This June as South Africa braces to hold the first major global event on African soil, the FIFA World Cup, many people from around the world will visit this country. Many will come for adrenalin as fans of following 32 teams qualified for the final tournament. But most will stay for adventure and experience some truly exceptional sights.

The East South African Coast has a subtropical climate influenced by the Indian Ocean; the West Coast is cooler due to being at the Atlantic Ocean, becoming hot and dry towards Namibia. The Two seas meet at Cape Agulhas, although many believe it to be at the more scenic Cape Point at the tip of the Cape of Good Hope.

The best places to visit in South Africa include the stunning coastal towns of Hermanus, Cape Town, Knysna and Durban. Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, is a highlight of any trip to Southern Africa. It is also one of the most culturally diverse cities in Africa and has a reputation for social tolerance. The natural beauty of Cape Town makes it one of the most attractive cities in the world. In the middle of the town is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city; that is Table Mountain, home to more than 1400 unique species of plants as well several mammals and over 100 invertebrates. From it’s top you can even see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Cape Town boasts beautiful beaches some of the best in the world, so if you’re a sand-and-sea lover be sure to take some time out to relax and soak up the sun.

Cape Town boasts beautiful beaches as well as the impressive Table Mountain right in the heart of the city. The restaurants are world class, and so are the wines. Cape Town is also one of the most culturally diverse cities in Africa and has a reputation for social tolerance. When you visit Cape Town you’ll see a huge slab of sandstone, 1086m high and 3km long, smack in the middle of town. Table Mountain’s top is often shrouded in clouds commonly known as the mountain’s “tablecloth”. The mountain is home to more than 1400 unique species of plants as well several mammals and over 100 invertebrates. The views of Cape Town and its coastline from the top are spectacular (if the mountain doesn’t have it’s tablecloth). You can even see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, in the historic heart of Cape Town‘s working harbour, offers a variety of shopping and entertainment options to visitors, intermingled with office locations, hotels (such as the historical Breakwater Lodge – once a 19th century prison) and luxury apartments in the residential marina. It houses the Nelson Mandela Gateway which offers boat trips to Robben Island, as well as the Two Oceans Aquarium.

If you want to see a colony of African Penguins go to Boulders Beach, near Cape Town. It’s a good spot for kids and while the main population of penguins are now separated from the swimming beach, there are still plenty of penguins who will swim alongside you.

Cape Town is home to some exceptional golf courses, many designed by internationally acclaimed players and all in all set in beautiful surroundings. Cape’s winelands are some of the most scenic in the world with its restored Cape Dutch farmsteads with their distinctive gables and thatched roofs, and the mountains that form the dramatic backdrop to all of this. South African wine has come of age and is now competing on the world wine stage.

The Garden Route is breathtakingly beautiful and densely vegetated stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It comprises 200km of indigenous temperate forest, pine plantations and thick fragrant bush known as “fynbos”, beneath the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua mountains, running alongside rocky coves, glorious sandy beaches, a few lakes, lagoons, gorges and mountain passes. And with outdoor sports and delicious local food, there’s plenty of entertainment along the way. Although the most popular exploration of the Garden Route is by car, it is also the site of Africa’s last remaining passenger steam train, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe.

No holiday in South Africa is complete without a visit to Zululand, the home of the legendary Zulu people. It lies a few miles north of Durban and the drive there, just for the sake of the lush vegetation, is a sight worth seeing. Their culture and tradition are deeply entrenched and still wildly current, even today. However, caution must be taken. Like many places in South Africa, it is not always safe.

The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg is also the wealthiest and, without doubt, the economic powerhouse of Africa. the world’s richest gold fields were discovered in Johannesburg during the 1880s. The large black townships of Soweto and Alexandra lie within Johannesburg’s metropolitan area. Soweto may not be the most beautiful place you visit in South Africa, but it certainly ranks among one of the most important and interesting sights in the country as much of the struggle against Apartheid played out in the slums this township. Also one can visit the Apartheid Museum, located in Ormond, Johannesburg which is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20 th century South Africa , at the heart of which is the apartheid story.

North of Johannesburg there is Africa’s oldest established wildlife park (1898) called Kruger National Park, that boasts the highest variety of wildlife in Africa, which includes the “Big Five,” hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, cheetah, and much more.

