From city breaks to luxury safaris and wine tours, there are a great range of luxury holidays in South Africa. It is a fascinating country – the unique geography ranges from the safari reserves to verdant winelands and subtropical regions, and exploration of the diverse South African countryside is hugely rewarding.

It combines fascinating tracts of untamed wilderness with a refined sense of luxury – the wine here is world famous, there are excellent guided tours to all the major sights and destinations, and there is also an excellent range of luxury hotels in South Africa. You can combine safaris and wildlife tours with great accommodation and plenty of comfort – truly the best of both worlds!

If you are still looking for inspiration, here are some great ideas for a luxury holiday in South Africa…

Visit Cape Town in Style

Cape Town is an essential place to visit on any South Africa holiday. The Victoria and Albert Waterfront is a delightful place to stroll along and take in the sights and from here, you can catch a ferry for Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Cape Town has some superb beaches, and whether you hike or take the cable car, a visit to the top of Table Mountain (which overlooks the city) provides unforgettable views over the city and the Cape of Good Hope.

Take a Luxury Safari

When most people think of holidays in South Africa, they think of safaris. There is an amazingly diverse range of wildlife in this country, from big game animals like rhinos, elephants and lions to many other animals, including giraffes, zebras and hippopotami. A South Africa safari holiday gives a unique opportunity to see these animals up close in their natural environment. Best of all, it is possible to safari in style! The luxury lodges of Kruger Park and the other game reserves are wonderful places to stay out in the wilderness, so you can enjoy every comfort after a day on safari.

Explore the Winelands and Follow the Garden Route

It has long been famous for its outstanding wines, and no luxury holiday to South Africa would be complete without a visit to the wine producing valleys. These are unique in Africa; unusually they have a Mediterranean climate that provides the perfect conditions to produce some of the world’s finest wines. You can take a driving tour of the winelands, sampling the wine and admiring the countryside, and then head out into the lakes, mountain passes and lush forests of the Garden Route along the west coast.

Go Multi Centre

If you want to go further on your luxury holiday than South Africa on its own, you can combine it with a visit to another nearby African country. You could combine a city break in Cape Town with a safari and then go and see the spectacular Victoria Falls in Zambia or follow up a Kruger safari with a beach retreat in Mozambique, or one of a dozen other combinations. Southern Africa is an amazingly diverse region, and a multi centre holiday is a great way to sample the highlights of several different countries.

Here you will find the Picture’s from the safari in Kruger park. Thanks Edwin

Morocco is one of the most fascinating destinations to visit on a holiday to North Africa. Culturally, it is a heady mixture of Arabic, North African, Berber and French Colonial influences, and haggling in souks, enjoying fine French cuisine, wandering through medieval medinas, camel trips to the desert, and trekking through the High Atlas Mountains are just some of the experiences on offer. There’s so much to see and do in the cities and the countryside that it can be hard to narrow down the choices for your trip, but if you are after the very essential sights to see on a holiday to Morocco, look no further than these five…

The Fez Medina

The medina, or “Old Town”, of Fez is perhaps the best preserved medieval city in the world. It was built in the 14th century, and aside from the introduction of electric lighting, little seems to have changed in the six hundred years. Traditional craftsmen still make and ply their wares in one room workshops, and overburdened donkeys are still the only form of transport that can be used in the Medina. The narrow winding streets are a maze for the unwary, and taking a half or full day guided tour may be the best way to see all the sights the Fez medina has to offer on your holiday in Morocco.

Ait Benhaddou

Ait Benhaddou is a series of old Kasbahs located near Ouarzazate, and this fort town is in a stunning position amidst rocky hills and palm trees. Ait Benhaddou has been the backdrop for numerous films, including Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator, and the nearby film studio in Ouarzazate is now one of the largest studios in the world. It is one of the most popular sights to see while on holiday in Morocco, and it is definitely worth making the time and taking a day trip here.

