Backpacking & travel South Africa Site under construction                   Country links City Links South Africa "The World in One Country" is the way that South Africa markets itself because one can easily fulfil virtually every travel desire here. This is fascinating country with its dazzling variety of scenery, wildlife, cultures and activities. Visitors are spellbound by this country and are enticed by its natural beauty, deserted countryside, attractive blue mountains rising from the shoreline, where snow-white beaches are often void of people, and various gigantic game reserves with a wide variety of animals. It is no wonder that some tourists return here repeatedly and others never manage to leave again after relocating for good to South Africa. Geography South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African continent. It is bordered by the Indian and Atlantic Oceans on the southern and western sides, Namibia in the north west, Botswana due north, Zimbabwe in the north-east and Mozambique in the east. There are three major types of geographical areas - plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. Mountain ranges rise steeply from the coastal belt to form a plateau on the top. The coastline is strewn with magnificent beaches, yet broken with rocky outcrops in certain areas. The escarpments are often covered with rainforests while the plateau region consists mainly of the Karoo region (semi-desert) and savannah grassland. The country is further divided into 9 nine regions or provinces namely Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Northern Province, Northern Cape, Free State, North West Province and Mpumalanga. The country also owns the islands of Prince Edward and Marion. Climate South Africa is blessed with a mild temperature and lots of sunshine. The seasons are clearly defined between winter and summer, but the rainy seasons depends what region one is situated in. The southern part of the country has a winter rainfall (May to September) and rain can last for several days. The eastern part of the country is known for its short but fierce thunderstorms during the summer time (November through to March). The northern part of the country has a summer rainfall. The best period to see animals in the bigger parks like Kruger Park, is just before the summer rains start (September and October) when the grass is short, there are relatively few leaves on the trees and the animals are congregated around waterholes. Summary Area size: 1,219,080 km2 (470,689 square miles) Capital: Pretoria Currency: Rand Official Language: English, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, Tswana, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Venda Time: GMT + 2 Telephone Country Code: +27 Electricity: 220/230 V 3-pin round plug Required clothing Lightweight cottons are required for the sunny summer periods, but it is necessary to bring along sweaters for the cooler evenings and very warm clothes for the winter evenings (especially when hiking in mountainous areas). Raingear is essential throughout the year. Health and Safety  South Africa, although a country with an abundance of attractions, has unfortunately built a reputation for its high and violent crime rate. On the positive side, the majority of this crime is outside the tourist areas and within certain city areas. Do not walk alone at night and be extremely vigilant in the city of Johannesburg and the pedestrian zone of Cape Town. Car hijackings are common in Johannesburg and starting to become a problem in Cape Town too, so always make sure to lock car doors and be vigilant at all times in these regions. Outside these areas and you will be nearly as safe as any where else in the Western world, if not more. Although the cities have been earmarked as being dangerous, it is more than often no more dangerous than other big cities across the Western World and the countryside is still filled with hospitable, friendly people and one cannot afford miss out on the opportunity of travelling to this awesome country. Click here to read more about safety. Money Matters One Rand is equal to 100 cents Banks, forex bureaus and many hotels accept all major foreign currencies (travellers' cheques and cash). The best currency to use is US Dollar, British Pound and German Marks. Credit cards like Visa and MasterCard are accepted in the majority of shops, restaurants and hotels. It is also possible to withdraw money from these cards at various cash points. The import and export of SA Reserve Bank notes are limited to R5000. There is free import of foreign currency, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival. Accommodation and Food Accommodation and food are on par with Western standards except it is far cheaper. A full range of accommodation can be found throughout the country ranging from 5 star quality through to bed and breakfasts and campsites. Food is exceptionally good especially the variety of seafood including Kingklip, Kabeljou, Snoek, crayfish, prawns and calamari. Local delicacies include bobotie (a curried mince dish with a Malaysian influence), braaivleis (barbecued meat), biltong and droëwors (seasoned dried meat), potjiekos (a casserole cooked slowly in a round cast iron pot over a small fire) and waterblommetjiebredie (made from water crest). Tap water is drinkable (one of only 15 countries in the world), although bottled water is available throughout the country. Social Behaviour Handshaking is the customary greeting form. Casual clothes are accepted, but formal social gathering will necessitate more formal dress. When sunbathing the rule is do as others do. Tipping is normally 10% if a service charge is not included in the bill. Entry Requirements A passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond date of departure) and a visa are required for some nationalities, but many are issued at the point of entry. An International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever from travellers arriving from infected areas. Attractions & Activities South Africa has about all the possible activities that one can think of. Even snow skiing would be possible if enough snow fell in the Drakensberg Mountains. There are also a lot of places where on can rent equipment for activities, including sailing, mountain climbing, cycling, diving, jet-skiing and many more. One of the favourite activities is canoeing on rivers like the Orange (3 - 5 days easy and relaxing pedalling through a deserted rocky moon landscape), the Doring (1 - 3 days white water rafting), and many others. Hiking is extremely popular and hundreds of excellent trails criss-cross the country - some rustic and others with quality accommodation. These