TOURS

Nelson Mandela Museum

Former South African President, Nelson Mandela, at the Museum's opening. 

The museum was officially opened on the 11th of February 2000, at a function to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the release from prison of Mr Mandela in 1990. 

The original plan was a simple museum on the ruins of Nelson Mandela's old rural school.

Nelson Mandela

 But now, thanks to donations from abroad, the scheme has mushroomed into a series of halls, shops and gardens designed by six architectural firms and costing R80m.

A proposal for the establishment of the Museum was presented to Mr Mandela. The former President endorsed the proposals and a mandate was given to DACST to proceed with the project.

The Nelson Mandela Museum is conceptualised as a single museum with three interrelated components, namely:

The historic Bhunga building in Umtata which will serve as the exhibition, storage, management and administration centre of the museum; 

The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre, and a Community Museum/Cultural Centre with tourist facilities at Qunu; 

An exhibition together with the protection and display of the remains of the homestead where Nelson Mandela was born at Mvezo. 

Addo Elephant Park

Elephant at play at the Addo Elephant Park's waterhole. 

Endangered Elephant Sanctuary 

Situated 73km from Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the conservation success story of this park is world famous. Since its proclamation in 1931, the last eleven elephants (55 kbyte file) in that region have bred to number 170. Its 11718 ha also offers sanctuary to the last Cape buffalo and 21 black rhino of the very scarce Kenyan sub-species.

African Elephant

 Also notable is the unique flightless dung-beetle which is found almost exclusively in Addo. Day sightings of animals are frequent and an illuminated waterhole provides excellent night-time viewing. 
The elephants of Addo are however the main draw card for visitors to the park. They are gregarious, living in family groups led by a matriarch or lead cow. Elephant bull have their own social system with a dominant bull who does most of the mating. Addo elephant bulls carry small tusks, and most cows are tusk less - thought to be the result of selective shooting in the nineteenth century. Calves are born after a gestation period of 22 months, and weigh about 120 kg at birth. 


Protection of the elephant has resulted in simultaneous protection of an ecosystem which supports a fair number of antelope, numerous reptile, amphibian and insect species and a recorded 170 bird species. 
Two walking trails have been laid out in the park, and conducted night drives can be arranged, offering a rare experience of nocturnal life in the bush. 


A large waterhole near the chalets and cottages enables guests to watch game from the comfort of their verandas. Illuminated at night, it provides exceptional opportunities for game viewing. Accommodation is also available in self- contained rondavels as well as caravan and campsites. Facilities include a swimming pool, an a la carte restaurant and attractive picnic sites. 

Valley of Desolation

The Valley of Desolation is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over 100 million years.

Just a few kilometres north-west of Graaf-Reinet lies the Valley of Desolation.

A steep and narrow road leads into the mountains that surround the valley. 

Desolate Mountains 

A circular hiking trail starts at the car parks and leads to wonderful views of Graaff-Reinet and of the endless expanse of the surrounding Karoo.

The Valley of Desolation is a National Monument within the Karoo Nature Reserve, and was formed millions of years ago by weathering erosion. Heat and cold, drought and water caused the rocks to crumble and brought about the bizarre rock formations. . Sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of Dolerite rise 120 metres from the valley floor. This is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over 100 million years.

Grahamstown National Arts Festival

Come to Grahamstown and enjoy South Africa's largest Arts Festival. 

Africa's largest and most colorful cultural event offers a choice of the very best of both indigenous and imported talent. 
Every year for 11 days (27 JUNE - 6 JULY 2002) Grahamstown's population almost doubles, as over 50 000 people flock to the city for a feast of arts, crafts and sheer entertainment.

Grahamstown

 Every hall or large room becomes a theatre, parks and sport fields become flea markets, normally quiet streets have to be managed by an army of temporary traffic wardens, and every available bed in the city is booked. The festival offers more than 500 shows from opera, cabaret, drama and jazz to stand-up comics and folk music. 

