South Africa - a Quick Alphabetical Tour
At the very end of Africa is a land of wonder - offering everything possible to satisfy anyone's vacation or holiday needs. The following is a brief alphabetical tour of the highlights:
A - Addo Elephant Park - currently housing more than 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo, over 48 endangered black rhino as well as a variety of antelope species. Lion and spotted hyena have also recently been re-introduced to the area.
B - Beaches - South Africa has some wonderful beaches, including Blue Flag beaches - some on the cooler Atlantic Coast, and others on the warm Indian Ocean. Visit the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal for endless golden sand.
C - Cape Town - rightfully called the most beautiful city in the world - framed by the awesome Table Mountain, this lovely city is just waiting to be visited. Shops, restaurants, history, views - beaches, mountains, winelands - this is just a sample of what can be found in this wonderful city.
D - Durban - a city in KwaZulu- Natal on the warm Indian Ocean with the famous Golden Mile of sandy beaches and wonderful coastal areas to the North and South.
E - Eastern Cape - part of the famous Garden Route - a stunning area with wonderful scenery, attractive small towns and golden beaches.
F - Free State - when travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town, you pass through this area - although not a popular destination it has its attractions, including Bloemfontein, a small and lovely city. The vast Karoo desert offers incredible landscapes...
G - Garden Route - glorious stretch along the Cape Coast from Mossel Bay all the way down to Port Elizabeth - wonderful scenery, beautiful coastal regions, golfing, Ostriches, caves… an endless variety of entertainment and holiday value. Golf is another good "G" word - there are many quality and high-class golf courses all over the country - truly a golfer's paradise!
H - Hermanus - on the Overberg Whale Route - a beautiful small town where at the right time of year, you can see the Southern Right Whale close up and personal!
I - Indian Ocean - the warm side of South Africa - from Cape Point, all the way up the right side of South Africa to Hluhuwe in KwaZulu- Natal .
J - Johannesburg - The City of Gold - in Gauteng Province although probably not the best tourist attraction, and a little dangerous, it has its moments. Fly into Johannesburg Airport on the way to your Kruger National Park safari.
K - Kruger National Park - famous for the Big Five - Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino. Many wonderful safari and game lodges in this area and a MUST VISIT safari location!
L - Limpopo Province - the real and raw Africa with wonderful wildlife, where the Big Five and other animals roam free. Amazing scenery, and malaria free for your comfort…
M - Mandela - Nelson Mandela, the icon of the New South Africa - imprisoned on Robben Island off Cape Town for 27 years before becoming the 11th South African President.
N - Northern Cape - part of the semi desert area of the Karoo - includes the fascinating Kimberley Hole - diamond mine of fame!
O - Oudtshoorn - in the Klein Karoo (little Karoo) just off the Garden Route on Route 62, this wonderful little town has many ostrich farms - you can even ride on an ostrich if you are brave enough! Also the famous Cango Caves are well worth a visit.
P - Pretoria - capital of South Africa - affectionately known as the Jacaranda City for all the purple blossom-bedecked streets and a calm and elegant city.
Q - a difficult letter! Suffice to say that the smaller towns in South Africa are Quaint, Quiet, Quintessentially beautiful!
R - Ramsgate/Margate - on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal - beautiful seaside towns with endless sandy beaches.
S - Stellenbosch - in the Cape Winelands of the Western Cape - a historic and beautiful town, home to South Africa's second oldest University - the University of Stellenbosch. Surrounded by history and endless vineyards, and well worth the visit.
T - Tours and safaris - South Africa offers excellent tour and safari options in all its many touristic areas.
U - Umhlanga - beautiful seaside town on the North Coast of Durban.
V - Another difficult letter! V is for Visit South Africa for the holiday of a lifetime.
W - Wild Coast - on the Eastern Cape - a remarkable area with wonderful scenery, gorgeous beaches and beautiful little seaside towns.
X - Xhosa - the Xhosa are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two centuries throughout the southern and central-southern parts of the country. A fascinating language to listen to with a series of fifteen different click sounds.
Y - You should visit South Africa! :o)
Z - Zulu - A member of a Bantu people of southeast Africa, primarily inhabiting northeast KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.
In conclusion, South Africa has so much to offer - impossible to put in full detail on one article, but definitely a travel destination of note.
Anne Sewell runs several tourism related websites including All World Vacation Station , a travel guide offering accommodation options worldwide.
