|
South
African Travel Information
Information compiled by William Farrington and the AfricaSounds.com team
"We
Welcome You !" |
|
Cheryl
Carolus, CEO of South Africa Tourism |
Shiela
Sekhita of The View Guest House |
Poloko Morakile of Poloko Tours |
|
All
Travel Information Listings Are Geographic, As Found Below |
| Western
Cape - The Garden Route |
|
| General
Tourist Information: |
|
|
Garden Route - Frieda Henning, Telephone #
27-44-8736314 Email :
info@gardenroute.org.za |
For an
overview of the whole region, Frieda welcomes your inquiries and excellent
source for itinerary ideas |
| Buffalo
Hills Game Reserve - Tel #
011-27-44-535-9739 and Email
Buffalohills@mweb.co.za |
Lodging,
game drives, also known for its Mampoer an Afrikaaner liquor |
| Madibas
Tide (B&B) - Telephone 044-3860011
Email:
Madibas_tide@imaginet.co.za |
Country
house and hotel, bohemian luxuriousness, 16 rooms overlooking the Knysna
Lagoon. It would be hard to find a more peaceful setting. |
| The Point
Hotel at Mossel Bay - Telephone
044-6913512 Website:
www.pointhotel.co.za
Email:
louis@pointhotel.co.za |
The hotel
is located on the cliffs below the Saint Blaize Light. With
spectacular views of the waves crashing on the rocks, all rooms have ocean
views looking out on Mossel Bay. Awarded the prestigious best
full-service hotel award for 2002 by the A.A. Travel Guide. Managed by
Louis Harris, the hotel is known for excellent service. |
| Protea
Hotel King George - Telephone
011-28-44-8747659 |
Opening up
on the grounds of a beautiful golf course facing the Outeniqua Mountains in
George. Also available a variety of outdoor activities from Tennis to
Horseback Riding. |
| Breede
River Lodge in Witsand, Telephone 011-27-285371631 Email
breederiver@relais.co.za
|
The only
lodge in tiny Witsand, the accommodations are stunning as is the view
located at the mouth of the Breede River. A Relais Hotel managed by
Paul Garratt. |
| Hoonker's
Restaurant in Witsand - for location,
ask anyone in town where Hoonker's is |
|
 |
Hoonker's
pub like atmosphere is located directly on the sands of the beach and is the
only restaurant aside from the Breede River Lodge in Witsand. Serving
homey food and daily specials including seafood. |
| The Staff
of JJs Restaurant
in Knysna Quays |
|
 |
Known for
it's seafood, wine list featuring South African wines, and attentive
service, JJs is a favorite for locals and tourists alike. Often, there
is live music performed. |
| |
|
| The
Fairway Terrace Restaurant at The King George Protea Hotel
- Tel # 011-27-44-874-7659 |
|
| Monkey
Land Primate Sanctuary -
Telephone # 01-27-44-534-8906 Email:
monkeys@global.co.za
website
www.monkeyland.co.za |
Open daily
8am to 6pm, Monkey Land has captured the hearts of visitors in its effort to
rehabilitate and free previously caged monkeys. On guided safari you
can expect to see a variety of primates ranging from the Gibbons of Asia to
the Lemurs of Madagascar. Knowledgeable rangers will tell you all
about these fascinating mammals as you encounter them roaming free in the
forest. Traditional South African food is served including bobotie and
yellow rice, Venison pie, ostrich neck stew and sago pudding. |
|
Kopanong Bed and Breakfast
in Khayalitsha Township
Tel
# 011-27 21 361 2084
Khayalitsha
Township, Capetown
Email: kopanong@xsinet.co.za
|
|
 |
(Top)
Lelapa Restaurant - Shiela chats with a guest while her daughter Monica
cooks up a feast - township and multinational cuisine. |
|
Lelapa Restaurant in
Langa Township outside of Capetown
Tel # 011-27-21-694-2681 |
Fairview
Vineyards in the wine region of the Western Cape |
|
Capetown
Guided Tours,
Daniel Dunn
Email
dddunn@mweb.co.za
or via telephone at
# 011-27 21 909 1500 |
|
| Exotic
Tours, Tertius Spies, Director, P.O.