The Djemma el Fna in Marrakech

Translated variously as “The Mosque of Nothing” and “The Assembly of the Dead”, the central square in Marrakech is perhaps the most unforgettable sight to see while on holiday in Morocco. By day it is a market, with fruit sellers, fortune tellers, henna painters and snake charmers, but it is by night that it really comes to life. Crowds of Moroccans surge around the storytellers and musicians on the south side of the square, while the traditional medicine men and dentists who populate the north side continue to serve the needs of the locals; it is one of the most remarkable sights in the country.

The Town of Chefchaouen

This delightful blue-walled town is one of the most beautiful small towns in North Africa. A holiday here offers perfect relaxation – hiking in the Rif Mountains that surround the city, haggling in the little market at the centre of town, sipping mint tea in the many little cafes, or simply wandering through the streets and enjoying the unusual sky blue buildings.

Ramparts of Essaouira

The port city of Essaouira, located a few hours from Marrakech, is fast becoming one of the holiday highlights of Morocco. The relaxed coastal atmosphere, beautiful old medina and dramatic coastline are all attractions of the city, but the real highlight is the set of old ramparts that run along the seafront. Walking the old fortifications, complete with 17th century cannons, is like talking a walk in time through the city’s colonial history – the architecture is a beguiling mixture of Portuguese, French and Berber styles, and the views are simply spectacular.

If you are a regular holiday maker and you have not yet visited South Africa, then you should consider booking your next holiday to this luxurious location. South Africa is becoming a very popular tourist destination; holiday makers are now going there regularly, and enjoying great family trips and activities.

South Africa shares its borders with Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland. The surrounding ocean is called the Indian Ocean and it also integrates a section in the Atlantic. South Africa also has the largest economy, so therefore is one of the most developed and influential places in the whole of Africa itself. When a lot of people hear Africa they think of it as a very poor country, this is not true and only applies to certain areas.

The main reason for South Africa’s rise in popularity is because of the tourist attractions. Its natural beauty compromise of mountain ranges, parks and there outstanding coastline beaches.

There are a few must see destinations which you will have to visit while on your trip, the first would be the world renowned Kruger National park. This is a very well known tourist attraction, as you can be close to nature’s beauty and catch a glimpse of the exotic animals, including elephants, lions and leopards.

Another great place to visit would be one of the many natural waterfalls. One of the most visited being, Augrabies Falls. It is set in a beautiful location; you can then take a trip down the Blyde River Canyon where you will be able to relax and unwind.

Garden Route is also known as the heaven of South Africa. This is a route that starts from the Mossel Bay and reaches Port Elizabeth. Visitors love to go there and admire the perfect scenery and natural states. There are several opportunities for hiking available in almost every park in South Africa. But the only aspect that you need to take care of is the hot temperatures.

South Africa is also a great place to go surfing. It’s not just Australia that caters for expert surfers these days, Jeffrey Bay in South Africa will blow your mind with there great waters and waves.

You can either rent or buy a holiday home in South Africa, at the moment they are still at reasonable prices. This being said though with the current popularity in the country itself, the economy and prices could see a healthy increase.

Visitors coming to South Africa don’t always know what to expect or what they are going to see. Below I have selected some of the most asked questions and have supplied some suggestions but there are numerous things to do and see. So numerous in fact that if I had to write it all down here this article will turn out to be a book. So please use the suggestions but know that there are many more things on often in this incredible country.

Security:

South Africa is a land of incredible beauty but as a developing country you definitely have to be security conscious and inquire about the guidelines that need to be followed in regard to this at the airports, tourism information desks and police station. By following these guidelines you will have a hassle free and enjoyable holiday.

Should I visit Johannesburg?

Johannesburg isn’t a bad place to visit and there are a lot of interesting attractions in and around Johannesburg. If you enjoy shopping then this is definitely a shopper’s paradise from the Oriental Plaza to Sandton City there is a wide selection of boutiques, interesting items and many more. Most malls have restaurants, cinemas and much, much more. If you enjoy the gaming zone then go and look at some of the casinos such as Emperors palace, Carnival city and Gold reef city.