From theatre to dance, opera to cabaret, fine art to craft art, classical music to jazz, poetry readings to lectures, every art form imaginable is represented in one of the most diverse festivals in the world. And there's something for every taste, with techno raves, mediaeval banquets, craft fairs, cyber cafes, carnivals, buskers and walking tours.

While many come to take in the arts, others simply want to be here for the spectacle or to market products ranging from tie-dyed T-shirts and woven rugs to handmade jewellery and customized telephones. The festival operates out of the 1820 Settlers National Monument and is organized by the Grahamstown Foundation.

Hole in the wall

Traditional Xhosa woman ponders the Hole in the Wall - "place of thunder".

Near Coffee Bay is a prominent rock formation with a big hole in the middle, which has become a symbol for the Xhosa of a great historical tragedy, the "Great Cattle Killing".

Kei Mouth - Hole in the wall

It is a unique structure with a huge detached cliff that has a giant opening carved through its centre by the waves. The local Xhosa call this place "izi Khaleni", which means "place of thunder". At certain seasons and water conditions (high tide) the waves clap is such a fashion that the concussion can be heard throughout the valley.

Tsitsikamma National Park

The Tsitsikamma National Park is also known as "the place of much water". 

Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines…this, "the place of much water", is the Tsitsikamma National Park. 

Tsitsikamma National Park 

The heartland of the park stretches some 5 km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.

The Tsitsikamma National Park is an 80 kilometre long coastal strip between Nature's Valley and the mouth of the Storms River. In the park the visitor finds an almost untouched natural landscape.

Two long hiking routes with some huts for overnight stays are well established. The popular Otter Trail of 48 km and the Tsitsikamma Trail of 72 km, both offer the well-trained hiker an experience of a unique plant and animal world. Some indigenous 

Various accommodation facilities hug the beautiful coastline. 

Yellowwood trees still exist here, over 800 years old. Besides the diverse bird life, one can also observe smaller mammal species, the cute dassies for example, which often graze near the beach.

For the less physically active visitors there is a comfortable holiday resort with camping and log huts right on the coast. Short walking paths lead through the coastal rainforests, to the hanging bridge at the mouth of the Storms River and to the famous Schietklip, a rock in the sea, which causes thundering giant waves. 

Highest Bungee Jump in the world 

Bungeeeeeeeeeeee!
Bloukranz adrenalin rush! 

Throw yourself off the world's biggest bungee jump located at Bloukrans Bridge on Storms River, in South Africa's Eastern Cape. A 180m freefall that takes seven seconds traveling at 193kmph - even the rebound is higher than the Victoria Falls.

Bungee at the Storms River

Claire Baty, 19, from the Isle of Wight, jumped at Bloukrans earlier this year. She says the terror beforehand was more than made up for by the elation afterwards: "I screamed and screamed but nothing seemed to come out. It felt like I was never going to stop and that I was going to die. But I can honestly say that it's the most awesome feeling in the world."

http://www.faceadrenalin.com

The Owl House 

Explore the "Camel Yard" and enter a magical world at the Owl House. 

The owl house, in Nieu-Bethesda just outside Graaf-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, was where Helen Martins, or "Miss Helen" as she was known to the locals, spent the latter part of her life in the house where she was born. Regarded as an eccentric and deeply interested in Eastern philosophy, she lived a hermit-like existence, devoting her life to her beloved Owl statues, and "the search for light and brightness". 


From the moment you step into the house a 360-degree canvas of colour envelops you, where the walls, ceilings and even the doors are decorated with finely-ground glass of various hues. In the "Camel Yard" at the back of the house, trapped by a stone wall and high chicken-wire, are hundreds of figures, camels and sphinxes, made of cement and glass, all paying homage to the East. 

The story of Helen Martins life was the inspiration for Athol Fugard's book "The Road to Mecca".

http://www.owlhouse.co.za/

Hogsback 

Hogsback is famous for its spectacular waterfalls such as Madonna and Child, Swallowtail and Kettle spout.

