AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town
 Affectionately
known as the Mother City, Cape Town is South Africa's
oldest city. Founded in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck and
his band of Dutch settlers, Cape Town is rated one of
the most beautiful cities in the world - the backdrop
of flat-topped Table Mountain juxtaposed by the sweep of the Atlantic Ocean
in the foreground.
Cape
Town has a relaxed atmosphere and offers visitors a host
of outdoor leisure activities, as well as all the amenities
of a world-class city at the sea. Top attractions include
catching the cable-car up Table Mountain to enjoy a panorama
of the city and pensinsula, taking a ferry to historic
Robben Island, drinking tea at Kirstenbosch National Botanical
Gardens and visiting the Castle of Good Hope. For outdoor
lovers, the Cape of Good Hope, adorned in delicate indigenous
fynbos, affords spectacular views over two oceans in all
directions and there are numerous hikes and trails all
around Cape Town for energetic visitors. The Two Oceans
Aquarium will give you a glimpse of marine life along the
coastline.
Magnificent beaches line the Atlantic seaboard - Clifton,
Camps Bay and Llandudno to name just a few, and warmer
waters can be found at Muizenberg, Fish Hoek, St James
and Strand. Shopping possibilities are abundant at the
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cavendish Square and Canal
Walk, while quirky fleamarkets can be found at Greenmarket
Square, Green Point and Hout Bay. If it's pulsating nightlife
you're after, go directly to Long Street and enjoy trendy
dining at its absolute best. Cape Town is everyone's city,
offering the best life has to offer - all at the foot of
the mountain.
Garden Route
 From
Cape Town along the coast to the Tsitsikamma Forest, this
600-kilometre stretch of small towns, wineries, farms and
sea villages has been a traveller's joy for more than a
century. Take your time, soak in the scenery, stay over
in a guest-house, enjoy the cuisine and let South African hospitality take
over.
This land of lakes, bays, mountains and forests languishes
on the southern coast from Heidelberg to the Eastern Cape's
Tsitsikamma Forest and Storms River. It's a nook
of the country that offers inspiration to writers and artists
whose presence gives the Garden Route a trendy flavour.
It is also a top priority of many a foreign visitor.
This coastal drive links a series of charming towns interspersed
with natural wonder. Along the way, every kind of
adventure activity is possible - scuba diving, abseiling,
fishing and more.
Durban
 South Africa's favourite playground and the busiest port
in Africa, Durban began life as a remote trading outpost.
Today the sunny city is a popular year-round holiday destination,
prized for its balmy climate and superb surfing and swimming
beaches. Although shopping, restaurants and nightlife are
geared for the holidaymaker, Durban is also now positioning
itself as the conference capital of South Africa - with
its International Conference Centre ranking amongst the
top facilities in the world.
Still, this subtropical city is synonymous with the ocean.
UShaka, the southern hemisphere's greatest marine theme
park, was recently opened and is a major attraction for
tourists to the city. But if you'd like to get really personal
with marine life, The Natal Sharks Board runs weekday boat
tours for visitors to watch shark nets being cleared, as
well as dolphin- and whale-watching trips on weekends.
The annual winter sardine run is another marine spectacle,
attracting visitors from across the globe.
Shopping is high on Durban's list of priorities and there's
plenty to choose from. The Gateway Theatre of Shopping
offers a grand combination of shopping and entertainment,
and is the jewel of Durban's retail crown. The Pavilion
also offers an exceptional shopping experience in a Victorian-look
building, and The Workshop complex was created in the shell
of Durban's original railway workshop. For a taste of real
Durban, there's the Victoria Street Market, offering African
and Indian wares. The Warwick Avenue Triangle is where
herbalists and street vendors sell anything from traditional
medicines and food to Zulu artwork, and Grey Street is
a fabric buyer's Mecca.
No visit to this sunshine city is complete without exploring
the Golden Mile. This beachfront stretch is where you can
catch a rickshaw ride, buy a curio or enjoy a seafood or
typical Indian meal with a view of the sea. Durban is heaven
for hedonists, where all year is holiday season.
Hluhluwe
 Mention the word "Africa" and images of vast
open spaces, beautiful sunsets and a wonderful array of
wildlife are conjured up.
KZN Wildlife parks lie spread across the subtropical plains
of the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal and on the upper reaches
of some of its larger rivers.
These parks range from the small but very diverse like
Weenen, to large areas like Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, the
oldest proclaimed park in Africa, where the "big five" roam
free.