Box 1874, Mossel Bay Tel #011-27-44-690-4040 Fax # 27-44-690-4041 |
|
|
Bonani "Our Pride Is Tours", Mandisa St. Clair,
Director Tel/Fax #011-27-21-531-4291 Email
ourpride@mweb.co.za |
|
| Khulani
Xhosa Village - George, Garden Route
South Africa, Tel/Fax # 011-77-44-871-5880 Email:
colline@xsinet.co.za |
|
| Dias
Museum, Mossel Bay - Tryana Meyer Tel #
011-27-44-6911-067 and Email
diasmuseum@mweb.co.za Website
www.diasmuseum.museum.com |
The Dias
Museum Complex includes the Maritime Museum, Cultural Museum, the Granary,
Shell Museum and Aquarium, the Post Office Tree and More |
| The
Cheetah Conservation -
Foundation - Jenny Schmidt at The Cango Wildlife Reserve - Tel #
011-27-44-272-5593 Email
cango@kingsley.co.za Website
www.cango.co.za |
Exotic
wildlife: wild dogs, pigmy hippos, crocodiles, cheetah, white bengal tigers
and South American jaguars |
| Klipkolt
Guest House in Northern Cape -
Gertruida and Hendrik Bott - Telephone #011-27-72-159-6726 |
Seven
rooms for 12 people, truly an oasis with family style home cooked meals
featuring lamb butchered from the farm in a big and comfortable 100-year
old, completely renovated farm house. |
| Uppington
- Le Must Guest Manor and Le Must
Residence - Telephone #011-27-54-332-3971 |
An oasis
on the bank of the Orange River, hotel and restaurant with a creative menu
and artistically designed interior. |
|
|
A
guest relaxing in the hot springs |
|
Riemvasmaak Community Tourism
- Telephone # 011-27-54-431-0945
|
Unforgettable wilderness destination, hot springs and rustic cabins or
camping. 4x4 trails and hiking, accomodations is two comfortable 8 bed
and 2 four bed chalets perched on the edge of a cliff wall with a fantastic
viewpoint of the vast Riemvasmaak Granite Canyon. On the
canyon wall, across from our chalet, was a nesting pair of black eagles.
|
| Witsand
Nature Reserve at Kalahari-
Contact Bertus Bester, Tourism Manager, Tel #011-27-053-313-1061 Fax
#011-27-53-313-1061. |
Ten
lodges, each sleeps six and three bedrooms with fully equipped kitchen and
open air brai. |
| |
|
|
Augrabies Falls National Park
Tel #011-27-544-529200 Elsah@parks-sa.co.za |
For
lodging within the National Park |
|
Kgalagadi TransFrontier Park
- Tel #011-27-54-561-2000
Faniev@parks-sa.co.za |
For
lodging within the National Park |
| Didimalang
Luxury Guest House - Sobantu, Galeshewe, Kimberly
Tel #011-27-53-871-1442 |
In
historic Galeshewe Township, specializing in traditional African cuisine |
 |
Jacels
Tours was born out of my passion for nature and the privilege of sharing it
with others. I completed a B.Sc. degree in Zoology and became a SATOUR
guide in the following year, as well as PADI Divemaster and SA National
Parks Honorary Ranger. I've been doing guiding for the past 9 years,
starting my own company (Jacels Tours) two years ago. Jacels Tours
specialize in Eco and Safari Tours, as well as 4x4 trails, adventure tours,
diamond tours, battlefield tours and visits to any of the National Parks in
South Africa. Travelling is done by luxury Microbus, 4x4's or
26-seater buses from Newton Tours. |
|
Khamkirri Tours - Tel #011-27-54451-0325
khamkirri@mweb.co.za |
Rafting
and kayaking on the Orange River |
| Gauteng
Province / Soweto / Johannesberg |
|
|
Protea Gold Reef City,
located 9 miles South of downtown Johannesburg - Tel #011-27-11-248-5700 |
Protea Gold Reef City, located 9 miles South of downtown Johannesburg, Gold Reef City is a recreation of a
turn-of-the-century gold mining boom town. Now an amusement park and
casino complex, it is built around the number 14 mine shaft more than 700
feet below the ground which is part of the richest gold mine in the world. Interior
in the classic Victorian style from the turn-of-the-century. We stayed
at Protea hotels in several locations and noticed that each hotel in the
Protea family has a distinct personality. In particular, their
breakfasts were excellent, featuring fresh fruits and juices, omelets made
to order, and hot and cold cereals.
|
 |
Peter
Mthiba, Masi Makhalamele, Thabang Makhalamele and Victoria Makhalamele |
|
The View
Guesthouse,
Thembisa
Township, Shiela
Sikhita, telephone #011
926 1731, 082 599 2487 Email: theviewguesthouse@54.co.za |
Staff of
Sheila Sikhita's View Guest House, Thembisa Township - Five Star service and
accommodations with a location convenient to Johannesburg Airport. On
the day of our visit, Hector (center) the manager and Tiny (right back row)
the Chef, prepared Ting, a beef and chicken stew, Mogodu, ox tripe, sweet
and sour carrots, Greek salad, beet root salad and raisin bread pudding |
 |
Gaaba
Motho Cultural Village in Rosslyn, North West Province
- is the vision of Lekau Mokoene. Here he explains traditional African
ways while local girls pound grain into flour. |
 |
Zulu
dancing and music performed by members of the Lesedi Village staff.
|
 |
Zulu
Hut in the Lesedi Village, a cultural village in Gauteng. In Gauteng Province,
Lesedi Village is a lodging experience that allows you to experience
traditional village life. An
exhibition of song and dance was a part of the experience at the Lesedi. |
|
Bathuthukile Tourism Services
- Refilwe Mathe, Tour Guide Operator - Telephone # 011-27-906-3012 Email:
matherefilwe@hotmail.com |
|
 |
"We show
tourists South African life, we go into Townships, we do homestays.
