Photo Essays on Cape Town, South Africa and Hermanus, Whale Watching Capital of the world

Photo Essay: Cape Town — 'The Mother City' for so many reasons 

It is easy to imagine the thoughts of Portuguese explorer, Bartholomew Diaz, when he first discovered the Cape in 1488. Arriving from the sea to that amazing, mountainous splendor must have been truly wonderful indeed.

Table Bay, as it is now called, with the Cape peninsula curved around it, is still as spectacular today. However, the City of Cape Town has come a long way since its initial beginnings, first as home to the nomadic Khoi people and later to the Dutch settlers of Jan van Riebeek of the Dutch East India Company.

Read more and view photos: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/354152

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Photo Essay: 'Whale Crier' calls you to visit Hermanus, South Africa 

Situated on Walker Bay on the southern coast of the Western Cape is a beautiful little treasure called Hermanus. This historic small town is famous for many reasons, but particularly for its spectacular whale watching.

During the southern winter and spring, Hermanus is famous for its Southern Right Whale watching, and whales can be spotted from the cliffs in the town center from as early as June, and usually depart in early December each year.

Read more, see photos & video: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/354207

Visiting Kruger National Park? Have a wonderful stay close by!

When visiting the Kruger National Park in South Africa, there are many lovely game and safari lodges to rest your weary bones.

However, sometimes its nice to stay somewhere a little different - a comfortable and attractive bed & breakfast or guest house.

A recent addition to All Cape Accommodation is the lovely (and beautifully named) Laughing Waters Guest House, situated in the scenic Sabie River Valley six kilometres from Hazyview.  

The location of the accommodation close to the river ensures slightly cooler temperatures than elsewhere in the valley, and this comfortable micro climate makes Laughing Waters Guest House especially welcoming in the hot summer months. The swimming pool is also a wonderful way to cool off after a day of touring around. If you are a birdwatcher, Laughing Waters Guest House is affiliated with Bird Life SA; whether a novice or an expert, this is an interesting venue for your stay.

Tours and transfers can also be arranged, with the benefit of GAP Tours & Transfers operating in partnership with Laughing Waters Guest House.

Visiting Cape Town - how about Gardens?

Gardens is a suburb which is part of Cape Town's famous City Bowl. A beautiful, leafy area with wonderful Table Mountain and sea views, within very easy walking distance of the city centre and the popular V&A Waterfront.

If you want to be close to everything, but in a more quiet environment, you can't go wrong with Gardens!

All Cape Accommodation has recently updated a selection of lovely, mostly Victorian, bed & breakfasts in Gardens, all well worth a visit for comfort and delicious breakfasts, in relaxed and informal surroundings.

The newest additions to the family are the following:

15 Welgemeend Street - a bed and breakfast with a beautiful vista of Table Mountain! 
This lovely bed & breakfast is nestled quite literally at the foot of Table Mountain, only minutes from the Cape Town city centre. It is also central to some of Cape Town's major attractions, including the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain cable car, many shops, restaurants and lovely beaches.

And this is the view you get from the garden of Villa Zeezicht, another lovely bed & breakfast on the slopes of Table Mountain.
This beautiful bed & breakfast is a historic, gabled villa, situated in an upmarket area of Cape Town. The house is set in an attractive garden right at the foot of Table Mountain, with views of Lions Head and the sea. 

Situated just outside the Cape Town city center in a quiet and peaceful area, but within minutes of the V&A Waterfront, city centre shops and restaurants, and the cableway to the top of Table Mountain. The popular Clifton and Camps Bay beaches are just a short drive away.

So for your next trip to Cape Town, consider the Cape Town city bowl - be close to everything, but in a serene and green area!

Recommended holiday properties in South Africa

We have decided that it would be a good idea to feature new additions to the family of All Cape Accommodation, in the way of recommended holiday accommodation in South Africa.

In February 2013, the following lovely properties joined us:

Affordable Self-Catering Apartment in Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

The Totness Place Apartment is located in upmarket and beautiful Camps Bay in Cape Town. While the area is normally expensive, this lovely home-from-home is affordable.

The beautifully decorated apartment has two bedrooms - the main bedroom with a king size bed and the second bedroom with a 3/4 bed.

There is a comfortable open plan lounge and dining room leading to a fully equipped kitchen with stove/oven, large fridge, large freezer, microwave, washing machine and dishwasher. The bathroom has a bidet, bath, shower and toilet. 

Everything you need to be comfortable while enjoying the splendours of Camps Bay beach and all the lovely cafes and restaurant close by!

For those wishing to be more central in Cape Town and live like a Capetonian in the heart of the City Bowl:

Stylish and charming house from the early 1800's in De Waterkant, Cape Town

Java House is a stunning, renovated home, which was originally built as Army Officers Quarters in the early 1800’s. Now it is a stylish, yet comfortable, “home from home” offering the best of the Cape from the heart of the Old Quarter. 

