Travel to South Africa

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South Africa offers visitors the chance to get up close and personal with a wide variety of wild animals such as lions and zebra and see them in their natural habitat as opposed to seeing them in the confines of a zoo. There are numerous countries bordering South Africa as well which can present you with the perfect opportunity to jump over the border and see some other great countries within the African continent. Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Swaziland are all within short distances of South Africa and can give you the opportunity to really experience the numerous cultural differences that are spread across the entire continent of Africa. So what are you waiting for?

Consider South Africa for your next tourist trip as it really will be an epic choice for a holiday that you will remember for a very long time! Plan a lengthy stay and enjoy yourself, and never avoid seeing as much as you possibly can in the time that you allow yourself to visit. It really will remain with you for a very long time!

10 Facts about Johannesburg

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By Ben Waterworth

Heading to South Africa? Well you will no doubt be heading to Johannesburg as part of your trip there, so here are 10 facts to educate you about the city you will soon fall in love with!

  1. The city of Johannesburg is actually one of the 40 largest cities in the world when measured by metropolitan limits. It is the largest city in South Africa and the largest city in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population over 3.9 million people.
  2. The city has been rebuilt four times in its history, starting off as a camp filled with tents, moving then into a town filled with tin shanties, then to brick buildings and finally to the city it is today filled with modern skyscrapers.
  3. The nickname for the city is ‘Egoli’ which translates to the ‘place of gold. Johannesburg is actually home to 40% of the entire world’s supply of gold so it’s easy to see how it earned this nickname.
  4. Johannesburg is also home to 40% of all human ancestors’ bones, making the city very connected with the world’s population.
  5. The city is also known as the world’s largest man made forest, with over 10 million trees spread throughout the city.
  6. Johannesburg is actually not that old, with the city only being formed in 1886. This fact makes it one of the world’s ‘youngest’ major cities.
  7. The tallest office block in all of Africa, the Carlton Centre, is in Johannesburg and is 50 stories high. The tallest tower in Africa is also in Johannesburg and is called the Hillbrow Tower and is 270 metres tall.
  8. Johannesburg has an average travel time of 48 minutes for its commuters, a fact often disputed by locals!
  9. The only two polar bears on the entire continent of Africa are in Johannesburg at the Johannesburg Zoo.
  10. Large portions of the city are dedicated to parks and natural spaces, with 1616 parks spread through Johannesburg. There are also 107km of natural trails in the city.

Facts about Cape Town, South Africa

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By Ben Waterworth

Heading to South Africa is a great idea for a holiday and when in South Africa heading to Cape Town is also a fantastic idea to really see the country and experience one of its most vibrant cities. Here are some facts about the city to help wet your appetite should you wish to travel there.

  • Cape town is the legislative capital of South Africa. This goes with Pretoria which is the executive capital of the country and Bloemfontein which is the judicial capital. Johannesburg remains the largest city in South Africa.
  • The city is often considered as the economic capital of the country as well as of the Western Cape of the country. It is a large manufacturing hub too for the entire country.
  • Cape Town houses the seats of the national parliament
  • Several of South Africa’s most prominent landmarks are in Cape Town, with such icons as Table Mountain and Cape Point all residing within Cape Town.
  • Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa for several years until Johannesburg began its expansion during the 20th Century.
  • The port in Cape Town is often seen as one of the busiest ports in the entire world.
  • The largest media company in South Africa, Naspers, has its headquarters in South Africa.
  • The largest timed cycle race in the world is held in Cape Town and is called the ‘Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour’
  • Cape Town is an extremely popular place for whale watching. Southern Right Whales frequent the area in the period between August and November
  • Cape Town was settled by English and Dutch settlers in the 19th century and contains a rich history of both cultures within the city limits.
  • The city of Cape Town is generally regarded as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire country of South Africa. There are several tourist information centres spread throughout the city.

Go to South Africa Today!

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Some of the best beaches in the world are in South Africa as well as some of the best opportunities to see animals such as lions, giraffes, hippopotamus and zebras in the wild and how often will you ever get a chance to see these animals up close and personal outside of a zoo? With so many different languages spoken in the country as well it will provide you with an amazing chance to witness culture at it’s finest and really see a different perspective of a country that has had a lot of negativity associated with it for a very long time. Surround yourself with the rich diversity of the landscape of all the various destinations you travel to and you will soon be astounded at the amount of awe you will find yourself in as you see this beautiful country.

And make sure you do leave yourself with plenty of time to really capitulate every inch you witness as you will definitely find yourself wanting to come back for more if you don’t get the chance to see everything you wanted to see. Take a camera, take lots of photos and then always have the experiences you want to take back and remember them for a lifetime!

Hamilton Island

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Camping, Underwater Trysts, and Exciting Treasure Hunts

Travel with Youngster Teens: Traveling with kids can be fun if you know the right place to visit, equip yourself with the correct amenities, and ensure that your kids are not bored or a burden in the trip.
I took my youngster kids and my wife to Australia to celebrate our wedding anniversary and enjoy a much-awaited holiday for ourselves. Though my kids were hilarious with the idea, my wife and I wondered whether we could at all clinch a private dinner for ourselves without keeping my sons sulking for the same. To my astonishment, our stay at Hamilton Island had been just what we wanted.

What to See?
Many families tour Australia at different locales. While some have big kids, many have youngster teens accompanying them. Traveling with kids can be fun if you know the right place to visit, equip yourself with the correct amenities, and ensure that your kids are not bored or a burden in the trip. Today, families with teenagers enjoy their holidays in Australia by checking into a kid-friendly beachfront resort, a well-decked tree-house near a forest, or cruise for days into the Indian Ocean.

Accommodation should be comfortable and spacious one if you have two kids traveling with you. A suite worked wonders for us. The ante-room was meant for the juniors to sleep in. Single bunks were tucked conveniently for the kids with DVD player and music system attached nearby. Within the hotel premises, the kids had a wonderful time swimming, playing tennis, or enjoying a satiating meal at one of the plush restaurants.

Water-Sports, Camping for Kids
We went for snorkeling together. The boat club offered all facilities to ensure we could pursue all types of water sports. While my elder son and I went for under water scuba diving, the other kid and his mother went for go-kart racing. We also took time off to check out the “zipping” expedition on blue-turquoise waters of the sea. The corals were simply fantastic and the view across the ocean was a breathtaking one.

In the later part of our holidays in Australia, we hit the sauna spa facility for a therapeutic massage while our kids went for Koala Gallery tour. Their tryst with the creeping reptiles, crocodiles, koalas, and wallabies enchanted them wholly. There were treasure hunt trails which engaged the kids even more. Some camping sessions were also organized, trip to the waters were regularly held, and lot more just for the kids.

Hamilton Island is not alone. There are lucrative resorts like Paradise Resort, Bintan Island, The Observatory, and Hayman Island that provide a vista for tourists who prefer traveling with family and kids. From Great Barrier Reef to lush greenery, palm groves, and crystal clear beach, Australia has lot to offer to kids of various age groups.

Budgeting Intelligently while Traveling with Kids
It is essential to keep one’s budget under control. Traveling with kids can be an expensive lifetime expenditure which many families can’t really afford. If you are clever, you’d check out family deals with all-inclusive facilities. Often, kids get complimentary meals, all-inclusive buffet meals, and free activities. For instance, we got a 5-night package at less than 2000 AUD only. Plan early, book during discount-availability schemes, and vie for complimentary facilities during your travel to Australia with your children.

If I could do it within my modest budget, so can you.