You've got the Hilton and all these luxury hotels, the Sheratons, in your
country as well, so why do you want to come to South Africa and stay there?
Rather, stay and meet the people and their culture and stay in a township or
a homestay." Marius Barnard, Gauteng Province Tour Operator (third
from left in photo) |
| Gauteng
Province Tour Operators (contact
information follows)
Dawn's Tours
- Dawn Citto - Email
dawnstours@yahoo.co.uk
Community Tourism
- Moshito Wa Tshawane Community
Tourism, Tel #012-337-4427 P.O. Box 6339, Pretoria, 002 South Africa
Wonderful Tours and
Transfers - Peter Molala & Obert
Nangara - Tel #011-27-11-394-7662 - Email
info@wonderful-tours.co.za
and website
www.wonderful-tours.co.za
Merafe Tours &
Transfers - Alice Joala - Tour
Guide - 17 Aluta Avenue, Hospital View, Tembisa 1632 South Africa - Tel/Fax
#011-27-926-1731 Email
theviewguesthouse@54.co.za
Gauteng
Provincial Government - Terry Tselane, Cheif
Executive Officer, Gauteng Tourism Authority,
The Rosebank Mall, 2196, gauteng, South Africa Tel 011-27-11-340-9000 Email
terry@gauteng.net
Website
www.gauteng.net
Merafe Tours &
Transfers - Isaac Ramerafe Tour Guide - Tel/Fax
# 011-27-11-926-1731 Email
theviewguesthouse@54.co.za
Website
www.sheilasviewguestmrinfo.co.za
Sindi's Tours and
Transfers - 118 Jorissen Str, Braamfontein, JHB
Tel 011-27-403-0399 Email
sindistoursandtransfers@ssws.co.za Web
www.sindistours.co.za |
|
 |
The staff at Thula Thula - an eco-resort that is a partnership between local
villages and foreign investors. Intimacy is a hallmark of this new
resort with a total of only nine cabins, one per guest. |
 |
Patty, our driver, enjoying a Coke in Simunye Village - Simunye is accessible only by horseback or oxcart.
The most rural experience of the three, set by a river and far from the
nearest power line. Protea
Hotels Toll
Free# U.S.
1 800 323 3210, U.K.
0500 303 030, email
cpcprotea@aol.com |
| Sabi-Sabi
Game Reserve - The Earth Lodge Website:
www.sabisabi.com
Telephone # 27 11 483 3939 |
|
|
The Earth Lodge - as well as the Bush Lodge and Selatti Lodge, are the
lodges of the private Sabi Sabi game reserve. Named as the best game
lodge in Southern Africa by A.S.A.T.A. These lodges provide the
extreme in luxuriousness, with facilities that pamper. Designed
to be as undisruptive to the environment as possible, the recently completed
Earth Lodge is sculpted deep into the earth, nearly invisible in the
landscape. Here again twelve private suites only are available
(pictured above). The dining experience is open air, under romantic
lamp lights, providing an intimate experience. The Earth
Lodge's wine cellar stocks the best in South African wines. Luxury
aside, the lodges at Sabi Sabi are known for the wealth of game in the
surrounding reserve. |
|
Poloko Tours -
Poloko Morakile - Managing Director - Bloemfontein Tourist Centre, 60 Park
Road, Bloemfontein Tel #011-27-51-430-7974 Email
polokotours@yahoo.com
Website
www.polokotours.co.za |
Although I never visited the Free State
Province, I spent a couple hours talking with Poloko and his knowledge and
enthusiasm and cannot wait to visit one day soon. |
| Free State
Province - Laetitia van Rensburg,
Director of Trade and Industry - Tel # 011-27-403-3575 Email
vrensbl@majuba.ofs.gov.za |
|
| Long Haul
Travel Tips from Mark D. Ellinger of South African Airways - I drink
water, lots of water, and avoid alcohol even though we have some of the
world's finest wines on board. I get exercise, eat very lightly and try to
rest as much as I can and I find that I rebound much faster after a long
flight. |
Arlene van
Rensburg, a Tourism student at the University of Potchefstoon enjoying South
African Airway's new first class seat which are comparable to individual
suites. |
| Vusani
Mashamba, working in the South African
Airways arrivals lounge in the
Johannesburg Airport |
Portia
Atisang will greet you at the new South African Airlines arrivals lounge in
Johannesburg |
| Nkosinathi Biko of The Steve Biko Foundation with Carlyle McKetty, publisher
of Kuji Magazine after an interview at the South African Airlines arrivals
lounge at the Johannesburg Airport |
|
| |
I now invite you to continue with me
on my visit through South Africa, viewing each region, its people, culture
and music, through my photographic lens. I have also included
additional
features on World AIDS Day and a Travel Information Section which provides
information on tour
organizations and lodging. Please click on the specific feature that you wish
to access below:
|
|
