Eastern Cape Provincial Article - South African Vacations

Snake Park and Tropical House: Situated in the Museum Complex in
Humewood the Snake Park houses a wide variety of exotic and indigenous
snakes and an impressive number of Eastern Cape reptiles and the Tropical
House boasts a large variety of exotic plants and birds.
Tsitsikamma National Park: The park is South Africa’s first marine reserve and
is responsible for the protection of the unique, southern coastal forest, as well
as of the area’s riverine and marine life. The dreams of the French Comte de
Vasselot de Régné, Superintendent of Forests of the Cape Colony in 1880,
were finally realised when the park was proclaimed. The landscape of the park
includes a narrow coastal strip of indigenous forest along the steep cliffs as
well as large beaches on the country’s south coast. It lies on the edge of the
wave terrace and protects the marine conservation area from urban
development and growing plantations. The park also protects a rich
archaeological heritage where signs have been found to indicate that Stone
Age people lived here as far back as 130 000 years ago. Some of the
prehistoric signs include ash-heaps and deposits in caves. Several popular
and renowned hiking trails, such as the famous Otter and Tsitsikamma Trails,
have been mapped out in the reserve.
Van Stadens Wild Flower Reserve: Situated 35 km from Port Elizabeth, the
landscape of the reserve alternates dramatically, ranging from green
river banks to a large open plateau and wooded slopes, each with its own type
of vegetation. The descriptive term, “floral wonderland”, is certainly not an
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