Articles Tagged with: South Africa

The Zulu empowerment volunteer tour takes place in September 2010. Credit: The Cultural Explorer

If you’re serious about taking a truly meaningful environmental holiday – one where you can make a difference in the lives of others — then it’s not too late to sign up for the Cultural Explorer’s Zulu empowerment volunteer tour into KawZula-Natal, South Africa this September.

The San Francisco-based cultural and philanthropic tour company is offering this three-week trip, which will allow volunteer travellers the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant Zulu culture while participating in a variety of service-oriented projects.

Participants will be encouraged to design a project based on their own interests and skills. Some might want to refurbish a school or tutor students in maths, science, English and art. Other volunteers might want to work with children in an orphanage or teach in a crèche (day care centre). And others might want to teach marketable skills to the Zulu women, or assist rural businesswomen with marketing ideas.

Volunteers will stay in a local hotel in a small rural town in KwaZulu-Natal. There will be excursions daily into the numerous nearby Zulu villages — with opportunities to observe both traditional and contemporary life, and attend a Zulu wedding, birthday, or healing celebration. Volunteers will visit with local sangomas (traditional healers) and spend time with the only white sangoma in South Africa. They’ll also enjoy lively dinners with local activists, politicians, educators and entrepreneurs who are invested in making positive change in the Zulu community.

There will also be time to explore the picturesque town of Eshowe and surrounding areas, and participants will spend a weekend on safari in the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest game park in South Africa. Also planned is a side trip into the city of Durban where there will be a chance to visit the beautiful beaches along the Indian Ocean.

The Zulu Empowerment trip starts in Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, with an in-depth history lesson and visits to the Apartheid museum, Origins Centre, the thriving township of Soweto, and downtown Johannesburg. Travelers will be treated to authentic African foods and music. The volunteer portion of the trip will be based in KwaZulu-Natal, about 7 hours south of Johannesburg, an area known for its large Zulu population and diverse terrain.

Pat Walker, founder of The Cultural Explorer, has spent several years cultivating contacts within the Zulu communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Travelers will meet with her personal contacts and colleagues.

“This is a one-of-a-kind volunteer trip,” Walker says. “We have teamed up with a local family-run organization that has been working in this area for several years. We find their projects to be authentic and they really do make a big difference in the lives of the Zulu community. We are pleased to make this volunteer trip available to adventurous travelers who want to go beyond the ordinary travel experience.”

Trip dates: Sept 4-25, 2010. For more information, visit: http://theculturalexplorer.com/.

The 2010 Fifa World Cup logo. Follow health and safety guidelines to enjoy your stay in South Africa

Global travel services company,  WorldNomads.com has created a series health and safety guidelines for travelers who plan on making their way to South Africa for the Soccer World Cup.

Pre-Departure – Top 10 Medical Tips for traveling to the World Cup

Discuss health concerns with a medical doctor; update appropriate immunizations including rabies if plans call for hiking / camping; consider anti-malarial medications and updating seasonal flu and H1N1 immunizations.

Pack anti-bacterial hand rubs, DEET insect repellent, long-sleeved shirts / pants and first-aid kit with sterile dressings, gloves and over-the-counter medication for diarrhea.

In hand-luggage pack two-week supply of prescription medicines (in original packaging) with letter from doctor outlining what has been prescribed. Contact the South African consulate or embassy for information on some medications that are prohibited in some countries.

Carry extra copies of passport and travel insurance documents; leave one set with friend / family.

In South Africa – How to Stay Safe at the Games

Drink only bottled water; eat only cooked and peeled foods. Avoid outdoors at dusk / dawn when most flying insects are out and about and wear long sleeves / pants at these times. If fever or diarrhea occurs, see a health care professional as soon as possible and call the World Nomads Emergency Assistance Phone number for advice. Always observe safe sex practices.

Conceal money pouch; place wallet in front trouser pocket, ensure that all bags, including for cameras, are zipped with clasp closed. Avoid carrying large sums of cash. Try not to walk alone; take special precautions at lonely lookout points, especially at dusk or after dark. Don’t accept assistance from strangers at ATMs. Give food, not money, to street children / beggars. Park in well-lit areas. Keep document photocopies in a safe place. Don’t walk and talk/text; keep phone out of sight when not in use; use security lock code and insure it.