The house is a double-storey terrace with incredible roof top views of Table Mountain and the City of Cape Town. It sleeps 6 in 3 double bedrooms and a double day bed is suitable for a further 2 children or teenagers. The house has 2 bathrooms each with a shower and bath.

A balcony in the front looks onto Jarvis street and the new Cape Quarter where there are wonderful shops and many restaurants as well as a fabulous supermarket for groceries. The area is also home to many other delicatessens and great restaurants many of which are literally right on the doorstep. 

Fancy a trip down the Garden Route?   There is something wonderful on offer in Knysna. A beautiful, luxurious colonial guesthouse in Knysna with magnificent panoramic views Double Dutch B&B is a beautiful colonial style guest house with swimming pool in the town of Knysna, on the glorious Garden Route, not too far from Cape Town.  The guest house has magnificent panoramic views over the Knysna Lagoon and the Knysna Heads into the Indian Ocean. Staying at Double Dutch B&B offers you the following: Bathroom en-suite, TV/DSTV, radio, intercom, safe, fridge, extra long double king sized beds, hairdryer, make up mirror, coffee/tea facilities, under floor heating in the bathroom, personalized bathroom amenities and a comfortable furnished relaxing area in which you experience the colonial atmosphere of Double Dutch. Guests can also relax at our swimming pool with sundeck and lounge chairs and a special terrace to have a private barbecue in our extended, cultivated garden. Stay tuned for newest additions to our website!

Review: Freshlyground — Refreshing music hailing from South Africa

Their music is dubbed Afro-pop or Afro-fusion, it is original and incredibly enjoyable to listen to. The style combines certain elements of traditional South African music with blues, jazz and a spoonful of indie rock.

Freshlyground was formed in Cape Town in 2002 and members hail from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and are a "Rainbow Nation" mix.

Lead vocalist is Zolani Mahola. She has a marvelous and extremely versatile singing voice, and listening to a range of the band's music, one can really appreciate the quirkiness and great humor in her performances....

Read more and watch music videos at: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/341941

Review: Constantia Vista — Ultimate hideaway in Cape Town, South Africa

If you are thinking of a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, this is the ideal place to stay. A luxury retreat at an affordable price in the beautiful countryside, but close to all the major attractions.

The writer has personally stayed at Constantia Vista twice as a guest, and even did a stint at managing the property in the owner's absence some years ago. The comfort was amazing and everything was there, right at her fingertips.

Staff are friendly and helpful and ensure that your suite is impeccably clean and tidy for you when you arrive. Your host, and owner of Constantia Vista, Ian Assin, is friendly, down to earth and always happy to assist you with any directions, tours, etc.. read more and view photos.

Cape Town, South Africa, City of Beauty and History

I can just imagine the thoughts of Portuguese explorer Bartholemew Diaz, when he first discovered the Cape in 1488. Coming in from the sea to this glorious and mountainous landscape must have been truly wondrous! Cape Town has come a very long way from its initial stages as home to the nomadic Khoi people and later to the Dutch settlers of Jan van Riebeek of the Dutch East India Company.

Now a truly international city of sprawling proportions, all the cliches that have been applied to Cape Town are completely true - the Mother City, The Most Beautiful City in the World.... all with that stunning and beautiful backdrop - the amazing Table Mountain.

You will arrive in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Airport, and drive through a series of dilapidated, but still interesting, townships to the city itself. So many international class hotels to choose from, both in the city and Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, and also in the surrounding suburbs. Choose also from a range of quality bed & breakfasts, guest houses and self-catering villas and apartments, for the perfect holiday accommodation to suit you.

Take the famed cable car up to the top of Table Mountain - what a glorious view of the city, Signal Hill and the surrounding areas! Meet the famous 'Dassies' or rock rabbits, that live on the summit - almost tame and very cute.

Visit the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and take a ferry to Robben Island where you can visit the jail cell occupied by Nelson Mandela for so many years, imbibe the history, and enjoy the view of Table Mountain from the island.

While in the Waterfront, take a sailing cruise, harbour cruise, booze cruise or just relax in the many quality restaurants, cafes and bars. Got a bit of money so spend? Have a shopping spree in the luxurious Victoria Wharf shopping mall! A true shopper's delight..

In the city itself, there are many shops, restaurants, museums and cafes to explore, plus the Castle, and also the fascinating Bo-Kaap or Malay Quarter, with its wonderfully colourful houses. Hear the noon gun boom out as it has since 1806! The gun is situated on Signal Hill, just adjacent to the city.

High Tea – now here's a treat - experience high tea at one of the luxury hotels. From experience, I highly recommend the Table Bay Hotel in the Waterfront and also the historic Mount Nelson Hotel near the Company Gardens for a treat DELUXE - with sandwiches, snacks and pastries, and delicious cakes and chocolate treats plus a range of tasty teas and coffee... you can always diet when you get home again!