About two hours’ drive from Johannesburg there is a luxury casino and resort Sun City. With a combination of features unmatched anywhere, it boasts magnificent sporting and recreational facilities including 2 world class golf courses, and the magical Lost City water-park, The Valley of Waves. Complete with white sand beaches, river tube rides, wave pool and waterslides, it’s simulated paradise at its finest and free for those staying at any Sun City hotel.

Safety tips: No vaccinations are required by law to enter South Africa. Both Typhoid and Hepatitis A vaccinations are highly recommended. Most of the main tourist destinations in South Africa are malaria free, making South Africa a particularly good destination to travel to with kids. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world so please take precautions if you are planning to have sex. Although there is a high crime rate in South Africa it is mostly restricted to the townships and not tourist areas. You should be careful when changing large amounts of money, make copies of your passport and keep them in your luggage and just be careful about walking around at night especially in the major cities.

For accomodation: http://www.where2stay-southafrica.com/ that provides a wide range of holiday venues from Hotels, Game Reserves, Guest Houses, Bed & Breakfast, World Cup Accommodation and Self Catering accommodation to match your every need.

]]> http://www.bestplacetotravel.com/2010-05-the-republic-of-south-africa.html/feed 0 http://www.bestplacetotravel.com/2010-02-best-new-places-to-travel-in-2010.html http://www.bestplacetotravel.com/2010-02-best-new-places-to-travel-in-2010.html#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:12:23 +0000 admin http://www.bestplacetotravel.com/?p=297 Continue reading →]]> Get new routes for summer 2010 holidays! Here are our recommendations for this year’s best places to travel on budget – Greek gem Stoupa, new resort of Marsa Mutruh (Egypt) and Lithuania’s Curonian Spit.

Stoupa, Greece – Stoupa is the new gem of Greece that becoming famous as the New Côte d’Azur. It is one of the south Mediterranean’s “coolest” and newest hot spots placed in fascinating area called Mani, on the coast of southern Peloponnese in Greece. This small and very laid-back town is very inspirational for artists, writers, musicians, philosophers. Also great for families and groups. Great atmosphere, clear turquoise water, fantastic not crowded sandy beaches and the mountain backdrop makes Stoupa even more spectacular. Just a coach ride away are the ancient ruins of Olympia and the Corinth Canal. There are some 20 restaurants strung out along the beach, a few small hotels, and many rental houses. You can’t stay at Stoupa without visiting the Inner Mani. the only part of Greece never conquered by invaders. The Maniots built tower houses, some of which have been restored, and holed up in them carrying out local feuds.The contrasting scenery on the two different coastlines is very apparent and you will not find more interesting and varied scenery elsewhere. It has a strange and mysterious quality to it with many ancient churches and the old villages with their tower houses, built to defend themselves from the other feuding villages.

Mersa Matruh, Egypt - one of Egypt’s best kept secrets. Mersa Matrouh lies 290 km west of Alexandria and it lies on a bay on the Mediterranean. It is distinguished by its 7 km long beach, which is one of the most beautiful in the world. The beach is famous for its white soft sands and calm transparent waters while the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural wave-breaker. Cleopatra’s beach is probably the most beautiful of Mersa, perhaps of all Egypt, but it offers bad chance for swimming.Agiba Beach is the pride os Mersa, even if it is nomore then 30-40 meters long. It is well protected with cliffs ans sand is cleaner and water purer. There are few important monuments and tourist sights (Ruins of the Temple of the King, Pharaoh Ramses II drown city of Caesar,drown Palace of Cleopatra, Rommel’s Hideout – - cave, hewn in the rock, where Rommel drew up plans of his military operations). As a very conservative and traditional town, Marsa Matruh is extremely safe. But unfortunately, there are still plenty of stories about Western women exposed to a very negative attitude from local young men. With few precossions steps you would be safe and enjoy this unique summer City.

Lithuania Curonian Spit – there is a skinny slice of land starting in the Russian territory of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, with a tiny piece of Lithuania at its end: the Curonian Spit. This UNESCO HERITAGE site becoming more and more popular for its sandy beach, forest and desert-like sand dunes crowd onto a two-and-a-half mile wide peninsula. The largest town on the spit is Nida in Lithuania, a popular holiday resort, mostly frequented by Lithuanian and German tourists. Beautiful surroundings, variety of time spending and marvelous landscape of dukes, Baltic seaside and Curonian Lagoon compose an impression of admiring a real gemstone, that, according to UNESCO criteria “V”, is an “outstanding example of traditional human settlement, land-use and sea-use which is representative of a culture and human interaction with the environment”. The sandy marine beaches of the Curonian spit together with nice traditional resorts, mature pinewoods and the magnificent vistas over the drifting dunes and the Curonian lagoon form the most valuable tourism resource of the whole region. Thus making the Curonian lagoon a tourist destination of an international scale. July and August are the warmest months of the year with the main daily air temperature reaching +17ºC, so it’s perfect for tourists who like chillier summer destinations.

