Destinations
JOHANNESBURG
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Johannesburg, affectionately known as “Jozi” or “Joburg”, is the largest city in South Africa and one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world. It is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the smallest but most populous and wealthiest of the nine provinces in South Africa. It is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills, and is the center of large-scale gold and diamond trade.
Johannesburg itself has a population of about 5.5 million people, but an urban agglomeration of about 8 million. The city, together with the satellite towns which make up the greater Johannesburg urban area, covers a massive stretch of land – the distance from north to south is approximately 50 miles, and the distance from east to west is about 100 miles. |
Johannesburg is both literally and figuratively built on gold. The precious mineral was first discovered in the area back in 1886, and it didn’t take long for Johannesburg to blossom from a dusty mining village called Ferreira's Camp to the metropolis that it has become today. The amount of gold that has been mined in the region is staggering – in 1970, at the height of its production, South Africa was producing five times more gold than the rest of the world combined.
Johannesburg is situated on the highveld plateau, with an average altitude of about 1,600 meters (5,250 feet) above sea level. It has a sunny subtropical highland climate, with the summer months characterized by hot days, afternoon thunderstorms and cool evenings, and the winter months consisting of dry, sunny days followed by cold nights. It does sometimes snow in the winter, but this is a fairly unusual occurrence.
Although not traditionally known as a tourist destination, the city is a transit point for connecting flights to Cape Town, Durban, and the Kruger National Park. Consequently, most international visitors to South Africa pass through Johannesburg at least once, which has led to the development of several activities for tourists. Recent additions have centered on museums, tours to Soweto, developments around the Cradle of Humankind sites at Maropeng, and a host of other attractions such as game and nature reserves.
Johannesburg is situated on the highveld plateau, with an average altitude of about 1,600 meters (5,250 feet) above sea level. It has a sunny subtropical highland climate, with the summer months characterized by hot days, afternoon thunderstorms and cool evenings, and the winter months consisting of dry, sunny days followed by cold nights. It does sometimes snow in the winter, but this is a fairly unusual occurrence.
Although not traditionally known as a tourist destination, the city is a transit point for connecting flights to Cape Town, Durban, and the Kruger National Park. Consequently, most international visitors to South Africa pass through Johannesburg at least once, which has led to the development of several activities for tourists. Recent additions have centered on museums, tours to Soweto, developments around the Cradle of Humankind sites at Maropeng, and a host of other attractions such as game and nature reserves.
GRASKOP
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Graskop (the name means “Grassy Hill”) is a stunning little town located in the heart of what is known as the Panorama Route in South Africa. Originally established back in the 1880s as a supply base for the numerous gold mining activities in the area at the time, the town has evolved into a tourist mecca, and has become renowned in particular for the many wonderful scenic attractions in the vicinity.
Top viewsites such as God’s Window, Wonder View, Pinnacle Rock and the Blyde River Canyon are all located within a few minutes’ drive from the town. The world-famous Bourke’s Luck Potholes are also in the area, as are a number of beautiful waterfalls such as Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls. Situated close by is Pilgrim’s Rest, a historic mining town that was fully restored and declared a national monument in 1986. |
For the more adventurous traveler, there are a host of exciting activities on offer in and around the town. These include numerous hiking trails and walks, white-water rafting, mountain biking, quad trails and horse riding. One of the latest attractions in the village is the Graskop Gorge Lift, a 55-meter (180 feet) glass elevator which allows visitors to descend into a dense riverine forest located within a narrow ravine. Wooden walkways, carefully designed to blend into the natural environment, allow comfortable and easy access along the valley floor, providing not only a tranquil setting but also excellent bird-watching opportunities. For the adrenaline junkies, a bungy swing and a zipline are also operated from the same complex.
The town has a huge range of accommodation options, from hotels, guest farms and B&Bs to basic wooden cabins. The restaurants and eateries are sometimes a little quirky, but there is more than enough variety to cater to everyone’s taste. Surrounded by mountains and forests, and located right in the center of this beautiful corner of the country, Graskop provides an excellent and convenient base to explore everything that this magnificent area has to offer.
