Overview of South Africa for Travelers. As recently as 1991, apartheid was the rule of law in South Africa. The term means separate and effectively divided the country along racial lines in practically every element of society.

The Portuguese were the first to land in South Africa in 1488, but didnt claim a colony. The Dutch East India Company arrived in 1652, with Dutch and Germans moving to the country. These whites became the Afrikaners and eventual dominate class of South Africa. In 1779, the British moved in on the proceedings and the Afrikaners moved north. Known as the Great Trek, this shift put the Afrikaners in conflict with Zulu tribes and warriors. The Zulus won most of the conflicts following their legendary leader, Shaka. In 1828, Shaka was assassinated and momentum turned. (more…)

Tags: animals, travel, animal, leopard, south african, vacation, adverture, resorts, elephant, camping

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

There are many new and exciting things to see in Africa. There is no way anyone could possibly see everything there is to see in one trip. This is why travelers need to decide exactly what they want to see before taking their trip so they can book the appropriate safari. There are many animals to choose from, chimpanzees, gorillas, the Big 5 (lions, rhino, buffalo, leopard, and elephant), crocodiles, and birds to name a few. There are many things to prepare for before going, and travelers should be prepared if for no other reason than their safety.

There are different types of safaris travelers can choose to take. There are safaris where you can hike, mountain bike, take a balloon trip, canoe, hunt, ride a horse, or even ride a camel. You will also need to decide on just how much luxury you will want on your trip. Traditional tented safaris are luxurious with camp set up for you, hot showers and gourmet food. Then there are guided safaris where you travel on four wheelers or trucks and a guide will stay with you wherever you go. Package safaris are like guided safaris except you will not travel with a group. Then for the more daring travelers there are independent safari where you rent your own vehicle and plan your own trip

Many people think that Africa is an extremely dangerous place to visit, but it is no more dangerous than any other place you might go if you go prepared. The most common crime you will run across is probably petty theft. No matter how much money tourists in Africa have, they probably still have more than the natives. Wearing flashy jewelry, expensive cameras, and expensive watches just draws attention and is probably not a good idea to carry around. Try not to look lost and try not to travel alone if you can help it. Also never carry all of your cash on you at once so that if you are mugged you wont lose everything that you have.

Another safety issue when traveling to Africa is your health. Tuberculosis (TB) is traveling through the African air and affecting hundreds of people. To avoid catching TB try to avoid people who are coughing and sleeping in crowded areas. Another health hazard in Africa is the Putzi fly, which is a native to the country. The flys lay their eggs on human clothes that are hanging out to dry then hatch when contacted with human skin. The simple solution to avoid these flies is to always iron your clothes before wearing them. Travelers should always watch for mosquitoes as well because they can carry yellow fever and malaria.

Even with the disease in Africa it is still at the top of most peoples wish list of places to go. There are many beautiful sights and sounds and if correctly planned and the right precautions are taken can be a spectacular experience.

About The Author
A.M. Howard

Tags: hotels, wild life, africa, animals, lodges, vacation, national parks, travel, rhino, south africa

Ol-Malo or ‘The Place of the Greater Kudu’ the perfect Luxury African Safari Lodge is set in a 5000 acre ranch and game sanctuary along the Uaso Nyiro River, overlooked by the massive snow covered Mount Kenya in the background, and it overlooks the Mukagodo home of the nomadic Ndorobo people.

It consists of four very luxurious guest cottages built out of natural rock with thatched roofs, and a separate living area and dining room, both with fireplaces, necessary in this part of Kenya.
Each cottage has huge windows to enhance the truly wonderful views, as well as overlooking the water hole and salt lick, and the regular wildlife that comes to visit.

All around is the Bush, and there is a beautiful freeform swimming pool which has incredible views of the valley below.

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Tags: national parks, travel, leopard, holiday, south african, animals, resorts, holiday, vacation, camping

We are looking forward to visiting the light house at Lake Victoria Safari Village at Mbita point. Spending a few days in it will be a new experience. The landscape from Kisumu to Luanda Kotieno on the shores of Asembo Bay, off the road to Bondo, is full of ancient features: age-old Cambrian rocks fill the Hills along the tarmac road and Kit Mikaye, the gigantic borders sitting atop each other. At Ndori we turn left onto the dusty murrum road to Luanda Kotieno to catch the 11oclock ferry to Mbita point. It runs like clock work so if you miss it you have to wait for the next three hours for the next trip.

The Lake is calm, with water birds here and there and in a distance a strange dust devil appears. Its a whole cloud of the harmless minute flies that breed in the water and sometimes in the swamp places.
Forty-five minutes later, we clock at Mbita point and soon we are at the gate of Lake Victoria Safari Village. The sign on the entrance promises relation at the beach, bird watching and excursions on the Lake.

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Tags: kruger park, travel, safari, camping, hotels, lodges, african, south african, national parks, rhino

Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya was established in 1961, and it has grown from just the lake and the mountains around to now include a lot of the savannahs. As a consequence the amount of wildlife to view has increased enormously, making Nakuru a very worthwhile part of any African safari trip. It is at an altitude of 5700 ft, and covers an area of over 188 sq. Kms.

Its height above sea level alone means that the vegetation and wildlife are considerably different than say at Tsavo which is mainly much lower and closer to the sea.

The lake itself is shallow and alkaline, and varies in size from 5 to 30 square kms depending on the time of year. It is the alkaline nature of Lake Nakuru that causes the huge numbers of visitors each year. It is no exaggeration to say that one species more than any other has made the lake famous throughout the world.

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Tags: hotels, animals, safari, travel, south african, holiday, resorts, africa, vacation, animal

The African lion is fabled as the King of the African Jungle. On a recent vacation to the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya, I was awed at the sheer respect that the African lion commands. It was one of the most rewarding trips in all my wildlife safari vacations.

It was the morning a day after our arrival at Olarro Camp located in the Maasai Mara, one of the best animal safari destinations in Africa. We departed camp at around 6.00am in the morning for our much awaited morning game drive. Our Maasai guide, Sammy, and the camp manager Sean packed us in their open Land rover truck and off we went on a popular game track. We were pleasantly surprised at Sammys spotting prowess that, less than a kilometer from camp, had already spotted a lone male cheetah. Probably on its early morning hunting stakeout, the cheetah wasnt very amused at our unwelcome intrusion and trudged along grudgingly.

The mating Lions
Off we went to look out for the elusive lions in the short savannah brush. We were negotiating a blind corner when ..Wham a pride of 3 young males in the company of a lone female. The minute I spotted the lions, I knew this is not the situation you want to seem too intrusive. One seemingly larger male Lion with a slightly darkening mane was separated from other 2 young and was busy courting a Lioness.

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Tags: hunting, kruger park, safaris, adverture, resorts, african, south africa, travel, animals, vacation