Perfect place if you are bored with mass tourism and seeking an enlightening holiday experience which you will remember forever. Zanzibar islands lies 25-50 km (15-30 mi) off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar Archipelago consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, informally referred to as “Zanzibar”), and Pemba. Over time Zanzibar Island has seen the change from the trade center to a romantic island where people come to seek the quietness of the blue-waters, relax on the sandy beaches, go diving or snorkeling.

Zanzibar’s coastline offers some of the best beaches in the world. The majority of them are along the East Coast, where shallow tirquiz water allow you to see a wealth of life just beneath the surface – starfish, small minnows, anemones. This is where you can truly relax as the beaches are uncrowded, no major resorts, only beautifull untouched fishing villages. Up north, ocean swimming is much less susceptible to the tides, and smooth beaches and white sand make for dazzling days in the sun. The beach is just magnificent, crystal blue water. Under the water a coral reef provides the backdrop for great snorkelling and world-class scuba diving. Above it, windsurfing, kayaking and state-of-the-art big game fishing are favourite holiday pastimes. Nearby is the Mnemba Island and an untouched atoll off the coast of Zanzibar, a prime dive site known world wide. Selected by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the three most romantic ocean destinations in the world, Mnemba surpasses all expectations.

Zanzibar has some amazing history. It was originally believed that Zanzibar first settled by Africans, 3000 to 4000 years ago. Many centuries later, inhabitants from Greece, Egypt, Persia, China, India, Arabia, Europe began to settle, each leaving behind a legacy of their stay. An incredible mixture of ethnic backgrounds.Through all the intermarriages, the language of Kiswahilli was born. This forms the base of the present day language Swahili, which is the language spoken in Zanzibar and extensively in East Africa.The population of Zanzibar is about 800,000, 95% Muslim and 5% Christians and they all live in harmony. The people are very friendly and helpful.

The island has a rich history as it used to be the epicenter of the spice and slave trade in Africa. So there are many interesting places to visit in Zanzibar. Stone Town, the National Museum, Livingstone House, House of Wonders, Peoples Palace, Old Fort, Hamamni Baths, Cathedral Church of Christ, Tippu Tip House, Kizimkazi, Maruhubi and other ruins at Chuini, Dunga, Kidichi, Kizimbani and Bungi, Jozani forest reserve, Changu or Prison Island, spice plantations etc. Freddie Mercury (Queen) the famous rock star was born in Stone Town Zanzibar. His house is now made into a little restaurant, outside is a board with pictures of him and a brief about him, that was very cool to see.

Full of variety and above all fragrant, Zanzibar is the Spice Island, a place with romantic allure that thrives on its centuries old association with aromatic cinnamon, white cloves and cardamoms. You can taste fresh peppercorns, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut- it still grow wild there.Exotic forests are scented with the delicate fragrance of ylang-ylang, hibiscus and jasmine and the heady aroma of cloves and cardamoms. There are no large wild animals in Zanzibar, and forest areas such as Jozani are inhabited by rare Red Colobus monkeys, bush-pigs, small antelopes, wide variety of birdlife and a large number of butterflies in rural areas. Civets (and rumour has it, the elusive Zanzibar leopord!) and various species of mongoose can also be found on the island. On the south coast of Zanzibar lies the Menai Bay Conservation Area, a sea turtle protection area for the endangered species that come to breed on the island. Stunning coral gardens are home to more than 350 fish species recorded. The diverse aquatic life off Zanzibar’s coast includes frequent sightings of turtles and dolphins, as well as occasional sightings of humpback whales and whale sharks!

Stonetown is the main city on the island of Zanzibar, and was the true heart of the spice and slave trade. Today is a World Heritage Site. Reputedly the only ancient town in East Africa still flourishing, Stone Town has changed little since the 19th century. It’s a delightful place of narrow alleys, crumbly mosques and grand Arab houses with giant brass-studded wooden doors.There are more than 500 ornately-carved doors. In this colourful, highly scented labyrinth, veiled women bargain noisily in crowded craft and food shops. Many of the buildings in the this town are built with local coral. Stone town is an excellent place to purchase arts, crafts, and antiques.