The town has a huge range of accommodation options, from hotels, guest farms and B&Bs to basic wooden cabins. The restaurants and eateries are sometimes a little quirky, but there is more than enough variety to cater to everyone’s taste. Surrounded by mountains and forests, and located right in the center of this beautiful corner of the country, Graskop provides an excellent and convenient base to explore everything that this magnificent area has to offer.
PLETTENBERG BAY
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Plettenberg Bay was originally named “Bahia Formosa” (“Beautiful Bay”) by early Portuguese explorers, who navigated past this area in the late 15th century. The first European inhabitants were Portuguese sailors marooned here for 9 months when the São Gonçalo sank in the bay in 1630, but it has been determined that caves along this coastline had previously been inhabited for over 100,000 years by Middle Stone Age man and then later by ancestors of the Khoisan. The bay become a base for soldiers and sailors from the Dutch East India Company, and the town which sprang up was later renamed to Plettenberg Bay by Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, the then Governor of the Cape Colony, in 1779.
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A whaling station was built in the early 19th century on what is now known as Beacon Isle, but was closed down in 1916. Parts of the original iron slipway, as well as some of the artifacts from this era, are still in evidence today. The iconic Beacon Isle Hotel was built on the site in 1972; designed by André Hoffe, it has a layered atrium which pays tribute to the Guggenheim Museum of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Between 1960 and 1990 the town developed dramatically, quickly becoming one of the most popular holiday resorts in South Africa. This was primarily because of its temperate climate, miles of unspoilt beaches, and a host of natural attractions in the area. Some the these include the indigenous Afromontane forests and mountains which surround the town, the beautiful Robberg (Afrikaans for “Seal Mountain”) Peninsula which defines the southern edge of the bay, and the Keurbooms River and estuary which empty out into the warm Indian Ocean on the northern side.
The marine life in this area is prolific. Plettenberg Bay hosts one of the largest seagull breeding colonies along the South African coast, and is also an occasional home to many species of pelagic birds. The Robberg Peninsula has a large Cape Fur Seal colony, and Great White Sharks, attracted by the seals, can sometimes be spotted from the high cliffs. Southern Right Whales are a common sighting from July to December, and Bryde's Whales frequent the bay throughout the year. Various species of dolphins often visit the area, including the Bottlenose Dolphin, the Common Dolphin, and the endangered Humpback Dolphin.
Other activities include all forms of watersports such as surfing, fishing, sailing, kayaking, and diving, and well as a variety of walks and hikes. There are also a number of wildlife sanctuaries, birding routes, mountain biking trails, and golf courses; more than enough to keep the active adventurer happy for endless hours in this sun-soaked paradise!
Between 1960 and 1990 the town developed dramatically, quickly becoming one of the most popular holiday resorts in South Africa. This was primarily because of its temperate climate, miles of unspoilt beaches, and a host of natural attractions in the area. Some the these include the indigenous Afromontane forests and mountains which surround the town, the beautiful Robberg (Afrikaans for “Seal Mountain”) Peninsula which defines the southern edge of the bay, and the Keurbooms River and estuary which empty out into the warm Indian Ocean on the northern side.
The marine life in this area is prolific. Plettenberg Bay hosts one of the largest seagull breeding colonies along the South African coast, and is also an occasional home to many species of pelagic birds. The Robberg Peninsula has a large Cape Fur Seal colony, and Great White Sharks, attracted by the seals, can sometimes be spotted from the high cliffs. Southern Right Whales are a common sighting from July to December, and Bryde's Whales frequent the bay throughout the year. Various species of dolphins often visit the area, including the Bottlenose Dolphin, the Common Dolphin, and the endangered Humpback Dolphin.
