Mzanzitravel Magazine - Issue 9

Mzanzitravel
Apr 2018 Apr 2018 - Issue - Issue 9 9
Free Free Copy Copy
APRIL - 2018
ISSUE 9

THE NEW JAGUAR E-PACE
DRIVE LIKE EVERYONE’S
WATCHING
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design looks dynamic, even while parked. When you’re ready to turn heads, simply put
it in Drive. With Jaguar’s signature dynamic chassis and suspension tuning, New E-PACE
has the performance to match its appearance. Don’t let its beauty and compact size fool
you though. With up to 1,234 litres of loadspace and a host of clever features designed
for your convenience, Jaguar’s newest cub proves sensible doesn’t have to be boring.
With dynamism at its core and discerning design inside and out, you may suddenly find
every road becomes a catwalk.
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C O NTENTS
28
20
38
09
EDITOR’S NOTE
10
TRAVEL BITES -
tourism-related news and
information
20
BEST MOUNTAIN HIKES
28
HIDDEN GEMS...delightful
experiences and places off
the beaten track
38
LIMPOPO…a place of many
discoveries
46
LEADING THE WAY IN
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

54
TANZANIA - KARIBU !
Discover this wonderful East
African country
62
TOASTING THE CAPE OF
WINES !
Visiting SA’s famous
Winelands
68
THE ‘OTHER’ ROUTE 62…
travelling the lesser-known
eastern section of this iconic
route
78
BEST GUEST & HOLIDAY
FARMS
84
DESERT TO SEA, SILENCE
TO THUNDER….a road trip up
Namibia’s dramatic coast
90
GREAT WINTER BREAKS…a
selection of super-hot winter
getaways
68
54
84
62
CONTENTS

Autumn/Winter
2018
The year is certainly flying. In this edition of Mzanzitravel
we are already looking at what exciting and wonderful
travel opportunities there may be this coming winter for
local and foreign travellers in South Africa. We have again
selected for our readers a number of great and affordable
winter getaways for those seeking a relaxing mid-year
break, away from the stresses of everyday life.
As always, our magazine is packed with interesting,
informative travel articles with the aim of encouraging
local travel among South Africans, but also to tell our
international guests more about all the fascinating
experiences our wonderful country has to offer. For the
more active among us with a love of the great outdoors, we
have a feature on the best mountain hikes in the country.
In Hidden Gems we again visit some amazing places,
mostly off the beaten track or less known, such as the
fascinating house of General Jan Smuts, who was a South
African prime minister during both world wars; the intriguing
towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West; the hidden
little towns of the Karoo Highlands Route; and a farm in
the eastern Free State that has a collection of vintage
machines of every description and use, from steam trains
to tractors, aircraft, farm machines and military vehicles.
Editor'S Note
For our regular get-to-know-Mzanzi regional feature, we
travel to beautiful Limpopo; and for our regular discover-
Africa feature we visit Tanzania. In a previous edition we
brought you the western section of South Africa’s iconic
Route 62, from Robertson to Oudtshoorn. Now, in this
edition, we cover the eastern section of Route 62, from
Oudtshoorn to Jeffreys Bay. In other articles we drink a
toast to the exquisite Cape Winelands, find out more about
sustainable and responsible tourism in South Africa, and
take a look at the many lovely guest and holiday farms in
our country. Finally we take a road trip up the isolated, yet
dramatically beautiful coast of Namibia.
From 18 to 20 April Mzanzitravel will be at the WTM Africa
tourism show at the International Convention Centre in
Cape Town, and from 8 to 10 May we will be at Africa’s
Travel Indaba in Durban. We hope to see many of our
old friends there! Lastly, we are proud to announce that
Mzanzitravel has teamed up with The Mzansi Experience
– our magazine will in future be available on all their
luxurious hop-on hop-off tourist buses. As always: enjoy
the read!
Stef
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APRIL - 2018
ISSUE 9
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Jane Frost
EDITOR
Stef Terblanche
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South Africa
Two Oceans to explore
South Africa’s iconic Two Oceans Aquarium provides an unforgettable
look at the life that thrives beneath the waves of the southern African
coastline, a coastline that’s more than 2,500km long and exceptionally
bio-diverse. The Aquarium, built in 1995, is a perennial favourite amongst
locals and tourists, famous for introducing visitors to the magnificent
animals and plants that call this stunning coastline home.
With an emphasis on conservation, the Two Oceans Aquarium’s collection
– which holds more than 200 species – showcases local wildlife and
changes often, resulting in a dynamic experience geared towards fostering
curiosity and love for the ocean. Discover what the warm Indian Ocean,
with its bright and colourful fish and coral, has to offer. In contrast, the
cold Atlantic Ocean, with its silver darting fish, swaying kelp and sleek
predators, is sure to leave visitors marvelling at a world unseen by most.
Conveniently located at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town’s only aquarium
is open 365 days a year. It’s a great alternative on bad-weather days when
outdoor activities have to be cancelled, and no pre-booking is required.
There are also several added activities on offer at the Aquarium, from
photo opportunities and guided tours to animal experiences and scuba
diving. With education, conservation and entertainment intricately woven
together to form an attraction that offers something for everyone, the Two
Oceans Aquarium is a destination for all seasons and ages. We can’t wait
to “sea” you.
Source: Two Oceans Aquarium
10 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Hop On - Hop Off
South Africa
The BEST way to see Cape Town
& Johannesburg!
Cape Town: Easy access to Table Mountain,
Kirstenbosch, Townships, Beaches and Wine Farms
Johannesburg: Easy access to Carlton Centre,
Gold Reef City, Braamfontein and Soweto
Open-Top, double-decker circular bus tours
Shared vacation ownership boosts
South Africa’s economy
South Africa is ranked the 5th highest country for vacation ownership and
4th in terms of future purchase interest. Among the top establishments are
Drakensberg Sun. Not only is shared vacation ownership good for our health
by ensuring that we take regular holidays, it’s also good for our country’s
economy. According to a 2016 worldwide Oxford Economics Industry Study,
the timeshare industry spans the globe with 5,491 resorts and 194 million
room nights, supporting nearly 1.3 million jobs.
In South Africa, which is ranked the 5th highest country for vacation
ownership and 4th in terms of future purchase interest, it is a R3.5 billion per
annum industry that has a significant footprint in the tourism and hospitality
sectors. It’s knock-on effect has a positive impact on the country’s economy
by contributing billions of rand to the GDP and generating employment for
around 27 000 people, ranging from highly skilled to informal positions. Alex
Bosch, spokesman for the Vacation Ownership Association of Southern
Africa (VOASA), said the study also found that vacation owners generally
spend more than double what a hotel guest spends on local attractions.
Timeshare made up for 63% of the apartments in Umhlanga, 60% of the
apartments in the Drakensberg and 70% of the apartments in the Hazyview
/ Kruger Park area.
Visit the penguins at Boulders Beach
and see the Cape of Good Hope with
the Cape Point Tour or visit Franschhoek
and Stellenbosch while enjoying wine
tastings and a cheese pairing
Source: IOL
PRE BOOKING ESSENTIAL
via the website or from our ticket offices.
Subject to seat availability and vehicle
subject to tour group size.
Call Centre 021 511 6000

News & Information
Lilizela Tourism Awards entries
now open
Entries for the esteemed Lilizela Tourism Awards for accommodation
establishments and tourism-related products and services opened this month.
The annual awards recognise and reward tourism players and businesses who
work with tireless pride to deliver world-class products and services, growing
South Africa’s global competitiveness as a destination in the process. The Lilizela
Tourism Awards have been honouring the “best of the best” products, experiences
and people in the South African tourism sector since 2012.
An initiative of the National Department of Tourism and spearheaded by South
African Tourism, the annual awards ceremony is always a star-studded and
celebratory affair. Tourism’s ongoing drive to promote service excellence and
product grading through the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA)
is yielding positive results for the tourism industry. In 2017, the awards attracted
a record number of 1,649 entries, up by about 40% from 2016’s figure. Tourism
businesses across the nine provinces are encouraged to enter.
Cape Town promotes water-wise
tourism
Much like other successful tourist regions such as Southern California and Western
Australia, South Africa’s Western Cape is among the world’s most water-scarce
areas. Vulnerable to climate change effects and susceptible to periodic droughts,
the Western Cape is currently going through a significant lack of rainfall. However,
as recently noted by World Travel Market (WTM,) Cape Town and the Western
Cape are open for business despite the current drought. “Visitors and delegates
will arrive in a place with a significant breadth and depth of experiences, and
exceptional beauty, but we encourage you to be mindful of water-wise tourism and
business travel when you’re here,” noted a WTM report. Cape Town has also put
up various initiatives to increase the water supply and make provisions for extreme
water shortages.
Source: Travel Trade Daily
Source: IOL
South Africa and China are beneficial partners
This year marks the centenary of the great leader of the South African and African people, and the world at large, Nelson
Mandela. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of China-South Africa diplomatic ties. Twenty years ago, then
President Nelson Mandela made the political decision for South Africa to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s
Republic of China. With joint efforts, the relations realised a triple jump from a partnership to a strategic partnership,
and now to comprehensive strategic partnership. In the process, a tremendous amount of tangible benefits have been
delivered to both peoples.
Today, the China-SA relationship has gained growing strategic and global significance. China is a reliable, productive
and beneficial partner to South Africa. Over the years, a multi-layered, wide-ranging and all-dimensional co-operation
framework between China and South Africa has taken shape. China-SA relations have become a role model for China’s
co-operation with other African and developing countries. In mutually beneficial and win-win co-operation, China has for
nine years in a row been South Africa’s largest trading partner.
Source: IOL / Pretoria News
12 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

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News & Information
Meetings Africa a boon for business
travel in Africa
The 13th annual Meetings Africa exhibition and trade show will boost
intercontinental trade and business travel in Johannesburg, while promoting local
tourist hotspots. That is the sentiment of the Member of the Mayoral Committee
(MMC) for Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Leah Knott,
who delivered the welcome address at the two-day tourism event at the Sandton
Convention Centre. This exhibition and trade show started on Tuesday, 27 February
2018, and will end on Wednesday, 28 February 2018. MMC Knott noted that this
year’s Meetings Africa exhibition was extremely diverse and fully representative
of the continent’s tourism potential. The Meetings Africa trade show is a showcase
of some of the continent’s tourism services and products, from accommodation
providers, destination-marketing companies, and tourism agencies, conference
venues to professional conference organisers to business events support services.
Source: joburg.org.za
Tour operators rejoice as South Africa
welcomes new president
Tour operators across South Africa are rejoicing at the news that Cyril Ramaphosa
was sworn in as the country’s new president. After nine scandal-plagued years in
office, Jacob Zuma tendered his resignation during a live broadcast on Feb. 14. The
75-year-old Zuma told the nation he disagreed with the way the African National
Congress (ANC), the country’s ruling political party, had pushed him toward an early
exit but said he would accept his party’s orders. President Cyril Ramaphosa was
immediately sworn in on Feb. 15. Just one day later, he held his first State of the
Nation address, during which he stressed the importance of tourism.
South Africa’s tourism stats for 2017
For the past 12 months, South Africa welcomed 10.29-million foreign tourists
(visitors who stayed overnight) in 2017. This is up only 2.4% over 2016. Lee-
Anne Bac, Director, advisory services at Grant Thornton says: “This increase is
unfortunately underwhelming and significantly below the global average of 7%.” The
number of overseas tourists (2.7-million) is up 7.2% in 2017, this good growth was
driven by excellent performance in the first half of the year. In the fourth quarter of
2017, Stats SA reveals that the number of overseas tourists increased by only 3.7%
- and this figure was driven down by a dismal increase of less than 1% in December
2017. “We attribute the dramatic decline at the end of the year to the impact of the
water crisis in Cape Town, coupled with South Africa’s strengthening currency,”
continues Bac.
According to Stats SA, the number of African arrivals (7.6 million) is a mere 0.8%
up in 2017 – driven by a significant decline in Q1 of 8%. For the remaining three
quarters of 2017, African arrivals increased by 5% (Q2), 3.7% (Q3) and 3.6% (Q4)
respectively. Key source countries with low growth/declines in tourism numbers in
2017:
• UK: 0% (no growth over 2016). As the UK is a significant source market, no
growth from this market has a big impact on total arrival figures
• New Zealand: down 24% in 2017. A clear indication of the impact of visa
regulations on demand
• Nigeria: down 22%
• China: down 17% (eroding half the growth from this market in 2016)
Key source markets with excellent growth in arrivals in 2017:
• Russia: 51%.
• France: 27%
• Germany: 12%
He said: “Tourism is an area which provides our country with incredible
opportunities to, quite literally, shine. Tourism currently sustains 700,000 direct jobs
Source: IOL
and is performing better than most other growth sectors. There is no reason why it
can’t double in size. We have the most beautiful country in the world and the most
hospitable people.” According to the president, the country will enhance support
for destination marketing in key tourism markets and take further measures to reduce regulatory barriers and develop emerging tourism businesses. “We call on all South
Africans to open their homes and their hearts to the world,” he said. “The appointment of Cyril Ramaphosa as the new president is hugely positive for the image of South
Africa, both as a tourism destination and an attractive investment destination,” said Henk Graaff, managing director of SW Africa.
Source: Travel Weekly / Dorine Reinstein
14 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Cathay Pacific flies non-stop to Cape Town from
November
Cathay Pacific will launch a seasonal non-stop service to cosmopolitan Cape Town later this year, directly
linking one of South Africa’s biggest business and leisure tourism destinations with Hong Kong, for the
very first time. The three-times-weekly service launches on 13 November 2018 until 18 February 2019 and
will run alongside Cathay Pacific’s existing daily non-stop flights to Johannesburg. The new service will
be operated by state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert
Hogg said: “We are very pleased to be able to expand our services in Africa, a booming aviation market.
Growing our reach to destinations that are not otherwise served from Hong Kong creates considerable new
opportunities for business, trade and tourism, in addition to strengthening our home hub.”
Source: IOL
KZN to Maputo — one epic road trip at half the time
One day, two different passport stamps and an epic road trip. This will soon be possible with the opening of
Africa’s longest suspension bridge stretching from Catembe to Maputo and a new road stretching between
Kosi Bay in KwaZulu Natal and Maputo. Scheduled to open later this year, the new road and bridge will
connect Maputo with the Catembe district, and could cut four hours off the drive time from the KwaZulu
Natal border to Maputo, not to mention significantly reduce travel times between the Mozambique capital
and some of the country’s tourism destinations, including Bela Vista, situated in the middle of Catembe and
Ponta do Ouro. Travellers will quite literally be able to start their day off in KwaZulu Natal, explore some of
Southern Africa’s finest spots before calling it a day in Mozambique for sundowners. According to Natalie
Tenzer-Silva, Dana Tours Director, the completion of the bridge will open up a new world of opportunities for
Mozambique-bound travellers.
.COM
Source: IOL

News & Information
Africa
Africa’s most popular tourist
destinations
Tourism is an important economic activity globally. Apart from direct economic
impact, the industry has direct and indirect impacts. In Africa, global tourist
arrivals grew by eight per cent last year and the rise is expected to be
maintained, at a pace of four to five per cent, this year. Here are the most
competitive tourist destinations in Africa, according to UNWTO and World Travel
& Tourism Council. 1. South Africa; 2. Kenya 3. Zambia; 4. Tunisia; 5. Nigeria; 6.
Morocco; 7. Mauritius; 8. Tanzania; 9. Namibia
10. Egypt
Oppenheimer’s Fireblade Aviation
welcomes first international flights with
SA-bound tourists
Source: MediaMax
Fireblade Aviation, owned by South Africa’s wealthy Oppenheimer family, says it
processed the first international flights recently at its private terminal at O. R. Tambo
International Airport. “The seven-star facility successfully handled international
tourists arriving in South Africa,” it said in a statement. “This marks the culmination
of years of effort following a rigorous approval process and is a significant milestone
for Fireblade, the South African aviation sector and South Africa’s high-end tourism
industry.”
The High Court in Pretoria ruled late last year that the aviation company could
operate the private international terminal, despite objections lodged in 2016 by then
home affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, who is now finance minister. “We are excited
to service international movements, which will complement our current domestic
aircraft movements and enable Fireblade Aviation to fulfil its intended potential,”
Fireblade Aviation CEO Jonathan Oppenheimer said. The Airports Company
of South Africa (Acsa), which operates the country’s airports, said having fully
operational international border control capabilities at Fireblade would free up the
main terminal at O.R. Tambo International for additional capacity.
Source: The Citizen / African News Agency (ANA)
Ramaphosa extends condolences for loss
of Tourism Portfolio Chair Ngcobo
President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended “his sincere condolences” to the family,
friends and colleagues of the late Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on
Tourism Beatrice Thembekile Ngcobo, who passed away on recently. Ngcobo,
who held an MA Social Sciences and a Diploma in Advanced Nursing Education
(University of KwaZulu-Natal), was a respected activist across various sectors,
including for Disabled People South Africa. The African National Congress MP
died after a short illness, at the age of 74. The president said Ngcobo’s passing
away represented a great loss to Parliament and the tourism sector “at a time when
government is preparing to work with all role players in the industry to aggressively
increase the number of visitors to South Africa and employment in the sector”.
Source: The Citizen / African News Agency (ANA)
Kenya, Uganda seek to deepen tourism
cooperation
Kenya is working with Uganda to grow intra-country tourism and enhance their
common marketing plan globally. Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) officials said
Uganda is Kenya’s largest tourism source market in Africa. Betty Radier, KTB’s
Chief Executive Officer, said in Nairobi that the ease of movement between
Kenya and Uganda by road and air has made it easy and inexpensive for
travelers to explore the two countries. “Kenya Airways operates regular flights
between Entebbe and Nairobi. KTB anticipates that the recent entry of Jambojet,
a low-cost carrier, into Entebbe will make travel much more affordable to wider
Ugandan population,” Radier said in a statement issued in Nairobi. “Once in
Nairobi, they can connect easily to popular destinations such as Mombasa
and Diani by either by air, road or through the Madaraka Express Service
on Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR),” she added. As part
of further engagement, Radier announced that Kenya will participate in the
three-day Pearl of Africa Travel Expo (POATE) which has been organized by the
Uganda Tourism Board from Friday in Kampala.
Source: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
16 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

