South Africa tourist information with details about
travel to and around the country. Where to stay and what to see is made easier with
insider tips and hand-selected South Africa links, by dedicated editors and visitors to
TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.
Countries neighbouring South Africa are: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. The independent country of Lesotho
forms an enclave in the eastern part of the country.
Weather in South Africa
View a graphical weather forecast for the week ahead in places around
South Africa.
Bloemfontein
Weather, Cape
Town Weather, Durban
Weather, East
London Weather, Johannesburg
Weather, Kimberley
Weather, Port
Elizabeth Weather, Pretoria
Weather, Upington
Weather.
The Republic of South Africa has some of the most spectacular
coastline on the continent; between Port Elizabeth and The Cape.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore the African
coast for a sea route to the East. See Portugal.
In 1652, the Dutch established a settlement on the Cape as a supply
base for the Dutch East India Company.
As more Dutch settlers arrived, joined by French Hugenots fleeing
persecution at home, the Khoikhoin slowly lost their lands.
During the Napoleonic Wars the British briefly occupied South Africa,
then in 1814 purchased the Cape Colony from the Dutch for £6 million.
Thousands of British colonists arrived to impose British law in the
area, and give protection to the Khoikhoin. English became the official language in 1822.
The Boers resented this and started the Great Trek -- a move north by
10,000 voortrekkers.
Bloody battles followed as the Boers sought fertile lands and able
locals to work them. The British also pushed their protectorates further and increased the
Boer loathing of them.
The discovery of Gold in the Boer controlled areas encouraged
thousands of British prospectors to move up in search of fortunes.
They were taxed heavily by the Boers and denied the right to vote,
causing a rebellion against Paul Kruger. The uprising was soon supported by soldiers from
the cape colony and the Boer War broke out.
The British suffered large early loses, but the Boer commandos were
gradually defeated, and the war formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of
Vereeniging in 1902.
The financial centre of South Africa is in the north-east of the
country.
The city was founded in 1886, above the world's largest known gold
deposits, and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange soon followed.
Most of today's gold mining occurs elsewhere on the Witwatersrand,
although corporate headquarters remain in Johannesburg.
Commissioner Street is the heart of the commercial area. Other
important buildings can be found around Eloff Street's shopping thoroughfare, south of the
city's railway station.
The Market Theatre complex includes several theatres as well as art
galleries.
Gold Reef City is recreation of a Victorian-era mining town for
tourists.
Accommodation in Johannesburg
Hotels
in Johannesburg:
Find hotels in Johannesburg with special online rates.
Sort Johannesburg Hotels by: Hotel
Price, Hotel
Rating, Hotel
Name.
To the south-west of Johannesburg lies the black township of
Soweto; established by South Africa's former white government to segregate the country's
black and white populations.
There are organised tours to the township from Johannesburg.
The most famous national park in South Africa is the Kruger National
Park.
The administrative capital of South Africa is well planned, with
large parks and a number of landmarks commemorating the history of Transvaal.
The people here speak mostly Africaans.
Sir Herbert Baker designed the curving Parliament Buildings in
Pretoria.
You can also visit the home of Paul Kruger, the president of the
breakaway South African Republic, or Transvaal, from 1883 to 1900.
The Transvaal Museum contains natural history displays, while the
Municipal Art Gallery features South African art and the Pretoria Art Museum has a
collection of 17th-century Dutch art.
Other collections are housed in the National Cultural History and
Open-Air Museum, and the Military Museum is located in the 19th century Fort Schanskop.
The National Zoological Gardens are also in Pretoria. No beaches in
the capital though, for that you'll have to head out to Durban and follow the coast down
to Cape Town.
Accommodation in Pretoria
Hotels
in Pretoria:
Find hotels in Pretoria with special online rates.
Known as Kaapstad in Afrikaans, Cape Town is the legislative
capital of South Africa.
Located at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, Cape Town is one of
South Africa's most popular holiday destinations; renowned for its scenic beauty and
selection of beaches.
It is also a regular port of call for freight and passenger vessels
rounding the Cape of Good Hope to the south.
There are many restaurants and tourist shops around the harbour, with
street entertainers performing below the magnificent backdrop of Table Mountain.
