South Africa

South Africa

South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa. It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho (which is completely surrounded by South Africa). It is a vast country with widely varying landscapes and has 11 official languages, as well as an equally diverse population. South Africa is renowned for its wines and is one of the world's largest producers of gold. South Africa has a strong economy and is an influential player in African politics.

Climate

The climate in South Africa ranges from desert and semi-desert in the north west of the country to sub-tropical on the eastern coastline. The rainy season for most of the country is in the summer, except in the Western Cape where the rains come in the winter. Rainfall in the Eastern Cape is distributed evenly throughout the year. Winter temperatures hover around zero, summers can be very hot, in excess of 35 Celsius in some places.

Destinations

Kruger National Park is in north-east of South Africa and and runs along the border of Mozambique in the east, Zimbabwe in the north, and the southern border is the Crocodile River. The park covers 20,000 square kilometers and is divided in 14 different ecozones, each supporting different wildlife. It is one of the main attractions of South Africa and it is considered the flagship of South African National Parks (SANPark).

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park is in KwaZulu-Natal about 250 km north of Durban. And it is famous for their Rhinos.

Drakensbergen (African: Drakensberge) are a chain of mountains in South Africa, which reaches altitude up to 3482 meters and which are the highest of the country. In the language of the Zoeloe's the mountain chain is called uKhahlamba, what means barrier of javelins.

Cape TownThe legislative capital and seat of Parliament. A world-class city named for its proximity to the Cape of Good Hope. Also within a stone's throw of South Africa's winelands. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, nestled between the sea and Table Mountain

Personal Note

South Africa wasn't what I hoped for. We decided to use a tour operator, because it wasn’t the safest country in the world. Okay the banned the apartheid, but this was no guaranty that the situation has changed. But unluckily we use a wrong tour operator and they spoiled our trip. We spend almost every day a long time in the van. This was a bit strange for a company that is specialized in nature trips.

South Africa has different faces. There you have the beautiful Krugerpark, but also the townships like Soweto . The safety is a big issue, when you walk through the streets in Johannesburg well built house has a big fence with a sign that tells you that this house is protected by armed guards.

South Africa is a beautiful country. You can spent a vacation only in Krugerpark, but also Drakenbergen is very beautiful. This as a mountain like the Table mountain, it’s also flat in the top. When we were there it was very cloudy and this was very spectacular to see how the clouds were pushed over the mountain. And of course the Table mountain is very special.