south africa travel and tourism info south africa

Welcome to South Africa.. the exhilarating, spectacular and extraordinarily beautiful country at the bottom of the African continent. Bordered by Namibia, Botswana,Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the north and surrounded by the Indian Ocean in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the country stretches over an area of 1,221,037 sq. km. The vastly varied terrain is home to an incredible variety of animals, birds and wildlife including the 'big five': Elephant, Rhinoceros, Buffalo, Lion and Leopard. The world famous 'Krueger National Park' in Mpumalanga is the hot spot to experience South Africa's nature at it's best, with a variety of overnight accommodation facilities in and around the park to suit anyone's pocket. Flora and Fauna in South Africa is exceptionally beautiful and varied, with a number of species only to be found in this country. For the visitor certainly a must is a visit to Cape Town, the surrounding wine lands, the West Coast and up the 'Garden Route' as far as the Wild Coast in the 'Old Transkei'. South Africa's climate is ideal for an all year visit, the best and milder months probably September/October and March/April. The winter months are usually better suited for the coastal areas or the far north.

With the birth of democracy in 1994, South Africa has become the 'Rainbow Nation', all people of different colours, origins, sexes and backgrounds being equal and enjoying the freedom of a true democracy with undoubtedly one of the best constitutions in the world. Eleven official languages are spoken, with English being the dominant language in the business sector. The population mix is roughly 77% black, 10 % white, 8 % mixed race and 2.5 % of Indian or Asian descent. South Africa is steadily progressing towards a better future for all it's citizens, with housing developments, water and electricity installations, schools and hospitals being built and a serious effort to eradicate poverty, crime and unemployment. The South African currency, the 'Rand', has considerably improved against all major currencies in recent years, inflation has been brought under control, property values have finally risen to more realistic figures, and the tourism sector is continuously growing, as more and more people realize that South Africa has certainly 'value for money' to offer.

To explore South Africa properly one does need quite a bit of time, a four week visit / holiday is ideal to travel, preferably by car, to a number of our provinces which are all unique with regard to their inhabitants, landscapes, flora and fauna. Private game reserves have sprung up virtually in all parts of the country, where one can find most animals associated with Southern Africa and excellent accommodation usually accompanied by professional service and 'cuisine' of the highest standards. The guest house and bed and breakfast sector needs to be mentioned here especially, which has come a long way to compete in many instances with some of the best hotels in terms of quality and comfort at a fraction of the price. We invite you to visit some of the finest establishments in South Africa on our pages: accommodation-links-south-africa and south-africa-bed-and-breakfast-links. However, should you be visiting the Johannesburg area, we would look forward to welcoming you at Chamonix Guest Lodge in order to experience true German-Namibian hospitality in South Africa.

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