Other activities include all forms of watersports such as surfing, fishing, sailing, kayaking, and diving, and well as a variety of walks and hikes. There are also a number of wildlife sanctuaries, birding routes, mountain biking trails, and golf courses; more than enough to keep the active adventurer happy for endless hours in this sun-soaked paradise!
MOSSEL BAY
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Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to set foot on South African soil when he landed in this beautiful bay on 3 February 1488, after unknowing rounding the Cape of Good Hope. He originally named it “Angra dos Vaqueiros” (“Bay of Cowherds”), but this was soon changed to “Aguada de São Brás”, which means “the Watering Place of St. Blaize”; a saint whose feast is celebrated on the 3rd of February each year. There is some dispute about who changed the name to Mossel Bay (“Mussel Bay”) - it was either the explorer Cornelis de Houtman in 1595, or Dutch Admiral Paulus van Caerden in 1601. No matter which, the mussels and oysters found along the shoreline would have been a welcome addition to the limited diet on which ship's crews were expected to survive in those days.
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In 1501, another Portuguese navigator, Pedro d'Ataide, sought shelter in Mossel Bay after losing much of his fleet in a storm. He left an account of the disaster hidden in an old shoe which he suspended from a milkwood tree. The report was found by the explorer to whom it was addressed — João da Nova — and the tree served as a sort of post office for decades thereafter. More recently, a boot-shaped post box has been erected under the now famous Post Office Tree, and letters posted there are franked with a commemorative stamp. This has ensured that the tree has remained one of the town's biggest tourist attractions. Da Nova also erected a small shrine in the vicinity, and, although no traces of it remain, it is considered to be the first place of Christian worship in South Africa.
The town was first established in 1787, but only proclaimed as such in 1848. A port was constructed, built to serve the Southern Cape region and its hinterland, the arid Klein (“Little”) Karoo. Initial cargoes consisted primarily of wheat, but soon changed to ostrich feathers during the boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when more than 800,000 kg of feathers were exported through the port every year.
Fishing and farming remained the main activities in the area during the early years of the 20th century, but this changed with the discovery of natural gas fields offshore in 1969, the FA gas field in the Bredasdorp Basin in 1980, and of the nearby EM field in 1983. This led to the development of the Mossgas, which today has become one of the world's largest gas to liquids (GTL) refineries. The plant currently produces up to 15 percent of South Africa's transport fuels requirements.
Before the early nineties, Mossel Bay was often considered to be just a small and unattractive industrial port, but in recent times the locals have invested heavily in their tourism infrastructure, so much so that Mossel Bay has been named South Africa’s “Town of the Year” on a number of occasions. Besides its rich history, cultural heritage and Blue Flag beaches, Mossel Bay also offers up a huge variety of adventure activities, such as surfing, shark cage diving, fishing, sandboarding, quad biking and horse riding, to name just a few.
The town was first established in 1787, but only proclaimed as such in 1848. A port was constructed, built to serve the Southern Cape region and its hinterland, the arid Klein (“Little”) Karoo. Initial cargoes consisted primarily of wheat, but soon changed to ostrich feathers during the boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when more than 800,000 kg of feathers were exported through the port every year.
Fishing and farming remained the main activities in the area during the early years of the 20th century, but this changed with the discovery of natural gas fields offshore in 1969, the FA gas field in the Bredasdorp Basin in 1980, and of the nearby EM field in 1983. This led to the development of the Mossgas, which today has become one of the world's largest gas to liquids (GTL) refineries. The plant currently produces up to 15 percent of South Africa's transport fuels requirements.
Before the early nineties, Mossel Bay was often considered to be just a small and unattractive industrial port, but in recent times the locals have invested heavily in their tourism infrastructure, so much so that Mossel Bay has been named South Africa’s “Town of the Year” on a number of occasions. Besides its rich history, cultural heritage and Blue Flag beaches, Mossel Bay also offers up a huge variety of adventure activities, such as surfing, shark cage diving, fishing, sandboarding, quad biking and horse riding, to name just a few.
