Friday, April 12, 2013

South Africa, the Perfect Place for Incredible Holidays

By Shawn Schmidt


When you are thinking about where to go but are really undecided, go to South Africa! Honestly, it is a land which offers lots of holidays in one. You can appreciate nature and safaris for a couple of days, clubbing and shows for a couple more days, then finish off with Hawaiian style beaches, surfing or other water sports. Few countries offer this type of range.

The typical thing that travelers do when they arrive in South Africa is that they book for a safari in the NW area of the country, maybe go off to the Durban coastline and then take an airplane to Cape Town. This is typically a good plan because you get to have various vacations in one. It's not really important if you start off in Cape Town or if you begin in the Kruger, however it is an excellent idea to make a reservation for a domestic flight at some point. It is not a good idea to drive from Cape Town to Durban or JHB. It's a tiring and extremely long drive and it's not always scenic, so rather take a airplane.

Also, if you skip Johannesburg entirely, you are not losing out on much. In the summertime, all most Jo'burgers come on holiday to Cape Town, which is a clear indicator of which city is worth going to! The only reason you would drop in on Johannesburg, is to hire a car and drive off to "safari land".

South Africa tours generally begin in Stellenbosch, a lovely College Town with Cape Dutch Architecture. From there you can do some wine tasting at one of the numerous vineyards in the area then head off to Spier Wine Farm for lunch or tea. Spier is the location of a special wildlife program and it is possible to accompany the guides that work there right into the cheetah cages to stroke them! The cheetah's that live at Spier are rather tame however they are still wild animals and so it is necessary to take appropriate precautions. Few people enter at once and the guide is always present. If the animals are looking antsy, no-one is allowed in. Petting a live cheetah is really a memorable experience.

After your day in Stellenbosch, you can enjoy a walk in the city center. It is advised you do this whilst all the stores are open, which is till around 5.00 pm. The main road is called Adderly Street and you will appreciate the flower market and the numerous stores. You could also visit St. Georg's Mal and Long Street, which packed with markets and coffee bars.

The people you will come across are either the original African populaces, such as the Xhosa and the Zulu, or the fair skinned descendants of the Dutch and English colonialists. You will also meet a huge community of Muslim people, which are the descendants of the Indian slaves. South Africans are normally friendly, welcoming and helpful to tourists.

The airplane trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg is 2.5 hours long. From there it's a 4 hour drive into safari the area. The 5 star safari lodges in South Africa are absolutely spectacular. The majority of lodges provide SPA treatments, and outdoor jacuzzis looking out over "the bush", which is quite common. Even if you are sleeping in a tent, it will most likely have a wonderfully comfortable bed and sumptuous bed linen.

South Africa is a land full of things to offer, from the majestic appeal of the dry Karoo, to the historic charm of the rolling wine lands, to the untamed appeal of the windy beaches. See to it you prepare a schedule that allows you to take pleasure in South Africa for all it has to offer.




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