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With plenty to see and do in South Africa here are a few excursions to make your trip even more memorable.

1. Mandela's Prison Cell Robben Island, near Cape Town
2. World's Largest Open-Air Galleries
   Western Cape & KwaZulu-Natal
3. Whale watching from White Sand Dunes
   Western Cape

Spotlight

On Safari in South Africa

Imagine watching a leopard up a tree with its kill; being surprised by hippos suddenly surging into a pond; listening to the sounds of the bush and gazing at the bright stars of the African night sky. These amazing experiences and more await you on a South African safari. It's amongst the world's finest travel experiences and one you'll never forget.

Photo: South African Tourism

Adventure in Africa

Safari means adventure and there's plenty of adventure in South Africa. From the vast, pristine beaches of the Indian Ocean to the natural bush of the national parks, this is a diverse and beautiful land with many exciting adventure activities for you to experience.

Game Parks & Reserves

Going on safari for game viewing is the first thing visitors think of when planning a trip to Africa. You'll hear a lot about The Big Five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and lion) which were the animals highly sought after in the days of hunting safaris. They can all be found in South Africa along with many other animals and birds.

South Africa has some of the best national parks, reserves and wilderness areas on the continent offering a range of experiences from basic to deluxe. You'll come across game viewing areas all around the country. The biggest is Kruger National Park.

• Kruger National Park is world renowned, offering the most diverse game viewing experience in Africa.
• An area the size of Scotland covering nearly 2 million hectares with 16 ecosystems, Kruger is found in the northeastern part of the country.
• Established as a park in 1894, today it is home to 100,000 impala, 10,000 blue wildebeest, 9,000 kudu, 5,000 warthog, 25,000 zebra, 180 cheetah, over 1,000 leopard and 1,500 lion.
• You'll easily find elephant, giraffe, rhino, hippopotamus, hyena, crocodile and many more exotic species.

Photo: South African Tourism
• You'll stay in camps where you are shut in while the animals roam freely in the park.
• Accommodation ranges from standard, self catering rest camps to luxury lodges with every amenity for the discerning traveller.
• Guided game drives and bush walks with an armed ranger are safe ways to see the animals.
• Be sure to stay in your car if driving without a guide. Animals are extremely well camouflaged.
• The park is a leading conservation area which has nurtured the white rhino from extinction and now safeguards the world's largest population.

The Kruger Park experience has been duplicated on a smaller scale at other parks and private reserves around the country.

Photo: South African Tourism

Safari Options

In South Africa, the safari experience has evolved to suit all types of travellers with some rather unique options available:

• Spa-faris at luxury lodges and camps let you combine a health and wellness vacation with game viewing. Be pampered with African treatments at the on- site spa in between your game viewing drives.
• The Big 7 Safar - Head for the Eastern Cape where you'll see the Big 5 on your land safari and the white shark and southern right whale on the coast. South Africa is a leader in shark cage diving which is both safe and exciting.
• Safari Flights - View herds of game during scenic, time-saving flights between safari camps and lodges.
• Safari & Rail Journeys - Enjoy the spectacular rail routes of Southern Africa on journeys from Cape Town to Namibia, Johannesburg to the Victoria Falls or Pretoria to Durban. There are several routes to choose from for a scenic way to get around the region combined with game viewing safaris.
• Tour and Safari - South Africa is a beautiful country with many areas well worth visiting. Combine a tour with your safari experience to discover more of this unique country. Itineraries include the major cities plus the Garden Route, Swaziland, Kwa Zulu, the Drakensbergs, Cape Point and the Cape winelands region.
• Multi-country Safaris - For those with more time, add game viewing safaris in neighbouring countries like Botswana (home to some of the most untouched game viewing areas in Africa), Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and even Tanzania and Kenya. A visit to the spectacular Victoria Falls is included in many itineraries.
• Cruising plus Safari - Enjoy a safari experience when your ship calls at South African ports. Cruise lines offer overnight safaris to private reserves pre, post or during your South African cruise.

A safari in the African bush is certainly a must. Bring plenty of memory cards for your camera as you'll be taking shots continually to capture this remarkable vacation.

For more information on planning your vacation in South Africa, see the "> Insider's View article.

By Susan Milne

IMPORTANT: When booking, ask us for the appropriate supplier brochure for complete details and terms and conditions for your vacations and as well inquire about any possible past guest savings. Offers are space available and may be withdrawn at anytime without prior notice and are not combinable with other offers (unless stated otherwise). All prices, details and offers are subject to change. We are not responsible for errors or omissions.

Articles by Susan Milne

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