Having explored the city to its fullest, go further afoot and visit gorgeous Camps Bay, popular and upmarket seaside town with some amazing restaurants and bars on the golden sandy beach front. The Atlantic Seaboard and the Cape Point Route have many lovely suburbs and towns, all with endless beaches and so much to explore.

Go to the famous Cape Winelands and visit the vineyards for wine tasting, delicious lunches, and beautiful views. I first drove through the wine lands soon after dawn, on a winter morning and the views were so lovely I could have cried! Frost on the hillsides, the dark reds and greens of the vines ... an awe-inspiring landscape.

Take a trip down the famed Garden Route all the way along the coast to Plettenberg Bay and the nearby Tsitsikamma Forest. Along the route you will visit beautiful seaside towns, see the ostriches and Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn and experience real tranquility and beauty.

Visit the Overberg Region and the Whale Route - Hermanus is a historic little town with so many attractions including whale watching - the whales are so close, you could almost touch them!

All over the Cape Peninsula, golfers will find world-class golf courses to indulge their hobby, all with mountain or sea views. With the exchange rate, you will find that playing golf in South Africa is very reasonably priced, but of international quality.

All in all, Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula of South Africa are well worth the visit and you will never forget the time that you spent in this marvelous country.

Visit All Cape Accommodation for more details

Introducing Kruger National Park

I would like to recommend a website listing safari and game lodges in Kruger National Park, in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The website offers comprehensive information about travel, health, innoculations and also the wildlife and Big 5, plus reservations at some lovely game and safari lodges, and tented safari camps in Kruger National Park and surrounds. Also offering tour and safari packages, for those that want everything in one, photographic prints of the Big 5 and fun wildlife jigsaw puzzles.

There is a live webcam right in the middle of the African bush. Depending on the time of day, you can watch wildlife at the waterhole in Djuma Game Reserve, or partake in a live game drive through the African bush.

Visit the website now....

Kruger National Park - Sights and Sounds of Africa

Kruger Travel Guide:

Book a luxury or budget game or safari lodge in Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park, which measures a whopping two million hectares, is approximately the size of the whole of Wales. Although there are still fences between parts of the Kruger National Park and Mozambique and Zimbabwe, so the planned Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park is not quite yet a reality. When it is, it will be spectacular. Actually, Kruger already is. Most of the park is situated in the Lowveld. Restricted to broad valleys below 1 000m above sea level, the Lowveld is what many people consider to be the 'real' Africa. In this low-lying subtropical climate, broad-leaved trees and thorn trees co-exist happily in relatively open woodland, interspersed with long grass - and, of course, game. Wildlife abounds.

In the far north, it gets hotter and the vegetation changes to mopane woodland and, right in the northern part of the country, huge baobab trees dominate the landscape. The rivers here tend to be broad and slow-moving and may consist of no more than a few unconnected pools at the end of the dry season but that's when the game congregates around the few known water sources - so it all evens out. You may have heard the cynical remark that Kruger is 'too developed' with loads of town-like camps and other infrastructure. Well, yes. The park does have a number of good accommodation options - more than 20 SANParks camps and a few private luxury lodges as well. That may sound like a lot - but remember that Kruger is the size of Wales - and in all that space there is one town - the main camp, Skukuza, is virtually a small town - about a dozen tiny hamlets with less than a hundred families and a few out of they way camps that would probably relate to a small farmstead. That leaves an awful lot of real wilderness.

You can do Kruger as a self-drive or as a guided tour. Other exciting options include walking safaris, mountain bike trails and a self-drive 4x4 trail. The nearest airport to the park is the Kruger-Mpumalanga International Airport, just outside Nelspruit. The southern, more popular, part of Kruger is about four hour's drive from Johannesburg, and a little less from Pretoria. The drive to the more remote, far less utilised, northern part, takes a few hours longer, but it's not on the same route. You could do a great circular tour if you had ten days or so to spare. Fly in to KMIA and enter the park in the south, drive very slowly to the north, spending a day or two at different camps en route, and then drive back to Johannesburg. (Or the other way round, of course.)

Strangely - and contrary to expectations - the northern part, which is truly wild, has less animals than the south so don't feel you're missing out if you've only got a few days in the more busy part of the park. As well as the Kruger National Park, the lowveld is well endowed with private nature reserves, most of which have luxury lodges, where guests are subjected to an outrageous level of pampering and taken on fantastic game drives and optional walks by very knowledgeable and attentive guides. Many lodges even have attached wellness centres where you can fill in the time between morning and evening game drives with a massage, facial or some other indulgent treatment.

Note: If you are planning to travel to the Kruger National Park or Lowveld please be aware that this is a malaria region. Consult your doctor or travel clinic for advice and refer to our article on malaria.

Book a luxury or budget game or safari lodge in Kruger National Park

safarinow.com

South Africa - Alphabetically Speaking...

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 11^th 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.