10 Great Reasons to Travel Half Way Around the World to South Africa

Since I moved to Arizona from South Africa 2.5 years ago, I have been asked very many times: "just how long does it take to travel from Phoenix to Cape Town?". Well, it does take some time - 20 hours if you fly via London. Take my word for it though, its worth every minute of the journey for what you will see, eat and experience once you get there.

Since you may feel that I am a little biased (this is my homeland we are talking about here), I have compiled a short-list of 10 very good, very "Google-able" reasons to make the journey, and put a visit to the incredible South Africa as number 1 on your "bucket list".

Reason 1: As a "rainbow nation" that has embraced its eclectic mix of Africans and immigrants, South Africa is extremely diverse and offers a unique mix of culture, wildlife, and beautiful landscape. It is one of the more developed countries in Africa, yet it passionately retains a traditional African flavor in its food, music and vibrant culture despite the modern and Western influences. This, coupled with the wild African bush, and an abundance of untamed wildlife; makes South Africa and its people truly special.

Reason 2: South Africans are extremely friendly, and proud of their nation and how far it has come in its struggle to freedom over the years. We are very hospitable, and love to talk about our history and variety of cultures. Just ask us!

Reason 3: Bobotie, Amarula Cream, Pap en Sous, and Koeksisters. Good food is high on the list of priorities in South Africa, and a very important part of the social culture. Bobotie is often named as the national dish, but this demonstrates how integrated the cultures have become given that this is in fact a Malay dish (more than a traditional African one). There are many delicious, exotic and interesting foods to try while you are there, but make sure these are also on your list. P.S. The sushi in coastal Cape Town is outstanding too!

Reason 4: Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of the absolute best places in the world for viewing African wildlife. It is one of the biggest in Africa at 7,523 sq miles (about the size of New Jersey) and has an astonishing variety of species including 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 520 birds and 147 mammals, including the famous 'big 5' - the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros.

Heed this warning - watching wildlife is highly addictive! I can't even count on my hands and feet how many safaris I have been on, and I still never get tired of watching a herd of elephants grazing, or hippos wallowing, or feeling the excitement of witnessing a lioness or a leopard stalking its prey, right to the moment of the kill as it happens.

Reason 5: South Africa has a fantastic climate, most especially in Spring and Fall when the weather is temperate. Remember that because its in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are opposite to the US. So just as Arizonans are coming out of the blazing hot summer in September, its cool spring with some rainfall in Cape Town (imagine how wonderful that would be!)

Reason 6: This is the home of Nelson Mandela - a man who suffered and sacrificed greatly for his people and then led South Africa into a peaceful democracy. He is the man who said: "It always seems impossible until it's done." I love that! Some of the most moving sites relive the historical change from the old ways to the new.

Reason 7: Cape Town is an extraordinary city, but the provincial countryside also produces some of the best wines in the world. If you like that sort of thing, there are colonial-style vineyards aplenty, and even if you aren't a lover of wines - the wine regions themselves are both beautiful and rich with the history of early modern South Africa.

Reason 8: South Africa has 8 World Heritage sites, including the largest, oldest and most deeply eroded meteor crater found on Earth, dating back more than 2 billion years and measuring 120 miles in diameter.

Reason 9: There is no language barrier for American visitors. Yes, there are 11 official spoken languages in South Africa, but English is one of them and most everyone speaks it.

Reason 10: The South African Rand is weak compared to the US Dollar - currently at 10:1. Whilst this is bad for South Africans visiting the US, its wonderful for Americans visiting South Africa as it gives you so much more spending power! Trust me, you will definitely want to pack light so that you have plenty of space in your bag for all the memorabilia and gifts you will want to buy.

There are so many more reasons to visit, but hopefully these 10 will encourage you to seriously consider making the trip.

Join me on a personal "Cape Town to Kruger Park" tour in September 2013 or April 2014. Sign up now, as there are a maximum of only 12 participants per group on this 12 day tour of South Africa.

On the trip, we will visit the historic and extremely beautiful Cape Town (my home town), including scenic coastal excursions followed by an exciting ocean tour to see the world famous breaching Great White Sharks, Cape Fur Seals, Dolphins, and the Southern Right Whales, which are typically in the bay in September of each year for calving. Our tour ends with a grand finale as we travel North from Cape Town to the world famous Kruger National Park for a 4 day luxury bush safari with a trained ranger to track, view and photograph the African big five and many other incredible animals in their natural environment.

