Travel Destination: Spain
About Spain
South Africa is the adventure capital of the world. And it’s not really hard to figure out why. The country’s diversity is its main charm. It has become synonymous with safari holidays, wildlife treasures and awesome natural beauty.
It has eleven official languages (English, Zulu, Xhosa, Venda, Tswana, Tsonga, Swazi, Southern Sotho, Northern Soto, Southern Ndebele and Afrikaans), several religions (Christian, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism) and on top of that, it is considered a megadiverse country accounting for 10% of the world’s known species of plants.
Today’s South Africa is an example of unity in diversity (the country’s motto), of scenic landscapes, rich arts and culture, well developed communications, transport and energy sector and abundant natural resources. Its largest and most popular city, Johannesburg, is the source of large scale diamond and gold trade.
Exploring the country may take some time but your adventure can commence with sandboarding near Cape Town or Eastern Cape where the snow-white sand dunes provide as the platform for this enjoyable activity. For real snowy adventure, time your visit from June to August and make sure that you are booked at Tiffindell, the only ski resort by the Drakensberg Mountain where there are plenty of snowboarding and skiing opportunities.
Quad biking is also very popular with tourists since they can explore the scenic spots of South Africa at their own pace. A crash helmet is provided together with your rented quad bike and a guide will make sure that you reach the most interesting destinations. There are more than 60 different trails for this activity and you can choose between Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State Highlands, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Garden Route, and Western Cape. Wherever you choose to start, the landscape is guaranteed to take your breath away. Expect some exotic company, for there may be a leopard, springbok or rhino, as you cruise the trail. You’d pass by rivers, waterfalls, sandstone cliffs, vineyards and if you want to wonder at the biggest baobab tree in the world, include the Sunland Baobab near Tzaneen in your itinerary. The pub inside the tree’s 47m waistline trunk is never to be missed. There are overnight accommodations along the way and various pit stop activities that are good enough to make it a family adventure trip.
That is just the basic adventure trips of course. If your derring-do is beyond that and you have licence to fly, then you can try microlighting and get the bird’s eye view of the scenic wonders of South Africa.
If you however opt to keep your feet on the ground, you can frolic in South Africa’s pristine beaches in KwaZulu-Natal, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape and West Coast; discover the wineries, sea villages and farms; go sight seeing in Kruger Park where you can expect to see what they call the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, rhino and buffalo); and experience the hospitality of South Africans in the vibrant city called Soweto (Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu once lived there) where you can visit historical sites as well.
Take time to visit The Cradle of Humankind in the west of Johannesburg too. This is a World Heritage Site and it was here (Sterkfontein) that a three-million year-old hominid was discovered in 1936.
A short visit is never enough to uncover the South African mystique and once you’ve set foot on this land, coming back seems to be the most natural thing to do.