South Africa lies at the southernmost part of the African continent. It is bordered to the north by Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland and to the northwest by Namibia. On the east coastline lies the Indian Ocean, the Southern coastline the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and Atlantic Ocean on the western side. South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho.

Most of South Africa has elevations of over 914m (3,000 ft) and at least 40% of the surface is at an elevation of over 1,220m (4,000 ft). Parts of Johannesburg are 1,829m (6,000 ft) above sea level. Resembling an inverted saucer, the land rises steadily from west to east to the Drakensberg Mountains, the tallest of which is Mont-aux-Sources at 3,300m (10,823 ft).

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Tags: safari, national parks, lion, travel, south africa, big five, hunting, wild life, rhino, kruger park

South Africa was once divided into two British Colonies, namely the Colony of Natal and the Cape Colony, and two Boer Afrikaner Republics, namely the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910 after 8 years of negotiations after the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 - 1902. The Republic of South Africa as it is today was form in 1961, which covers the southern tip of Africa and an area of 1,2 million square kilometers.

The country was divided into 9 provinces (states) in 1994 when we had our first democratic elections and Mr. Nelson Mandela became president. The provinces are: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo and Gauteng. Each province has its own capital and the country has three capital cities, namely Pretoria the administrative capital, Bloemfontein the judicial capital and Cape Town the legislative capital. (more…)

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When you have the urge to relieve yourself or litter in a nature reserve or wilderness area in the Western Cape, consider that:

Cape Nature Conservation manages most of the protected areas representing the Cape Floristic Region, the smallest and most threatened of the world’s six floral kingdoms. The Cape Floristic Region is one of the world’s “hottest biodiversity hotspots”: it contains 9 000 plant species, of which 6 000 are found nowhere else on earth. This plant kingdom is threatened by invasive plants, agriculture, urbanisation, pollution, poaching, soil erosion and unseasonal fires.

Large tracts of the Western Cape mountains, including privately-owned land, are proclaimed catchment areas. This means that they are managed as an important source of fresh water. Protected mountain catchments constitute only nine percent of the surface area of the Western Cape, yet they provide 60 percent of the water generated in the province.

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You will be delighted to hear that Chobe National Park is not only the second largest national park in Botswana but also has one of the greatest concentrations of game found on the African continent. The Park is divided into four sections, the Serondela area, the Savuti Marsh area, the Nogatsaa and Tchinga, and the Linyanti Marsh.

You might think what are you supposed to do in a national park that has four sections. Well the logical thing to do is to view the wildlife and experience the magic of Africa. The first section of the park you want to visit is the Serondela area. This section of Chobe National Park is filled with dense green forests which in turn attract African wildlife like elephants, buffaloes and the famous bee-eater. The Serondela area is the most visited part of Chobe National Park because it is situated near the Victoria Falls. Well if you ever visit Botswana go see the Serondela area in Chobe National Park, it will truly amaze you.

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In northwest Namibia in the Kunene Region is the Etosha National Park. The park shares boundaries with the regions of Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa. First established in 1907 this park was 100,000 km2 and was the largest game reserve in the world. At this time Namibia was still a German colony known as South West Africa. The park is now slightly less than a quarter of its original size but still remains very large and its wildlife are protected.

An area called the Etosha Pan dominates the park. The salt pan is a desert area that is roughly 130km long and gets as wide as 50km is some places. The salt pan is usually dry but fills with water in the summer and attracts pelicans and flamingos in particular. Periannual springs attract a variety of animals and birds year round including black rhinos and black face impalas.

Some wildlife in the area depends on the salt from the pan which during the dry season blows across the pan and can reach the southern Atlantic. (more…)

Tags: africa, hunting, national parks, lodges, kruger park, big five, vacation, animal, holiday, safari

For a complete elephant lover, the Chobe wildlife safari is the place to haunt. Chobe is popularly known as the ‘elephant country’. It Is truly the most suitable example of African wilderness at its wildest! You can get the experience of an African jungle that is totally untouched, untamed and aloof from the rest of the world. This is perfect setting for a memorable experience. The first scene of the chobe elephants mesmerizes you, when you take a look at herds of these giant animals, enjoying the bath in a river or a swamp, males sprinkling water on the females through their trunks and the older males just relaxing in the sun. Although, elephants are the undisputed rulers of this territory, you might be able to catch up with an odd hunting game here and there, during the great chobe migration.

The best game drive offered is through the savannah, where, if you are lucky, you can catch the lion and the hyena competing for their prey. The chobe river is also an over hauling experience, specially when its dry and herds of elephants and wild buffaloes can be seen grazing its bed. (more…)

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