You can get to the top of Table Mountain by cable car if you don't
want to walk or drive. The view of the surrounding area is excellent.
On a Sunday, take the train out to Kalk Bay and enjoy your Fish Braai
to live music.
The oldest buildings in Cape Town are the Castle, and the Dutch
Reformed Church.
The Malay Quarter on Signal Hill has interesting old Dutch-style
buildings and mosques.
As well as the houses of Parliament, Cape Town has a good selection of
museums to visit; most notably the Michaelis Collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish
paintings.
Robben Island:
The Robben Island Museum was established as a National Monument and National Museum, by
the Cabinet of the South African Government, in September 1996. Nelson Mandela was
imprisoned there before he became President, and revisited his former cell to light a
candle for democracy as part of South Africa's Year 2000 ceremony.
Somerton Manor:
Furnished with period pieces and original artworks, this home offers a unique combination
of old-world charm and ultra-modern facilities. Somerset West, on False Bay.
Accommodation in Cape Town
Hotels
in Cape Town:
Find hotels in Cape Town with special online rates.
Sort Cape Town Hotels by: Hotel
Price, Hotel
Rating, Hotel
Name.
Located in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Durban is a seaport and whaling
station on the Indian Ocean. It is also a popular beach resort.
Durban is blessed with balmy weather all year round, making it a
perfect holiday paradise. The beachfront is bordered by five star hotels and luxury
apartments, all of which have an idyllic view of the Indian Ocean.
KwaZulu-Natal:
The official site of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority. KwaZulu-Natal can be divided
into nine tourism regions.
Accommodation in Durban
Hotels
in Durban:
Find hotels in Durban with special online rates.
East London is another popular beach resort, halfway down the
Indian Ocean coast of South Africa.
It was used as a British garrison during a war between the British and
the indigenous Xhosas in 1847.
Fine beaches are also found at Port Elizabeth, further south of
East London.
The King George VI Art Gallery has collections of British and South
African art, while the Port Elizabeth Museum has natural history exhibits, an Oceanarium,
and a collection of reptiles.
You can also visit Fort Frederick, built by the British in 1799, and
the nearby Addo Elephant National Park.
Accommodation in Port Elizabeth
Hotels
in Port Elizabeth:
Find hotels in Port Elizabeth with special online rates.
The capital of the Free State is the judicial capital of South
Africa; home to the highest court in the land.
The beautiful natural setting helped to give Bloemfontein its name:
'Fountain of Flowers'.
Accommodation in Bloemfontein
Hotels
in Bloemfontein:
Find hotels in Bloemfontein with special online rates.
South Africa by Rail
The railway system in South Africa links all main centres.
The Blue Train:
The Blue Train has an aura of mystique about it. Kings and presidents have travelled on
this magnificent moving five-star hotel. The route between Pretoria and Cape Town is a
27-hour journey of 1,600 kilometres (994 miles), through some of the most diverse and
spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent.
South Africa by Road
The best way to enjoy the scenery is to travel down South Africa,
along the coast.
Baz Bus:
One of the most significant developments of the backpacking industry in South Africa has
to be the Baz Bus. Specifically designed for budget travellers and backpackers, the Baz
Bus picks them up and drops them off at backpacker hostels or lodges around the country.
Buy one ticket to your final destination and you can stop-off
wherever and as many times as you like.
Baz Bus Routes:
Johannesburg or Pretoria to Cape Town, via Swaziland or Drakensburg.
Cape Town to Durban.
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
Johannesburg or Pretoria to Durban, via Swaziland and Drakensburg on a
'Loop Ticket'.
South Africa by Air
The busiest airport is Johannesburg, but you can also fly to Rio
de Janeiro from Cape Town.
Airlines & Airports:
South African Airways is the major airline, and the country is also served by several
smaller carriers as well as foreign airlines.
Coast to Coast:
Colourful backpackers guide to southern Africa.
South Africa Explored:
Plenty of information to help you plan your visit to South Africa. Enjoy your travels.
South African Museums:
Your gateway to the museums of South Africa.
Coach House:
Offers luxurious five star accommodation and renowned cuisine amidst spectacular mountain
scenery. Close to Kruger National Park, in the heart of wild Africa.