Zanzibar experiences ideal holiday weather for most of the year, with the exception of April and May which are seasonally subject to the long rains. Short rains can occur in November, but, do not last long. The heat of summer is seasonally often cooled by windy conditions, resulting in pleasant sea breezes, particularly on the North and east coasts. Being near to the equator, the islands are warm all year round, but officially, summer and winter peak in December and June respectively. Zanzibar is blessed with and average of 7-8 hours of sunshine daily.

Some recommendations: Stay at the Zanzibar Serena or Tembo Hotels in Stone Town, Amani Kempinski Hotel, Blue Bay Resort or Karafu in the East Coast.

A land blessed with untouched nature, magnificant sunsets, 17 waterfalls including the spectacular Victoria Falls and one of the wildest rivers on the earth, lies on the northern part of South Africa. Zambia is the country that attracts both nature lovers and thrill seekers. Many adventures activities can be done while here and there is a wide variety of accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets.Most of the population is concentrated around the capital Lusaka and in a few urban areas along the major transport corridors – rest of the counry is The Real Africa.

Historic colonial city Livingston became tourist capital of Zambia, because of the proximity to the Zambezi River and the spectacular Victoria Falls, “The Smoke That Thunders”. David Livingstone, in 1855, was the first European to see the magnificent waterfalls on the Zambezi River. He named the falls after Queen Victoria, and the Zambian town near the falls is named after him. This small but impressive town is situated 8km from Victoria Falls and 10 km from the Zambezi River. Although Livingstone is the tourist capital of Zambia, the town itself appeared almost untouched, with a mix of rundown colonial architecture and traditional homes – most of the tourism goes on outside of the town in resort-style hotels such as the Zambezi Sun and the Royal Livingstone. This gives the place a unique atmosphere and easy-going charm, less spoilt by commercialism. As a colonial town Livingstone has a fascinating story to tell as one of the first white settlements and as a capital for nearly 30 years. The colonial era built Livingstone Museum houses four galleries permanently displaying: Pre-History, Ethnology, Natural History and Modern Zambian History.

Visiting Zambezi river, besides enjoying astonishing sunsets, can bi adrenalin-packed adventure. The river initiates its journey from Zambia, traveling along Angola and finally drains off into the Indian Ocean. With its immense volume of waters, is also highly praised as one of the wildest rivers in the globe. High action adventures includes white water rafting, river boarding, jet boating, bungi jumping, helicopter flights and micro lighting, gorge swinging, river cruising, game viewing, tiger fishing, walking safaris, canoeing safaris .

The Victoria Falls with 1708 meters wide and 108 meters deep fall makes it the largest curtain of water in the world. The falls and the surrounding areahave been declared National Parks and UNESCO World Heritage Site. All seasons offer different perspectives of this The 7th wonder of the natural world. Best time to visit is April and May-wonderful months (dry, warm and full Falls) and June-August: warm days, cold nights, dry, full Falls.

“The first impression was unmistakable; immense power, the raw energy unleashed when the entire Zambezi leaps wildly into a black two kilometer wide abyss. The scale is massive, the spectacle spellbinding and perpetually changing. The falls hiss and roar as if possessed, they rumble and crash like thunder. Vast clouds spew and billow out from the seething cauldron of its dark impenetrable depths. The moving water creates a magnetism that sucks you closer, so that you recoil in horror to quench a subliminal sacrificial urge.” (Jumbo Williams, Zambezi, River of Africa. 1988)

The Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park have a good variety of animal and birdlife. Depending on the season, you can see anything from white rhinos, buffalo, elephant, crocodiles, hippo, plains game and a lot of birds. The Park covers 66 km² (25.5 square miles) so one can take a pleasant drive around the park in a couple of hours. Almost all the species there should be seen at close range and since there are no predators, they are very relaxed and afford some excellent photo opportunities.

For shoppers, the best place to buy a wide range of crafts and curios is the Mukuni Victoria Falls craft village. Here you can find everything from intricate animal carvings in stone, wood or ivory, or the beautiful green malachite, to masks, drums, marimbas, walking sticks, jewellery and other distinctive African items.