Jason Wiltshire

Cape Town, situated at the Southern most tip of the African continent, is a magical place, the perfect holiday destination and filled with majestic, natural beauty.

Today Cape Town is a cosmopolitan city, first discovered by Bartolomeu Diaz a Portuguese explorer in 1487 whilst searching for a sea route to India. Diaz named it The Cape of Storms and returned to Portugal triumphant at having rounded the African continent and the Portuguese rulers subsequently changed the name to The Cape of Good Hope.

Before you embark on your once in a lifetime African Safari, it might be a good idea to read up on a little information on these intelligent giants (Pachyderms).

Under normal conditions female elephants and their juveniles live together in close family units while the mature males usually remain solitary. This matriarchal society is based on a group of related females and their young offspring but may also include some unrelated individuals that have joined the group.

When God made the world, he started with the continent of Africa he left the region rather dry and sandy! By the time he reached the South, he had perfected his craft and the result was the magnificence of South Africa and particularly the Garden Route. Recent excavations indicate that mankind itself may have originated in Southern Africa and there are numerous archeological sites along the Garden Route ,proving that man once lived, hunted and fished along these Indian Ocean coastlines as far back as 60 000 years.

South Africa is fast becoming one of the top international hot spots for tourism and travel. Let us have a look at this unique part of the world and determine why people are booking their tickets as we speak.

Diversity- South Africa is a multi faceted destination with something to entice and intrigue everyone who visits. Positioned between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, this countries coastline is over 2500 kilometers (1565 miles) long and therefore water sports are a major attraction.

Cape Point- The Most South Westerly Point On The African Continent.

The Cape Of Good Hope Nature Reserve forms part of The Table Mountain National Park. The reserve, established in 1939 to protect the flora and fauna of this area, offers visitors abundant photo opportunities, soaring cliffs and pristine beaches meet the ocean on the Atlantic and False Bay coasts and views are incredible.

Robben Island is the notorious and isolated political prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. When visiting this foreboding place, one gets a thorough insight into the workings of the apartheid regime and the guided tours are all led by former political prisoners held here during the formative years.

The island is situated about (13 km or 8.

Table Mountain rises up (1086m or 3363ft) from the coastline below and surely dominates every view from Cape Town at any angle. The mountain was always the first sight that the early explorers and traders would see when approaching Cape Town and its sheer size still astounds tourists today. What makes it more impressive is the fact that you have this massive wilderness area slap in the middle of Cape Town's bustling metropolis.

The Kruger Park is definitely one of the best safari destinations in Africa and is situated in the north eastern corner of South Africa and borders the countries of Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This world renowned conservation park covers an area of 21,497sq km (8,384 sq miles) of about the same size as Israel .Kruger boasts an incredible diversity in wildlife that includes 146 mammals, 500 bird species, 114 reptile, 49 of fish, 33 amphibians and 23 000 plant species.

The Horseshoe shaped area between Table Mountain and Signal Hill and Devils Peak is what the people of Cape Town call The City Bowl. Some of Cape Town's oldest and wealthiest Victorian suburbs together with hotels, guest houses and restaurants are all situated here. Further down the slopes towards the Atlantic Ocean are the high rise blocks of Cape Town's central business district and the Bo-Kaap (Cape Malay Area).