These parks offer an astonishing diversity of animal
and bird life, spectacular scenery with mountains, forests
and savannah crossed and dotted with crocodile and hippo
inhabited rivers and lakes.
To visit these magnificent
parks you may come for a day or stay on in accommodation
that ranges from the luxurious with all facilities, to
those which are atmospheric and comfortable. From secluded
bush lodges and camps deep in the African bush to campsites
set beside rivers under spreading umbrella thorn trees.
For the adventurous who want to experience the essential
Africa, who want to feel the texture of the country,
the sights, sounds and smells of Africa there are wilderness
trails that allow you to explore with an experienced
guide.
Zululand
 KwaZulu-Natal
is referred to as the Kingdom of the Zulus. To the west of
the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game reserves (150km north of Ulundi),
one can explore cultural museums that concentrate on local
history. Near Ondini, one can find the reconstructed royal
enclosure of Cetshwayo, the Zulu King.
The fascinating Vukani Collection Museum is found at Eshowe
and boasts one of the best collections of Zulu art and culture
in the world. Shakaland and Gingindlovu are also worth a
visit.
Mpumalanga
 If you'd like to visit the world's most
famous game reserve, climb the world's third-highest canyon,
explore the world's oldest cave and spend the night in
the world's best private game lodges, Mpumalanga's the
place to come to!
Mpumalanga, which means 'place where the sun rises' in
the local languages of Siswati and Zulu is one of South
Africa's tourism hotspots, loved by both local and international
visitors for its beauty and diversity. This province is
home to The Kruger National Park (big five country), exquisite
panoramic views, mountains, rivers, caves, trout fishing
and birding opportunities, eco-tourism, adventure holidays
and the rich offerings of the local Ndebele and Swazi cultures.
Kruger National Park
 One
of the major tourist attractions of the country, the Kruger
National Park is among South Africa's finest assets. Well-equipped
to offer big five safaris, the park includes a large number
of accommodation options, ranging from some of the best private
game lodges in the world to very affordable rest camps. This
famous park boasts over 140 species of mammals and over 500
species of birds, not to mention a wide variety of amphibians,
reptiles, flora and fauna. A wildlife wonderland, this enormous
sanctuary is a must-see for any and every visitor to South
Africa.
Johannesburg
 Known
as the gateway to Africa, Johannesburg is a city literally
built on gold. Established in 1886 when gold was struck,
the city has been rebuilt four times in the past century
- it started as a tent town, worked up to a tin-shack settlement,
a four-storey Edwardian settlement and finally graduated
as a modern city of glass and concrete skyscrapers. It's
one of the youngest major cities in the world and is a
mélange of African cultures, and
is quite possibly the most cosmopolitan city on the continent.
Pretoria
 Some 50 km north of Johannesburg lies Pretoria, which
resides within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
- a cluster of metropolitan municipalities and councils
that amalgamated in December 2002.
Pretoria is renowned for its colourful gardens, shrubs
and trees, particularly beautiful in spring when the 50
000 jacarandas envelop the avenues in mauve. The city developed
at a more sedate pace than Johannesburg, and the town planners
had the foresight to include an abundance of open spaces.
Pretoria has more than 100 parks, including bird sanctuaries
and nature reserves.
Sun City
 The
extravagant Sun City hotel/entertainment complex `in the
middle of nowhere', is known the world over as a tourism
hotspot. It was built over 20 years ago in the homeland of
Bophuthatswana when gambling was not permitted in South Africa
under the apartheid government. Sun City remains an icon
of family fun and entertainment. The Lost City is the obvious
highlight of the Sun City complex and the Palace of the Lost
City - with its extravagant lost-world theme and spectacular
African feel - is one of the most famous hotels in the world.
Madikwe
 Not too far from the Gaborone border lies
the Northwest's best-kept secret - Madikwe Game Reserve. This reserve,
consisting of reclaimed farm land, is famous for the ambitious
re-stocking programme "Operation Phoenix" that took place
in the early nineties. The area is now home to the big
five and is famous for its wild dog, spotted hyena, cheetah
and elephant population. Madikwe also boasts fantastic
accommodation across the board - from five-star opulence
to roughing it in style.
 travel facts [pdf]
or contact:
CONNOISSEUR
TRAVEL SERVICES LTD
38 Silverknowes Road, Edinburgh, EH4 5LF
Telephone: 0845 1300 788
Fax: 0131 336 2220
E-Mail: enquiries@connoisseur-travel.co.uk
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