News & Information
Africa’s largest tourism trade fair now
open for registration
The continent’s largest tourism trade fair, Africa’s Travel Indaba, is now open for
registration. The annual event, previously known as Indaba, will run from May
8-10 under the banner “Africa’s Stories, Your Success” at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli
Convention Centre in Durban. Owned and managed by South African Tourism,
Africa’s Travel Indaba has over the past 37 years established itself as the continent’s
premier tourism trade show.
Zambian Embassy successfully conducts
U.S first quarter tourism shows
Global
UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative on
Wildlife and Tourism launches Media
Award
The UNWTO/Chimelong Media Award seeks to recognize the most
committed and original purveyors of news and stories related to wildlife
conservation and tourism. “To engage the media and to recognize the work
of journalists in the coverage of wildlife and sustainable tourism.” This is
the ultimate goal of the Media Award announced by the World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) on the occasion of Wildlife Day celebrated on
3 March. The UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative aims to promote the value
of tourism for wildlife conservation and also includes training to tourism
administrations and to media on the theme.
The UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative is being implemented between 2017 and
2019 and aims at engaging key stakeholders like the media and tourism
administrations in fostering sustainable tourism as a means to protect
wildlife. Seven African countries (Republic of Guinee, Niger, Republic of
Congo, Botswana, Benin, Gabon and Democratic Republic of Congo) hosted
in 2017 activities of the UNWTO/Chimelong Initiative. Over 100 tourism
officers and 50 media professionals have enhanced their capacities and
understanding on wildlife through these activities.
Source: Travel Daily News
The Embassy of Zambia in Washington D.C has successfully participated in three
largest annual travel and adventure tourism shows in the United States of America.
Zambia’s Ambassador to the U.S His Excellency Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula, S.C. says
the Mission’s active participation in the shows has raised Zambia’s tourism profile
to over 100,000 U.S. travel agents, tour operators and potential tourists who visited
the country’s stand at the Travel and Adventure shows that have been held in
Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. Dr. Simbyakula said Zambia has hit record
high in promoting its tourism industry to the U.S market. He reiterated the need for
the Embassy to continue participating in these largest tourism shows as one of the
strategies to attract more tourists from the U.S. into Zambia.
Source: CNBC Africa / APO
Transpay expands global payouts to
Australia, NZ and South Africa
Transpay, the cross-border payments platform, has announced the expansion of its
service offering to include direct-to-bank deposits in Australia, New Zealand, and
South Africa. Transpay clients are now able to send local currency payouts directly into
bank accounts in these countries. According to 2017 data from the World Bank and the
International Labor Organization, self-employment rates in Australia, New Zealand,
and South Africa range between 14.4 and 17.6 percent. As professional services
continue to globalize with the rise of online marketplaces, the ability to receive mass
payments from overseas partners without excessive or unexpected transaction fees
presents an economic benefit to individuals, businesses, and their national economies
alike.
Source: Finextra
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 17

Reservations: Tel: +27 (11) 516 4367
Email: res@extraordinary.co.za
The Cape Milner
Cape Town
Mont d’Or Franschhoek
Franschhoek
Mont d’Or Swartberg
Prince Albert
Mont d’Or Bohemian House
Pretoria
Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway
Waterberg Mountains
Black Rhino Game Lodge
Pilanesberg National Park
Country Boutique Hotel
White River
Mjejane River Lodge
Kruger National Park
Imbali Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Victoria Falls Safari Club
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls Safari Suites
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Extraordinary presents a distinctive collection of luxury lodges and hotels in Southern Africa. This solution to
hospitality management offers a range of services including Management, Sales, Marketing and Reservations for
small hospitality groups and individually owned properties. With offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and India,
Extraordinary boasts an impressive client base with properties located in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Mont d’Or Clarens
Clarens
Monto Bello Estate
Bloemfontein
Monte Bello Events
Bloemfontein
Mabula Game Lodge
Waterberg
Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp
Waterberg
Ingwenyama Resort
White River
Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
Hamiltons Tented Camp
Kruger National Park
Khaya Ndlovu Manor House
Hoedspruit
Lokuthula Lodges
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
The Boma - Dinner & Drum Show
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Ngoma Safari Lodge
Chobe National Park, Botswana

Hiking
Tyhume Valley near Hogsback, Amatola Mountains hiking trail
Shutterstock / Toscanini

Hiking
South Africa is blessed with many beautiful mountains from the iconic Table Mountain in the south to
the majestic Drakensberg in the northeast. Most are easily accessible to people who want to enjoy
the fresh air and natural beauty, whether along easy walks or hiking trails that cater for everyone
from the inexperienced to the highly experienced hiker.
There is arguably no better way to experience South Africa’s great outdoors than by putting on a pair of boots,
grab a water bottle and set off for the nearest mountain hiking trail. That is, for the more easy walking trails; for
anything more difficult, you need to plan carefully, get the right gear and permits, and where required, book a
place with a guided hiking group. Mountain hiking trails include anything from short 2-hour informal walks and
hikes, to formally organised, and often guided hikes that can range over several days, with overnight stays in
mountain huts
For people who want to get out into nature and enjoy our great outdoors and these wonderful mountains in a
leisurely way, we look at some of the most awesome mountain hikes around the country – from the relatively easy
ones to a few more challenging ones.

Hiking
Magoebaskloof Hiking
Trail - Limpopo
Considered by many experienced hikers as one of the most
beautiful hiking areas in South Africa, the Magoebaskloof
Hiking Trail traverses mountainous, forested terrain on the
escarpment above the town of Tzaneen in the far northern
province of Limpopo. Surrounded by the Ebenezer Dam
and the Woodbrush and Agatha forest reserves, the trail
is just over 60km long, offering spectacular forest hikes
of between two and five days. Hikers will be mesmerized
by sub-tropical forests, craggy ravines, pristine mountain
streams, deep pools and waterfalls, while also being
treated to an abundance of monkeys, birds and some other
wildlife. River rafting, abseiling and canopy tours are also
available close by.
Vegetation in this afromontane region is lush, fed by high
annual rainfall, so it is best to bring along appropriate
clothing. The trail provides a number of overnight huts
ranging from old forestry buildings to purpose-built wooden
huts. The trail is rated as moderately difficult, the shortest
route being 20,5km and the longest 62,4km. Booking is
required. Contact Tel: +27 (0)13 754-2724.
Debengeni Waterfall, Magoebaskloof - Shutterstock/Hannes Thirion

Diepwalle overnight hut, Outeniqua Hiking Trail – Shutterstock / Grobler du Preez
Amphitheatre, Drakensberg – Shutterstock / Werner Gillmer
Otter Trail, Tsitsikamma Forest – Shutterstock / PhotoSky

Hiking
Blyde River Canyon - Shutterstock / Flower_Power
Blyderivierspoort Hiking Trail -
Mpumalanga
There can be few more spectacular starts to a hiking trail anywhere in South
Africa than this one. Starting at God’s Window with its endless vistas down the
Drakensberg escarpment and across the distant Lowveld, the trail winds its way
through the world’s third largest canyon after the Grand Canyon in the United
States and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia.
The 26km long, 800m deep canyon is the largest ‘green canyon’ due to its lush
subtropical foliage, with the deepest precipitous cliffs of any canyon on earth.
Hiking the full trail takes five days, with the last two days being optional, and the
hike is rated moderate to advanced. However, there are many other day walks and
hiking trails available in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, some very easy
but nonetheless still spectacular.
The Blyde River runs into the Swadini - or Blydepoort - Dam, which has a number
of resorts on its banks. The entire Blyde River Canyon has a number of worldrenowned
attractions and activities, including white-water rafting, kayaking and
abseiling. The area is covered with rich and varied plant life supporting a variety of
fauna from smaller antelope to kudu, baboons, monkeys, hippos and crocodiles.
Birdlife is abundant. For more information call Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks
Agency on Tel +27 (0)13 753 3115 or +27 (0)84 221 8292.
Table Mountain National Park
Hikes – Western Cape
The Table Mountain National Park encompasses a spectacular collection of parks,
mountains, forests and beaches, running from Cape Point – meeting place of two
oceans – in the south, to the iconic Table Mountain standing watch over Cape
Town in the north. It also includes Boulders Beach with its world-famous penguin
colony. The park is a natural world heritage site, and boasts one of the Natural
New 7 Wonders of the World. The overall park offers a large number of hikes
ranging from easy one or two-hour walks, to more advanced hikes stretching over
several days.
Table Mountain itself, together with the adjoining mountains such as the Twelve
Apostles, offer over a hundred hiking routes. A favourite with many visitors who are
not experienced hikers or have little time available, is the steep, naturally stepped
climb up Platteklip Gorge to the summit on the front face of Table Mountain. While
a bit overcrowded at times, it offers breath-taking views of Cape Town and Table
Bay and takes anywhere between 2 and 3 hours depending on your level of fitness,
and if too exhausted for the descent you can use the cable car. Two other very
popular routes are Kasteelspoort (on the 12 Apostles) and Skeleton Gorge. The
India Venster route is considered one of the best half-day routes to the summit and
involves some scrambling and heights, but nothing too extreme.
The Cape Point section of the park offers a number of easy walks along wellmaintained
footpaths and boardwalks, as well as more extensive hikes, including
a Shipwreck Trail. At Boulders you can watch the fascinating penguins before
following a footpath and boardwalk trail along the coast with awesome views of
the giant boulder-strewn ocean with its turquoise waters. To fully experience the
24 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Hiking
beauty of the Cape Peninsula, you can do the 88km, 5-day Hoerikwaggo Trail
that takes you from Table Mountain to Cape Point, passing through Hout Bay,
Silvermine, Kommetjie and Simonstown.
These are but just a few of the many, many beautiful walks and hikes available,
while there are numerous other activities also to be enjoyed. Contact Hike Table
Mountain on +27 (0)60 539 9340 or Table Mountain National Park on +27 (0)21
712 0527.
The Otter Trail – Eastern & Western
Cape
Strictly speaking this is a coastal hike and not a mountain trail, although it winds
its way along the base of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountain ranges.
Possibly the most famous hiking trail in South Africa, the Otter Trail winds its
way across cliffs and beaches, through rivers, up craggy ravines and through
beautiful forested areas – all the way with magnificent views of the Indian Ocean.
It covers one of the most pristine coastal areas of the Garden Route in the Western
Cape and forms part of the Garden Route National Park. The trail begins at Storms
River Mouth in the Eastern Cape with its awesome suspension bridge across the
sea and river mouth, making its way to Natures Valley in the Western Cape. There
are comfortable overnight huts along the way with water, firewood, braai and other
facilities.
The hike takes five days to complete a distance of 45km. Due to the physical
demands of the trail it is restricted to people between the ages of 12 and 65. It is
essential to make a booking with SANParks by calling Tel +27 (0) 12 426 5111.
Drakensberg Hikes – KwaZulu-
Natal
The magnificent Drakensberg ranges more than 1,000km across the northeastern
parts of South Africa, running from the Eastern Cape, around the eastern
edge of Lesotho where it borders KwaZulu-Natal, around to the Free State,
through Mpumalanga and up to Limpopo. It forms the eastern and highest portion
of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau.
Those who have hiked or climbed in the Berg, as it is affectionately known, keep
on going back year after year, and many will tell you it is Southern Africa’s best
hiking region.
of the Southern Drakensberg. Some sections are steep Hiking but any reasonably fit
person, including children, will be able to easily complete each section. Most of the
trail lies within the Cobham and Garden Castle Reserves. There are also several
trails in the Cobham Reserve. Small patches of indigenous forest are encountered
along the way, but most of the trail passes through mountain grassland with
lovely views of the mountains. The trail consists of five sections and overnight
accommodation is available at the end of each section.
The 6km day hike up the Sentinel Peak hiking trail takes one to the top of the
tallest free standing mountain in the Drakensberg on the western side of the
Amphitheatre. A famous feature of this trail are the twin steel ladders hikers have
to use up an almost sheer cliff face, but once the climb has been completed, hikers
are rewarded with unsurpassed views of the mountain range and the foothills and
plains far below.
The Amphitheatre trail offers a guided hike in the Northern Drakensberg that leads
to the top of the highest waterfall in Africa and second highest waterfall in the world,
the Tugela Falls, with spectacular views. This hike can be covered in a full day,
although the more extensive hike is recommended only for experienced hikers and
takes about 3 days to complete. Another favourite with many hikers is the Rainbow
Gorge Trail, an easy 6km meander that the whole family can do, starting at the
Cathedral Peak Hotel and then following the Ndumeni River upstream, passing
through a forest and into a gorge filled with waterfalls and rock pools.
Other popular hikes include the 4-hour Sugar Loaf trail; the 5-hour walk to the
Injisuthi Battle Cave; the 3-day Bell Traverse starting at the base of Cathedral Peak
and rising to the top of Mlambonja Ravine; the 2-day Gxalingenwa Cave Hike; the
Ganabu Ridge and Baboon Rock Hike; the easy 3km Shermans Cave Hike; the
100km, 6-day Blinkwater Hiking Trail; and many more. For more information call
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife on Tel +27 (0)33 845 1999 or the Drakensberg Tourism
Association on Tel +27 (0)36 448 1557 or Cell +27 (0)83 485 7808. There are also
numerous companies offering guided hiking packages in the area.
Outeniqua Hiking Trail – Western
Cape
If its pristine indigenous forests with giant yellowwood trees in a fairytale setting
that tickles your interest, the Outeniqua Trail is just the thing. Located in the
Southern Cape near the town of Knysna, this 108km 7-day hike is designed for
the more experienced hiker. There are however, also shorter 2 and 3-day options.
Like the Table Mountain National Park in the south, it is home to hundreds of
hiking trails, with the difference being that they are found in four provinces and two
countries. In this section we only look at some of the hiking trails in the KwaZulu-
Natal section of the mountain range. Some other Drakensberg hiking trails are
covered elsewhere in this article
A mere two hours’ drive from Durban is the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park that
offers a number of hikes ranging from easy day walks to more challenging three- or
four-day trips into the mountains. Many regard this area as one of South Africa’s
top wilderness experiences. The best-known feature of this park, part of a World
Heritage Site, is the Amphitheatre with cliffs that rise 3,000 meters above sea level
and forms a backdrop for the Tugela Falls, Africa’s highest waterfall at 948m. The
area is also home to an abundance of San (bushman) rock art paintings.
The trail can only be completed from west to east, starting at Beervlei Hut, an
old forest station, above Swartvlei near Wilderness, passing above Knysna and
ending near the Harkerville Forestry Station close to the N2 highway just before
Plettenberg Bay. Along the way hikers pass through some of the most beautiful
indigenous forests in the country. The forests are also home to the rare Knysna
elephant, but you are unlikely to spot one of these shy creatures, of which there
may be only be between one and a handful surviving.
Carving its way through the mountain foothills and forests, the trail also makes
its way down to the coast where beautiful rock formations may be explored and
seaside caves can be found. Basic overnight accommodation is available in 8
overnight huts along the route. For more information call SANParks Knysna office
on Tel +27 (0)44-302 5606 or (0)44 302 5600.
The Giant’s Cup Trail runs along the foothills of the Drakensberg from Sani Pass on
the Lesotho border to Bushman’s Nek near Underberg in the picturesque foothills
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 25

Hiking
Stadsaal Caves…hiking in the Cederberg Mountains - Shutterstock /Marisa Estivill
Amatola Hiking Trail – Eastern
Cape
No hiking experience in South Africa will be complete without a visit to author
JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth, that fictional, strange place in Lord of the Rings. It is
to be found near Hogsback in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape, the
area that is said to have inspired Tolkien’s fictional Middle Earth in the book. The
area is often shrouded in mist and very cold in winter.
The 6-day 5-night trail starts at Maden Dam near King Williams Town, then cuts
through the incredibly beautiful Amatola Mountains before ending in the quaint little
village of Hogsback. The trail is often marketed as the toughest in South Africa and
one needs to be fit and prepared. But your hard work will be amply rewarded by
the serene remoteness, beautiful indigenous forest, rolling grasslands, mountain
plateaus, plenty of fynbos and many waterfalls, as well as views that stretch far
into the distance. Overnight accommodation is offered along the way in rustic huts
with basic facilities. For more information call Tel +27 (0)43 642 2571.
Cederberg & Groot Winterhoek
Hiking Trails – Western Cape
A favourite with Capetonians about a two-hour drive from Cape Town is the
Cederberg Mountains. Hikers can camp at the lovely Algeria Campsite high up
in the mountains along the banks of the Uitkyk River, a tributary of the Olifants
River. The wilderness area encompasses about 71,000 hectares of rugged,
mountainous terrain and offers many white, sandy river beaches and deep natural
swimming pools, as well as some truly awesome hiking trails and rock-climbing
challenges. The area is also known for its fantastical rock formations and San rock
art. The Cederberg, which forms part of the Cape floral region, is a World Heritage
Site, and among its many inhabitants are the rare and endemic snow protea and
the rare Clanwilliam cedar.
Further south, near Porterville, is the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area with
hiking trails of varying lengths and distances. These are found in two zones -
Kliphuis and Perdevlei in the east, and De Tronk and Die Hel in the south. The hikes
take you across lush veld and seeping waters that become the Vier-en-Twintig
River (24 rivers), and down a steep cliff into a ravine with a huge mountain pool
ideal for swimming. The beauty of the area is breathtaking with a great diversity of
mountain fynbos and prolific birdlife, as well as stunning rock formations and San
art. A variety of overnight accommodation from basic to well-equipped is available.
For more information call CapeNature on Tel +27 (0)22 931 2900 (Porterville) or
+27 (0)21 483 0190 (Head Office).
Fanie Botha Hiking Trail -
Mpumalanga
The Fanie Botha Trail, located in the beautiful Sabie area of Mpumalanga, was
originally conceived as part of what would become a whole network of trails called
the National Hiking Way System, stretching from the Soutpansberg in the north
and along the escarpment to the Cederberg in the Western Cape. The trail is still
regarded as being synonymous with the establishment of organised hiking trails in
South Africa and is still regarded as one of the best.
Much of the original trail follows old forestry roads, but this has been changed
over the years to incorporate more areas of indigenous forest. The trail takes five
days to complete, but there are shorter 2 and 3-day options as well. The trail starts
at the Ceylon Forest Station, passes near the Mac Mac Falls, and ends at the
Mac Mac Forest Station. Waterfalls, forests, panoramic views, natural pools for
swimming and wonderful isolation are the hallmark of this hike. For bookings call
SAFCOL EcoTourism on Tel +27 (0)13 754 2724.
26 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Telephone: +27 (0) 82 318 1894
West Coast Village/Cape Town South Africa
e-mail: heidi.helm@access-southern-africa.com
Kindly provide the following reference: Mzanzi
Access Southern Africa is exactly what it says: we are a small, specialised and flexible Destination Management Company offering
all sorts of travel to Southern Africa. Our focus are unique trips to the beautiful countries South Africa, Botswana, Namibia,
Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Der Name „Access Southern Africa“ steht für eine professionelle, spezialisierte und flexible Incoming-Agentur, die Reisen verschiedenster
Art in die schönsten Länder des südlichen Afrika anbietet. Besonderen Schwerpunkt legen wir auf die einzigartigen
Länder Südafrika, Botswana, Namibia, Sambia, Simbabwe und Mosambik.
PATCHAM PLACE
B&B Clarens
082 416 3687
www.patchamplace.co.za
Patcham Place is situated in the heart of the delightful mountain village of Clarens in the Eastern Free State. The village is only 15km from the beautiful
Golden Gate National Park in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains.
The village and surrounds are peaceful and safe and have good restaurants, pubs and a host of art galleries and other places of interest.
With its central location, Clarens is an ideal stop over point for the traveller or a wonderful destination in itself. Many outdoor activities are available,
including hiking/walking, horse riding, fishing, game drives, white water rafting, abseiling, golfing, tennis and quad biking.
Top Rated accommodation in Clarens

Discover
Our regular feature in which we
visit some unique, hidden-away
and off-the-beaten-track places
and experiences you probably
didn’t know existed… but which
are truly worth a visit.
By Stef Terblanche
Old steam train on the estate - Leonard Hugo / Pixabay

