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…)

Tags: resorts, animals, vacation, africa, camping, vacation, african, travel, leopard, kruger park

Escape to the land of contrasts where the fresh smell of daisies, colourful spring flowers and sweet melodies greet you. Namaqua National Park boasts with a kaleidescope of indigenous flora species every spring time and it is for this reason alone that people are drawn to the area.

- Breathe in the fragrant aromas of spring flowers

- Find your own secluded oasis of tranquility

- Enjoy camping out under the African sky

- Situated 495km from Cape Town South Africa

Namaqua is famous for its display of wild flowers in spring and a rich diversity of succulent plants, with an estimated 3500 species. Escape to the land of contrasts, where the rigorous climate has created a myriad of life forms superbly adapted to their specific habitat.

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Tags: resorts, elephant, animal, holiday, rhino, national parks, vacation, vacation, big five, safaris

The Rhino or Rhinoceros is another of the “big five” and is in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of the species in this family are native to Africa and three to southern Asia. The three species that are most endangered are the Javan Rhino, Sumatran Rhino and The Black Rhinoceros. The Indian Rhino is also endangered with less than 2700 remaining in the wild. The White Rhino is registered as vulnerable with around 14,500 remaining in the wild.

The Rhinoceros family is branded by the large size and all of the species are capable of achieving a weight of around a ton or more. They have a herbivorous diet and a thick protective skin that is around 1.5 – 5 cm thick and the skin is formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure and is highly impenetrable when compared with other animals. They have relatively small brains for mammals of their size – around 400 – 600 grams) and of course the large horn.

They generally eat leafy substances although their ability to ferment food in their gut means they can eat more fibrous plant matter if need be. (more…)

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Tags: travel, lodges, africa, vacation, holiday, kruger park, hunting, national parks, holiday, lion

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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Tags: vacation, elephant, national parks, holiday, africa, safaris, lion, big five, holiday, rhino