Phalaborwa:
Situated in the heart of the Valley of the Olifants in the Lowveld of the Northern
Province, South Africa, Phalaborwa forms the central gate to the world-renowned Kruger
National Park and is known as The True Gateway to Game and Golf.
Soutpansberg Tourism:
This vast dominating range of mountains, stretching in a mighty panorama from east to west
across the northern reaches of the Northern Province of South Africa, is unique in its
splendour and beauty.
The
Ranch:
The privately run Ranch Hotel is situated on 1,000 hectares of South African bushveld,
only 2 hours drive north of Pretoria (on the N1) and 20 minutes south of Pietersburg.
Hostels
in South Africa - popular hostels fill up early, so it helps to reserve in advance to
avoid disappointment.
Budget accommodation around South Africa:
Barrydale,
Bryanston,
Cape
Town, Cintsa,
Clarens,
Drakensberg,
Durban,
East
London, Eshowe,
Gingingdlovu,
Harkerville,
Hazyview,
Hermanus,
Hoedspruit,
Jeffreys
Bay, Johannesburg,
Kruger
Park, Kwambonambi,
Kwazulu
Natal, Margate,
Mossel
Bay, Mpumalanga,
Nieu
Bethesda, Oudtshoorn,
Pietermaritzburg,
Plettenberg
Bay, Port
Edward, Port
Elizabeth, Pretoria,
Rhodes,
Sedgefield,
Southern
Drakensberg, St
Lucia, Stellenbosch,
Transkei,
Wilderness.
Paradise Found - Knysna:
Bed and Breakfast or self-catering accommodation; with an heavenly view of Knysna Lagoon.
10% discount to Travel Notes members.
The
Place On The Bay:
This cosmopolitan retreat, perfectly positioned on the Atlantic Seaboard, offers
exclusive, luxury, self-catering apartments in the heart of Cape Town's trendiest suburb,
Camps Bay.
South Africa Hotel Directory
Hotels
in Bloemfontein, Hotels
in Cape Town, Hotels
in Durban, Hotels
in Johannesburg, Hotels
in Port Elizabeth, Hotels
in Pretoria.
African Safaris:
The Travel Notes section for tour operators who offer wildlife safaris to Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Planning a trip to South Africa
Make sure you plan your trip to include two thirds of your time on the
Eastern side of South Africa. This is rural Africa rich in cultural heritage, history and
the oldest game park in Africa - Hluhluwe-Umfolozi.
Home to the Zulu Nation, the Kingdom of KwaZulu-Natal has everything
from mountains to beaches, from nature to buzzing city life (Durban).
Sent in by: Gibela
Safaris.
Phalaborwa
Phalaborwa is surrounded by game farms and natural wonders. The area
is a natural heritage site and evidence of ancient copper workings by tribes such as the
Ba-Phalaborwa people can still be seen.
Play 18-holes of golf on the championship Hans Merensky Golf Course,
while giving way to wildlife.
Skydiving, river rafting, river cruises, 4x4 trails, bird watching,
hiking, horse safaris are some of the activities on offer.
Phalaborwa is a safe and peaceful town with all the modern facilities
to make your stay comfortable.
Best Time to Visit South Africa
It all depends on what you want to visit. In general between April and
May, or September and November; when the weather is at its best. This falls into South
Africa's Autumn and Spring.
The rainy seasons for the Kruger Park is in December-January and for
Cape Town during June and July.
South Africa's Winter runs from the end of May to the end of August.
Then you can expect very cold temperature and snowfalls on the mountains.
What To Take When Visiting South Africa
Comfortable clothes!
In summer, wear something cool with a warmer clothing for the
evenings. In Winter, a bit of both, since during the day temperatures can get warm, but
evenings are cold.
In general: Some comfortable Shoes to walk with, a hat, sunscreen,
sunglasses.
Safety in South Africa
Crime is a problem in any country. Please make sure to leave valuables
in the hotel safe. Don't travel with large amounts of cash at a time.
Stay in groups and out of dark lonely alleys.
Will we be able to travel by ourselves?
Yes, the roads in South Africa are in a good condition.
Rental Cars are available
with unlimited kilometres.
Ananzi:
The South African Search Engine.
Books
on South Africa Travel:
Browse Amazon's best-selling list of books on travel in South Africa.
|