Discover
Karoo Highlands Route …
Truly off the beaten track, hiding deep inside the heart of
the Karoo between the three main north-south highways
- the N7, N12 and the N1 - lie a string of small towns that
make up the Karoo Highlands Route. Those who take
the time to turn off the main highways and come here to
explore, will find soul-refreshing peace and tranquillity,
and a delightful choice of experiences.
Situated in the southern part of the Northern Cape, just north of the Western Cape
provincial border, the route passes through the towns of Nieuwoudtville, Calvinia,
Williston, Sutherland, Fraserburg, Carnarvon, Loxton and Victoria West. The
plateau that makes up the Karoo Highlands is the largest plateau outside of Asia,
and a place where humans have been living for 500,000 years. Their presence is
richly recorded in ancient San rock art found throughout the region.
Here you can also connect with history going even further back –
looking back all of 13-billion years to the very beginnings of our
universe through the giant telescope at Sutherland. There is no
place that beats this area for gazing at the crystal clear night skies
sparkling with billions and billions of stars. It is also a fossilrich
region where pre-dinosaurs once roamed, and home to
the largest variety of succulents found anywhere on earth, with over 9,000 plant
species.
It is the Khoi-San people who once roamed here who gave the Karoo its name,
derived from the Khoi word ‘karusa’, which means dry and barren thirstland.
The area is made up of vast, sandy and rocky planes, covered in shrubs and
succulents, with typical Karoo flat-topped hills dotted throughout, as well as
occasional mountainous crags and valleys.
Apart from the astronomical observatory with the largest optical telescope in the
southern hemisphere, Sutherland offers much else to do, like a visit to the museum
or the birth home of the famous poet NP van Wyk Louw, restaurants, hiking in
the open veld, learning about medicinal plants used by the Khoi-San, and
more. Some 80km outside Carnarvon is the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
which, upon completion will host the world’s biggest radio telescope
and is considered to be one of the biggest scientific projects ever
launched.
The entire area is also rich in Anglo Boer War history,
with British military blockhouses and other battle-site
relics found everywhere. Corbelled houses,
as built by the trekboere, migrant frontier
stock farmers who moved ever deeper
inland in the mid-to-late 1700s, are
also found here, some serving now
Historic corbelled house near Williston
Grobler du Preez / Shutterstock.com

as self-catering guest houses. These round houses that look like windowless,
whitewashed stone igloos offered excellent protection for trekboer families and
their stock from the harsh Karoo climate and from the poisonous arrows of San
attackers.
In Calvinia, known for its annual Hantam Meat Festival that takes place around
August, you can buy the best succulent Karoo lamb chops you will ever find…at
prices that will have city dwellers repeatedly coming back for more. Almost every
town here has a museum. In Loxton you will be surprised to find a World War II
museum with the largest private collection in South Africa of tanks, armoured cars
and other military vehicles and weapons. Of a more peaceful or tranquil inclination
are the art galleries and artist’s studios also found in these towns. A highlight is
the Williston Winter Festival which is an awesome cultural experience and includes
teams of traditional Nama riel dancers who literally and energetically kick up a dust
storm to the sound of guitars and concertinas.
The western part of the route, around the towns of Calvinia and Nieuwoudtville, forms
part of the annual Namaqualand wildflower spectacle at the end of winter, when
the entire barren veld is covered overnight in a kaleidoscope of colourful flowers.
In the small town of Loeriesfontein, next to Calvinia, is the Fred Turner Windmill
Museum, with one of the biggest collections of farm windmills. In Victoria West
a visit to De Oude Pastorie with its beautiful stained-glass windows, the
oldest building in town built as an Anglican church in 1869, is well worth
a visit. Here you may also hear some of the many stories about local
hero, the legendary Springbok rugby player Mannetjies Roux,
immortalised in hit songs by singers like David Kramer and
Laurika Rauch. There is just simply so much to be
enjoyed along the Karoo Highlands Route that one
could fill a whole book listing it.
• For more information call Northern Cape Tourism
on 27 (0)53 832 2657, or email marketing@
experiencenortherncape.com, or visit their website at
www.experiencenortherncape.com.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 31

Hiking
Smut’s beloved house at Doornkloof, Irene - Steve Heap / Shutterstock.com
From Boer general to
international statesman…
visiting the homes where Jan Smuts
was born and later lived
He was, among his many exploits and adventures,
an innovative Boer general who terrorised the British
imperial army. He later commanded South African and
British forces and served in the British war cabinets
during both World Wars; was a close confidante of
Winston Churchill; a founder of the forerunner of the
United Nations; and became one of South Africa’s
most beloved and respected prime ministers. He was
also labelled as one of Cambridge University’s most
outstanding students ever. His name was Jan Smuts.
Visiting the home where he was born and the one where
he spent the last 40 years of his life, both now museums,
opens an engrossing window on the life and times of this
fascinating man.
The distinguished life of Jan Christiaan Smuts started on the farm Bovenplaats
near Riebeek West in the then Cape Colony on May 24, 1870 and ended on
September 11, 1950 in his beloved home on his farm Doornkloof, Irene, outside
Pretoria. Both homes are today museums open to the public, left exactly as they
were during his life, and filled with personal furniture, books, pictures, mementos
and more. A visit to both, but especially the one at Doornkloof, Irene, provides an
astounding insight into this amazing statesman who chose intellect and simplicity
over the trappings of high office and status. In doing so he had much in common
with Mahatma Ghandi, who was both his adversary and a friend.
Smuts only started school at the age of 12, after his elder brother died, as the
custom of the day held that only the eldest son received a schooling, while the rest
worked on the farm. But he quickly caught up, matriculated within four years, and
graduated from Victoria College (later Stellenbosch University), having studied
high Dutch, German, ancient Greek, literature, the classics, and Bible studies. He
then went on to study law at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge in England.
He was described by one of his tutors, Professor Maitland, a leading figure among
English legal historians at the time, as the most brilliant student he had ever met.
While studying at Cambridge, the youthful Smuts wrote a book, Walt Whitman: A
Study in the Evolution of Personality, which was published only in 1973, long after
his death, but which laid the foundation for Smuts’ later wide-ranging philosophy
of holism. In 1970, Lord Todd, the Master of Christ’s College, said that in the 500
years of the College’s history, among all its many students, only three had been
truly outstanding: John Milton, Charles Darwin and Jan Smuts.
Discover Africa’s Hidden Gems
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to find local attractions, accomodation or even restaurants!
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ecame his close confidante and friend. After the war Smuts became instrumental
in establishing the League of Nations, a forerunner to the later United Nations.
Smuts served as South Africa’s prime minister from 1919 to 1924, and again from
1939 to 1948.
Inside the Smuts house at Irene
With his political career now over, he retired to his farm Doornfontein, a tranquil
place on the outskirts of Pretoria where he spent 40 years of his life. But Smuts
also had a ruthless side: he once used air force planes to bomb striking workers
who tried to stage a rebellion, and as a Boer commander he ordered the executions
of traitors. Initially he was an ardent segregationist, but later renounced his early
racial policies, and warned the National Party government of DF Malan, who
succeeded him, not to implement apartheid.
On the Bovenplaats section of the original farm Ongegund outside Riebeek West
in the Western Cape, stands Smuts House, the cottage where he was born and
spent his childhood. In 1975 it was proclaimed a national monument. The cottage,
maintained pretty much as it was in Smut’s childhood, now contains among other
interesting things an exhibition of photographs of his life. It is open to the public
from Tuesdays to Sundays.
Jan Smut’s study, just as it was in his lifetime
Even more fascinating is his Doornkloof home, now called Smuts House Museum.
It is a simple wood and iron farmhouse that was built in Britain, shipped to India
where it served as an officers’ mess, and then shipped to South Africa where
General Smuts bought it for £300. The house also served as a mess for his Boer
War foe and scorched earth architect, Lord Kitchener, in Middelburg, Transvaal,
during the Anglo Boer War. Smuts renovated it on his farm and later added several
rooms. The house is surrounded by the trees and shrubs on which Smuts fed his
After his studies ended Smuts practiced law in Cape Town, became more and
more involved in politics and journalism, then befriended and went to work for Cecil
John Rhodes in his De Beers mining company. But Smuts became outraged when
his friend, mentor and employer launched the Jameson Raid in 1895–96 with the
aim of overthrowing the South African Republic’s (Transvaal) government of Paul
Kruger. Smuts left De Beers and became state attorney of Kruger’s government in
Pretoria. With the outbreak of the second Anglo Boer War in 1899, Smuts joined
the Boer forces to fight against the invading British forces who vastly outnumbered
the Boers.
After a year of bitter fighting, with many Boer fighters now captured and their farms
and homes destroyed by the ‘scorched earth’ policy of the British commanders, the
Boers turned to a guerrilla phase of warfare that lasted almost another two years.
The remaining Boer fighters had split up into small, highly mobile commandos that
conducted lighting hit-and-run strikes on British forces, their military block houses,
supply trains and other targets, seriously disrupting the British war campaign. A
commando led by Smuts penetrated as far south as Saldanha Bay on the West
coast of the Cape Colony. Of all the Boer guerrilla commanders Smuts became
arguably the most legendary, becoming a huge problem for the British imperial
forces.
After the war Smuts returned to active politics, serving in the first Union government
of Louis Botha, another former Boer general. When World War I started, now fully
reconciled to Britain’s control of South Africa, Smuts launched the Union Defence
Force and fought German forces in Southwest-Africa (Namibia) and Tanzania,
before serving as a general in Lloyd George’s War Cabinet in London. Smuts’
review of the British Air Services led to the creation of today’s Royal Air Force.
During World War II Smuts commanded British and South African forces as a Field
Marshall of the British army. He served in Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet and
34 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Statue of Jan Smuts outside Parliament, Cape Town

Discover Discover South Africa
The old Royal Hotel, Riebeek Kasteel - Grobler du Preez / shutterstock.com
love of nature and interest in botany.
The hill behind the house is where he went for solitude and meditation. Among the
many famous visitors he entertained at his house, was the British Royal Family
in 1947, including the current Queen of England. While in Cape Town the Royal
Family took the cable car up Table Mountain and were met on top by a spritely
77-year old Smuts who, as an avid hiker, had chosen to rather walk up to the top.
The high-ceilinged rooms still contain all the original furnishings that Smuts and
his wife, Ouma Isie brought to it, as well as his study with his vast library of books
that includes books on Darwinism, Buddhism and botany, and many relics and
mementos on display of his extraordinary career. In a shed outside stands the
Cadillac he used when prime minister of South Africa. There is a tea garden for
visitors too and a regular market is held on the grounds. The house is open to
visitors on weekdays and weekends.
For more information contact: Smuts House, Riebeek West,
Tel +27 (0)22 461 8000 or Mobile +27 (0)83 348 2587; and
Smuts House Museum, Doornkloof, Irene, at
email info@smutshouse.co.za, or on
Tel +27 (0)12 667 1176 or +27 (0)12 667 1659, or
contact Gauteng Tourism Authority.
Riebeek Valley… a tale of two
towns, two churches and two prime
ministers
Just and hour’s drive north of Cape Town lies the
fertile Riebeek Valley, home to two intriguing little twin
towns with a fascinating history…Riebeek Kasteel and
Riebeek West. The two villages, named after the Cape’s
founding Dutch commander, Jan van Riebeeck, will
charm any visitor with all they have to offer. Capping the
story of these two towns is the legendary ‘feud’ between
their respective church congregations, and the fact that
two South African prime ministers were born here, both
leaving an indelible mark on the country’s history, but in
very different ways. Today artists, writers, restaurateurs,
pub and shop owners, young professionals who commute
to Cape Town, alternate life-stylers and computer-based
entrepreneurs live here alongside retired farmers.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 35

One of many quaint little shops in Riebeek
Kasteel - Image: Pixabay
Stately old home, Riebeek West - Grobler du Preez /
shutterstock.com
Many eateries to be enjoyed - Image: Pixabay
The two Riebeeks lie snugly at the foot of the Kasteelberg (castle mountain)
which, seen from the air, looks like a sharpened stone-age tool left lying in the
veld, surrounded by vineyards and wheat fields. The valley was discovered in 1661
by scouts sent out from the Cape Town castle by the first Dutch commander at the
Cape, Jan van Riebeeck, to explore the interior. In the 1700s people of European
descent started settling in the valley, and by the mid-1800s two distinct farming
communities were developing here – Riebeek Kasteel at the southern tip of the
mountain, and Riebeek West, less than 5km away just over a hill and below the
centre of the mountain. Just down the road is their lesser known cousin, the hamlet
of Hermon, a popular venue for weddings.
A fascinating part of their history is a ‘feud’ that saw the local Dutch Reformed
Church community split in two, forming two congregations and building two
churches in the two villages that were walking-distance apart. Before either of the
towns had its own congregation, farmers and townsfolk of the valley each Sunday
had to make the 20km journey by horse cart and ox wagon to Malmesbury, where
a church had been established in 1745, to attend church services. Fed up with this,
the Riebeek Kasteel community decided to build their own church in the 1850s,
which upset the neighbouring Riebeek West community. But Riebeek Kasteel
went ahead anyway and laid the cornerstone of their church in 1855. So in 1858
Riebeek West followed suit and established its own congregation, and that’s how
it has been ever since.
Another interesting claim of the valley is that two successive prime ministers of
South Africa were born here, both of whom made their historical mark on South
Africa but in very different ways, and each leading one of the two main political
parties of the day in a fierce contest for power. In 1870 the Boer general, politician,
philosopher, international statesman, prime minister, and later field marshal in
the British army, General Jan Smuts was born on the farm Bovenplaatz, part
of Ongegund, just north of Riebeek West. (See our previous article above.) The
house where he was born is still there and is a national museum open to the public.
Just four years later, the other future prime minister, Dr DF Malan, was born at
Allesverloren, just south of the town. The farm is now a well-known wine estate
and still owned by the Malan family. Malan went on to become the first apartheid
prime minister with his National Party having defeated Smuts’ United Party in the
1948 general election.
Set among rolling vineyards and wheat fields in this beautiful, tranquil valley,
the twin towns are quite different, each having a unique charm and variety of
things to do. In the eclectic mix of little bistros, shops and restaurants of Riebeek
Kasteel, visitors can mingle with bohemian types, artists, local shopkeepers, hip
young professionals, day-tripping families and local farmers while sampling the
locally-produced selection of wine and port, fresh fruit, olives, homemade bakery
and jams. More than likely you will get caught up in conversation with one of the
shopkeepers or restaurateurs.
Two of the town’s more well-known contemporary residents are journalist,
author and political commentator Max du Preez and fellow journalist, author and
restaurateur Jacques Pauw who wrote the recent best-seller, The President’s
Keepers, an exposé of the infamy that surrounded South Africa’s recently ousted
President Jacob Zuma.
Neighbouring Riebeek West appears somewhat quieter, a peaceful, sleepy town
with stately old Victorian homes lining the streets running up the hill towards
the mountain. Many of the district’s wealthy farmers come here to retire. In both
villages the churches that once were the centre of some discontent, are still
present. At the church in Riebeek Kasteel, called De Oude Kerk, much of the
valley’s history and that of the mid-1800s Voortrekkers can be explored in in what
is now the Valley Museum. In the town square stands a red ox erected in 1938 to
commemorate The Great Trek.
A place not too be missed in Riebeek Kasteel is the original Royal Hotel, one of
the oldest hotels in the country still operating, complete with its rumoured resident
ghost. Enjoy a delicious lunch on the shaded backyard patio overlooking the hills
covered in vineyards while sipping some local wine. Or pop into any of the many
little eateries and drinking holes with names like Bar Bar Black Sheep, Eve’s
Eatery & Bar, Mama Cucina, Café Felix and Beans About Coffee. Then do some
browsing and shopping at the Wine Kollektive or any of the little shops offering
handmade chocolate, biltong, locally made soap, local fashion designs, antique
collectables and bric-a-brac. There are also a number of wine farms and wineries
for wine tasting in the area.
For more information contact Riebeek Valley Tourism on
Tel +27 (0)22 448 1545 or email tourism@riebeekvalley.info.
Vintage tractors, trains &
other fabulous machines …
rediscover the magic of childhood at
Sandstone Estates
Sandstone Estates, a 7,000 hectare farm located in a beautiful corner of the
eastern Free State on the border with Lesotho at the foot of the Maluti Mountains,
is a place that will bring out the child in every one of us. Here you will find vintage
machines of every description and use, from steam trains to tractors and military
vehicles, and more.
Sandstone Estates is a large commercial agricultural enterprise close to the town
of Ficksburg, which is renowned as the cherry capital of the world. The estate is
also home to the Sandstone Heritage Trust, a private preservation initiative - not a
museum, but a private collection of vintage machines of every possible description
which can also be enjoyed by enthusiasts and members of the public.
36 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Discover Discover South Africa
Vintage farm truck - Leonard Hugo / Pixabay
The huge collection on the estate now includes a vast collection of steam trains,
some of which take visitors on a ride on the 2ft narrow gauge railway running
around the estate; military vehicles and aircraft of every description, including a
World War II Sherman tank; a vast collection of tractors and other agricultural
machines; many vintage stationery machines used in factories and on farms; and
many classic and vintage cars, buses and trucks, all immaculately restored to their
original running condition. Many of the restored vintage vehicles are in daily use
on the estate.
The collection came about when the current and second owner of the farm in its
170-year history found very old working tractors in daily use here when he bought
the farm in 1995. Then the Midmar Museum, which was a joint venture between
the KwaZulu-Natal Parks Department and the heritage section of the national
railways, was dissolved in 1997 and the owner of Sandstone was able to purchase
on auction a selection of narrow gauge assets including the railway line.
Sandstone was suddenly the owner of enough components to create a small
narrow gauge railway. A track was laid on the estate and one of old NGG16
Garratt steam locomotives was put back to work. And from there the collection just
took off, gaining fame among visitors as well as engine buffs all over the world.
The 2 ft narrow gauge railway runs from Grootdraai in the south, for some 26
kilometres northwards to the main farm and main depot at Hoekfontein, onwards
via Mooihoek to Vailima Sidings/Ficksburg and the a large loop at Vailima Village.
Today the collection of 2 ft narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock is one of
the largest in the world.
Work is currently underway on the estate to prepare one of the biggest heritage
events in the Southern Hemisphere planned for 4 to 14 April 2019 – the Stars
of Sandstone 2019 that will feature the 2-ft Narrow Gauge Railway with over 30
operating locomotives, aircraft from WWII overflying the event and vintage cars,
trucks, tractors, traction engines, military vehicles and much more on the ground.
There is also a restaurant and many other facilities on the estate.
For more information, go to the Sandstone website at www.sandstone-estates.
com/index.php/contact-us or for the Stars of Sandstone 2019 event go to
www.starsofsandstone.com/index.php/info-booking/southern-african-residents.
An old Harvard plane and vintage steam tractor -
Leonard Hugo / Pixabay
Vintage car - Leonard Hugo / Pixabay

LESOTHO
Discover Mzanzi
LIMPOPO
NORTH WEST
GAUTENG
MPUMA-
LANGA
NORTHERN CAPE
FREE STATE
KWAZULU
NATAL
EASTERN CAPE
WESTERN CAPE
Farm estates near Debengeni Falls, Magoebaskloof - Steve Heap / Shutterstock.com

Limpopo is South Africa’s northernmost province
and is truly a province of many delightful
discoveries. Bordered by three African countries,
it is also South Africa’s gateway to Africa. The
province shares provincial borders with Gauteng,
Mpumalanga and North West provinces.
It is a province of beautiful and contrasting
landscapes with a great diversity of both natural
and man-made attractions, where you can feel
the real heartbeat of Africa. The province has a rich cultural heritage, an
abundance of wildlife and astoundingly beautiful nature reserves and natural
scenery. Its protected areas and nature reserves are considered to be amongst
the best in Africa.
Preserving this natural heritage for future generations and making it possible
for local and foreign tourists to share in this heritage, is a priority in Limpopo.
Scenic attractions range from magnificent mountains, to nature reserves,
lakes and rivers, tropical forests, semi-desert bush country, the famous
Kruger National Park, and plenty more. With some of the best game-viewing
opportunities in South Africa, the province boasts that it is the preferred
eco-tourism destination in South Africa. The beautiful Magoebaskloof is a
favourite with hikers.
Its diverse cultural heritage is derived from the Bapedi, Batswana, Vhavenda,
Vatsonga and Ndebele indigenous people who settled here centuries ago, as
well as Afrikaners who arrived with the Great Trek and various others who later
settled here from Europe.
The province is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province’s
western and northern borders. The name is derived from the Northern Sotho
language word diphororo tša meetse, meaning “strong gushing waterfalls”…
found along the Limpopo River and in other parts of the province.
“the preferred
eco-tourism
destination in
South Africa”.