For more information or to book your place on a tour, visit http://www.othentiktours.com. I look forward to meeting you in person and to sharing that moment with you as you fall in love with my homeland - the incredible South Africa!

Article Source: Carol_Tappenden

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Cape Town Weather

With a large mountain and two oceans to influence its climate, you can experience all kinds of weather in Cape Town. In fact, within Cape Town itself you can experience microclimates with different parts of the city experiencing slightly different conditions.

For visitors planning a trip to Cape Town, here is a summary of the average weather conditions they should expect at different times of year.

Summer is from mid-October to March. The peak summer season for tourism is between November and February. Temperatures at this time tend to be between lows of 16 (61F) and highs of 26 Celsius (79F). It is a Mediterranean climate with long sunny days and little rainfall.

A strong, south-easterly wind known as the Cape Doctor sometimes blows through Cape Town making it feel cooler than the actual temperatures would suggest. It is called the Cape Doctor because locals believe it blows away pollution.

Spring is around September/October time. Highs will be around 19 to 21 Celsius (66F - 70F) and lows between 9 to 11 Celcius (48F - 52F). At this time of year you can enjoy stunning scenes as flowers come into bloom. The West Coast is especially well-known for its beauty at this time. It is also when Whales visit the coastline, bringing many tourists to places like Hermanus.

Autumn is around April/May and you can expect lows of 9 Celsius (48F) and highs of around 22 Celsius (72F). Just like spring the days can be quite pleasant, but evenings tend to be a little cold.

Both spring and autumn can be good times to visit for people who do not like the very hot weather of peak summer season.

Winter is when Cape Town is traditionally cold and wet. That said, during the months of June, July and August highs of around 17 Celsius (63F) are not uncommon. You can also enjoy dry periods during winter.

The other factor to take into account when visiting Cape Town is the wind. There are certain beaches such as Clifton and Llandudno which are fairly well sheltered from the wind. If the winds are strong it may be best to choose one of these if you are looking to spend some time by the sea.

The strong winds can mean cloud cover forms very quickly. This can catch out tourists visiting the top of Table Mountain. Even on hot days it can get chilly at the top of the mountain, and cloud cover can mean views from the top are limited.

Overall, Cape Town's climate is quite temperate and with such a scenic backdrop, the different seasons all have their own appeal. Whatever time you are visiting Cape Town, be prepared for the weather you are likely to face and enjoy all this beautiful city has to offer.

http://www.sightseer.tv Mark Egan is a former BBC journalist, multi-media expert and trainer. Sightseer.TV is a innovative travel video website featuring dozens of videos from Cape Town, London and Buenos Aires. These short, snappy videos aim to make site users feel like they are being shown around these cities by a friend. Mark Egan is based in London and does work for major broadcasters and websites.

Article Source: Mark_A_Egan

 

Four of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth to Visit

God has surely blessed us with a wonderful and amazing world. A world blessed with many magnificent and beautiful sights that words can never describe. However, a lot of us live in modern cities filled with tall sky scrapers and bustling streets. That is why we tend to miss out what God has showered upon us and what Mother Nature has to show.

There are surely a lot of beautiful places around the world that an article alone cannot describe all of them. Nonetheless, it does not mean that we cannot check out some of them. Listed below are four beautiful places that the world has to offer.

1. The Grand Canyon

This place is surely known all over the world, and this may be a very old tourist attraction it still offers a great view that will surely amaze you and render you speechless of such beauty that it offers. The Grand Canyon stretches about 445 kilometers in length, 7 to 29 kilometers in width and about 1.5 kilometers deep.

One amazing fact about the Grand Canyon is that it was created by the Colorado River over a six million period through rock erosion.

2. Skardu Valley

Skardu Valley is located in the northern part of Pakistan. This amazing place is part of a little town called Baltistan, which is spread over an area of about 26, 000 square kilometers. Skardu Valley is situated in the banks of the Indus River which is 8 kilometers above the Shigar River. A vast valley coupled with perched heights that reach 7,500 feet above. Skardu valley gives a cool and bracing climate that you will surely enjoy especially early in the morning.

One historical site that you can visit in Skardu is the Kharfocho Fort. Gralpos, One of the most famous monarchs of Skardu built this fort after he conquered Laddakh in the 16th century.

