Top 5
Captains Top 5 Tips
1) Wine- The cool climate of the Western Cape is key in South Africa’s production of fabulous white and red wines.
2) Food - From Cape Malay to traditional African delights including springbok and ostrich, South Africa is a food lovers delight.
3) Driving - South Africa has a good road infrastructure with well maintained tarred roads. Driving is on the left-hand side of the road.
4) Language - South Africa consists of 11 official languages although 3.5 million people use English as their home language.
5) Malaria - We suggest you take malaria precautions in and around the Kruger National Park, the northern province of KwaZulu Natal and throughout Botswana and northern Namibia.
Top 5 - South Africa
A visit to South Africa opens up a world of wild animals and untamed landscapes, fine wine and cosmopolitan surroundings. Cape Town, the popular gateway to South Africa, is one of the world’s most beautifully situated cities.
Flat topped Table Mountain makes an impressive backdrop and you can take a cable car to the top for spectacular views. The city has a modern waterfront and marina, where seals bask and there’s an attractive beach at Camps Bay.
Surrounding Cape Town some of the country’s most famous vineyards are open to visitors. Another popular tour, just offshore from Cape Town, is around Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was famously imprisoned during the apartheid era. With no jet lag to trouble you, it’s possible to treat Cape Town as a long haul short break but most people will head from here to the national parks and reserves.
Wildlife is the biggest reason for visiting South Africa. Many private reserves have the so-called Big Five of lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhinoceros. Giraffes and zebras are among other popular sightings. If you’ve only even seen these animals in the zoo you’ll find it thrilling to be a few metres away from them in an open safari vehicle.
Typically you’ll take game drives around dawn and dusk when the animals are most active while the middle of the day is given over to relaxing, perhaps with a spa treatment.
Whatever animals you see, your stay is bound to be special.
Top 5 Reasons to Go
Exceptional Value
It may appear expensive to get to South Africa but once you have arrived, the country offers amazing value, especially on food and drink. You can sample such delights as ostrich and springbok accompanied by fine wines for a fraction of the price you would have to pay in the UK.
Head east from Cape Town along one of the most scenic drives the world has to offer. This land of forests, mountains, lakes, beaches and bays is the perfect way to link Cape Town to the malaria-free games reserves of the Eastern Cape.
Not only home to some of the best wine in the world, South Africa’s Winelands region located 45 minutes from Cape Town is set in a stunning location and is the perfect place to relax, unwind and be pampered.
Safari
View close up, truly wild animals including the Big 5; elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo as well as many other species including hippos, giraffe and zebra. For something a little different head to Botswana and take a "Mokoro" Safari.
Dominated by Table Mountain and set on a peninsula of soaring rocky heights and lush valleys, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans converge. Cape Town is one of the world’s great cities and a must visit on any South African adventure.
Events 2008 - 2009
Nov-06 Apr Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts
Dec-15 Mar Spier Summer Arts Festival
2 Jan Cape Town Minstrel Carnival
22 Mar 2 Oceans Marathon
15-18 May Cape Gourmet Festival
21-29 Sep Hermanus Whale Festival
Safari
The main reason that most people cite as to why they went, or want to go to South Africa is Safari. But what actually is Safari, where can I go and what should I expect?
Firstly, Safari is a unique experience and for the first timer it is best to focus on the "big 5". These are lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino. Now any trip to this beautiful country is not complete without the opportunity to spot and hopefully, photograph these amazing beasts.
At first glance Safari may seem expensive but there are absolutely no hidden extras. All the lodges offer a full board product which includes your accommodation, all meals and 2 game drives per day.
When to go? There is never really a bad time to go on Safari and in fact some of the best time to see the animals is when it is a little cooler, during the South African winter as the animals are more active at this time.
Kruger National Park and Surrounding Area
Synonymous with Safari and roughly the size of Wales, this is the perfect place to start your Safari experiences and spot the big 5. Choose from a variety of accommodation from Safari tent to luxury lodge.
Eastern Cape
Only 90 minutes from Port Elizabeth the lodges of the Eastern Cape are ideal for people who wish to combine a Cape Town and Garden Route trip with a big 5 Safari in a malaria-free environment. Increasingly the lodges here are becoming more and more family focused.
Etosha, Namibia
Be it a lion or an elephant, a giraffe or a zebra; almost all African animal species are represented in the huge reserve that is Etosha. There is an estimated number of 250 lions, 300 rhinos, 2,500 giraffes, 6,000 zebras and more than 2,000 elephants.
Chobe, Botswana
The Chobe National Park has one of the greatest concentration of game found anywhere on the African continent. Its uniqueness in the abundance of wildlife, especially the elephant, provides an experience of a lifetime.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Mokoro Safari (a dug-out canoe) is the only way to experience one of the truly unspoilt wilderness areas of Africa. The Delta is a unique system of waterways, fed by Angolan rains, that supports a vast array of animal and plant life.
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