beaches, mountain ranges, and
the city sprawl out in front of you. Activities abound in
Cape Town and whether you're up for heart-pumping abseiling,
sand-boarding, or sky-diving, you won't have to
look very far for an operator.
There are many beautiful beaches around Cape Town such as
Llandudno Beach, but it is only in recent years since
the fall of apartheid that they have been accessible to all
races. The four beaches of Camps Bay are now the hip
place to be seen. Finish off your day with some fresh seafood
at a restaurant called Tank, where they serve kingklip
or sushi.
Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape is a province with a rich history of battles
between the Xhosa, British and Afrikaans. There are plenty
of famous beaches and resorts along the Sunshine Coast
and the Wild Coast, with world class surfing in Jeffreys
Bay near the major hub of Port Elizabeth - "The
Friendly City". Inland, you'll find the forested Amatola
Mountains - great for trout fishing and hiking - and the
Karoo Desert. The parks here are specialized: the Mountain
Zebra and the Addo Elephant contain many unique
sub-species like the Cape Elephants.
Northern Cape
In contrast to the southern coastal regions, the remote Northern
Cape and Free State, covering a third of South Africa, are
dry with few forests and mountains, and more plains and deserts.
The westerly Northern Cape is a rugged space ideal for those
in search of tranquility where only Kimberley, "the
City of Diamonds", counts as urban development. The province
includes part of the Kalahari Desert, which is home
to Gemsbok Antelope, springbok black-maned Kalahari lion and
home of the golfer's Kalahari Open.
Kimberley
Kimberley, in the Northern Cape, has a long colonial history.
Originally a frontier town, its name was made when diamonds
were discovered. Within no time at all prospectors had moved
in and made claim to the land. Kimberley isn't on the way
to anywhere and it's very hot. You don't have the luxury of
sea breezes this far inland and in summer it can be as hot
as 40C by 10 am. It's not often frequented by travellers but
definitely worth a stop!
Its home to De Beers, the most famous diamond mining
company in the world and in the Kimberley Museum you can see
a replica of the Cullinan diamond, the world's biggest diamond.
One of the former residents of Kimberley was Cecil John
Rhodes, the African explorer and diamond magnates. For
a real taste of colonial living pay a visit to the Kimberley
Club. The club still has strict rules and preserves its
traditions, which until 2002 included the exclusion of women.
In complete contrast, the region in which the colonial forefathers
of Kimberley settled is not only rich in diamond deposits
but also ancient cultural history. The Khoisan hunter-gatherer
group of peoples and their ancestors, nomadic populations
moving between the Northern Cape and Botswana, were here long
before Cecil Rhodes. If you're paying a visit to Kimberley
you can not leave without going on a tour organised through
the Northern Cape Rock Art Trust. You'll visit unique
tribal art sites that are in excess of 10,000 years old, depicting
life in this tough environment.
Free State
Free State, in the heart of the country, has a prairie feel
with plenty of wide open space interspersed with windmills
and farmlands which offer hospitable home-stays. There are
several resorts along the Vaal River near its two large dams.
The Eastern Highlands offer opportunities for hiking and bird
watching in the sandstone formations of the Golden Gate National
Park or the vulture sanctuary of the adjoining Qwaqwa National
Park. Meet the South Sotho people at the Basotho Cultural
Village in Witsieshoek.
Northwest
The agricultural North West province is famed for its art
- from ancient bushman rock paintings to the fine arts and
curios of its nineteenth century settlers, the Batswana
people. Sun City resort is the principle tourist draw,
containing the most extravagant hotel in Africa, The Palace
Of The Lost City, and it's nearby the excellent Pilanesberg
National Park - not to mention its seven superb golf courses.
There are plenty of resorts, game lodges, guest houses and
reserves, including Madjkwe by the Botswana border
and a rhino reserve near Christiana. Get a taste of
the wild northwest in the Vryburg region, with its
cattle farms and game ranches reminiscent of Texas, or tour
working mines on the "Diamond Route".
Gauteng
Gauteng, "the heartbeat of Africa", is the
commercial center of the country containing the urban cities
of Pretoria, Johannesburg and the ghetto township of
Soweto. Explore the province's legacy of apartheid
and diamond trading. Outside of the notoriously dangerous
urban sprawl, head out to Gauteng's numerous game farms, bird
and nature reserves, dam lakes and rivers for fishing, hiking,
and the outdoors.
