Scenic Eastern Cape

The beautiful shores of the Eastern Cape is aptly called the ‘Sunshine Coast’, so named for its long, sun-soaked days and warm seasons, is not only favored by South Africans, but also by tourists from abroad.

The reason is not only the sun-drenched beaches, but also because of its rural, mellow atmosphere, its superior swimming areas, surfing and angling opportunities and its wealth of other outdoor-related activities.

The province has plenty hiking trails, tracking beautiful mountains and valleys, and more than enough nature reserves offer great country accommodation and abundant wildlife.

The former Ciskei, once the scene of nine frontier wars between the Xhosas and the British, is now a tranquil holiday playground, world-renowned for its superb scenic landscapes, ultra-modern coastal resorts and tiny villages nestling at the feet of towering mountain ranges, such as the Katberge, Amatola, Winterberge and Hogsback.  

Beyond the Kei River mouth is the former Transkei. Here are bronze beaches of the Wild Coast - a palm-fringed paradise where monkeys play on the terraces of casino resorts and beautiful hotels.  

Danie de Villiers

Cape Town - Tourist Paradise

In 1580, Sir Francis Drake sailed round the most southern tip of Africa in his Golden Hind and was so impressed by what he saw that he called Table Mountain and the peninsula on which it stands “the Fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth”.

Today, more than 400 years since Drake sailed round the Cape, Cape Town is one of the world’s great holiday destinations. Cape Town, or also known as the Mother City, is a fascinating blend of the old and the new. Here, the 17th century pentagonal Castle of Good Hope rubs shoulders with towering sky-scrapers and modern shopping malls. In the Malay quarter, known as the ‘Bo-Kaap’ (Upper Cape), bulbous minarets rise high up above buildings festooned with cast-iron adornments from another world and age of long ago. Cobblestoned streets lead into cosy squares and long pedestrian malls, where street vendors sell antiques, clothing, handcrafts, African art and endless selections of stuff. 

At the Grand Parade flower vendors offer a dazzling array of indigenous flowers at giveaway prices, while other pavement vendors sell anything under the sun. In the arcades and alleyways buskers entertain passers-by with traditional songs, dances and music. 

 At the Waterfront there is a carnival atmosphere as the Atlantic Ocean gently touches the feet of strollers whilst seafood sizzles in pans of dockside bistros and restaurants. There are boat cruises and yacht trips as well as helicopter and bus rides to every corner of the peninsula. For bargain hunters there are an assortment of shops, craft markets and seaside stalls selling anything you want.

To the west and the south of the city, the coastline curves round to reveal bikini beaches and scenic mountain drives.

And the cherry on top of it all is the cable-way to the summit of Table Mountain!

Whatever you want from a holiday you name it, Cape Town has it all!

By Danie de Villiers- Freelance Writer

Durban Botanic Gardens

The Durban Botanic Gardens was established in 1849, and is located next to the Greyville Race Course in the Berea, Durban. 

The Durban Botanic Gardens is a classic botanic garden, reflecting the universality of the plant kingdom. It has, for over 100 years, had a fine mixed arboretum of African, Asian and American trees. The Gardens are a few minutes’ walk from the bustling Warwick Triangle, site of one of the largest retail medicinal plant markets in the country. 

The Durban Botanical Garden hosts approximately 500 000 visitors per year, many of whom are foreign tourists. Popular attractions include picnic spots, an orchid collection, cycad collection (including the unique Wood's cycad), sub-tropical trees, palms and a tea garden.

Theme tours of the Gardens are conducted by volunteer guides by prior arrangement. Themes include: birds, history of the Durban Botanic Gardens, lake life, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms, plants of the Bible, roots, and general tour, mini beats and art. 

Africa Deluxe Tours can arrange a general guided tour of the Gardens; it is also included in many of our tour itineraries.

By Danie de Villiers - Freelance Writer

De Haven Oost Country Estate and Tourism Village

“A Taste of Nature   .......    A Touch of Style

....We welcome you back in 1925

Owing to our immense passion to create, we as a family-driven-company have designed a quaint old town reminiscent of yesteryear with an amazingly romantic country life atmosphere. We and our staff treat our guests as family.... you will feel as though you have come home. At De Haven Oost we transform an ordinary celebration into one that sparkles with that perfect fusion of food, friends, family, laughter, music, colour, romance and rhythm. A delightful way 

to celebrate any special occasion.”

De Haven Oost Country Estate & Tourism Village offers an unusual romantic escape from stressful city living. This 3 Star graded and AA Highly Recommended estate offers accommodation in guest suites and self-catering units.

Facilities include a spa, licensed restaurant, laundry services, team building, corporate functions, Wi-Fi Internet, wedding venue, chapel, bridal suite, lovely gardens, nanny service, kids play area, animal farm and eco-nursery. The owners have passionately designed a quaint arts and crafts village reminiscent of yesteryear with a countrified atmosphere.

