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Honeymoon Heaven: the beauties of South Africa
2011-07-04 11:22
Now that the Royal Wedding has taken place, interest has turned to the honeymoon of Prince Albert II and his new bride, Charlene Wittstock. Born in neighbouring Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) her homeland is South Africa, so today we take a tour round the highlights of that country - just in case you're planning a trip - or perhaps a wedding - of your own!
Cape Town
Dramatically situated at the foot of the imposing Table
Mountain, Cape Town is often referred to as the 'place where the two
oceans meet', and with its beautiful beaches and an amazing coastline,
the views are simply spectacular: on a good day you can see as far as
Robin Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Sir Francis Drake - who had pretty much seen it all - called Cape Point the 'fairest cape in all the circumference of the world', and Forbes agree with him, voting Cape Town one of the world's top most beautiful cities.
Table Mountain
Take a trip up Table Mountain in a glass-bottomed cable car, or for the more adventurous one of the hundreds of hiking trails. Or hire a chauffeured car for the day and take a drive down the Garden Route, taking in the celebrated vineyards and experiencing some of South Africa’s exceptional wines.
Kruger National Park
The Kruger National Park, whose area - a whopping two million hectares - makes it approximately the size of of Wales, borders Mozambique and Zimbabwe and offers a wild array of wildlife. From the smallest 'tok tokkie' (Afrikaans for dung beetle) to the mighty elephant, the Kruger has it all.
A lioness in the Kruger National Park
The park has a number of good accommodation options including twenty SANParks where one can either rent a chalet or camp; or choose one of the select luxury lodges with 'wellness' centres where you can have a relaxing time in the spa with a massage whilst looking out over the African savanna. The Kruger is best experienced with a guided tour or with a private vehicle, but you might like to look as well at walking safaris, mountain bike trails and self-drive 4x4 trails. Contrary to popular belief the Kruger is not over-developed; this is authentic wilderness, which will continue to call you back for more.
Durban
An expected guest at uShaka's restaurant
Durban is the third biggest city in South Africa and has the country’s busiest harbour. It's very popular with tourists because of its sub-tropical climate and warm Mozambique current. Cultures from all over the world can be found in Durban, from the traditional witch doctors to Californian suffers - Durban is the place for everybody, including, of course, scuba diving enthusiasts and explorers of the many shipwrecks scattered all along the Natal coast. For those who prefer to stay on dry land there's uShaka Marine World, a top-class aquarium with a restaurant surrounded by a gigantic fish tank. There are daily shows of dolphins and seals to entertain the young ones whilst the adults enjoy a cocktail in one of the aquarium's bars overlooking the Indian ocean. Durban has so much to do and see that one can easily lose track of time and get lost in this diverse and 'chilled-out' city.
Namaqualand and the Kalahari
Namaqualand is the dry region region of Namibia and South Africa extending along the west coast for over 970km and covering a total area of 440,000 km². Rain is scarce in this barren land and when it does fall the landscape awakens. Thousands of different plant seeds, that have been lying dormant for years, start to germinate to make the best of a rare opportunity and cover the desert in a multicoloured carpet of flowers. Plant enthusiasts and botanists travel from all over the world to witness this phenomenon. But flowers and desert aren't all the Western Cape has to offer. There are little fishing villages that haven't changed for hundreds of years, where nomadic herdsmen lead their goats to greener pastures. If you fancy a birds-eye view of the Kalahari one can always take a hot air balloon in the early morning to experience the beauty of an African sunrise.
The Drakensberg
Situated in the eastern part of South Africa the Drakensberg or uKhahlamba (the barrier of spears) separates the Free State from Kwa-Zulu Natal. The Berg, as it is known to the locals, is snow-capped in winter, and towers over vast yellowwood forests and cascading waterfalls.
There is an abundance of caves where one can go and see thousands of rock paintings done by the San - better known as the Bushmen. In their rock art you can actually see how they went about their normal daily lives. Needless to say, the park is a world heritage site which gained full international recognition in December 2000.
A dramatic view of the Drakensberg range
If there is a mountain there is always someone who has to conquer it. The fearless may choose to try sheer rock or ice-climbing - or they may prefer the adrenalin rush provided by abseiling, white water rafting or taking a helicopter ride to view the Drakensberg mountains from above. If one prefers the gentler more leisurely pace of walking there are many hiking routes on both the lower and upper slopes. The Drakensberg is home to 290 species of birds, 48 species of mammals and to some very rare plant varieties found nowhere else in the world.
Fancy a drive? Either hire a 4x4 or go on a guided tour up the Sani pass right to the top of the Drakensberg, where one enters in to the Kingdom of Lesotho. The road in summer is a pleasure to drive but in winter it gets frozen over and is not recommended for the fainthearted. The fact that there are no safety railings on the side of the road to stop you from going over sheer cliffs doesn't help. Once at the top one can enjoy spectacular views and also have a drink in the highest pub in Africa, 3000m above sea level. Oh, and remember to take your passport, as Lesotho is not part of South Africa, although no visa is required.
Soweto
Until recent years a hotbed of unrest, Soweto has been able to overcome some of the divisive politics of an earlier age. To an extent, the divide between rich and poor and black and white continues, but Soweto as a town is ready for a change. Daily tours takes you from Johannesburg to Soweto where you can visit the house where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to the 1990s. In this area, you can get a real feel for life in South Africa’s biggest township, visit Soccer City where the 2010 World Cup Final was played, and stop for lunch at a local shebeen. The shebeen used to be illicit bar but in modern South Africa many shebeens are now totally legal and great fun to visit.
A country torn apart by bad decisions and a struggle to survive, South Africa is getting its act together and becoming one of the world's favourite playgrounds. So much to offer and so much to see - no wonder Their Serene Highnesses will be honeymooning in one of the most spectacular places in the world!
Emile Bolt