OUDTSHOORN
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Oudtshoorn is a small town located in the Little Karoo, a semi-desert region situated between two massive mountain ranges; the Outeniqua to the south and the Swartberg to the north. The first settlers to populate the area arrived in the 1750s, and concentrated primarily on mixed farming. Initially the settlement was managed as a subsidiary of first Swellendam and then George, and it was not until 1848 that Oudtshoorn was officially declared as a town in its own right.
But the main reason for Oudtshoorn’s prosperity began in 1864, when ostriches were first introduced to the area. Ostrich feathers had become fashionable accessories amongst European nobility, and within a few years, prices had soared to astronomical numbers – in 1880, the value of a pound of ostrich feathers equaled that of a pound of diamonds. Such was the worth of the white ostrich feather that it was dubbed "white gold". |
Owing to overproduction, the industry suffered a minor slump in the latter part of the 19th century, but a second and even greater boom began after 1902. It was during this period that the "feather barons", ostrich farmers who had become rich, built most of Oudtshoorn's fabulously opulent "feather palaces". The boom peaked in 1913, during which year the highest-quality feathers fetched more than $32 a pound, and ostrich feathers were outranked only by gold, diamonds and wool amongst South African exports.
But the boom didn’t last very long – the market collapsed in 1914, as a result of the start of World War I, overproduction, and the popularity of open-topped cars, which made ostrich-feather hats impractical. 80% of the ostrich farmers were bankrupted, and the numbers of domesticated ostriches, which had peaked at 314,000 by this point, plummeted to just 32,000 by 1930. After the end of World War II, new markets opened up for ostrich leather and meat, and the industry gradually recovered. Today, approximately 200,000 ostriches are farmed in the Oudtshoorn area.
In recent times, the ostrich industry has been plagued by new problems (mainly by outbreaks of avian flu in 2004, 2011 and 2013), and so the town has begun to rely more heavily of tourism. Many of the ostrich farms have established visitor tours which are extremely popular, and there are also many other attractions in the area. Some of these include bush and game safaris, the magnificent Cango Caves, the Swartberg Pass / Meiringspoort scenic drive route, and the unique Meerkat Experience.
But the boom didn’t last very long – the market collapsed in 1914, as a result of the start of World War I, overproduction, and the popularity of open-topped cars, which made ostrich-feather hats impractical. 80% of the ostrich farmers were bankrupted, and the numbers of domesticated ostriches, which had peaked at 314,000 by this point, plummeted to just 32,000 by 1930. After the end of World War II, new markets opened up for ostrich leather and meat, and the industry gradually recovered. Today, approximately 200,000 ostriches are farmed in the Oudtshoorn area.
In recent times, the ostrich industry has been plagued by new problems (mainly by outbreaks of avian flu in 2004, 2011 and 2013), and so the town has begun to rely more heavily of tourism. Many of the ostrich farms have established visitor tours which are extremely popular, and there are also many other attractions in the area. Some of these include bush and game safaris, the magnificent Cango Caves, the Swartberg Pass / Meiringspoort scenic drive route, and the unique Meerkat Experience.
CAPE AGULHAS
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Cape Agulhas originally derived its name from early Portuguese seafarers, who called it “Cabo das Agulhas” (meaning “Cape of Needles”). This could have been a reference to the jagged rocks of the coastline, but it is more likely that it earned this name because of the fact that compass needles showed very little deviation between true north and magnetic north at this location.
Although Cape Agulhas has none of the aesthetic appeal of Cape Point, it is worth a stopover for two very important reasons – it is the actual southernmost tip of the African continent, and it is also the official meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A photograph at the stone cairn which marks this iconic geographical location is a bucket list item for anyone that wants to visit this rocky headland. |
The seas off Cape Agulhas are notorious for winter storms, and can generate mammoth rogue waves that can reach up to 30 meters (100 feet) in height. The area is littered with shipwrecks, and at least 150 ships are known to have sunk or floundered due to the treacherous conditions. Only one of these is still visible, however – the Meisho Maru, a Japanese trawler which ran aground on November 16, 1982. The wreckage is located about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) to the west of the southernmost tip marker.