Elephant gathering, Kruger National Park - Utopia_88 / Shutterstock.com
Tourism is one of the three pillars of the Limpopo economy along with mining and
agribusiness. In 2008, the province accounted for 5% of all foreign tourist bed
nights in South Africa, a number that has grown significantly since then. In order
to develop it as a tourism destination, the provincial budget annually allocates a
very large part for tourism.
For tourism and administrative purposes the province is divided into five regions,
designated in accordance with the dominant cultural group residing there.
Capricorn is the central region predominantly occupied by the Bapedi people;
Waterberg is the largest region in the province with the majority of people being
the Batswana; the Vhembe region in the far north is dominated by Vhavenda
and Vatsonga people; the Mopani region towards the Kruger National Park is
dominated by Vatsonga; and the Sekhukhuni region is dominated by Bapedi and
Ndebele people.
The province is easily accessible by air to Polokwane International Airport outside
the provincial capital. There are many smaller airports and airfields dotted around
the province, some being located in game reserves. The province can also be
easily reached by rail, as well as by road: along the N1 highway from Gauteng
and Zimbabwe; the N11 from Botswana; the N4 and R37 from Mozambique and
Mpumalanga; and the R40 and R37 from Swaziland.
Limpopo has a land area of 123,910 square kilometres and a population of 5.3
million. The province is covered by a network of tarred roads, including a tarred
road inside the Kruger National Park. Internet is available in all areas and there
are internet cafés in major towns. English and Afrikaans are the predominant
languages of business here.
The five regions
Capricorn Region
Named after the Tropic of Capricorn, which passes through the northern section
of Limpopo, the Capricorn Region covers the area from the Ysterberg along the
foothills of the Wolkberg Mountains, to the Tropic of Capricorn in the north. It is an
ideal stopover between Gauteng and the northern areas of Limpopo and between
the north-western areas of the country and the Kruger National Park. It is close to all
three neighbouring countries.
The natural scenery of this region is diverse, ranging from grassy plains, to bushveld
and mist-shrouded mountains. The region is home to mines, farms, forests, cultural
villages, dams, art galleries, game reserves, and monuments. The major town in this
region is Polokwane.
Mopani Region
The Mopani Region is located in the Lowveld. The Great Olifants River, which runs
through the Kruger National Park, forms its southern border. The Kruger National
Park has been incorporated into the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Park, a transfrontier
conservation area stretching over 35,000 square kilometres covering Mozambique,
Zimbabwe and South Africa. This region offers vast expanses, diverse natural
scenery and is a remarkably untouched corner of Africa.
This area is also destined to become part of the proposed Great Limpopo Transfrontier
40 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

BIG CAT EXPERIENCE
LIMPOPO
Email: info@bigcatexperience.co.za | Phone: 0605086863
“A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO GO STRAIGHT ONTO THE
BUCKET LIST.”
For once the words “a walk on the wild side” are worthy of putting on your bucket list. Join us for the surreal experience of walking with
fully-grown African lions. And walk away with a deeper understanding of these incredible animals not through words, but through the
moments you share with them. You’ll meet your guides at reception and take a short walk into the bush where you’ll have a safety briefing.
When you’re ready, you’ll be joined by the rest of the team – and two lions! The walk takes you on a loop through the conservancy for about
45 minutes to an hour with photo opportunities along the way. Nerves are to be expected, but by the end of the walk you’ll feel like part of
the pride and be left with a memory you’ll never forget.
Learn about the majestic African lion without fences or game vehicles getting in the way.
ALL OUR GUIDES KNOW THE LIONS WELL. SO, THEY KNOW
THAT THE KEY TO A SAFE LION WALK IS RESPECTING THE
ANIMALS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE WILD
ANIMALS WHO ARE LETTING US SHARE IN THEIR COMPANY.
NO NEED TO BRING ALONG CAMERAS – ONE OF OUR
GUIDES WILL TAKE ALL THE PHOTOS YOU COULD EVER
NEED THAT WILL THEN BE EMAILED TO YOU AFTERWARDS.
IT’S AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS
ABOUT – JUST AS LONG AS YOU’RE NOT LEFT
PERMANENTLY SPEECHLESS!
CONSERVATION
The core of everything we do at comes from a love of, and deep respect for, all animals and our natural world. Big Cat Experience, its
owners, and employees do not condone or support in any way, the act of caged lion hunting. In fact, all three of our adult lionesses are
spayed and cannot breed. Furthermore, we do not undertake in anyway any means of “cub petting” all interactions are with fully grown
adult lions.
But our procedures don’t stop there, we also ensure that follow-ups are conducted to ratify our commitment to the welfare and wellbeing
of our lions. In addition to this, we have a zero-tolerance policy for the inhumane treatment of any animal, whether within the conservancy
or beyond.

Discover Mzanzi
Park, with a number of privately-owned and stateowned
conservation areas bordering on the Kruger
National Park having already removed their fences,
now forming part of the Greater Kruger National Park.
The entire area, and especially the Mopani Valley is
rich in wildlife, but also has spectacular scenery of
mountains, rivers and dams, a rich history and many
cultural attractions. Major towns in this region are
Tzaneen and Phalaborwa.
Sekhukhune Region
This region, with its fascinating history, owes its name
to King Sekhukhune, a king of the Marota (commonly
known as the Bapedi) in Sekhukhuneland during the
18th century. At the height of the Pedi people’s power
under a ruler called Thulare between about 1790 and
1820, Sekhukhuneland included an area stretching
from the site of present-day Rustenburg in the west
to Mozambique in the east, and ranging as far south
as the Vaal river at the southern border of Gauteng.
The size of the Pedi region was substantially reduced
following military campaigns by British forces in 1879,
and later by the government of the Transvaal Boer
republic. The region is a rural area with its economy
anchored in tourism, mining and agriculture. There
are many natural, cultural and other attraction in this
region. The main town of the region is Groblersdal.
Vhembe Region
The Vhembe Region, the northernmost part of the
province, gets its name from the mountain range that
stretches for some 130 km from west to east through
the region. Here you will find endless expanses of
undulating indigenous bush, with the most instantly
recognisable example being the iconic baobab tree.
The area is also home to plenty of wildlife, many bird
species and exciting opportunities for visitors seeking
adventure.
It is from this region that the border bridge at Beitbridge
can be crossed into neighbouring Zimbabwe. The
region is also home to the Vhavenda, of whom one
of its most famous sons is South Africa’s current
president, Cyril Ramaphosa. In the area where the
Vhavenda live you can visit the kraal of the Paramou
Chief with its intricate mountainside labyrinth of
footpaths leading up to its main defence, a large cave
above the kraal. There is also a nearby lake where
young maidens were once offered to a spiritual being
believed to live in those waters.
Furthermore, it is also the region where the ancient,
now vanished African Kingdom of Mapungubwe,
a World Heritage Site, is to be found, its ruins now
within the Mapungubwe National Park. The kingdom
was once the first part in a development that would
culminate in the creation of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe
in the 13th century. It had gold trading links to Rhapta
and Kilwa Kisiwani on the African east coast, and it
was here that Arabs and Indians came to trade beads
and ceramics for the gold and ivory found here.
Home of the
ancient, vanished
Kingdom of
Mapungubwe with
its gold smelting
industry…
The kingdom had a thriving gold smelting business
and produced jewellery and artefacts such as the
famous Mapungubwe Gold Rhino, now housed as
part of a Mapungubwe gold collection in a museum
at the University of Pretoria. This region boasts some
of the most varied and extensive natural, geological,
archaeological and cultural systems in the world. Its
fascinating history dates back many centuries to when
the San roamed the veld, leaving behind a treasure
trove of cave and mountainside rock paintings. In
addition there are ample game viewing opportunities,
hiking trails and other attractions. Louis Trichardt,
Musina and Thohoyandou are major towns.
Waterberg Region
1. Mapungubwe National Park - Utopia_88 / Shutterstock.com

Discover Mzanzi
In the south-western part of the province lies the
Waterberg Region. Major towns here are Mokopane,
Bela Bela and Thabazimbi. The region includes the
Waterberg wilderness area, a vast, mountainous
and isolated area more than three million years old,
situated in the magnificent Waterberg Mountain
Range. This region is close to Tshwane (Pretoria) and
Gaborone, Botswana.
Its main feature is the Waterberg (water mountain)
after which it is named, a superb wilderness area.
Here endless bushveld vistas compete with mountain
gorges through which many mountain streams pass.
There is an abundance of rich indigenous plant
species and animal life - including the ‘Big Five’. The
region around Bela Bela is also known for its soothing,
hot water mineral baths which can be accessed at one
of many hot spring resorts.
Tourist Routes
Limpopo’s tourism authority has designed a number
of unguided, self-drive tourist routes throughout the
province to assist visitors with selecting and putting
together their own itinerary for exciting travel that
includes anything from adventure, to culture, history,
hiking, shopping, game-viewing and more. More
information about all the routes can be found on their
website at http://www.golimpopo.com/.
The routes include the African Ivory Route covering
more than 3.6-million hectares of national parks,
nature reserves and game farms; the Pedi Living
Culture Tourism Route where visitors can see and
learn all about the history and culture of the Bapedi
people; the Limpopo Valley Route and the Valley
of the Olifants River Route, both offering myths,
legends, beautiful scenery and wildlife; the Waterberg
Biosphere Experience which will be of special interest
to those fascinated by archaeology and history; or
the Wildlife and Scenic Route where you can visit the
Kapama Cheetah Breeding centre for a guided tour
and lunch at the Nyani Cultural village where you can
experience the Shangaan culture.
Alternatively you can do the Cultural Adventure
Tour of Limpopo which includes a visit to the Bakone
Malapa open museum with its display of the living
culture of the Bakone people, before proceeding
to Magoebaskloof via Moria, headquarters of the
Zion Christian Church which is one of the biggest
churches in Southern Africa with a membership of
more than 5 million. In the Magoebaskloof you can
visit Debengeni Waterfalls within the scenic and
breath taking Magoebaskloof Pass believed by locals
to be inhabited by water spirits. Over forty species
of indigenous trees are found in the area which is
matched only by the Garden Route for natural scenic
beauty in South Africa.
Other Limpopo tourism routes include the Heritage
Treasures of Limpopo; the Greater Mapungubwe
Heritage Route; the Ribolla Open Africa Route; the
Soutpansberg-Limpopo Birding Route; the Heritage
Route; the Olifants Hiking Trail; the Outposts Trails;
the Limpopo Gold & Safari Route; the Battle of
Sekhukhune Route; or for those seeking something
different, the Adventure, Shopping and Cultural Route
with activities running over several days.
Parks and Reserves
Limpopo is home to a large number of fabulous game
and nature reserves, parks and wilderness areas.
Among these are the Great Limpopo Transfrontier
Park, a joint venture between South Africa, Zimbabwe
and Mozambique; the famous Kruger National Park;
Marakele National Park; Mapungubwe National Park;
and the Manyeleti Game Reserve. In addition there are
no fewer than 13 nature reserves, numerous resorts
and a large number of private game reserves including
the world-renowned Timbavati Nature Reserve, home
to the famous white lions.
In the Marakele National Park, Waterberg - Kev Gregory / Shutterstock.com

Cultural village showing Ndebele life - Daleen Loest / Shutterstock.com
Useful Contact Information
Limpopo Tourism Agency:
Website www.golimpopo.com; Tel +27 (0) 15 293 3600; Polokwane
Visitor Information Centre
Tel +27 (0) 15 290 2010; Reservations +27 (0) 293 3611/2/3;
Email info@golimpopo.co.za.
Mopani Tourism & Parks Resource Centre:
Tel +27(0)15 307 3582; Email valleyofolifants@golimpopo.com.
Vhembe Tourism & Parks Resource Centre:
Tel +27 (0)15 516 3415/0040; Email vhembe@golimpopo.com.
Luxurious private lodge in Waterberg game park - Sean Heatley
/ Shutterstock.com
Waterberg Tourism & Parks Resource Centre:
Tel +27 (0)14 736 4328; Email waterberg@golimpopo.com.
Sekhukhune Tourism & Parks Resource Centre:
Tel +27 (0) 13 262 3977; Email sekhukhune@golimpopo.com.
Capricorn Region: Tel +27 (0) 15 290 2010;
Email info@golimpopo.com.
Game viewing foot, Kruger National Park - Rich T Photo / Shutterstock.com

Responsible Tourism
Minimum disruption of environment and local culture - Neja Hrovat / Shutterstock.com
Sustainable tourism. Responsible tourism. Green tourism.
Ecotourism.
Big words and weighty concepts, often accompanied by a lot of
hype and self-praise by various tourism stakeholders claiming to be
‘leaders in the field’. But scratch a bit deeper and often their sustainable cupboards
are found to be pretty bare.
Most definitions describe it as an attempt to find a suitable balance between
the social, environmental and economic impacts of tourism and the role it plays
in conserving biodiversity. It entails minimising the impacts of tourism on the
environment, including the fauna and flora, and local culture and communities.
Its aim is also to help generate sustainable employment for local communities
and ensuring that tourism development is a positive experience for local people,
tourism companies, and tourists themselves.
However, in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent there are also many
organisations and entities that have done remarkable work in the field of
sustainable or responsible tourism, and much progress has been made over the
past decade or more. But just what exactly is sustainable tourism?
46 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Responsible Tourism
How well is South Africa doing in promoting responsible tourism?
Global organisations
In the global organisation Responsible Travel’s first league table of tourist boards
that was published two years ago, South Africa achieved a top score out of 50
countries, with countries like China, the United States and France at the bottom.
And last year at the World Travel Market Africa 2017 held in Cape Town, the
South African Blood Lions campaign and the Coffee Shack Backpackers were
announced as overall winners. A number of other South African operations also
won in other categories.
Globally there are a number of organisations that try to encourage responsible
tourism and set down standards and criteria, as well as certifying various tourism
stakeholders based on their commitment and contribution to responsible tourism.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global
sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria, which include Destination
Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria
for hotels and tour operators. The council says these are the guiding principles
and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire
to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources,
while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty
alleviation.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 47

Animal rehabilitation programmes benefit - Maria VK / Shutterstock.com

Responsible Tourism
Another global organisation advancing sustainable tourism is the United Nations’
tourism agency, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The UNWTO says,
as the leading international organisation in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes
tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental
sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing
knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
The UNWTO encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for
Tourism, to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing
its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an
instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), geared
towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.
A number of organisations are also active on the African continent in promoting
responsible tourism, among them the Sustainable Tourism Certification Alliance
Africa, formerly known as the Sustainable Tourism Network Southern Africa
(STNSA). This is an alliance of sustainable tourism certification stakeholders in
Africa, with an initial focus on countries in southern and East Africa, but hoping
to extend its activities across the entire continent. The Alliance aims to enable an
integrated approach to sustainable tourism certification throughout the continent.
According to the Alliance, the external environment is characterised by trends
towards international accreditation, harmonisation, dual certification and mutual
recognition between standards-setting organisations. The Alliance provides
services on behalf of members seeking to secure international recognition, mutual
recognition and other forms of partnerships.
Responsible tourism in South Africa
annual Imvelo Awards for Responsible Tourism in the hospitality industry and a
year later, with the introduction of the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa trademark.
The Department of Tourism, in partnership with the South African National
Accreditation System (SANAS), also developed a National Minimum Standard on
Responsible Tourism (NMSRT). The NMSRT is a standard to accredit certification
programmes, sometimes referred to as “certifying the certifier”. According to the
department, this standard serves three purposes:
• To establish a common understanding of the minimum criteria for
responsible tourism;
• To promote responsible tourism in the tourism sector, including
accommodation, hospitality, travel distribution system, as well as all
organs of state and entities, organised labour and communities involved or
interested in the tourism sector in South Africa; and
• To establish the minimum criteria for certification of the sustainability of
organisations in the tourism sector.
Other organisations
According to its website, Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is a
pioneering initiative that promotes equitable and sustainable tourism development
in South Africa through a range of activities including awareness raising, capacity
building, advocacy and the facilitation of the world’s first Fair Trade tourism
certification programme. The FTTSA certification programme awards a special
certification Trademark (label) to tourism enterprises in South Africa that meet
specific sustainability criteria based on global Fair Trade standards and locally
relevant issues such as skills development, ownership and HIV/Aids management.
In South Africa a large number of tourism services and products providers
strive to advance sustainable tourism in their offerings. These companies and
operations are usually members of, or have been certified by any one of a number
of organisations in South Africa that set standards for and advance the practices
of sustainable tourism, among them Fair Trade, Green Tourism Active and
Responsible Tourism South Africa.
FTTSA was established under IUCN-South Africa in 2001, as a pilot project
to test the relevance of Fair Trade to the post-apartheid context. Since 2004,
FTTSA operates as an independent non-profit organisation in South Africa. To
date, FTTSA has certified close to 70 establishments across South Africa. A wide
variety of tourism establishments have qualified for the FTTSA-label including
hotels, safari lodges, backpacker lodges, guesthouses, cultural tours and ecoadventure
activities. Many of these products are small, emerging, and communitybased
businesses that are wholly or partially owned by rural black communities
disenfranchised by apartheid.
From its side, the South African government has through its Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), since split into two separate
departments and ministries, done much to advance responsible tourism. In 1996 it
published a White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South
Africa, in which responsible tourism was described as “an absolute necessity if
South Africa is to emerge as a successful international competitor”. Guidelines as
well as a manual for Responsible Tourism were designed by DEAT during 2002
as a basis for implementing responsible tourism practices throughout the tourism
industry.
Responsible tourism took a major step forward in 2002 with the inception of the
Fair Trade Tourism promotes sustainable tourism development through facilitating
the world’s first tourism Fair Trade certification programme. The FTT label is
awarded to tourism businesses currently operational in South Africa signifying
their commitment to Fair Trade criteria including: fair wages and working
conditions, fair purchasing, fair operations, equitable distribution of benefits and
respect for human rights, culture and environment. This is the label responsible
travellers should look for when selecting service providers.
A number of other non-profit organisations are also involved in advancing
sustainable tourism in South Africa, such as the African Safari Lodge Foundation
(ASLF). This non-profit company has an independent board of directors and works
mainly in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. The organisation participates
in various African and global networks to implement a development programme
designed to overcome various existing barriers and enhance the real contribution
that safari lodges can make to rural development. The company states that its
mission is to facilitate economic growth, ownership, skills development and job-
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 49