3. Cape Town

Not only are the scenery and the tourist spots here beautiful but the city itself is full of amazing wonders. Located in South Africa and famously known as "Heaven on Earth." Surrounded with huge mountains and amazing sites, this place will seize to amaze you.

Cape Town may be considered as a bustling city in itself but one amazing fact about their building that it has an architectural background deeply rooted to its heritage. The weather here in Cape Town is cool but comfy. Temperatures that range from 45 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit couple with warm coffee in the morning an adventure here in Cape Town is surely worth it.

4. Machu Picchu

Well, if you are the type that loves historical and ancient sites, then Machu Picchu is a perfect place for you. A very beautiful place that is rich in traditions and history. Machu Picchu is located about 2.5 kilometers above sea level. This is a place situated in the mountain ridge just above the Urubamba Valley in Peru.

Machu Picchu basically means "Old Peak" and was built by the Inca people long ago and was considered a very sacred place. The structures are made of granite, which can weight about 50 tons in average. It is really amazing to know that these marvelous structures were built by the Inca people who lived in the 14th century.

If you're looking for more detailed info about the most beautiful places on earth and if you want to find more about this topic. Visit now our site at http://beautifulplacesinsider.org

Article Source: Ida_Bates

 

10 Top Locations for Watersports

1. Waikiki, Hawaii

This 2-mile beach is located in Honolulu on the south coast of the largest island in Hawaii, Oahu. This was the beautiful, most popular vacation spot for royalty in the area. Waikiki is famous for surfing. You can even do a surfing lesson from beginners to advance there. This world attraction is filled with many things to do such as jet boat tours, catamaran cruises, scuba diving and snorkeling, canoeing and popular dolphin tours.

2. Capetown, South Africa

South Africa has some of the best watersports facilities in the world. Among the top locations are Durban, Jeffrey's Bay, East London and of course, Capetown. Capetown is best known for its windsurfing and kite surfing. You can also do sea kayaking and the more challenging sport of surf--skiing. Surf--skiing is well known in South Africa and they often have races and is known to be so much fun.

3. New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the most popular countries for watersports. It is here that jet boats were invented and this country also boasts of winning the gold medal at a sailing regatta in Europe this year. This definitely shows that New Zealanders are serious about watersports. Some of the popular places to visit are Auckland for sailing and Rotoura for white water rafting.

4. Costa Rica

In this Central American country you can experience watersports in rivers, lakes, The Pacific Coast and the Caribbean Sea. There's so much to do in this country from whitewater rafting on the rapids or water rappelling up the waterfalls to surfing at Jaco or Playa Tamarindo Beaches. Kayaking at sunset on the Pacific side is recommended for those who just want to kick back and relax.

5. Australia

There are several locations for watersports in the land Down Under. The Gold Coast, located on the North Eastern coastline of Australia, it is a favourite spot for surfing, sailing, jet boating, water skiing diving, snorkeling and kayaking.

6. Spain

When you think about watersports locations in Spain, Andalucía will most likely be mentioned. It's filled with much to do there - fishing, dolphin viewing excursions and water skiing. Inland there are also watersports activities such as canoeing and rowing.

7. England

From the North to the South and from the East to the West of England, you will find watersport activities. East England has some of the best locations in the country. You can learn to sail on Graham Water one of their largest Reservoirs. You can also visit Hunstanton for windsurfing, Kessingland for kite-boarding or South-End-On-Sea for jet-skiing.

8. Ireland

Ireland is among the top watersports locations in Europe and the world at large. Some of the best spots are Clew Bay, Port Rust, Portstewart and Brandon Bay. Ireland is regarded as one of the best all-year-round watersports locations. Dublin is also a popular location for wind and water surfing.

9. California, USA

Most of the watersports activities are located in Southern California while some are also found around the San Francisco and Santa Barbara area. There one can enjoy the Pacific Ocean to do surfing. Sea kayaking is also popular in places like Catalina Island, Morro Bay and Tomales Bay.

10. Brazil

Brazil is one of the most sought-after spots for water sports, especially for surfing. Two of the most popular places are Joaquina Beach in Santa Catarina state and Saquarema in Rio. Another popular spot is Combuco, a small beach village not far from the Fortaleza International Airport. Combuco is best known for its kite-surfing and is an attractive vacation spot located equipped with numerous sand dunes and quaint guest houses.

By the way, do you want to learn more about Travel and Leisure? If so, I suggest you check jet boat and jet boat rides.

Article Source: Edmond_Wallace