There are amusement parks and tours for everyday sight seers. If you’re feeling adventurous then take one of the township tours or stay in the 4star Protea hotel in Soweto.

If it’s wild life you’re after then Johannesburg offers a few day parks such as the lion park or elephant sanctuary and Johannesburg zoo is also a very popular attraction. All in all look at spending about 4 days in Johannesburg to see the sights and attractions and don’t miss out the night life.

Where are the good hiking areas?

If you are a hiking enthusiast then there are many hiking trails to be tried. My personal favourite is the hiking trails in Barberton near Nelspruit. The scenery is exquisite with its ruggedness and beauty. If you are looking for more information on different trails around South Africa then go to http://www.trails.co.za/  to see some of the best trails in and around South Africa.

What type of safari is the best?

The best safari type outing is definitely the Kruger National Park which offers a wide range of accommodations from camping to luxury chalets. It is roughly the size of great Britain, so there is definitely a lot of exploring to be done. The best thing you can do is stay for about a week to experience some of the wonderful things to be experienced in the park such as night drives and sunrise guarded walks through the wild. There are a few other parks to be looked into like the Pielansberg nature reserve. For more information about South Africa’s parks and reserves go to southafrica-traveL on the net.

What is a good Wine tour?

The wine tours in the Western Cape are fantastic with a lot to offer. It is always a good idea to book a tour to the various wine routes but if you wanted to do so yourself then why not hire a car from places such as www.wisewheels.co.za and please remember that South Africa has a strict policy against drinking and driving. A good site to go to for different tours on offer is wineanorak so look them up for more information.

What else is there to do?

Some other wonderful spots are on the Kwazulu Natal coastline and if you like fishing then don’t miss the Amanzimtoti Sardine run which occurs yearly and has turned into a wonderful festival called the Amanzimtoti sardine splash. Go visit the Grahamstown Arts festival for a cultural explosion occurring yearly this celebration of the arts is always a good fun and enlightening experience.

Should I fly, drive or go by train from Cape Town to Johannesburg?

The question of flying driving or going by train is a bit of a conundrum as it depends how much of South Africa you would like to see and how much time you have. To drive from Cape Town to Johannesburg can take 1 to 2 days depending on whether you stop half way or not but driving can be a pleasurable experience as you will be able to see a whole lot more of the diversity South Africa has to offer but word of warning try to plan the route before you go as it can be a very long journey if you don’t. Why not hire a car or get more information from www.southafrica-carhire.com. Going by train is also a lot of fun to experience life in South Africa. It is a set journey that can take up to 5 days but you see some beautiful country side and have some fabulous experiences. Flying is obviously the quickest way to go as it takes an average of 2hrs to fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg with many service providers for your flight booking. Shop around and you can probably find a very, very cheap ticket. 

Go and explore this welcoming and absolutely amazing country and see diversity and things of interest that you would never have imagined seeing or experiencing.

What is Kruger National Park?

Spanning over 2 million hectares, Kruger National Park is the biggest game reserve in South Africa and is the safari destination of choice for over a million visitors every year. Located in the north east of the South Africa, it was first established in 1926 to protect the animals in the reserve from poachers, hunters and cattle farmers. Set in untouched natural wilderness and teeming with wildlife, it’s no surprise that Kruger National Park is renowned as one of the biggest and best natural game reserves in the world.

Why Go?

Kruger National Park safaris are massively popular; indeed, the park by a long way the favoured destination for safaris in South Africa. It’s easy to see why – the park is an animal lover’s dream come true. Kruger has large numbers of all of the ‘Big 5′ game animals (so called because they are the most challenging animals to hunt on foot): elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos. Any Kruger National Park safari is likely to give you an excellent view of some of these rare and remarkable creatures, as well as many of the other animals that live in the park (including thousands of giraffe, hippopotami and zebra) and over 500 species of bird.