Responsible Tourism
creation through responsible forms of tourism and related land uses following a
“rights-based” approach.
SADC initiative
Back in 2005, the tourism and environment ministers of nine Southern African
Development Community (SADC) countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Lesotho,
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe,
endorsed a transfrontier conservation area (TFCA) development strategy for
2010 and beyond. Its main aim was to increase the tourism potential of southern
Africa by consolidating the marketing and investment promotion efforts of existing
transfrontier initiatives. South Africa was given a mandate to play a leading role in
coordinating the implementation of the strategy.
Boundless Southern Africa is the marketing brand for transfrontier conservation
areas developed in terms of this strategy. Seven TFCAs stretching across the
borders of the nine participating countries are being marketed as preferred tourist
and investment destinations.
Another commendable development is that of Eco Atlas, which has developed
an ethical directory and green guide for responsible travellers that highlights the
social and environmental achievements in respect of accommodation, restaurants,
activities, products and services in South Africa. The use of the twenty Eco
Choice icons by tourism service providers enables tourists to see at a glance who
is achieving sustainable goals enabling them to make informed decisions about
which businesses to support.
Recognising the fact that tourism is the world’s largest job creator, another initiative,
Open Africa, set out to stimulate rural development by leveraging communities’
collective tourism assets. It does this by connecting remote areas with travel
markets in a competitively sustainable and innovative way. Its starting point is to
identify products and then clustering entrepreneurs into branded networks that
strengthen their combined power and market appeal.
Open Africa works with local communities to link existing community-based
tourism businesses, for example accommodation providers, tour guides, and local
artisans, into off-the-beaten track, self-drive routes, clustering travel attractions in
an area for travellers to explore. It also identifies enterprise opportunities along a
route and match them with potential or existing entrepreneurs and helps to develop
the business concept, product development and branding, as needed. Among its
other activities it lists capacity building, skills provision, marketing, the installing
of monitoring and evaluation tools to track route challenges and outcomes, and
enhancing conservation by various means.
Another non-profit company, the Sustainable Tourism Partnership Programme
Economic opportunities for local communities - vitmark / Shutterstock.com

Responsible Tourism
Traditional culture generating income - InnaFelker /
Shutterstock.com
Helping protect endangered animals - JMx Images / Shutterstock.com
(STPP), was established to facilitate the implementation of sustainable tourism
practices in smaller accommodation establishments and tourism SMMEs across
South Africa. The programme is also closely aligned to the recommendations
of the United Nations Environmental Programme, which shifts the focus of
sustainable tourism development to SMMEs.
The STPP uses tourism as a catalyst for local economic development. Since
Another company in this field is GT Active, a sustainability management company
offering sustainability assessments and certification for the hospitality industry.
The company says its seeks to change consumer behaviour, processes and
strategies through informed choice, raising awareness around all sustainability
aspects and positioning its clients as leading responsible tourism service
providers.
its inception, the STPP is viewed as a thought leader in sustainable tourism
implementation. The programme has been developed in alignment to, amongst
others, the National Tourism Sector Strategy and the National Minimum Standard
for Responsible Tourism NMSRT (SANS 1162:2011). As such the programme
incorporates environmental, cultural, heritage and social criteria, economic best
practice, community resilience, universal accessibility and service excellence.
Consulting companies
Levelle Perspectives, another consulting company, says it provides business
development services in Africa that support globally recognised principles of
sustainable tourism, while ensuring that local context is prioritised. The company
works with stakeholders to find solutions that ensure the needs of business are
balanced with those of the local area in a way that benefits everyone. Specific
focus areas include using tourism as a tool to achieve local development objectives
through, e.g. sustainable livelihood and supply chain development, as well as
corporate social responsibility that is designed to empower local communities and
ensure that the integrity of their local environments is maintained.
Serendipity Africa is another such a responsible tourism consultancy based in
Cape Town. Serendipity Africa offers a range of specialist development services
including responsible tourism training and mentoring, product or destination
marketing, fundraising guidance and media support. In addition the company says
it undertakes projects that create positive frameworks for sustainable tourism
destination planning and strategies for improving tourism in destinations.
A number of consulting companies are also active in the tourism industry in
South Africa. Among these, the Heritage Environmental Management Company
(Heritage) was first established in 2001 as an environmental rating initiative for
the hospitality industry in South Africa. Its first certification was awarded to the
Sandton Convention Centre in 2002 to coincide with the 2002 Earth Summit which
was held in Johannesburg.
Since then, the company has expanded its certification categories and product
range to provide certification solutions to all facets of the service industry including
hotels and accommodation; game lodges and resorts; zoos and aquaria; meetings
and events; golf courses; residential estates, banking, retail businesses and
business services. Heritage is currently being applied by over 150 businesses
across eight African countries and, says the company, it is recognised as the
leading certification brand in Africa.
It is clear that much work has been done over the past decade or more to
firmly establish responsibility and sustainability in tourism in South Africa and
throughout Africa. In itself it has given rise to entire new industry. Many South
African tourism services and establishments offer high-level sustainable and
responsible products, benefitting not only tourism, but also the environment
and local communities. In many instance government and South Africa’s official
tourism authorities, as well as the country’s national parks and nature reserves
authorities have been intimately involved.
In a number of instances this has also led to local communities participating in,
being integrated into and benefiting from these initiatives, with numerous examples
found in some of the country’s leading national, regional and transfrontier parks
and reserves.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 51

The Albany Hotel, we ensure
our guests satisfaction with
exceptional customer
services and by providing
the most affordable threestar
hotel accommodation in
Durban
Room Rates
Starting from:
R399.00
per night*
Full English Buffet Breakfast in
our Townhouse Restaurant on
the 1 st Floor for only
R60.00 Per Person
Weekdays 07h00 – 10h00
Weekends 07h00 – 10h30
Halaal (no bacon)
EXTRA ORDINARY
EXPERIENCES
UNFORGETTABLE
MEMORIES
Tel: 031 304 4381 | Fax: 086 203 7247
225 Anton Lembede Street Durban
Info@AlbanyHotel.co.za | www.AlbanyHotel.co.za

The Albany Hotel, we ensure
our guests satisfaction with
Room Rates
Starting from:
R399.00
per night*
Full English Buffet Breakfast in
our Townhouse Restaurant on
Floor for only
the 1st
R60.00 Per Person
Weekday 07h00 – 10h00
Weekends 07h00 – 10h30
Halaal (no bacon)
EXTRA ORDINARY
EXPERIENCES
UNFORGETABLE
MEMORIES
Tel: 031 304 4381 | Fax: 086 203 7247
225 Anton Lembede Street Durban
Info@AlbanyHotel.co.za | www.AlbanyHotel.co.za
R349
exceptional customer
services and by providing
the most affordable threestar
hotel accommodation in
Durban

By Stef Terblanche
Watch mesmerized as thousands of
wildebeest and zebra rush by in their
frenzied annual migration. Find a perch
high up on the snow-capped peak of
Africa’s highest mountain and gaze out
across the endless plains below. Drift lazily past palm-fringed,
sparkling white beaches on turquoise waters in an Arab dhow.
Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the hustle and bustle of an
ancient island town. Join in the pulsating nightlife of a vibrant
metropolis. Or stare down into a 610m-deep volcanic crater,
surrounded by Africa’s Big Five animals.
Where else but in Tanzania could one find all of this just a few
hours’ drive apart? From the moment you step off your plane
to be welcomed by the Swahili word ‘karibu!’ you will know
that you have arrived in what has truly been Africa’s magnet
for travellers since ancient times. The Romans certainly got
it wrong: all roads lead to Dar es Salaam. As a one-stop
travel destination that encompasses all of the great diversity
and variety of Africa, this wonderful East African country is
absolutely unsurpassed.
Famous rock restaurant, Paje, Zanzibar - Marius Dobilas / shutterstock.com

Explore Africa
Located in the centre of Africa’s east coast north of Mozambique and south of Kenya,
between the warm Indian Ocean and Africa’s Great Lakes region, lies Tanzania... a
country focused on the combination of nature, culture and tourism. Some 38% of its
land surface has been set aside as protected areas for conservation. Besides being
home to Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, there are no fewer than 16
national parks, 29 game reserves and 40 controlled conservation areas including
marine reserves.
From among its 51-million people, the country’s cultural variety brings together an
ancient Arab heritage from the Arab trading ports along its island-dotted coast, and
some 125 ethnic groups and tribes, including the famous Masai warrior tribe, the
Hadzabe hunter-gatherers, the Chagga tribe of Kilimanjaro, and the ‘people of the
north’, the Sukuma.
With such an eclectic mix, it is no wonder Tanzania offers visitors such a feast of
cultural experiences, exquisite cuisines, co-existing religions, and many languages.
With more than 100 languages being spoken in Tanzania, it is the most linguistically
diverse country in East Africa. Among its indigenous languages are all four of
Africa’s language families, namely Bantu, Cushitic, Nilotic, and Khoisan. Swahili
and English are most commonly used for tourism, administrative, business, legal,
and educational purposes.
older little shops, restaurants, glitzy hotels, pubs and clubs, parks, beaches and
everything else the visitor’s heart might desire.
The Regions
It is hard to single out any specific region, place, attraction or experience as a
‘must do’ when visiting Tanzania – they all compete to be at the top of any itinerary.
Tanzania is divided into four tourist destinations. Most tourists will be more familiar
with the two main tourism regions, the Northern Regions and Eastern Regions. But
the two Cinderella regions, Southern and Western, do not stand back an inch for the
other two, and offer as many unparalleled and unforgettable experiences. They also
offer one the chance of exploring a little off the beaten track, free from the tourist
crowds of the other two, and are much more unspoilt.
Within the area known as the Northern Regions, the main centres are Arusha,
Moshi and Boma Ng’ombe. The area includes well-known tourist attractions such
as Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Materuni and Kuringe
Waterfalls, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro itself, Mount Meru,
Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli, Serengeti
National Park and Tarangire National Park. It is also the country’s most popular
region for safaris, with literarily hundreds of safari and tour operators active here.
The de facto capital and largest city, Dar es Salaam is a pulsating metropolis
with a busy river-mouth harbour. The city abounds with markets, shopping malls,
This is the region where one can watch the annual migration of 1.4-million
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Explore Africa
Masai warrior on the beach - Matej Kastelic / shutterstock.com
wildebeest and hundreds of thousands zebra and
gazelle, tracked by Africa’s great predators, one of
the truly great natural spectacles on earth. The herds
move in different directions at different times of the
year, depending on rain and grazing conditions, but
generally the best time to observe this migration is
between July and August when the wildebeest move
into Kenya’s Masai Mara crossing the Mara Mara
River in large numbers.
The Southern Regions is perhaps less known
or popular as a safari destination, but it offers
experiences on par with and even better than the
safari destinations of the north, which can at times be
pretty crowded. Main centres here include the towns
of Mtwara on the coast, Matema on Lake Malawi,
Masasi, Liwale, Iringa and Nachingwea. Here some
of the better known attractions include Kalambo
Falls, Kaporogwe Falls, Kijungu Falls, Kiwira River,
Kilwa Kisiwani, Kitulo National Park, Lake Ngozi,
Lake Malawi, Mbozi Meteorite, Mikindani Bay
Marine Reserve, Mikumi National Park, Mnazi Bay-
Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park, Mpanga Kipengere
Game Reserve, Nyumba Nitu Natural Forest, Ruaha
National Park, Selous Game Reserve, and Udzungwa
National Park.
The Eastern Regions is dominated by Dar es Salaam
and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia on the
Indian Ocean coast. Dodoma is another main town.
Some of the major attractions here include the Amboni
Caves, Chumbe Island Marine Sanctuary, the city of
Dar es Salaam itself, Stone Town on Zanzibar Island,
Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve, Mafia Island Marine
Park, Maziwe Marine Reserve, Mnemba Island
Conservation Area, the town of Morogoro and nearby
Uluguru Mountains within the Mikumi national Park,
Saadani National Park Tanga Coelacanth Marine
Park, and the Usambara Mountains.
Main centres of the Western Regions include Kigoma,
Musoma, Mwanza, and Tabora. The area also
borders on several lakes of the Great Lakes Region
of Africa, such as Lake Rukwa, Lake Victoria, Lake
Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. Some of the betterknown
attractions here include Gombe National Park,
Katavi National Park, Mahale Mountains National
Park, Rubondo Island National Park, Saanane Island
National Park and Ukerewe Island. This area is
perhaps the most underrated of all the tourist regions
of Tanzania, while in fact it offers some of the most
unspoiled and beautiful scenery, and lovely freshwater
bays, beaches and little islands along the lakes.
The islands
Down on the coast, the islands of Pemba, Mafia and
Zanzibar are truly an experience never to be forgotten.
The Zanzibar Archipelago is a semi-autonomous
region of Tanzania. Zanzibar, also known as the
spice island, is fringed with many kilometres of white
sandy beaches, some say the best in the world. The
island offers many water-based activities, like sailing,
surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving. Chartered
diving trips by yacht can be done from here. The
capital is Zanzibar City, which includes the ancient
Arab trading town of Stone Town, the former capital of
the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
The town is home to numerous historical and cultural
sites, some dating back to the 15th century, while
little shops, restaurants and stalls line the narrow
streets. The culture of the island, also reflected in its
old architecture, is a fusion of different cultures from
Arabia, Persia, India and the coast of East Africa.
While on the island be sure to visit the Jozani Chwaka
Bay National Park which is a mangrove swamp and is
the home for the red colobus monkey. It is also home
to 40 species of bird and 50 species of butterfly.
Another of Zanazibar’s famed attractions are the
giant, carved wooden doors found in many of the old
buildings here. These exquisite doors are not found
anywhere else in the world and are quintessentially
Zanzibar. The intricate carvings are said to denote
the homeowner’s place of origin, profession and
economic status.
A darker side to the island’s rich history is reflected
in what was the world’s last operating open slave
market. The island once was a main slave-trading port
in East Africa. The slave trade here was started by
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Explore EXPLORE AfricaAFRICA
shutterstock: thanasit thinwongphet lodge
Zanzibar - Wata51 / shutterstock.com
Into the wild - GUDKOV ANDREY / shutterstock.com

Explore Africa
Stone Town, Zanzibar - Koverninska Olga / shutterstock.com
the Portuguese and reached its climax with the Arab
Omani sultanate before Britain outlawed the trade in
1873. The site of the old slave market can be visited
where the Anglican Cathedral now stands, and there
is a monument to the slaves that were once so cruelly
dispatched around the world from here.
For a shopping and browsing experience second to
none, visit the Darajani Market located near the slave
market. Looking, feeling, sounding and smelling every
bit the bustling Arab bazaar that it is, you will find
everything from spices, to pots and pans, clothing,
meat, and many other items here.
Billed as the world’s oldest still existing Swahili city,
many of the historical landmarks in Stone Town
have been fully restored, with some now serving as
museums which are open to the public. Other places
of interest are the Old Dispensary with its carved
wooden balconies, the former home of the sultans
known as Beit el-Sahel or the People’s Palace, the
Hamamni Persian Baths built in 1888, and the oldest
structure in Stone Town, the Old Fort. Zanzibar can
be reached by air, landing at the Abeid Amani Karume
International Airport, and by ferry from Dar es Salaam.
Within the Zanzibar archipelago, Pemba Island is the
northernmost island. Some of the best diving waters
anywhere along the African coast are to be found
here, with excellent crystal-clear visibility revealing
the fascinating underwater life. Less populous or
visited by tourists, the atmosphere here is more laid
back than on Zanzibar. A leftover from the days of the
Portuguese is the traditional bullfighting that can still
be watched here.
Mafia Island too is a popular choice with snorkelers
and scuba divers from around the world. The best
months for diving are October to March but the best
weather is from May to October. There are some truly
magnificent coral reefs and a huge variety of fish to
seen here in what is a protected marine reserve. In
addition Mafia is also a popular base for deep-sea
fishing that includes tuna, marlin, sailfish and other
big-game fish.
The national parks
It is hardly possible to single out any of the many
national parks in Tanzania. Each is unique and has
so much to offer, from day drives to tented safaris
and luxury lodges, with more and a greater variety
of wildlife than most other African countries. Larger
wildlife here include the Big Five (lions, leopards,
black and white rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape
buffalo) cheetahs, wildebeest, giraffes, zebra, hippos
and a large variety of antelopes. Tanzania’s most wellknown
wildlife attractions are located in the northern
part of the country. However, as mentioned, other
parts of the country, particularly the south, also have
magnificent national parks and game reserves.
The Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s largest,
best-known and most-visited park. It consists mainly
of a vast plain dotted with sparsely spread trees,
with well over a million animals searching for fresh
grazing fields. The best months for wildlife viewing
are between December and June. The best time for
viewing the annual mass animal migration, depends
entirely on the rainfall. Throughout the year the
wildebeest and other animals follow a set pattern.
After the November rains, in late November and
December, the wildebeest herds start arriving on
the plains of the Serengeti, where they stay through
January, February and March, with most wildebeest
calves born around February. They then start to
gradually spread west across the plains. At around
April they start their great trek north, and by May all of
the wildebeest seem to be moving north as they seek
fresh grazing and water. Around June the wildebeest
migration is often temporarily halted on the south side
of the Grumeti River. The animals congregate here
and build up into a dense mass of animals before
crossing the river en masse.
The migration now continues northwards during July
and August, often spreading out across a broad front
into September, where the Mara Mara River, flowing
from Kenya’s adjacent Maasai Mara Game Reserve,
again brings them to a stop. Before long the large
herds start plunging through the river into Kenya in
what is the most spectacular part of the migration. By
October they are headed south again, where after the
entire migration starts over again.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, located between
the Serengeti and Lake Manyara, is home to the
famous volcanic Ngorongoro Crater and another one
of Tanzania’s more popular wildlife viewing areas.
A permanent supply of water in the crater draws
many kinds of animals that stay in the area rather
than migrating. It is primarily large game and the
many bird species that draw visitors here. Another
nearby attraction is the Olduvai Gorge, an important
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Explore Africa
Dar es Salaam skyline - franco lucato / shutterstock.com
archaeological site where ancient human fossils
were discovered that have revealed much about early
mankind. The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact
ancient caldera in the world and is nearly three million
years old.
In contrast to the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National
Park is covered with forests, woodlands, grasslands,
and swamps, with more than 60% of the park being
covered by water. Lake Manyara is home to thousands
of flamingos at certain times of year, while plenty of
other diverse bird life is also found here. The park is
also well-known for its large population of elephants,
the largest concentration of baboons in the world,
tree-climbing lions and hippos, all of whi9ch can be
viewed at a much closer range than in other parks.
Tarangire National Park has one of the highest
concentrations of migratory wildlife during the dry
season. Another feature of the park is the baobab
trees found here. With more than 300 species, the
park is also renowned for bird watching. The Selous
Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa,
coveringt 5% of Tanzania’s total area. However,
visitors are confined to the area north of the Rufiji
River.
Although smaller than most of the other parks, Arusha
National Park has an intriguing range of habitats
that consist of the forest of Mount Meru, Ngurdoto
Crater in the southeast section of the park, and the
seven Momela Lakes. Mount Meru is one of the most
beautiful volcanoes in Africa and the second highest
mountain in Tanzania.
World heritage sites
Tanzania is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage
sites with 6 of them on the mainland and 1 in Zanzibar.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain which is
located in its own national park, is a UNESCO World
Heritage site. Now a dormant volcano, the mountain
rises to 5,895 metres above sea level. It is located in
the north of the country on the border with Kenya and
is accessible via Kilimanjaro International Airport. It is
favourite for hikers, climbers and mountain trekking.
Useful Information
Languages: English, Swahili and other indigenous
languages.
Capital: Dodoma
Largest City: Dar es Salaam
Regions: Tanzania is divided into 31 regions and
169 districts.
Climate: Varies greatly. Highlands temperatures
range between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F) during
cold and hot seasons respectively; rest of the country
has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C (68
°F). Hottest period between November and February
(25–31 °C or 77.0–87.8 °F) and coldest period is
between May and August (15–20 °C or 59–68 °F).
The climate is cool in high mountainous regions.
Time Zone: EAT (UTC+3).
Currency: Tanzania shilling.
Airports: Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar
es Salaam, with international airports on Zanzibar
and at Mount Kilimanjaro; many regional airports;
and landing strips / airfield around the country and in
and around many parks and reserves.
Airlines Flying To: KLM, South African Airways,
Emirates, Swiss, Turkish, Qatar, Kenya, Oman,
The other heritage sites include Serengeti National
Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Ruins of Kilwa
and Songo Mnara Kondoa Rock Art Site, Selous
Game Reserve and Stone Town on Zanzibar.
Ethiopian, RwandAir, EgyptAir and numerous others.
Entry Requirements: Most visitors to Tanzania
must obtain a visa from one of the Tanzanian diplomatic
missions. However, a majority of nations can obtain a
visitor visa at any port of entry land or air. Most SADC
citizens or East African Community citizens do not need
a visa for tourism purposes. 3 month tourist visas are
available for $US 50 at all ports of entry (except US
citizens must buy $US 100 1 year multiple entry visas).
Useful Contacts
Tanzania Tourist Board:
Tel +255 22 2664878/9; Email md@tanzaniatourism.go.tz;
Email info@tanzaniatourism.go.tz;
Web www.tanzaniatouristboard.go.tz.
Ministry of Natural Resources & Tourism:
Tel +255 22 2861870 /1/2/3/.
Tanzania National Parks:
Tel +255 (0) 272 970 404 or +255 (0) 272 970 405 or
+255 (0) 272 970 406 or +255 (0) 272 970 407;
Email: info@tanzaniaparks.go.tz.
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 59