Eco-Destination

The village and holiday resort are magnificently sited on the slopes of the Amatole Mountains, overlooking the rivers and fertile plains of the Tyume Valley in a region dominated by three ridges said to resemble the bristles on a hog's back. 

Hogsback - Waterfall

Among the early settlers was Thomas Summerton, a market gardener from Oxford, and his attempts to re-create the English countryside can still be seen in apple orchards, avenues lined with hazelnut, berry fruits and the flowering plants that have spread throughout the area. 

There are also large tracts of indigenous forest, where the rich variety of birdlife includes parrot and Loerie. Rivers tumble prettily to the plain, creating a number of small but spectacular waterfalls such as Madonna and Child, Swallowtail and Kettle spout - where the water flows through a natural spout in the rocks and, in windy conditions, arches up in a feathery plume some 9 m high. 

There are hotels, caravan parks and campsites, at which facilities are provided for tennis, swimming and bowls. Horses may be hired. The area is also noted for it's angling - some of the rivers are stocked with trout. 

Walks and trails range from 3 km to 20 km and some of the routes - which include places of historic and natural interest - are marked with painted hogs. The hiking trail covers a 2 day walk. The locally produced guidebook is an essential investment for visitors, especially those interested in exploring this lovely area on foot. Hogsback is 30 km from Alice, which in turn is 22 km from Fort Beaufort.

http://www.hogsbackinfo.co.za/

Malaria Free Big 5 Game Viewing

Visitors get up close and personal with some Rhino without the risk of Malaria.

When coming to Africa many tourists are weary of getting Malaria - and rightfully so. Now you can rest easy…view the "Big Five" in a malaria free environment! 

The original plan was a simple museum on the ruins of Nelson Mandela's old rural school.

Big 5 Game Viewing - Rhino

The Eastern Cape boasts the most concentrated elephant reserve in Africa. Home to a herd of 300 elephants, the 'Addo Elephant National Park' allows close quarter viewing. 


There are also black rhino, buffalo, eland, Kudo and other antelope species. More than 170 species of birds have been identified. 
Addo offers it all from night drives, restaurants, accommodation, camping sites, and illuminated waterholes. Shamwari, a privately owned, luxury game reserve boasts the "big five" in a malaria free environment. 


Whether at the exclusive Shamwari Game Reserve, the large Addo Elephant Park or the Mountain Zebra National Parks, the East Cape offers unequalled game viewing in conditions suited to the traveler. 


The Doubledrift Game Reserve, on the Great Fish River, forms a combined conversation area of 44 000ha with the Sam Knott Nature Reserve and Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve to preserve succulent valley bushveld and the divers habitats it provides to numerous species. These reserves have proved to be immensely successful.

Further north, along the Eastern Cape's east cost, we find the Wild Coast untamed and beautiful, this is the perfect holiday destination. 

Fishing more than anything else, draws holiday-makers to the Wild Coast. In summer, catches include huge reef fish such as musselcracker. In autumn, the annual sardine run brings fighting game fish. Totally unspoilt and uncommercialised, the Wild Coast offers a pleasant climate, mild seas and family resorts where fresh seafood features on most menus. 

Southern right whales and their calves are regularly spotted from the high dunes, usually between May and November, and common and bottlenose dolphins are often seen close to shore, providing a wonderful treat for people who want more from the sea than food. Coffee Bay is easily accessible from the N2 and is popular among surfers, anglers and shell collectors. The lagoon offers safe bathing. 

Must see sites include: 
Dwesa Nature Reserve 
A blend of coastal forest, open grassland, winding rivers and a diverse coastline. Trails through lush forests make this a rambler's paradise. From the top of Kobole Point, there are magnificent views across the ocean where dolphins and whales are often seen. Self-catering accommodation is available. 
Hluleka Nature Reserve 
The reserve encompasses a lagoon, rocky seashore and evergreen forest. In this ramblers' paradise, zebra, blesbok and blue wildebeest are regularly encountered in open areas along the Hlukela River. There are several vantage points from which to observe dolphins and whales offshore.