The restaurant patio has a barbecue area as well as a beautiful fireplace and DStv for sports fans. Guests can mingle at the cocktail bar or relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the warmth of the fireplace while sitting on the wooden terrace, or enjoy a cigar in the cigar lounge.

This unique 10 hectare country estate is strategically situated at the south entrance to the Dinokeng Tourism Route, "Africa in one day". (Cullinan) The estate is only a 10 minute drive east of Pretoria and the OR Tambo International Airport is 60 km away.

Beautiful Women

Echo Caves, Mpumalanga

Situated just outside Ohrigstad are the spectacular Echo Caves. These mysterious caves were discovered in the 1920's by the owner of the farm. After his cattle mysteriously disappeared on the farm he started looking for answers. That is when he discovered the Echo Caves. After exploring the cave, the discoverer realized that this is a gift from nature laid among the gentle undulating hills of the Mpumalanga escarpment.

The Echo Caves are some of the oldest caves in the world and were declared a Historical Monument. The caves are so called because the local people used one of the stalactites as a drum to warn of any approaching Swazi. As these caves extend for some 40 km, the sound travelled for surprisingly long distances and the people could take refuge in the caves. From an archaeological point of view, the caves are truly fascinating as finds here confirm the legend that strangers may years ago in long white robes came to look for gold and to barter with the inhabitants. Some of the finds are exhibited at the Museum of Man. One of the rooms of the cave has a height of 60m! 

There are guided tours through 2km of tunnels viewing impressive stalagmites and stalactites. New discoveries include the Madonna and the Crystal Palace. The Echo Caves are the least well known of the limestone caves. Therefore, the advantage is that fewer people visit them and you may be lucky enough to enjoy this amazing underworld with just your guide.

For the more adventurous, a special tour can be organized to go deeper into the cave. The end of the cave has not yet been found and it is said that the end of the Echo Caves is somewhere close to the Strijdom tunnel. The caving tour, however, is definitely not recommended for people with claustrophobic problems. For just R30 one can explore some truly mysterious and fascinating wonders in these caves. Be adventurous and come exploring. Who knows, if you brave enough, you may even find the end of these caves and where they truly lead to….

Please also visit my new blog: Woman To Woman

Engela

Garden Route - South Africa

Dramatic river cut gorges, beautiful beaches, rocky headlands and deep tangled forests are the quintessential Garden Route images. Stretching from anywhere between Stilbaai and Mossel Bay in the west, to Stormsriver or Port Elizabeth (PE) in the east, it's a gorgeous stretch of coastal paradise strung out along the N2. Purists will squash it up between Mossel Bay and Stormsriver but, as the popularity of the Garden Route grew and small towns at its edge realised the marketing potential, it just seemed to spread. No problem - it spread to some cool places.

The towns generally accepted to be part of the Garden Route are Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Stormsriver. Stilbaai and Albertinia have snuck in on the West and Humansdorp and even Port Elizabeth are muscling in from the east. Inland, the Little Karoo and Route 62, which have no pretensions to being the Garden Route, are often treated as the same destination, as it's pretty easy zigzag between them by driving the many scenic passes over the Outeniqua Mountains. Initially the Garden Route was seen as very much a beach and/or family holiday destination, which it is, but there is also so much to do. There's great hiking, with rambles ranging from an hour to a few days covering rocky coasts, deep forests, pretty fynbos and long sandy beaches. The diving is good, as is the surfing, and there are some fun sea kayaking and flat water paddling trips. Some of the country's best mountain bike trails snake through the forests, and there are horse trails for every taste and level of ability. Tandem skydiving, paragliding, and a range of scenic flights all offer different birds eye views.

The Garden Route offers some of the best boat based whale watching in the world, flower lovers and birders will also have a field day traipsing off through the forest or the fynbos, and there are numerous national parks and nature reserves. Steam buffs will love the narrow gauge Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe. For the more culturally inclined, there are township tours, museums, lovely old buildings, funky craft shops, markets, art galleries and loads of live music venues. And, of course, a flotilla of great restaurants - many of which specialise in seafood - in each town. The Garden Route is a golfer's dream destination - you could play a different course every day for a week and still have a few left over.

Of course, this is not all good news as golf courses use an exorbitant amount of water and take up vast amounts of space but, as long as the golf-estate-building spree fizzles out soon, there should be sufficient space remaining between the fairways for a bit of forest, perhaps some shops and even a house or two. But that's not your problem, is it? If you fancy a round in paradise, get in now before it closes down. And if golf is too slow for you - there are more international standard polo fields in Plett alone than there are in the rest of the country put together. You could spend anything from a weekend to a month at a tailor-made polo clinic.

But what the Garden Route is most suitable for is relaxation - and even that's been somewhat institutionalised with almost every second hotel housing a wellness centre or spa. Not that that's a problem, mind. After a hard day on the beach you'll probably need a chocolate mud bath, colour therapy or hot stone massage.

Engela