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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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