Cape Town, South Africa is going to be in the spotlight this year, thanks to the scores of football fans who will descend on the city for the World Cup. However, it’s also a perfect opportunity for Cape Town to brace itself for a surge in tourism.  Cape Town still ranks as one of the most stunning cities in the world, so we’ve compiled this Top 10 list of what to see and do in Cape Town, South Africa.

Table Mountain is Cape Town's most famous landmark. Credit: lollie-pop

TABLE MOUNTAIN
This extraordinary sandstone mountain is the city’s most famous landmark (and most photographed), and no trip to Cape Town would be complete without the cable car ride to the top of the mountain that stand 1,085 meters above the city (or you can hike it if you’re in a conquering kind of mood). However, the cable car has a rotating floor, offering you a 360-degree view of the area as you ride up. Named Table Mountain because it is often covered with cloud known as a tablecloth, the view from the top allows you to see the entire city, the coastline, ocean and the Cape Peninsula. Once at the top, you can also walk or hike a variety of trails and take in the variety of flora and fauna on view.

Swim or simply hang out with the penguins at Boulders Beach. Credit: Tjeerd

BOULDERS BEACH, SIMONS TOWN
Cape Town has a plethora of beaches to choose from, but if you want your beach experience to be really special, then head out to Boulders Beach, the only place where you can actually swim with the penguins.  A colony of African Penguins makes its home at Boulders Beach, and they generally breed at the beach between March and May. The area is a sanctuary, so respect the penguins’ home and they’ll respect you. It’ll be tough to literally swim alongside them because they are pretty fast in the water, but you’ll certainly find them hanging out on the sand and waddling behind rocks as you go about your business of sunbathing. Bring a camera to capture the memories, and be patient with the kids who squeal delightedly at every sighting.

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years as a prisoner on Robben Island. Credit: geoftheref

ROBBEN ISLAND
From prisoner to president, Robben Island is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and the place Nelson Mandela called home during his incarceration from 1962-1990.  The 3.5 hour-long tour of the museum on Robben Island begins at the Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and is just nine miles from the center of the city. After a 30 minute ferry ride, you’ll get an up close tour of the former maximum-security jail by former political prisoners. There’s also a 45-minute bus ride tour of the island.

The V&A Waterfront is South Africa's number one tourist destination. Credit: coda

V&A WATERFRONT
Truly a one-stop shop for pretty much everything in Cape Town, the Victoria & Albert Waterfront (known simply as the V&A) is South Africa’s number one tourist destination, with around 20 million visitors each year. The gateway to a slew of destinations and attractions around the Cape, these once run-down docks are now home to a grand shopping area, filled with quaint cafes, laid back bars, theatres, and over 70 restaurants. Wander down the wharf and watch the street performers and musicians plying their trade, then spend your hard-earned Rand in the 400-plus shops, selling everything from jewelry and fashion to trinkets. This is also the place to book any one of a myriad of tours, hotel room stays or events.

Stellenbosch wine country offers a variety of tasting tours of its vineyards. Credit: timparkinson

STELLENBOSCH WINE ROUTE
Relax with a delicious glass of vino by following the Stellenbosch Wine Route on the Western Cape. Founded in 1971, today this quaint town boasts over 200 wine and grape producers. The Wine Route is divided into five sub-routes, so you can pick your favourite tasting tour. The entrance to each cellar is clearly signposted with the Wine Route logo, and daily wine tasting; cellar tours and sales are offered at most cellars. Many of them also provide picnic facilities, so you can eat, drink and be merry during this outing.

The Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens are home to over 22,000 indigenous plants. Credit: warenski

KIRSTENBOSCH NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS
Kirstenbosch is South Africa’s world-famous national botanical garden, set against the backdrop of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, and home to over 22,000 indigenous plants. Established in 1913 to protect the immense floral wealth of the Cape region and declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004, you can join a daily walking tour or a golf cart tour of the gardens. Visit the glass-topped conservatory, which houses an enormous baobab tree, or head to the Gondwanaland Garden, which displays types of plants that were present when there was only one continent on planet Earth. The Cycad Garden shows off a family of plants that dates back some 200-million years and the Fynbos Walk takes you through the fynbos vegetation, unique to the Western Cape and the Cape Floral Kingdom. Oh, and the Useful Plants Garden has a selection of medicinal plants used to treat a number of ailments.