Many of the original inhabitants of Cape Agulhas were sailors that had been shipwrecked in the vicinity. A town slowly developed and was given the name “L’Agulhas”, mainly because of the influence of French settlers. As time went by this version of the name was forgotten, but during the restoration of the lighthouse in the 1970s the old name was once again reinstated and accepted by the National Names Commission.
In modern times, farming and fishing are the primary economic activities, but tourism also plays a major part in the town’s prosperity. Besides visits to the lighthouse and the tip of Africa, there are also a host of other attractions in the area. Some of these include fishing and diving (spearfishing is very popular), hiking (there are a number of different trails), birding, whale watching, surfing, and wine tastings at any of the nearby vineyards and wineries.
Many of the original inhabitants of Cape Agulhas were sailors that had been shipwrecked in the vicinity. A town slowly developed and was given the name “L’Agulhas”, mainly because of the influence of French settlers. As time went by this version of the name was forgotten, but during the restoration of the lighthouse in the 1970s the old name was once again reinstated and accepted by the National Names Commission.
In modern times, farming and fishing are the primary economic activities, but tourism also plays a major part in the town’s prosperity. Besides visits to the lighthouse and the tip of Africa, there are also a host of other attractions in the area. Some of these include fishing and diving (spearfishing is very popular), hiking (there are a number of different trails), birding, whale watching, surfing, and wine tastings at any of the nearby vineyards and wineries.
GANSBAAI
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Located in the Overberg District of South Africa’s spectacularly beautiful Western Cape province, Gansbaai is a popular tourist destination on the Cape Whale Coast. Although it made its mark in decades past as an important fishing town, it is now famous for its shark diving industry, magnificent fynbos scenery, and excellent farm-to-table cuisine.
Gansbaai has been inhabited by humans and their ancestors for more than 80,000 years. Sheep farmers originally settled here at the beginning of the 18th century, and the first fishing cottages were built in 1811. The settlement was given the name Gansbaai (“Goose Bay”) due to the presence of a freshwater fountain frequented by wild Egyptian Geese. |
The little village grew into a commercial fishing community with the development of a harbor and whaling station. Fishing continues to account for a large portion of the town’s income, along with tourism generated by the cage diving industry which is based on the historic presence of Great White Sharks in the waters around Dyer Island.
Sharks are not the only wildlife attraction in Gansbaai. It was here that the term "Marine Big Five" was first coined, with boat operators offering visitors the chance to get out on the water to see sharks, whales, dolphins, penguins, and seals. May to December is peak whale watching season; during this period, Southern Right Whales use the deep bays along this coastline to mate and calve before migrating back to the nutrient-rich waters of the Southern Ocean.
There are a number of beautiful unspoilt beaches in the area, such as Stanford’s Bay, Franskraal and Pearly Beach, as well as two tidal pools; one at Perlemoenbaai and one at Kleinbaai. Other activities can include scenic hiking trails, 4x4 routes, angling, horse riding, golf, kayaking and quad biking.
Sharks are not the only wildlife attraction in Gansbaai. It was here that the term "Marine Big Five" was first coined, with boat operators offering visitors the chance to get out on the water to see sharks, whales, dolphins, penguins, and seals. May to December is peak whale watching season; during this period, Southern Right Whales use the deep bays along this coastline to mate and calve before migrating back to the nutrient-rich waters of the Southern Ocean.
There are a number of beautiful unspoilt beaches in the area, such as Stanford’s Bay, Franskraal and Pearly Beach, as well as two tidal pools; one at Perlemoenbaai and one at Kleinbaai. Other activities can include scenic hiking trails, 4x4 routes, angling, horse riding, golf, kayaking and quad biking.