These animals live in a great variety of habitats throughout the park; scrubland, savanna, sandveld, bushveld plains, forests and thickets are all present in the game reserve. In addition to being one of the biggest and most diverse parks in the world, it also has a superbly maintained infrastructure for visitors on Kruger National Park safaris. Dozens of companies run tours into the park (including both driving and walking safaris), and a range of lodges and campsites are carefully spread through Kruger, providing plenty of places to stay while maintaining the untamed wilderness feel of the park. If you want to go on a South Africa safari, Kruger National Park offers the perfect blend of accessibility, natural wilderness and diverse wildlife.

Transport and Accommodation in Kruger Park

Kruger National Park safaris are typically conducted in 4×4s, which are up to the challenge of negotiating the tough terrain, and hire cars are available for those who want to travel independently through the park. If you do decide to go independently, make sure you read up on the rules of the park (the most important of these is also the easiest to remember – stay in your vehicle at all times!)

While day trips are available to Kruger, most people choose to stay in the park itself as part of their South Africa safaris. A huge range of accommodation is available, from basic campsites all the way up to exclusive luxury safari lodges. Many of these luxury lodges, including the Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga lodge, are designed in a traditional African style, and all of them offer luxury comfort in gorgeous wilderness surroundings. The lodges in Kruger provide the best accommodation available for safaris in South Africa, and are a highlight of many people’s holidays.

While South Africa is dotted with a number of urban centers, there can be little doubt that the top three SA cities are Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.

Each of these cities has a unique character that draws different types of people.

See which one appeals the most to you!

Johannesburg / Jo’burg / Jozi

For young, vibey, fast-paced living.

The pulsing city with a heart of pure gold, Johannesburg is known as Egoli (place of gold), Jo’burg, and today also carries the trendy name of Jozi.

A relatively young city, Jo’burg traces its modern history back to 1886 when it sprang up as a gold-rush shanty town.

Today this thriving bustling city is the most densely populated South African city, home to 3 225 800 people and growing.

Jo’burg has a pleasant balmy climate for most of the year and is renowned for dramatic afternoon thunderstorms in summer. The nights can get pretty cool, especially in winter.

The city of Johannesburg has no mountains or coastline to shape it, and it is an enormous, sprawling urban jungle.

Some of the top attractions in and around Jo’burg include the Sterkfontein caves, the township of Soweto, The Apartheid Museum, the Mai Mai Herbalist market and Rosebank craft market.

Jo’burg is a shopper’s paradise – there are numerous malls – and the Sandton area is particularly popular with shopaholics.

Durban – Durbs-by-the-Sea

Steaming hot, yet so damn cool!

The settlement of Port Natal only really started in 1823, although Vasco da Gama has ‘discovered’ it back in 1497.

Most people equate Durban with a laid back, ‘chilled’ atmosphere, and also with extremely humid heat, almost all year round. For many Durban is the place to live if you love to surf, but there is more to this city than awesome waves, golden beaches, sugar cane plantations and palm trees.

Durban lies in the heart of the Zulu kingdom, land of King Shaka, which gives the entire region a rich cultural history that can be felt just by walking through the hot streets. A large ‘Indian’ community also calls Durban home, and these people add their own flavor to the city’s effervescent, colorful population.

Durban offers great shopping at malls and markets, historical and cultural attractions and plenty for families to do. Perhaps the most well-known tourist spot is uShaka Marine World which boasts an aquarium, dolphinarium and snorkel reef, a world of water slides and marine-theme shopping.

Cape Town – The Mother City

Paradise found – between the mountains and the two oceans

Cape Town as an urban settlement began in the mid-1600’s as a trading post for ships passing the tip of Africa en route to The East.

Today Cape Town is loved for its breathtaking natural beauty, with Table Mountain dominating the views from almost anywhere in the city. The beaches on both the Indian and Atlantic sides offer crystal blue waters, white sandy beaches and beautiful bodies all summer long.

From any of the chi-chi restaurants, cafes and wine-bars along the coastline you can even enjoy watching whales playing in the bay.

With numerous museums and art galleries, theatres and craft markets, Cape Town is undoubtedly the Culture Capital of SA. If the money is found in Jo’burg, the creativity springs from Cape Town’s vibrant multi-cultural population.