Green market square sells everything from food to African curios. Credit: benti.namibia

GREEN MARKET SQUARE
Head to Cape Town’s city centre for the city’s oldest and most popular markets known as Green Market Square. Here you can buy everything from sandals and jewelry along with arts and crafts, African curios and fashions.  It’s a bargain hunter’s paradise where it is perfectly acceptable and quite common to barter with the merchants for your souvenirs.  You can also rest your weary feet at any one of the myriad of restaurants and cafes around the square and simply people watch as you take in the sights, smells and sounds of the market.

Cape Point Nature Reserve is a narrow finger of land where the mountains meet the sea. Credit: conspiracyofhappiness

CAPE POINT NATURE RESERVE
Where the mountains meet the sea.  Cape Point is a spectacular, narrow finger of land, boasting bays, beaches, rolling green hills and valleys. Another World Heritage Site, this is the perfect place to spend a day picnicking in the park or at the beach and then burning off those calories by hiking or taking a mountain bike ride around the area. Take the funicular to the lookout point over the Atlantic Ocean, where you’ll be able to view the most powerful lighthouse on the South African coast, which steers ships through a perilous passage around the point.  There’s also a plethora of flora and fauna, and you might be lucky enough to spot a zebra and some baboons.

The Cape Town Stadium will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Credit: Bruce Sutherland

CAPE TOWN STADIUM
It’s easy to see why this architectural masterpiece became the home to the 2010 world cup, and it’s worth a visit.  The 68,000-seat stadium on Green Point Common is visually stunning, and was designed to complement the cloud cover that commonly drapes Table Mountain – to best advantage. A façade of woven fibreglass coated with Teflon sees the stadium transformed into a floating, rose-coloured bowl when lit up at night. Hour-long tours of the stadium are available and take you into the stands, players’ changing rooms, and the VIP/hospitality area, although access to the pitch is not permitted. In addition to the stadium, Green Point Common has been upgraded to include sports fields and recreational areas. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, water from the stadium roof will be used to fill ponds on the common, and mountain spring water will be used for irrigation.

THE WHALE COAST
You can spot the whales frolicking at Western Cape’s Whale Coast, anytime between June and November. Rent a car or take a shuttle from Cape Town International airport, which is just 90 minutes from the coast. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can travel by helicopter. The whales spend the summer feeding around Antarctica, then migrate thousands of miles to the sheltered bays of the Western Cape to mate and calve. They swim within 200 metres of the shoreline between June and November and sightings of mother and calf are especially common. Drive via the fishing community of Hawston to Hermanus, the world’s best land-based whale watching site. Hermanus is also the only town in the world that has a whale crier who uses a kelp horn to draw visitors to view the whales who often come as close as 20-30 metres from the shore.

Capetown's Southern Railway line boasts whale spotting from its carriage windows. Credit: Courtesy Cape Town Southern Railway Line

Just in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Cape Town, South Africa  is set to launch a carbon friendly extension to its scenic Southern Railway Line, which runs along a stunning stretch of the South African coastline and boasts whale spotting from its carriage windows.

As part of a partnership project between Cape Town Tourism, Metrorail Western Cape, and The Green Cab (an eco-friendly travel provider), The Rail and Ride will begin running in the first week of June.

The trip combines eco-friendly rail travel with reduced emission Green Cab vehicles and a tour-guided insight on the Southern Line route. Green Cabs are training tour guides in partnership with Metrorail and the Tourism Enterprise Partnership, who will be positioned in a select carriage on the Rail and Ride days. The tour guides will then inform the visitors’ journey as they travel to Fish Hoek where they disembark for a Green Cab ride to Cape Point and then return back to Cape Town.

City of Cape Town Alderman, Felicity Purchase, mayoral committee member for Economic Development and Tourism said, “The Southern Line route is the most unique train experience. Nowhere else in the world can you look out the window during a train journey and see whales, dolphins, trek fishermen, kayakers, and surfers sharing the sea with swimmers and kite surfers – all this while passing through a working fishing harbour at Kalk Bay.”

Mariette du-Toit Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism added, “This new venture is an example of where the future of tourism in Cape Town needs to go. Cape Town Tourism is dedicated to a sustainable future for tourism in our city. To do this we need to alter our perceptions and be creative in our endeavors and see that there are exciting new ways of doing things. The new Rail and Ride promises to be a one-in-a-million trip. It really is the future of travel, and we are proud to be showcasing it to our 2010 FIFA World Cup™ visitors.”

For more information, visit Cape Town Tourism or the Green Cab Co.