hiking trails are always exceptionally beautiful. Guided bus tours in the major cities are very popular and cover most of the highlights with a running commentary. Cities & Towns Cape Town Wrapped around the most famous icon of South Africa, Table Mountain, is the Mother City with its green gardens and white beaches. It is one of the loveliest cities in the world. There is such a wide variety of activities and attractions, that many visitors spend their whole holiday in this "Most Beautiful Cape of Them All". There are various scenic drives, like the one through the picturesque harbour town of Hout Bay along the breathtaking Chapman's Peak towards the Cape Of Good Hope (the most south-western point in Africa). Here one can imagine the two oceans (Indian and Atlantic) meeting. Take a stroll in the popular Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in the harbour, a boat ride to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner for two decades, or visit one of the many architectural and historical buildings in the city centre. The highlight of any visit is a trip, either hiking or using the ultra modern cable car, up the 1089 metre Table Mountain for some magnificent views of the surrounding areas. It serves as a good base for excursions to the nearby winelands of Stellenbosch and Paarl and the less touristy, but attractive West Coast. Also, let us not to forget to mention the famous Garden Route towards the rainforests of Knysna. Click here for organised scheduled day tours in Cape Townand here for scheduled tours to the surrounding areas of Cape Town. Click here for accommodation in Cape Town. Durban This cosmopolitan city is where the East, Europe and Africa meet. It lies in the province of Kwazulu Natal, known as the Garden of South Africa. There are a variety of attractions and activities to keep you occupied for an extended period of time. The beautiful beaches allow swimming all year round and are protected by shark nets. In the vicinity there are numerous attractions, including the Valley of the Thousand Hills with quaint little round thatch roof mud houses where the proud Zulu nation lives. Here one can visit villages for exhilarating traditional dances. In addition there are also game parks like Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserves, and even if one cannot pronounce the names, the abundance and variety of wildlife, including rhinos and elephants, is amazing. Click here for Durban Day Tours or accommodationin Durban. Johannesburg  Locally known as Jo'burg, this is a city that sprang up from nothing at the end of the 19th century after the discovery of gold. For this reason it is also recommended to visit the Gold Reef City, a leisure park, trying to capture the spirit of bygone times mixed with a modern theme park. A trip to Soweto, the nearby black suburb, will give you insight into their living conditions ranging from shanty towns, worker's hostels and rich neighbourhoods. Other attractions include the Botanical Gardens, displays by the mine dancers, the musical fountains at the Randburg Waterfront and almost 2200 million-year-old Wonder Cave. Click here for organised tours in Johannesburg or here for accommodation in the Gauteng Province. Game Reserves South Africa is becoming the safari hotspot of Africa and with such a wide choice of parks, it is little wonder. Even the smaller parks offer activities unique to their region, including hikes and scenic landscapes. All of them will make you, the visitor, want to come back to experience some more. The following are only a tiny proportion of the total amount of parks.  Kruger National Park This 20 000 km2 park does not need any introduction. With it's high density of a variety of game including elephant, more than 2000 lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard, cheetah, various antelope species, a prolific bird-life and good facilities, it is a must on any itinerary to South Africa. In fact this park is home to more species of wildlife than any other game park on the African continent and the diversity of landscapes is enough to visit the park time and time again. Reservations are essential during the peak holiday seasons. Adjacent private parks are more service orientated and concentrate on giving each individual a private and in-depth ultimate bush experience. Click here for accommodation in or around Kruger Park, here for tours going to Kruger Park or overland tours going through Kruger Park. Augrabies Falls National Park Tucked in the less-visited Northern Cape province near the town of Upington, this park is not as known for its sparse desert adapted animals as it is for the stunning 55 meter high waterfalls. These waterfalls are created as the Orange River bursts through granite rocks into the lower river bed and snakes towards the Atlantic Ocean. The small park has many surrealistic landscapes and a relocation program was started to reintroduce rhino. Kalahari Gemsbok Park Even more remote than Augrabies, this park is situated in one of the most stunning desert regions of the world - The Kalahari. Even with scarce vegetation, a variety of animals visit this park including the famous Kalahari lion, with its very dark mane, springbok, gemsbok (oryx) and a surprising amount of birds. Just after the rainy season, when the park is covered in short green grass, the antelope species give birth to a new generation. There is a choice of three camps, two with housed accommodation. All are situated amongst the red sand dunes where one can enjoy the stillness of the evenings and looking forward to the next day's game drives. Menu Tickets to and in Thailand Hotels per city Hostels per city Budget Accomodation Middle End Accomodation Top End Accomodation Car rental per city Guidebooks Thailand Trips Thailand Top10 roundtrips Travel Partners Country/Area links Asia Australia New Zealand China Thailand Cambodia India Europe The Netherlands France Italy Spain United Kingdom Croatia Latin America Argentina Mexico Peru North America United States Canada Alaska Africa South Africa Egypt Kenya More Countries Cities in Thailand Bangkok Chang Mai Islands in Thailand Ko Samui Phuket Ko Phi Phi Topcity links Amsterdam Florence Rome Barcelona Paris London Prague Berlin Lisbon Athens Brussels Vienna Moscow Buenos Aires Mexico City Capetown San Francisco New York Bangkok Beijing Oakland Sydney Bali     More Cities                               Package Deals China     Travel Tools Weather report China cities Travel Forum Backpacking Tours Travel News Country Map Travel Map         Partners               PS webdesign2006                Contact                        About Us                 Partners               Sitemap