Don’t miss the top tourist attraction in the country – The Victoria and Albert Waterfront – a fabulous development on the foreshore which offers a world of entertainment and shopping.

A lot more laid back than Jozi, but more cosmopolitan than Durbs, Cape Town is the place to be for the arty, nature-loving yet trendy individual.

So which of these fantastic cities sounds like your perfect place to be? We suggest you don’t restrict your self to just one – visit them all and enjoy the best of the South African urban experience!

Tourism

Is relatively a budding enterprise in Nigeria but owing to Nigeria’s potentials, it has undergone a gradual but progressive evolution in the past three decades.

Nigeria is a country greatly endowed. It is blessed with warm, sundry climate, over 800 kilometers of fascinating beaches and evergreen vegetation in the South, while in the North, alluring landforms overshadows savannah grasslands.

Added to these are the interesting natural features in form of water falls, springs, hills, some mountainous areas with temperate like climate and a range of special and common species of tropical wildlife.

These, coupled with wide market opportunities, diverse socio-cultural heritage that gives the nation its uniqueness and the hospitality of the about 120 million people earn Nigeria the sobriquet, GIANT OF AFRICA.

It is almost impossible to deny Nigeria its prime of place amongst the richly endowed potential tourist destinations in the world.

Places of Interest (Tourist Attractions in Nigeria)

Tourist attractions in Nigeria can be classified as follows:

1. Natural Attractions: There are abundant physical attractions, which include hills, caves, springs, lakes and mountains across the entire country. These fascinating features and alluring scenes are good sites for leisure, adventure and other tourism-related endeavours.

Example of these physical attractions are old Oyo National Park, Yankari Games Reserve in Bauchi; Obudu (Protea) Cattle Ranch, in cross River State and the Jos Wildlife Park in Plateau State.

2. Man-made Attractions: These are man made sites created for the purpose of relaxation. These include the Rayfield Holiday Resorts in Jos, the Bower’s Tower in Ibadan and various amusement parks that dots the length and breadth of Nigeria’s major towns and cities.

3. National Parks: National Parks are special natural ecosystems with unique attributes. They play unquantifiable roles vital to national/regional well-being as well as act as a catalyst for the development of eco-tourism.

They also enhance ecological processes and life support systems such as soil regeneration, protection of nutrient cycles, cleansing and purifying hydrological cycles. There are eight such parks in Nigeria. They are:

i. Yankari National Park: This is situated within Duguri, Pali and Gwana District of Alkeri local Government Area of Bauchi State. It could be reached by road from Jos Airport through Bauchi State route and from Kano through Jos-Bauchi route.

Tourist Facilities:

The park has 110 visitors chalets categorised along student/low income hotel, a standard restaurant, conference hall, in-door and out-door sport facilities such as table tennis, squash racket, badminton etc. There are species of large mammals like elephants, harte beasts, hippopotami, lions and about 153 known species of birds, fish, reptiles, and monkeys.

It is also rich in ethno-historical and archaeological attractions.

ii. Kainji Lake National Park: This is closely linked with the famous Kainji lake oil hydroelectric complex. It lies between Borgu and Zugurma sectors of Kwara State. It can be reached through Lokoja, from Lagos through Ibadan, Ilorin and Jebba.

The park is full of diverse wildlife, a variety of ethno-historical and cultural sites amongst which are Kobs, antelopes, hippopotami, lions etc.

Tourist Facilities: Available in the park are chalets restaurants, conference hall and a waterbus for lake cruising.

Track the big five and ride up to an elephant roadblock.TurnHere, Inc., produces Internet video for a variety of businesses across the globe including media, real estate, small businesses, travel and financial services. Our 2000 filmmakers shoot and produce Internet videos in more than 50 countries that emotionally engage viewers with compelling, authentic stories. With deep backgrounds in media and video production, our in-house team of producers work with our partners on creative …

Sightings of the “big five” at the Londolozi game reserve in South Africa