Photograph by Colin Bell
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"I believe that South Africa is the most beautiful place on earth. Admittedly, I am biased, but when you combine the natural beauty of sunny South Africa with the friendliness and cultural diversity of our people, and the fact that the region is a haven for Africa's most splendid wildlife, then I think that we have been blessed with a truly wonderful land".
~ Nelson Mandela, President
South Africa reasonably presents itself as a "world in one country". The immense diversity of its landscape, the beauty of its shoreline and cities, the cultural mix, one of the six "Floral Kingdoms" of the world, its wildlife, its indigenous architecture and a climate which ranges from sub alpine to sub tropical, from alpine skiing to water skiing all confirm this view. The provinces most visited by tourists are:
Western Provinces
The Western Cape for Cape Town, the winelands, Malay culture, Cape Dutch architecture, the Garden Route and the west coast.
This area on the tip of Africa is one of the most popular destinations in the world. The Cape has white sandy beaches, unspoiled coast lines, towering mountain ranges, fertile valleys perfect for vineyards and orchards and a semi desert area (the Karoo) that has moonscapes of stark hills and scrubby bush. Culturally the area is eclectic, you may find churches, synagogues and mosques close together. This mixture of cultures has led to a kaleidoscope of lifestyles, architecture and cuisines which delight the eye and the palate.
Among the things that a visitor to the Cape will not forget are the Cape Dutch architecture and spicy Cape Malay cooking, the vineyards of Stellenbosch and Paarl and the museums, gardens and mountainous backdrop of Cape Town. It has a variety of micro-climates which give rise to the smallest yet most diverse floral kingdom in the world with more than 5,000 plant species unique to the area in the forests and fynbos of the southern Cape and Namaqualand.
This is also a good starting point for a tour of the less popular but nonetheless fascinating west coast or for a drive along the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth. There is wonderful accommodation in this area ranging from B&B's and farm house stays to world class five star hotels. As there are far too many to list, please contact us for recommendations in your price range.
Northwest for Sun City and the Palace of the Lost City, one of the most innovative tourist complexes in the world.
For the traveler wishing a few days of relaxation with golf, tennis, casinos, shows and all the hoopla of a resort, Sun City does a great job. There is fabulous accommodation, a 60 acre jungle park (a man made forest with 1,600,000 plants, trees and shrubs), a water park generating artificial waves of up to 7' for surfers onto a palm fringed beach, Waterworld with a full range of water sports, two championship golf courses, gardens, lawns and water cascades, bowls, horseriding, squash, tennis, mountain biking, jogging, swimming and game viewing in the Pilansberg National Park.
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