The high point of any overseas visitors travels is the wild animals. There are many small game parks, but the Kruger National Park, is the most spectacular. There are a number of "camps" where visitors can stay. There are no hotels in the park, but accommodation from your own tent or caravan, where you use ablution blocks. But chalets are available, along with a restaurant, although the chalets are fully equipped to cook for yourself, you may prefer to at least have dinner at the restaurant.
There are better places to see the animals, dependant on the time of the
year. Also there are daily sighting reports to help see as much as possible.
All the known animals of Africa are to be found, but of all the Lion has be be
the master of them all. One could spend at least a week in the park, dependant
on your luck at seeing the different animals. People will probably enter at
one end and work their way to the other.
The Orange farms.
Rustenburg is the heart of the orange growing area. It is a "day
trip", from Bapsfontein. Even out of the the orange picking time, it is
still a great place to spend a day.
Sun City
About 20 Miles beyond Rustenburg is a pleasure resort, called Sun City.
Part of the resort is a casino, it has a sea with man made waves which are
changed at different times of the day, to facilitate different sports. The
most luxurious Hotel is also to be found at Sun City, where most foreign
dignities always stay. The entire place is built in an extinct volcano. There
is also an artificial earth quake, ever hour.
Eastern Transvaal.
There are a number of day trips that can be taken from Bapsfontein to the
Eastern Transvaal. The Eastern Transvaal is in the mountains.
Garden Route.
This is a drive, of 500 Miles, down the south east coast road. There are
many places to stop and bays to explore. It is a very popular drive, many
parts are mountainous, as the mountains reach to the sea.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the Mother City. It is the location of the Houses of Parliament. President Clinton spoke in Parliament, on his visit. It is also where the first Europeans landed, the Dutch, and from where they where to trek inland. Their travels were to result in Pretoria being founded and was where many were to find their new home, which became the Capital City, some years later.
Without a dealt the Water Front is a place to visit, with a close competitor, Table Maintain.
The Water Front is where "Planet Hollywood" was situated, and you will all remember there was a retaliatory bombing after the attack in Afghanistan, which it's self was because of the two American Embassy attacks.
We cannot hide from the world, so visiting the Water Front is still on everyone's agenda. It is a large area, which in the days when shipping was the primary mode of transport, was South Africa's main port. It was also a transient stop for traffic to and from the Far East, and the African East coat countries.
Now it is a leisure area, with superb Hotels, restaurants and theaters. It
also has one of these large screen cinemas, the name of which escapes me at
this time. (One film I saw was the ascent of Everest) There is also a
moderately large shopping mall, where you can purchase almost anything you
could ever think of.
The Vineyards
This wine producing area of South Africa, is inland from Cape Town, and
covers a area in the coastal region. Many Vineyards welcome visitors, there
you are offered a taste of their wines, restaurants are normally part of many
Vineyards, offering superb food. In fact some of the greatest restaurants of
South Africa are to be found in the Vineyards.
Karoo desert
How can a desert be a place to visit ? Well I thought that also, until I
traveled from Cape Town to Johannesburg, for the first time by road, and
passed through this vast area. Perhaps it will appeal only to some people, the
vastness, the emptiness and the truly alone feelings are beyond word to
describe. I am not suggesting I would like to live there, only that it is an
experience that should not be missed. Should your visit be when the rains
come, yes it does rain once a year, then you will be presented with colors,
again beyond words, as the desert bursts into life. I have never seen this
myself, just pictures of the beauty that occurs for a few days, most, but not
all years.
Zulu village
Built as a film set, a few years ago, it has been maintained as an example
of African life, to be experienced by the visitor. Accommodation is
traditional, with some Western aspects added. It is the Zulu Kings Kraal, so
represents the top point in the Zulu kingdom.
Durban
A city on the Indian Ocean, with a sub tropical climate. It is the holiday destination of many inland residents, also many Zimbabwe people, as it is the nearest location on the sea. It is typical of a vacation city, as there are many sea front Hotels to choose from, with names know world wide, like Holiday Inn, Best Weston, etc.
