Archive for February, 2008
Drakensberg: The Royal Natal National Park
The Drakensberg Mountains, or uKhahlamba (Barrier or Spears) in Zulu, is a place of profound practical and symbolic importance to South Africa. It is the central watershed that gives rise to the three iconic rivers of the Vaal, the Tugela and the Orange; it is the physical landmark that split the Bantu Migration into the Nguni and Basuto subgroups; and it was the parameter of settlement between Briton an Boer during the tense years leading up to the great Anglo/Boer War. Besides that it was the last fortress of the San, or Bushman people in the central region, who were ultimately pushed to the fringes of viable existence both by white and black expansion, and who left in their wake a sweeping legacy of cave art, not just in the Drakensberg, but throughout the region. Currently the highlands make up most of the independent state of Lesotho, with just the leading approaches of the escarpment falling into the territory of the South African provinces of Mpumalanga and Kwazulu/Natal.
From a travelers point of view the Drakensberg provide something of a break from the routine of lowland game parks and wildlife preserves that tend to define and make up so much of an average southern African journey. Those parts of the escarpment that permit public access are defined largely by the escarpment, and are subdivided into a series of national parks and areas of forestry or state land. Above the escarpment lies the high and open hill country of Lesotho that is public land only inasmuch as it is communal to the pastoralists and herdsmen who husband their animals there. Technically, broaching the escarpment and walking in this area represents and illegal boundary crossing, and although the national parks personnel will let this fact be known, the provision is rarely enforced, and free movement within a reasonable distance from the escarpment is permitted.
Date: February 28th, 2008 |
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Globe Trekker TV Features South Africa in February
At the start of each month, Pilot Guides Productions - which include such fine travel shows as Globe Trekker and Planet Food - lets us know about the new online travel shows they have featured as part of GlobeTrekkerTV. Each month you can watch the free preview video, and then download only the shows you want to watch. And this month, one of the programs featured in the free preview takes place in South Africa.
In a sample from a Globe Trekker program, Sami Sabiti tours the famous South African vineyards of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschoek, giving you an inside
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Date: February 4th, 2008 |
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CapeTown: The Mother City
There are a handful of highly cosmopolitan cities that decorate the global travel map – Rio, Sydney and Buenos Aires to name but a few – that all have in some way the attributes of beauty, grandeur, romance and fine living. The common perception of Africa, however, tends to preclude a lot of these qualities, but it often comes as a very pleasant surprise to the fist time visitor to the continent to find that amongst these international urban jewels is the South African city of Cape Town.
In fact, for the first timer, South Africa itself hardly seems like Africa at all. With its clean and ordered cities, its superb transport and communication infrastructure, and its sophisticated cultural and business forums, it could hardly be further removed from the popular image of the continent. South Africa is Africa for beginners – a perfect springboard for the wider reach of a continent that will in every respect satisfy the expectations of the adventure hungry outfield traveler.
Date: February 26th, 2008 |
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Hostel Booking Websites for South Africa
A trip to South Africa can be the trip of a lifetime, but there’s no reason you have to spend a life’s savings on it. Staying in hostels in South Africa is a great way to stretch your travel budget, and you’ll also stand a better chance of meeting up with locals and other travelers and making unique travel memories, too. When you’re trying to book your hostels, however, it can feel a bit overwhelming. All those hostel booking sites look alike and offer the same property listings, right?
Well, yes and no. Many …
Date: February 4th, 2008 |
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