ACCOMMODATION – TARIFFS PER PERSON PER NIGHT

Toast to the Cape Winelands - Bernard Pieterse / shutterstock.com

FOOD & WINE

FOOD & WINE
Vineyards on Delaire - pixabay
64 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

FOOD & WINE
Cellar on Vergelegen Wine Estate
PhotoSky / shutterstock.com
Early morning vineyard, Franschhoek - Peter Titmuss / shutterstock.com
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 65

FOOD & WINE
7. Morgenhof Wine Estate
Peter Titmuss / shutterstock.com
Winelands tour by old tram, Paarl
Quality Master / shutterstock.com
Vineyards in Franschhoek Valley
Quality Master / shutterstock.com

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The road through the Langkloof valley
By Stef Terblanche
68 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL

Local Travel
South Africa’s iconic and world-famous Route 62 has become
a major tourist attraction and a favourite with locals as well
as visitors from around the world. But many people tend to
think of it only as that section of the route between the towns
of Robertson and Oudtshoorn, when in fact the entire route
runs from Robertson in the Western Cape to Jeffreys Bay in
the Eastern Cape.
In Issue 6 of Mzanzitravel we carried an article covering the first section. In this
article we take a look at the second section between Oudtshoorn and Jeffreys Bay.
The Oudtshoorn-Jeffreys Bay stretch makes for an equally delightful road trip with
plenty to be discovered along the way, including the world’s longest wine route at
850km long (although much of it falls outside of Route 62). Along the way are some
tiny towns and villages with a unique old-world charm, nature reserves, mountains
and mountain passes, dams and river streams, and so much more.
200km valley is formed by the Kammanassie and Kouga Mountains on its
northern side, and the Langkloof, Tsitsikamma and Kareedouw Mountains on
the southern side. The Langkloof is a narrow, fertile valley and is known for
ostrich farming along the western part and fruit growing, especially apples and
pears, further to the east. The valley was named by Isaq Schrijver in 1689 and
has been farmed since 1760.
The Langkloof is also home to many well-preserved San (bushman) paintings.
It is also here where the Kouga mummy was discovered, thought to be
that of a young Khoi person, which is now housed in the Albany Museum in
Grahamstown. The valley is a 360 degrees kaleidoscopic feast of ever changing
mountain colours and formations, river streams, farmlands and orchards, with
its tiny towns dotted at intervals in-between. Apart from the N2 coastal route,
Route 62 is also the only other main highway directly connecting Cape Town and
Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth).
The part of South Africa through which this stretch of the R62 – as the road is
officially known – runs, is known as the Langkloof (long valley). The roughly
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Local Travel
Oudtshoorn
Our journey starts in the heart of the Klein Karoo (Little Karoo), in the ostrich
capital of the world, Oudtshoorn, also known for its world-famous Cango Caves
and its annual Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (Klein Karoo National Arts
Festival).
The town still bears plenty of evidence – apart from the many ostrich farms
surrounding it – of the glorious heydays of its ostrich empire in the form of many
well-preserved ‘ostrich palaces’…the Victorian mansions of the erstwhile ostrich
barons. Even if the old ‘ostrich barons’ are now all gone, to this day a thriving
ostrich industry producing feathers, meat and leather survives here. A number of
ostrich farms are open to the public, offering daily tours with guides from whom
visitors learn all about the history and many uses of these giant flightless birds,
about their life cycle, and the farming and production processes. Most of these
farms have curios shops and restaurants where products made from ostriches
can be bought, including delicately painted and decorated ostrich eggs and
lampshades, leather bags, shoes and clothing…and of course feather dusters.
About 25km north of Oudtshoorn on the road to the Swartberg mountain pass are
the world-famous Cango Caves, considered one of the great natural wonders of the
world – a veritable natural Disneyland. Visitors follow guides through a succession
of vast caverns, chambers and some rather narrow tunnels and crevices, all lit up
in different colours that reflect off an awesome array of stalactites, stalagmites
and helictites (limestone formations that grow over hundreds of years). Different
tour options are available that will take you deep into the bowels of the mountain.
Between Oudtshoorn and the caves you will pass a number of excellent lodges
and guest farms.
Once a year around Easter the town fills up with thousands of people from all
over the country and beyond for the annual Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees,
the oldest and largest Afrikaans cultural festival in the world. The festival offers
an absolute feast of plays, music, cabaret, visual art, talk shows, debates, food
stalls and markets. It is South Africa’s second biggest cultural festival after the
Grahamstown National Arts Festival. The town also was the home of the great
Afrikaans language poet, playwright and author, CJ Langehoven. He wrote the
words of Die Stem, South Africa’s pre-1994 national anthem which still forms part
of the current national anthem. His house on Jan van Riebeeck Drive is now a
museum.
The town also falls within the Klein Karoo Wine Route, which is part of Route
62. At the neighbouring town of Calitzdorp some of the finest South African portstyle
wines and Sherries are produced, as well as various cultivars of red and
white wine. There are some seventeen wineries in the area open for tasting and
buying wines. If you are brave enough, try the locally distilled ‘witblits’, a kind
of moonshine that was for many years illegally distilled and which will have you
gasping for breath.
The fabulous Cango Caves

Have a South African Travel Experience ...
Your OWN Way!

Local Travel
Seweweekspoort, near Route 62
The CP Nel Museum in the town is one of South Africa’s best country museums.
Located in the historic building of what was once the Oudtshoorn Boys’ High
School, it is also the only museum with a Synagogue inside that is still in use! This
testifies to the erstwhile large Jewish community of the town who were prominent
in the ostrich business and which earned it the nickname “Little Jerusalem”. Much
of the town’s history and the ostrich boom years is on display here. The museum
building is now a national monument.
De Rust and Meiringspoort
The quaint little villagem of De Rust, voted South Africa’s Town of the Year in
2011, is strictly speaking not on Route 62, but is close enough and well worth a
visit. From Oudtshoorn follow the R341 east, passing by the Kammanassie Nature
Reserve, until you reach De Rust, 34km away. From De Rust you can re-join Route
62 at Uniondale by continuing along the R341.
The town has many interesting little shops, restaurants, pubs and very good
lodges and B&Bs. A short distance outside the town lies the Cango Wildlife Ranch,
home to over 90 species of amazing animals, the world’s first crocodile cagediving
and a very successful cheetah breeding facility. A visit to the Buffelsdrift
Game Lodge, situated 7km from town in the foothills of the majestic Swartberg
mountains, is also well worth a visit. The game farm offers visitors luxury tented
en-suite accommodation overlooking a spectacular 5ha natural waterhole where
wild animals come to drink, bush safaris, guided nature walks, game viewing on
horseback and elephant excursions.
Another unique attraction is Meerkatmagic, a conservation and research project
which only works with wild animals using ethical techniques to gain their selective
trust after many years, without ever taming them.
Contact Info:
Oudtshoorn & De Rust Tourism, Tel +27 (0)44 279 2532, email info@oudtshoorn.
com; Meerkatmagic Tel +27 (0)44 272 3077, website www.meerkatmagic.com;
Buffelsdrift Game Lodge Tel +27 (0)44 272 0106, email info@buffelsdrift.com;
Cango Wildlife Ranch +27 (0)44 272 5593; CP Nel Museum +27 (0)44 272 7306,
email cpnmuseum@pixie.co.za; Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees Tel +27 (0)44
203 8600, email info@kunste.org.za, web www.kknk.co.za.
Nestled between the Swartberg and Kammanassie Mountains, the village is
the gateway to the Great Karoo through the spectacular Meiringspoort. Stop
in this village where time has long stood still for breakfast or lunch, and after
exploring the settlement, continue driving a few more kilometres till you come to
Meiringspoort. Here the road enters an awesome, narrow gorge flanked by soaring
cliffs that almost cause the sky above to disappear at times. It runs alongside the
Groot River which, contrary to what its name suggests (meaning “big river”), is
little more than a gentle stream. But don’t be fooled by that: it has flooded the poort
on numerous occasions, and in the late 1990s a spectacular flood forced it to be
closed and the road to be rebuilt at huge cost.
For 25km the road follows the contours of the gorge and river, ducking underneath
overhanging cliffs and crossing the river 25 times, with beautiful picnic spots,
including magnificent waterfalls, dotted all along the way. At the far end of
Meiringspoort the road emerges at Klaarstroom, 55km east of Prince Albert. One
of the most scenic spots is found at Die Skelm where a waterfall tumbles down into
a dark pool said to be bottomless and the home of a mermaid. In the poort you will
also find a sign marking the spot where the Afrikaans author, C J Langenhoven,
carved the name of his fictional elephant, Herrie, on a boulder; today it is a national
monument.
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Old ruin in Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area
De Rust itself is a Victorian village where many of its old homes and shops have
been perfectly preserved. A variety of good accommodation, restaurants and
activities are available. Activities include hiking trails, cycling, bird watching,
fresh water fishing and water sport on the nearby Stompdrift Dam. The town has
a Donkey Awareness Project and visitors can enjoy a ride on unique and rebuilt
traditional donkey carts through the town.
Contact Info:
De Rust Tourism Bureau Tel +27 (0)44 241 2109, email derusttoer@xsinet.co.za.
Detour to the Garden Route
If you are coming from anywhere along the Garden Route and wish to join Route
62, the ideal place to do so is from George via the spectacular Outeniqua Pass. Or,
if you are already on Route 62 and have some time on hand, a quick detour over
the mountain at this point to George and the Garden Route is ideal.
Towns and attractions that are all within easy reach from here, include Mossel Bay,
Great Brak River, Heralds Bay, Victoria Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield,
Knysna, the Wilderness lakes region, the Knysna Forest, the Heads at Knysna,
the castles at Noetzie, many superb beaches and mountain hikes and much more.
Uniondale
A town still under siege of the Anglo Boer War. No fewer than five British military
forts built as defences during that war still surround the town. Two have been
restored and one declared a national monument. There is also a memorial on the
site of one of the Anglo Boer War battles. Visiting a fort high up on a koppie behind
the town, provides one with panoramic views of the town, mountains and the
Karoo plains. Uniondale was founded through the joining of two towns Hopedale
and Lyon in 1856.
The town is something of an architectural jewel. It boasts the largest watermill in
the Southern Hemisphere, built in 1852 and operational until the 1950s. It has
been fully restored with all working parts inside and outside intact, and now serves
as an art gallery and restaurant. South Africa’s first woman architect, Sophie Gray,
wife of the Bishop of Cape Town, designed the Anglican Church on Voortrekker
Street. The Dutch Reformed church is another beautiful old sandstone building set
in a rose garden with palm trees guarding its entrance. Its 100-years old bells and
three tower clocks still work perfectly. The older, original Dutch Reformed Church,
now called the Voortrekkersaal, also still stands. A beautiful old Synagogue is also
well-maintained.
The Nagmaal huisies (Communion homes) on Hood Street, with their horse stables
on the mountain side, were built in the previous century by the local farmers who
came into town once a month for the church service. Well-preserved homes in all
the Karoo styles – Victorian, Karoo, Georgian, Cape Dutch and mixtures of these
– abound throughout the small town. The classical Victorian-colonial building of
the police station and court house was built in 1891. Next to that is the Apostolic
(Pinkster) Protestant Church, built in 1843 which is one of the seven national
monuments in Uniondale. The school building on the property now houses the
Little Theatre Café and tourism office. The Salvation Army Hall which was built in
1887 now houses Penny Lane coffee shop.
No visit to Uniondale is complete without hearing about the legend of its resident
ghost. Once a year, on the anniversary of her wedding and tragic death in a car
accident, a young woman dressed in her wedding dress waits by the road outside
the town, and gets into passing cars without them stopping, giving unsuspecting
drivers the fright of their lives. But she doesn’t stay long and disappears again after
a short while. Regular encounters with this ghost are reported every few years. In
the 1970s, one such a traveller came racing into town one night after meeting the
ghost bride and asked police to escort him safely past the site where she stood.
Less than fifteen minutes later the traveller and the police who escorted him were
back in town: all ashen and trembling with shock.
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shutterstock: JaySi

Like Oudtshoorn, Uniondale was once a major ostrich farming district with a thriving wagon-building industry,
both now gone. Most of the farming in the district now focuses on sheep, tobacco angoras, seed, fruit and
wheat. Numerous activities can be enjoyed here, including scenic drives, cycling trails, 4x4 trails, hiking
trails and game viewing excursions. A nice route is the old wagon trail to Avontuur. Even a round of golf can
be enjoyed on the town’s rather unique golf course, set on Stoneleigh Country Estate on the outskirts of
Uniondale, but you have to watch out for angora goats and springboks on the fairway.
Then there is also the annual 100km Karoo to Coast mountain bike race from Uniondale to Knysna through
the Prince Alfred’s Pass, which attracts more than 4,000 cyclists. Nearby nature reserves include the Fort
Local Nature Reserve on the edge of town, Sustersdal Private Nature Reserve, EC Soetkraal Provincial
Nature Reserve, the Swartberg East Nature Reserve, Kammanassie Nature Reserve, and the eastern end of
the massive Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve.
Contact Info:
Call Uniondale Tourism on Tel +27 (0)44 752 1266, or email tourism@uniondale.co.za; or call Rico Classen
on Tel +27 (0)44 752 1076, or email uniondaleinfo@gmail.com.
Baviaanskloof
Uniondale via Willowmore is the eastern gateway to the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site
and home to the biggest wilderness area in the country. It is also one of the eight protected areas of the Cape
Floristic Region. The Baviaanskloof mega-reserve covers 200km of unspoiled, rugged mountainous terrain
with spectacular landscapes hosting more than a thousand different plant species, including the Erica and
Protea families and species of ancient cycads.
Seven of South Africa’s eight biomes are represented within the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve – fynbos,
forest, grassland, succulent Karoo, Nama-Karoo, subtropical thicket and savanna. Baviaanskloof stretches
all the way from the edge of Route 62 to the Gamtoos Valley and beyond. The reserve straddles the border
of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces. A short distance outside Uniondale a gravel road branches off
to the right that can be followed right through the length of the reserve to Eastern Cape towns of Patensie
and Hankey. But check conditions before entering as the road is not a very good and better suited for 4WD
vehicles.
Baviaanskloof is renowned for its exceptionally beautiful hiking and 4X4 trails as well as superb mountain
biking opportunities, good game viewing, and bird watching.
Contact Info: Email:
Call the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency on Tel +27 (0)43 492 0881, or email info@ecpta.co.za.
Six hamlets and Joubertina
Upon leaving Uniondale along the R339 south of the town, you will re-join Route 62 after 7km. Continuing
east towards the Eastern Cape and the coast, you will pass through the tiny hamlets of Avontuur, Haarlem,
Misgund, Louterwater, and Krakeel before reaching Joubertina. Don’t be misled when the small town is
referred to as ‘The Big Apple’ – it has nothing in common with New York or any other big city, and the reference
is to its biggest export product and the many apple orchards that are found in the district. The town lies in the
lower part of the Langkloof valley, tucked in between the Krakeel, Wabooms and Twee Riviere rivers, and
between the Kouga, Baviaanskloof and Tsitsikamma Mountains.
Aesthetically not a very attractive town, it is the largest and youngest of the Langkloof towns. While the town
itself may be something of a Cinderella, its surroundings are awesome and beautiful. But spend a night
here and you will discover its unique soul. According to one travellers’ blog account you can buy milk at the
hardware store that also sells second-hand furniture, or buy rusks from the hairdresser, who also sells coffins
and bully beef. Not your usual kind of town.
FRANSCHHOEK
MOTOR MUSEUM
Visit the Franschhoek Motor
Museum and experience
the breathtaking design of
automobile where purpose
meets panache in impeccable
accord.
Open daily, by appointment
only.
Please phone 021 874 9002
for a booking or e-mail
fmm@fmm.co.za
L’Ormarins Wine Estate, R45
(33°52’18.79”S
18°59’54.64”E)
www.fmm.co.za

FOOD & WINE
This is ostrich country
The historic CP Nel Museum
Multi-coloured ostrich eggs for sale
76 |ISSUE 8|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
End of the road, Jeffreys Bay
miles astray / shutterstock.com

Compared to other towns along Route 62, Joubertina is a mere 111 years young; founded in 1907 by the Dutch
Reformed Church on the farm Onzer and named in honour of Uniondale’s Dutch Reformed minister, WA Joubert.
The town has a railway station that once served its best-known train on the narrow gauge line, the Apple Express.
The line runs all the way from Avontuur near Uniondale to Loerie and on to Van Stadens River in the Eastern Cape.
The Apple Express ceased operations in 2011, but efforts are underway to reopen it. Since December 2017, using
the restored NG15 NG119 steam locomotive, the Apple Express started running a limited summer holiday special
service between King’s Beach halt and the airport in Port Elizabeth.
Follow the Langkloof Fruit Route that lies between the Tsitsikamma and Kouga Mountains around these parts at
blossom time, and you will be overwhelmed by the fragrant experience. The Langkloof blossom festival is held
here usually in August. The Kouga Wilderness, located near Joubertina in the scenic Kouga Mountains, offers the
visitor numerous activities such as bird watching, boulder-hopping, 4X4 routes, fishing in the nearby Kouga River,
abseiling, rock-climbing, horse riding, hiking and swimming in natural mountain pools.
MatsiMela
Your Perfect
Contact Info:
For information about the town, call +27 (0)42 273 1516; for Kouga Wilderness,call +27 (0)42 273 2067.
Kareedouw
The last Langkloof town along Route 62 before you reach the coast at Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay, is the small
town of Kareedouw, situated between the Tsitsikamma and Zuuranys mountains. The town’s name is derived from
the Khoi phrase meaning ‘path by the karee trees’. A former Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978,
John Vorster, is buried in the memorial garden next to the Dutch Reformed Church. Kareedouw is the gateway to
the Langkloof Mountains and is 120 km from Port Elizabeth.
The town has retained its old world rural character, with most of its streets still untarred. The village is simply laid
out on a grid, with tin-roofed houses and a large old stone church lining them.
The town is located an easy, relatively short drive from scenic places such as Churchill Dam, Plettenberg
Bay, Jeffreys Bay, Cape St Francis, Storms River Mouth and village, the Garden Route National Park and the
Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area. The town’s economy depends on farming and forestry. The famous Rensilfier
furniture factory located here, produces fine black-, yellow- and stinkwood furniture, while there is a statue in
memory of woodcutters in the centre of the town. Kareedouw also provides the only entrance from the south to the
Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve. The Kareedouw Pass over the mountains to Plettenberg Bay is a spectacular drive.
Contact Info:
For more information call Tel +27 (0)42 288 0700, or Gamtoos Tourism on Tel +27 (0)42 288 0208.
Jeffreys Bay…end of the route
Go ahead,
treat yourself to a
decadent selection of
SOAPS, EXFOLIATING
SCRUBS, BATH SOAKS,
BODY BUTTERS,
FIZZ BALLS, beautiful
OILS & much more…
The final stretch of the eastern section of the lovely Route 62 and the Langkloof ends at the junction with the N2
freeway, some 14km from the town of Humansdorp and 28km from Jeffreys Bay. The N2 bypasses Humansdorp,
with a short road connecting it to Jeffreys Bay. Alternatively the R102 can be taken which passes through
Humansdorp. From here the N2 carries on to Port Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
Jeffreys Bay is of course world-renowned as a surfing destination, where major international and national surfing
events take place each year. Nearby Cape St Francis with its ‘super tubes’ is known as the place of the ‘perfect
wave’ or the best right hand point break in the world among surfers. The area is almost one big, continues holiday
resort with lovely beaches and the distant mountains in the background. There is also a large marina here. Pubs,
restaurants, surf shops, other shops, lodges and B&Bs are plentiful, with much to do and see in the surrounding
district.
Contact Info:
Call Jeffreys Bay Tourism on Tel +27 (0)42 293 2923 or email jbaytourism@telkomsa.net
Available in Retail Stores & Online.
www.matsimela.co.za