Johannesburg (Jo'burg)
Once known as the murder capital of the world and not usually
high on the list of top tourist destinations, Johannesburg
has come a long way since the collapse of apartheid in 1994.
This is the brave new South Africa and with change, inevitably
has come conflict, although this should not put you off from
visiting. Jo'burg now has a very cultural African feel where
white and black people are free to live wherever they chose
(or rather can afford) in the financial and commercial capital
of the Republic of South Africa.
For a true insight into the racial and political history
of this country visit the Apartheid Museum. It was
built as a lasting monument to the new South Africa, and as
a reminder to the world that racial segregation should never
happen again. The museum stands as a bastion of forgiveness.
For the pick of the best restaurants in nearly any cuisine
head for Greenside, and if you find yourself in Melville you'll
find no shortage of good nightlife. The northern suburb of
Rosebank is one of the more affluent areas and the rooftop
market at the mall on Sundays is a fantastic place to buy
traditional African wares and arts and crafts.
Soweto
The name Soweto means South-Western Townships. With a population
of around 900,000, this is one of the countries biggest black
townships. It still is one of the poorest areas of Jo'burg,
but it has become a priority for the government to invest
in creating a basic social infrastructure. Houses are becoming
electrified, roads tarred and within a couple of years Soweto
will be unrecognisable. Today Soweto is a metropolitan town
ship where music, dance, arts and language represent the soul
of a multicultural community. Originally populated by black
Africans from all over Africa looking for work in the mines,
Soweto is a true melting pot of cultures.
Limpopo
Sharing borders with Mozambique, Malawi and Botswana, Limpopo
forms the most northerly South African province. Limpopo (formerly
Northern Province) in the far north is much visited for the
exceptional Kruger National Park - probably the best
safari park in the world. Kruger is a nature reserve that
covers an area the same size as Israel or Wales and it is
very much the animals that roam; tourists view from their
vehicles and are locked in at night to their camping areas
or lodges. Early morning excursions ensure that you'll see
at least three of the 'Big Five' game animals.
Much of Limpopo is dry bushveld but the land around Makhado,
previously known as Louis Trichardt (one of the great Voortrekker
leaders), is fertile and lush and important agriculturally;
stock up on macadamia nuts and fruit. After the Dutch first
settled the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Town area) following the
East Indian Company spice trail, they ventured in to the interior
of Southern Africa. They became highly self-sufficient nomadic
pastoralists with an inherent sense of adventure, always looking
for pastures new. They eventually called themselves Afrikaaners
and developed their own language. Limpopo was one of the strongholds
of the Voortrekkers and there is still very much of the pioneering
spirit evident among the locals.
The Southern Region has many hot springs dotted among
red rock cliffs, wetlands, rolling hills and mountains. The
Makapan Valley, near the vibrant gold mining capital
of Pietersburg, was the site of the earliest human
fossils. In the northwest, the Limpopo River Valley
encompasses Iron Age history with bushman cave paintings and
hilltop fortifications. The west is a bushveld full of haunting
old baobab trees. Meet the fascinating tribes of north Sotho,
like the Vhavenda people in the northeast who perform
rituals to ward off evil spirits like the python dance, where
teenage girls perform a slow, rhythmic dance to the beat of
drums.
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga is a superb region for sportsmen with gliding,
hiking, trout fishing, water sports and many golfing opportunities
in scenic locations. Hike the dramatic, steep escarpment facing
down to Kruger National Park, or traverse the giant
red sandstone gorges of the Blyde River Canyon, the
third largest canyon in the world, or meander through the
Botanical Reserve with its mountain peaks, river rapids and
indigenous forest. Discover the history of the late nineteenth
century gold rush on the Long Tom Route and in the
open air museum of Pilgrim's Rest Village.
Kwazulu-Natal
Although small, KwaZulu-Natal has many attractions. Visit
tribal villages in Zululand and stay in a beehive shaped
hut. Lovers of colonial history can explore the major Anglo-Zulu
and Anglo-Boer battlefield sites, many near Pietermaritzburg,
known as "the last outpost of the British Empire".
There are some significant game reserves like Hluhluwe-Umfolozi,
where the white rhino was saved from extinction, and the coral
reefs of St. Lucia. The Drakensberg Mountains
are idyllic for hiking, mountaineering and seeing busman cave
art, whilst the Midlands region is superb for family
holidays with its fishing, rafting, crafts and country hotels.
The province's sub-tropical climate make it a focal point
for beach holidays and water sports - particularly in Durban
with a 'golden mile' of hotels and fine opportunities to take
in the surf.
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