Staff Writer
Francois Loubser / shutterstock.com

Country Travel
Many city dwellers worn out by the stresses
of daily life have long ago discovered the
revitalising secret of spending a few days on a
guest or holiday farm out in the countryside, far
from the proverbial maddening crowd.
Getting away and staying on a farm is a trend
that has fast caught on around the world, and
South Africa, with its vast outdoors and almost
endless countryside offers a wide range of
such options. A stay out in the countryside is not only refreshing, enjoyable and
educational, but it also provides an idyllic retreat at very economical rates. It
has also become very popular with families as their children can enjoy farming
activities in the fresh outdoors where it is safe and their parents can also relax.
Guests get to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the South African platteland
(countryside); the warm hospitality of farmers, their families and workers; rising
with the sun and a steaming cup of coffee in hand; wholesome healthy food that
usually starts with a heart, early morning country breakfast; and learning all about
the operations of a working farm, from milking the cows, to feeding the pigs, riding
horses, pruning fruit trees or picking grapes. In winter the evenings are spent
around a crackling fire, hearing the sounds of nature and the farm settling down
outside.
Accommodation on farms range
from basic self-catering cottages
to catered stays in a traditional
farm homestead, to luxury
accommodation. Some are on
working farms, others on farms
that have been turned into private
nature reserves. And some are close to, or even within cities, while others are
very isolated and far away from any urban life. Packages are tailored to meet any
budget.
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Country Travel
In the Western Cape options range from staying on a boutique wine farm, to a grand old
wine estate, a rugged Namaqualand farm covered in veld flowers, a West Coast private
nature reserve, a Karoo sheep farm, an apple farm in the mountains, a wheat farm in the
Overberg, a milk farm in the Boland, or a Southern Cape vegetable farm.
In the Northern Cape you will be spoilt for choice between the working sheep farms of the
feel cut off from the world in its tranquil and historic surroundings, the estate is
actually almost in the middle of Stellenbosch. Bathed in luxury and pampered with
excellent food and wines, rows of lush vineyards and vast landscaped gardens
shaded by giant oak trees, you can escape city life here without ever actually
leaving the city. With the estate cradled in the Jonkershoek Valley, the mountains
right behind it are calling out to be explored, from casual walks to more serious
hikes.
Karoo, the wild beauty of the Kalahari, or farms that are home to historic battle sites, or
even a truly remote retreat in a mountain desert. The Eastern Cape offers a great variety
of farms from large private estates to communal land, set in rolling grass-covered hills,
sub-tropical coastal forests or high up in the mountains. Stay in a traditional communal
farming village, on a game farm or on any of a number of other types of farms here. In
KwaZulu-Natal you will find retreats on active dairy farms, horse-breeding farms, tropical
coastal pineapple or sugar cane farms, or on the many beautiful estates lounging in the lap
of the majestic Drakensberg.
Little over an hour’s drive from Cape Town is Welbedacht Nature Reserve,
a country retreat just below the Winterhoek Mountains and wilderness area.
Here, in this tranquil environment, guests stay in well-appointed cottages and
can enjoy nature walks, a variety of bird life and flora, spectacular views of the
valley, mountain hikes or swimming in natural pools, among other activities.
Another historic and working wine farm, Eensgevonden in the beautiful Breede
River Valley surrounded by high mountains, offers guests a stay in one of their
traditional, white-washed Cape Dutch style cottages. The old farmhouse itself is
a national monument and dates back to the 1720s. Here you can lose yourself in
rolling vineyards or in the farm’s own 400-hectare mountain nature reserve.
The Free State offers a wide range of choices, from the more Karoo-like farms in the
southwest, to the beautiful highlands farms in the northeast, including cherry farms, many
of them close to the Drakensberg or Lesotho’s Maloti Mountains. Farms houses and
cottages on most of them are in the typical eastern Free State sandstone style.
The further north you travel, the more you will have a wide choice of game farms and
private reserves. Settings range from the dry bushveld in the west, the cooler Highveld
with its grasslands and trout streams, to the sub-tropical low veld with sugar cane and
banana farms in the east. The variety is almost unlimited. Here’s a quick sampling of what
is available around the country.
Sample of guest farms
Lanzerac wine estate in Stellenbosch, established in 1692, is perhaps the grand old dame
of wine farms where guests can stay. More of a big wine estate and luxury hotel with a
spa than guest farm, Lanzerac represents the upper end of the scale. And while you will
For a self-catering farm retreat with a difference, Excelsior farm offers peace
and tranquillity, ideal for families or groups. It is a beautiful farm shaded by tall
eucalyptus trees just outside Porterville, off the N7 that runs from Cape Town to
Namibia.
Or you may want to consider the Matjesvlei Retreat 1945, a charming old-world
farm offering self-catering accommodation in Calitzdorp on the iconic Route 62.
Included in the deal are stunning mountain views, plenty of fresh farm air, hikes
in the surrounding veld, or exploring Calitzdorp with its wine farms, historical old
buildings and sampling the port-style wines the town is renowned for.
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Daleen Loest / shutterstock.com

Closer to the Garden Route of the Southern Cape is Oudebosch Guest Farm, a
working sheep farm in the Riversdale district. You can watch the farm workers
going about their daily tasks, venture up into the nearby mountains covered in
fynbos and Proteas, go horse riding, do some mountain biking or drift around the
farm dam in a canoe.
Rainbow Lodge, a beautiful small farm in the heart of Mpumalanga near the towns
of Dullstroom and Belfast, and only about two hours’ drive from Gauteng. The
Lodge has dams well stocked with rainbow trout and black bass, and is close to
most of Mpumalanga’s scenic attractions.
In the Oudtshoorn district visitors have a choice of working ostrich farms on which
to stay. One such a guest farm in this district is the Klipheuwel Country House,
a grand old late Victorian farm homestead that dates back to the heyday of the
ostrich feather boom of the early 1900s. It is a working ostrich farm, just 7 minutes’
drive from Oudtshoorn, close to the mountains that separate the Little Karoo from
the coast.
If it’s the quiet country life of the Langkloof, along the eastern Route 62, and the
fresh smell of fruit orchards you desire, Grootnek Guest Farm near the tiny town
of Joubertina may be just the thing. The farm has three quaint, self-catering,
fully equipped cottages set among the orchards, from where you can explore the
surrounding fynbos on foot or horseback.
For trout fishing enthusiasts there are a variety of guest farms such as the
Further north, located near Piet Retief close to the border with Swaziland, you can
escape the city life in the quiet tranquillity of the forest-covered Emahlathini Guest
Farm. The farm offers self-catering accommodation, mountain hikes, walks in the
plantations, mountain-biking and catch-and-release fishing.
Travelling through KwaZulu-Natal you will be spoilt for choice. For instance,
Ardmore Guest Farm is situated in the scenic Champagne Valley in the Central
Drakensberg. From the farm, where guests stay in thatched cottages and
rondavels, you have stunning views of the Drakensberg and the three highest
peaks in South Africa - Mafadi, Injisuti Dome and Champagne Castle . Wake up
MZANZITRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 9 | 81
Andre Klopper / shutterstock.com

Country Travel
with a country-style breakfast served to you; then go for a leisurely stroll or some horseriding,
or go and watch about 50 local Zulu artists at work in the Ardmore Ceramic Art
Studio is next to the guesthouse.
PhotoSky / shutterstock.com
Still in Kwazulu-Natal, Stoneyhall Farm is situated at the foot of the Southern
Drakensberg. In summer the air is warm to cool as you explore the rolling green hills at
the foot of the mountain; in winter it turns into a white, snow-covered wonderland. Guests
are accommodated in comfortable, cosy wooden cabins with stunning views.
Another idyllic Drakensberg retreat is Antbear Lodge, a guest farm situated in the
foothills of the mountain and overlooking the Bushman’s River Valley. The guesthouse
is off the beaten track and caters for small intimate groups, never more than 12 guests
at a time. To stay on a working dairy farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, you can book
into Fountain Hall Guest Farm, 7km from Mooi River in the foothills of the Kamberg /
Drakensberg Mountains on the Mearns Dam. The farm is close to pubs, restaurants,
golf courses, schools, battlefields, bushman paintings and spa’s and is on the Midlands
Meander route.
If in the eastern Free State, you won’t go wrong with a stay on Welgelegen Guest Farm
outside the town of Fouriesburg, next to the Witteberg Mountain range, and 40km from
Clarens. It is a working farm with cherry and apple orchards, cattle and guest houses
sleeping 55 guests. For a holiday in a typical Free State sandstone farm cottage, you
may want to try the Madrid Farm Cottages on a farm that has been owned by the same
family for 134 years. The farm is near Clarens. Also offering accommodation in an old
sandstone building – in fact, a renovated sandstone barn – is the Oranje Guest Farm. It
is a 1,200-hectare working farm, amongst the beautiful mountains of the eastern Free
State between Fouriesburg and Clarens, near the border of Lesotho.
Dewald Kirsten / shutterstock.com
In the heart of the Northern Cape’s Karoo Highlands Route, near the town of Carnarvon,
guests can enjoy staying in a traditional corbelled house on Osfontein Guest Farm.
Corbelled houses only appear in parts of the Karoo where they were the first houses
built in the 1800’s by the trekboers, frontier farmers who moved into the interior. Because
of a shortage of building materials such as wood, they were built entirely of stone making
them warm during the winter months and surprisingly cool during summer, and safe from
the arrows of attacking San (Bushmen)!
Tony Magdaraog / shutterstock.com
82 |ISSUE 9|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL
Ilko Iliev / shutterstock.com

NAMIBIA
Unique Accommodation and Campsites
Nature Drive and Sundowner • Cheetah Feeding • Morning Scenic Drive
Morning Walk with the San • Night Game Drive • Safari on Horseback
Star Gazing • Desert Treatment Spa • Meerkat Family at the Lodge
Unforgettable memories in an ancient living desert
www.bagatelle-kalahari-gameranch.com
Ranch:
Tel: +264 (63) 240 982 / +264 (0)63 241 787
Email: info@bagatelle-kalahari-gameranch.com
Reservations:
Tel: +264 (61) 224712 / +264 (61) 224217
Email: reservation@resdest.com
GPS COORDINATES: 24 18’ 031” South 18° 01’ 970” East

Discover Africa
By Stef Terblanche
Few people who have been to Namibia will not be drawn back time and again by this
vast, dry land’s solitude, isolation, beautiful landscapes and hospitable people.
One such an isolated, lonely and surprisingly beautiful stretch of this big country in the
south-western corner of Africa, is the region bordering the icy Atlantic Ocean between
the old German colonial town of Swakopmund in the south and Cape Cross in the north.
The loneliness is not so much brought on by isolation – for a good road runs all along
the coast with tiny settlements to be found along it – but perhaps more by the immense
silence of the desert and the thunder of the sea, coupled to the overwhelming presence of
nature.
This entire stretch of Namibian coast and the adjacent inland territories are a feast of
natural wonders. It lies spread across endless vistas, interrupted by the evidence of an
earth that once boiled with anger and left behind pockets of volcanic landscape. As you
leave Swakopmund and drive north with great Atlantic breakers pounding the coast on
your left, a casual glance towards the northern horizon may fool you. At first it may all
seem endlessly the same, distant and flat.
But look more carefully and you will begin to see the amazing changes that constantly
unfold in the natural landscape ever so often as you travel north. Venturing inland from
the coast also opens up new vistas populated by ever changing habitats, vegetation and
rock formations.
Giant living dunes of the Namib

SWAKOPMUND AND THE LIVING DESERT
Around Swakopmund there are many delightful discoveries to be made. Spend
a day in the huge sand dunes of the Namib Desert between the town and its
southern neighbour Walvis Bay with a knowledgeable local guide, and you will
quickly see what first appeared as mere dead mountains of sand, revealing its
stunning and diverse life. Seldom receiving more than a couple of millimetres of
rain in a year, if any at all, the oldest and most extreme desert in the world is home
to an abundance of small creatures and plants, sustained by the life-giving fog that
regularly rolls in across the thousands of kilometres of sand.
Many of the unusual species of plants and animals that are found in this desert
are endemic and highly adapted to the specific climate and conditions of the area.
Throughout the desert there are tiny shrubs and plants, as well as the curious
welwitchias that dot the desert landscape, some of them well over a thousand
years old. In the coastal dunes the vegetation is smaller and sparser. Yet under or
near these life-giving plants that hold the desert’s water supplies, you will find all
manner of creatures.
Closer to the coast they are mostly desert-adapted anthropods, reptiles and birds,
including scorpions, spiders, chameleons, lizards, geckos and snakes such as the
side winder or Peringuey’s adder, the Namib sand snake and the horned adder.
These snakes usually lie buried under the sand, with only their eyes sticking out,
and only a much trained human eye will spot them before it might be too late.
Further inland the desert is also home to larger species, such as ostriches, oryx
and springboks. The oryx have adapted to the harsh living conditions of the desert
by being able to raise their body temperatures to 40°C (104°F) or even more, which
allows them to sweat less and thus prevents loss of water through perspiration.
Swakopmund, with its colourful mix of old German colonial and modern
architecture, is bristling with busy shops and small malls, restaurants, pubs,
hotels, cake shops, and galleries. Its beachfront is popular with locals and tourists
alike.
Travel inland along the highway to the capital of Windhoek or following the course
of the dry Swakop River bed – which seldom bears water – and you will come
across a number of uranium mines. Sticking to the dry river bed, you will find the
ghostly ruins of an abandoned colonial-era railway station, the tracks long gone,
as well as an eerie, abandoned old mining town known as Khan Mine. Further
along you will come upon a vast ragged, blackened moon landscape popular with
film companies. And beyond this lie the plains that are home to the welwitchias.
The landscape on either side of the river is an ever changing one, with a diversity
of weird and wonderful rock formations, hills and distant mountains. Along the
river bed, near the Moon Landscape, a true little oasis suddenly appears: the
Goanikontes Oasis Rest Camp with restaurant, farm house veranda, home baked
cake and coffee, bungalows and chalets, and camping sites. There are other more
basic camping sites along the river, but these consist of little more than a sandy
patch with a couple of thorn trees, a basic toilet facility and some trash bins.

Discover Africa
FLAMINGOS, LICHEN FIELDS &
FISHERMAN’S SHACKS
We leave Swakopmund on the coastal road passing through the Namib-Naukluft
National Park going north. The road, the C34 coastal highway is fairly wide and
smooth, but not tarred – its surface is compacted salt which gives the feel of a
tarred road, but can be slippery when wet. Just outside Swakopmund the world
suddenly comes alive on the seaside, with thousands upon thousands of pink
flamingos jostling for space in the salt pans that cover the strip between the road
and the sea. A short distance further the landscape again changes to patches of
orange, brown, red and grey as huge, protected lichen fields come into view on the
inland side of the road.
Lichens are formed through a symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi.
The fungus portion of a plant provides the body, while the algae carries out the
photosynthesis that provides food and energy, with the lichens absorbing moisture
from both humid air and the desert fog. The Namib Desert hosts 120 lichen
species, most of them rare. A significant number of them occur only here. They
provide food for a variety of invertebrates and even the antelope at times. Some of
these lichen fields are estimated to be hundreds or even thousands of years old,
but they die if they are disturbed and are therefore protected.
We drive on and next a motley collection of beach shacks and bungalows, each
with its own distinct blue water tank, comes into view. This is Wlotzkasbaken,
which like the lichen fields, lies within the Dorob National Park. Wlodzkas, the
shorter name popularly used for it, had its origin in a small number of shacks built
by avid anglers at this excellent fishing spot in the 1930s. Over the years a number
more shacks and later more sturdy bungalows were added as holiday homes. For
most of the year very few people live here permanently and it remains largely a
small holiday and fisherman’s resort.
SHIPWRECKS AND HENTIES BAY
We continue along the road towards Henties Bay. The Namibian coast is littered
with ship wrecks, especially further north along the uninhabitable Skeleton Coast.
The coast has a reputation for hoarding its skeletons – human, animal and ships.
Most of the Namibian coastline can be pretty treacherous, especially further north,
due to a combination of strong crosscurrents, heavy swells, gale force winds and
dense fogs. Adding to the danger are the many hidden rocky reefs, sand banks
and sand dunes that stretch into the sea underwater.
The stretch of coast between Swakopmund and Cape Cross also has its fair
share of shipwrecks, and on our way we pass the wreck of the Zeila, clearly
visible in the breakers. The Zeila was a large fishing trawler which ran aground
near a popular fishing spot, Die Walle, some 14km south of Henties Bay in 2008.
Some 30km north of Henties Bay lies the wrekck of the French cable laying vessel
Chamarel, which caught fire in 2912 and ran aground off the popular stopover, the
Fisherman’s Inn. Seagulls and cormorants are the only inhabitants of these ships
today, while seals dive around their rusted and shattered hulls looking for food.
Henties Bay lies just south of the mouth of another dry river, the Omaruru River.
Henties Bay too had its origins in what was a collection of fisherman’s shacks and
informal holiday houses. Gradually attracting more and more people who camped
here every December summer holiday, the number of shacks and bungalows
steadily increased. Today it has many permanent homes and a bustling little
commercial centre.
A well-known and much photographed feature of the town is a dead old tree
with a hangman’s noose affixed to it. Because the early holiday makers that
camped here neglected to clean up after themselves when they left, two of the
earliest permanent residents in the town, Frank Atkinson and Willie Cilliers, who
respectively settled here in 1969 and 1971, put up the hangman’s noose as a
warning to visitors to keep the settlement clean and tidy. The gallows remain to
this day, although no-one has ever swung from it.
One of the beautiful spots along this stretch of the coast is Solitude Beach, also
known as Farilhao Bay, situated just south of Henties Bay. From here one can
follow the Jakkalsputz Walking Trail that offers superb views of the coast. The
town also hosts the annual ‘Hentiesfees’. Before leaving the town, be sure to pop
into the Solitude beach Bar and Restaurant for some excellent seafood and other
refreshments to prepare for the road ahead.
Flamingos, Swakopmund salt pans

Discover Africa
SPITZKOPPE AND BRANDBERG
From Henties Bay a gravel road, the D1918 to Usakos, turns east towards another
landmark, the Spitzkoppe, a mountainous region with awesome rock formations,
San rock paintings, giant boulders scattered about, huge rock arches, many hidden
caves, and picnic and camping sites. The mountain is also sometimes referred to as
the Matterhorn of Africa and can be climbed with the right climbing gear. Here the
visitor will find great solitude, peace and tranquillity, and will be rewarded with natural
sites you won’t find anywhere else.
Resuming the northward journey you will cross over the dry Omaruru River bed. The
river is ideal for walking and off-road 4X4 driving, although be sure to remain on the
much-used, visible tracks. Illegal off-road driving in much of these parts are a serious
threat to the environment and the scars left behind by careless drivers can frequently
be seen. The river bed also has some nice picnic spots. However, overnight camping
in the river bed or anywhere in the Dorob National Park south of the Omdel Dam is
not allowed.
Just after the river a road branches off to the right to the National West Coast Tourist
Recreational Area, the Omaruru Game Park, the Tsiseb Conservancy, the tiny village
of Uis and the impressive Brandberg. The name means ‘burning mountain’ and it is
the highest mountain in Namibia. It is also home to the famous San rock art painting
known as the White Lady. Local guides from the Brandberg Community Project
will accompany visitors to the painting and other sites around the mountain. The
Brandberg is situated about 158km from Henties Bay and can be reached via the
C35 via Uis to Kamanjab. Be advised that in summer the temperature in this area
reaches scorching levels, and you will probably want to dive into the hotel in Uis for
cover. But electric fans, shade covering, a swimming pool and ice cold beers will
probably not cool you off for long.
shutterstock: EcoPrint
Spitzkoppe in the distance
FIELDS OF ROSE QUARTZ AND A DEAD SEA
As we continue north towards Cape Cross along the C34 coastal highway, we start
noticing piles of rose quartz rocks at regular intervals alongside the road, with a
tin and a sign for payments to be left for what you take. This is a way for local
inhabitants of the area to earn a living. Except for one or two shacks in the desert
landscape, you won’t see them or their houses, but the people are there.
Look out for a rusted, barely visible sign on your right where a track leads into the
desert. This track will take you to the Dead Sea Swim Hole, some 15km inland. But
beware, looking for it is a challenge and you might get hopelessly lost without a local
guide. Also fascinating about this area, however, is the rose quartz rock formations
found here. The area is strewn with rose quartz, as if some invisible giant hand
scattered these pinks stones all over this landscape.
Back on the coastal road, shortly before you get to Cape Cross and near a large
salt pan, Lagunenberg lies on the eastward side of the road. The rocks of this hill
Fields of rose quartz - Stef Terblanche
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Discover Africa
are a strange black colour, all covered by green, orange, grey and black crustose
lichens that present an awesome sight. The hill traps much of the morning fog in
this area, sustaining the lichens, many small creatures, as well as other plants like
the dollar bush and bushman’s candle that are also found further south in the dune
areas around Swakopmund.
CAPE CROSS AND ITS HUGE SEAL COLONY
Finally we reach the sign that points us westward to the sea and Cape Cross. After
obtaining our permits from the National Parks office, we proceed down the road to
a small cement building from where a wooden boardwalk runs parallel to the sea.
The entire area is covered by a barking, snorting, wriggling, milling, rushing mass
of thousands upon thousands of dark brown and black Cape fur seals, the biggest
of the nine fur seal species in the world that breeds only on the west coast of
southern Africa. We arrive here in December, the pupping season, with thousands
of pups around. The very large bulls each fiercely protect their harem of several
cows and their pups. Pups that stray off are unceremoniously pick up by the scruff
of the neck and brought back to the group.
Open air restaurant by the sea, Henties Bay - Image: Stef Terblanche
Fights frequently erupt between bulls and in the melee pups are often squashed to
death, resulting in hundreds of dead pups lying around. Be warned: when getting
out of your car you will be overwhelmed by the stench, but one quickly gets used
to it. The area and the 200,000 to 250,000 seals can be comfortably viewed from
the boardwalk, although the occasional adult seal will lie on it, blocking your way,
but they are usually not aggressive if you don’t come too close. Due to dwindling
fish resources, and with adult seals eating almost 10% of their own bodyweight in
fish each day, the seal population is controlled by government-regulated culling.
Swakopmund from the air - Karl Andre Terblanche
Nearby stands a replica of the original cross planted here by the Portuguese
navigator and explorer Diogo Cão in 1486, giving the bay and the peninsula its
name. He had been sent by King João II to search for a sea route to India and
the Spice Islands, when he landed here on his second journey and planted the
cross. Our own journey ends here and we bid farewell to the cross and the seal
colony. From here the road continues north to Torra Bay, Terrace Bay, Mowe Bay
and the heart of the formidable Skeleton Coast. But that is another adventure for
another day.
Useful Contact Info
SWAKOPMUND TOURISM INFORMATION
Tel: +264 (0)81 155 4000; website & email www.swakopinfo.com.
HENTIES BAY TOURISM CENTRE
Tel: +264 (0) 64 501 143; email Priscilla.Noarises@hbaymun.com.na.
NAMIBIA TOURISM BOARD
Tel: +264 (0)61 290 6000; email: info@namibiatourism.com.na.
NAMIBIA WILDLIFE RESORTS (NATIONAL PARKS)
Tel: +264 (0)61 285 7200; website & email www.nwr.com.na.
Ghostly ruins, Swakop River - Stef Terblanche
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Where desert and sea meet

Kruger National Park Transfers, Tours & Vehicle Rentals
Airport Transfers
Group Touring
Special Events
Guided Day Tours
Chauffeur Drivers
Cross Border
Transfers
Vehicle Retals
School Trips
Series Tours

Getaways
great
winter
breaks
Winter will soon be upon us, and with
many people looking to take a mid-year
break, we selected a few enjoyable winter
getaways…from day trips to longer sojourns.
So relax, light a fire and get your feet up, or
take a cosy winter drive to some amazing
places.
Lion & Safari Park
The Lion Park, an established tourist destination, well loved by locals and foreigners alike, became a popular experience for all over
the last 50 years. Having moved to the Cradle of Humankind in July 2016, this new must-see world class facility, called Lion
and Safari Park, offers guests a memorable experience.
The new park offers a wealth of exciting activities such as animal interactions, guided game drives and
self-drives. You are guaranteed to get super close to some of Africa’s favourite animals whether you
go on an informative guided tour or self-drive. Guests also have the opportunity to engage in the
experience of hand feeding a selection of animals including giraffes, ostriches and various other
antelope species that roam freely on the 600-hectare property and frequently visit the wetlands in
front of ‘the Wetlands’ Bar and Restaurant.
The Lion & Safari Park is home to a vast selection of indigenous species such as lion (brown and
white), cheetah, hyena (brown, spotted and striped), leopard (including black leopard), wild dogs,
sable antelope, kudu, and nyala, to mention only a few.
Guests can enjoy a variety of different guided tours. The trained guides turn every tour into an
informative and educational trip as they share interesting facts. Tour options include; Lion &
Wild Dog Tour, Mini Safari, Night tours (with predator feeding), Private Exclusive tours, Alex Tour,
Cheetah and Lion Walks. The 3-hour Safari is the flagship tour which includes snacks and drinks on
the bank of the Crocodile River. The famous animal trainer Alex Larenty promises to provide a fun-filled
experience as he interacts with fully grown lions on the ‘Alex tour’.
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Getaways
The park is a paradise for children. The beautifully designed playground next to the
restaurants will keep the young ones entertained. This makes the perfect venue for
kiddie’s birthday parties. A day visit to the park also provides the perfect opportunity for
schoolchildren to learn about the animals and various research programmes that the
Lion and Safari Park is involved in.
The Bull ‘n Buck grill provides a premier dining experience with a top wine list and a
delicious menu, with venison of course being the Grill’s speciality dish, complimenting
that true African sensation. Alternatively, the Wetlands Restaurant is a great family
choice to enjoy a quick meal whilst enjoying the view of antelope grazing meters away.
Take a short walk from the restaurants to visit the meerkat, porcupine and mongoose
enclosures.
will capture your memories with a great range of printing options such as photo books,
mugs, key rings, puzzles and more. The ‘5 dome shopping experience’ offers a vast
selection of unique hand-crafted curios, jewellery and clothing, which make great gifts
for those back home.
Entrance to the restaurants, curio shops and kiddie’s playground is free, and guests
only pay for activities. The cost of a visit to the Lion and Safari Park is well priced for
both local and international guests. The park is open 365 days a year, and is certainly
an experience not to be missed.
• For more information: Tel Lion Park at +27 (0) 73 083 2358 or +27 (0) 87 1500
100; Email catherine@lionpark.com.
Apart from being a world class tourist destination, the Lion and Safari Park turns any
conference, function or event into something unique. The park’s photographic centre
Safari magic at Tau Game Lodge
During any visit to the Tau Game Lodge, your expectations will be exceeded many
times over. After the rains this malaria-free region is always clad in picture-perfect
green. The spectacle of myriad game at the waterhole, which is visible from all
room and hospitality decks, will prove highly addictive.
The newly opened Reception, Lounge, Dining Room, leisure decks, Bar, Boma
and two pools, of which one is an infinity design, is the stuff leisurely safari dreams
are made of.
the 5:30am game drive.
The game rangers know their turf and have excellent knowledge of the game, to which
you will come in close proximity. This offers ideal opportunities for photographing game,
including the bull elephants delicately foraging and breakfasting on new green flora after
the rains, as well as the white rhino and their young.
From a spot known as Ernie’s Golf Course where you will stop for refreshments, you will
be able to observe more game while savouring Amarula coffee and delicious buttermilk
rusks. On your return to the lodge for breakfast, you may come across lions sleeping in the
road. Or you may encounter some wildebeest with their calves.
A glimpse of the waterhole from your room’s deck will convince you that this is the
place to relax after lunch. You will be captivated by the pecking order right up to
twilight, when reflections in the water of game parading at cocktail hour make for
magical photographic memories.
The lodge is enclosed within the reserve, resulting in humans being subtly fenced
in, while game, including several crocodiles, roam free in this safari haven,
including the prolific bird life. Dinner in the boma makes for convivial memories,
complemented by wholesome South African food. Dietaries are catered for on
request. After a gloriously deep and satisfying sleep, you will be well-rested for
Breakfast will be a jolly affair on the modern ‘Out of Africa’ style dining deck with guests
usually still on a high after the wealth of game sightings on their morning safari. Once
more, from here the vistas of game at the waterhole will mesmerise you.
The Tau Cubz Club, Tau Spa Oasis and Tau Conference Centre make this an ideal
destination for family, leisure as well as corporate travel. Tau Game Lodge opened its
5-star safari doors in 1995 and offers 30 rooms, from Standard to Luxury to Family Suites.
• For more information: Call Tau Game Lodge at Tel +27-(0)11-466 8715/17 or visit
their website at www.taugamelodge.co.za.
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Luxury Accommodation • Five Star Conference Facilities
Eco-Education & Spa Facilities
Community Development
Central Reservations for
Convention & Individual bookings:
Tel: +27 (0) 11 466 8715
Fax: +27 (0) 86 685 8816
E-mail: taugame@mweb.co.za
www.taugamelodge.com
A dose of relaxation
& excitement...

Getaways
The Constantia Wine Tour
The Constantia Wine Tour is a leading wine touring company in Cape Town that provides
tours in the Constantia Valley, the origin of South African Wines. They have a selection
of tour options available which include premium tastings, private rooms, exclusive
access high up onto the mountains that look over the vineyards, cellar tours, meeting the
winemaker, sit-down a la carte lunches and photographs taken throughout your day!
cellar tour and private room tasting; a sit-down 3-course a la carte lunch; accredited
photographer sending photo’s to you after your tour; a branded hat in the colour of
your choice; and a 5-star reviewed experience guaranteed.
• For more information: Call Blake Gowar on Tel +27 (0)82 377 5233 or email
him at blake@theconstantiawinetour.co.za.
Constantia Wine Tours have a team of wine-loving enthusiasts and enjoy sharing their
knowledge of the Cape Winelands and its delicious wine. To provide an authentic winetasting
experience, they often spend time with the farmers, getting to know the latest news
and events, so that they can provide you with the best wine touring experience possible.
If you are short on time the Half-Day Tour is for you. Come and take the morning or early
afternoon to relax and appreciate the award-winning wines, and be swept away by the
breathtaking views this region has to offer. You will visit two wine estates with a tasting at
each estate; lunch is included at the second estate. You can expect to taste between 5-7
wines at each estate. The groups are always small – no more than 9 guests per vehicle –
thus making each half day tour fun and personalised.
Included in the tour are cold water in an air conditioned luxury vehicle; a sit-down onecourse
a la carte lunch; wine tastings; photographs taken for you throughout the day; a
branded hat in the colour of your choice; and a local, knowledgeable guide ready to answer
your questions.
With the Full-Day Tour the company seeks to encourage both wine connoisseurs and
novices alike to have a good time and a well-informed overview of the winemaking
traditions that are uniquely South African. This is an ideal day trip for wine lovers as well as
anyone who can appreciate the Constantia Valley’s history dating back to 1685. Guests
can expect to visit between 3 and 4 wine estates (a 4th if time permits) and they will taste
anything between 4 to 7 wines per estate. Lunch is included at the second estate.
Included in the tour is pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation in and around Cape
Town; cold water in an air-conditioned luxury vehicle; a sit-down 2-course a la carte lunch;
accredited photographer sending photo’s to you after your tour; entrance to museums
where applicable; a branded hat in the colour of your choice; local, knowledgeable guides
ready to answer your questions; and a cellar tour (optional).
Zebra Country Lodge
Zebra Country Lodge is hidden away in a lush bushveld setting, exuding a distinct
country feeling. Comfortable country living in a tranquil setting has never been more
accessible and breathtakingly beautiful than this. This 400-hectare nature reserve
is located only a thirty-minute drive north-east of Pretoria, bordering Dinokeng
Game Reserve, the first free-roaming Big 5 residential game reserve in Gauteng.
Zebra Country Lodge encompasses three lodges, namely Mountain Lodge, Stables
Lodge and Bush Lodge, each with its own distinct ambience and features.
The Ultra Premium Experience tour is designed for the more serious wine connoisseur
and novice alike. Guests are taken on a 4x4 tour through the historic vineyard, where they
will enjoy a bubbly picnic whilst overlooking the beautiful vineyard. A personal guide and
wine expert will talk you through the wine production process from the moment the grapes
come in until bottling!
Included in the tour is pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation in and around Cape
Town; cold water in an air-conditioned luxury vehicle; premium tastings at 3 to 4 chosen
farms of the day; MCC (bubbly) tasting on a private balcony overlooking False Bay; private
Invitation!
We invite our readers and advertisers to send us
entries for this section of our magazine – inclusion
of selected getaway destinations are free of
charge. Please send us a 500-word write-up about
your destination, plus at least two good quality,
high resolution (more than 1MB) colour pictures.
Send to admin@mzanzitravel.co.za
(printing at editors discretion)
Mountain Lodge provides luxury accommodation and executive suites. Guests
can expect crystal blue skies and manicured gardens all complemented by rock
features and bubbling streams. The breath-taking scenery at Zebra Stables is
bound to mesmerize guests. You can also pay a visit to the Ndebele Cultural Village
and the Shebeen where themed events and corporate functions are held. The
rooms are decorated with an authentic African theme, reflecting the African culture
and tones of the bushveld.
Bush Lodge offers thatched accommodation in a natural setting, surrounded by lush
indigenous trees, typical of the region. The lodge offers an informal dining area and
boma and boasts conference facilities and a swimming pool.
Zebra Country Lodge offers a wide range of activities suitable for the whole family.
Revel in the countryside and scenic bushveld surroundings with a nature drive or
Big 5 game drive into Dinokeng Game Reserve. Take part in a bush walk or any one
of three hiking trails that range from 45 minutes to 3 hours. Enjoy the large outdoor
chess board, volleyball or a romantic picnic for two people followed by horse riding
experience. Relax and rejuvenate mind, body and soul at the Zebra Spa. Treat

yourself to a variety of massage and beauty treatments, while you enjoy the tranquil
backdrop. True South African hospitality awaits guests at Zebra Country Lodge.
• For more information: Call Central Reservations at Tel +27 (0) 21 4243122
or the Camp Office at Tel +27 (0) 12 443 6700, or visit their website at
https://zebralodge.com/ .
Mabula Game Lodge
Idyllically nestled in one of South Africa’s finest game reserves, with an extraordinary
view of the Waterberg Mountains, lies Mabula Game Lodge, an iconic gem situated
just two hours from the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg. This well-known and
much-loved destination is one of South Africa’s longest running game lodges, and
is a favourite with both local and international guests.
The lodge has recently transformed itself to offer guests, both old and new, an outof-this-world
bush experience, making it a comfortable, luxurious and affordable
home-away-from-home for those in search of a romantic escape or unforgettable
family holiday.
As you enter the Mabula Game Lodge Reception, you will feel as if you have been
immediately transported to the heart of the African bush, as rich and authentic
African textiles furnish the vast main lodge. You’ll be greeted with a welcome drink
by one of the warm and friendly staff, who are eager to make your stay as wonderful
as you will have anticipated.
Once you’ve settled in, enjoy a quiet drink -perhaps an Amarula on the rocks or
a great glass of South African wine - before dinner at the delightfully appointed
Legothla Bar. The Ko Bojelong Restaurant, with its new cold wells, will whet
the appetite with a buffet offering of traditional South African favourites, from
scrumptious carveries to a diverse array of cheeses, crackers and of course,
dessert to name a few.
The terrace at Mabula Game Lodge, surrounded by towering Baobab trees,
chirping birds and a tranquil waterfall, is the ideal venue for a spot of afternoon tea
and treats. The Ndlovu Boma, an all-time favourite with guests, creates a festive
ambiance and a dining experience like no other. Enjoy your dinner under an African
sky, with stars jotted across a canvas of black, while the fire crackles and traditional
dancing takes place.
Mabula Game Lodge also boasts a wonderful spa, offering a variety of exclusive
treatments such as soothing facials and relaxing massages. The spa team only
use the best products from the world-renowned skincare brand, Africology. There
are also many wonderful activities for the children to enjoy, giving parents a welldeserved
break.
For those looking for a bush conference getaway or romantic bush wedding,
Mabula Game Lodge is fully equipped with all the modern conference facilities and
amenities to make your conference or wedding a great success.
Apart from the superb accommodation, charming dining experiences and fun
activities (horse riding, quad biking and trail walks), you’ll have the opportunity to
look out for four of the Big Five on one of the magnificent sunrise or sunset game
drives.
Conservation is very important to all involved at Mabula Game Lodge, and the
reserve is home to the Ground Hornbill Project. Launched in 1999, this conservation
initiative strives to combat the declining number of the endangered Southern
Ground Hornbill, of which there are only about 1500 left in South Africa. Mabula
has also helped reintroduced cheetahs to the reserve, monitoring their patterns and
population in order to help conserve these beautiful creatures.
• For more information: Call Extraordinary Reservations at Tel +27 (0)11 516
4367 or email res@extraordinary.co.za, or call Mabula Game Lodge at Tel
+27 (0)14 734 7000 or email mabulares@extraordinary.co.za.
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