| South Africa is a large, diverse and incredibly
beautiful country. The Size of France and Spain combined, it varies
from the picturesque Garden Route towns of the Western Cape to the
raw stretch of subtropical coast in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It's
also one of the great cultural meeting points of the African
continent, a fact obscured by years of enforced racial segregation,
but now manifest in the big cities. Yet South Africa is also
something of an enigma; it has the best travel facilities on the
African continent, but also the most difficult surface to scratch.
After so long as an international pariah, the "rainbow
nation" is still struggling to find its identity.
WESTERN CAPE
Sir Francis Drake described it as "the fairest Cape in all
the circumference of the World." Situated at the foot of Table
Mountain, Cape Town is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful
cities in the world, offering outstanding interest and variety to
the visitor. Blending the old with the new, it has a relaxed, almost
continental atmosphere that will charm even the most sophisticated
jet-setter.
EASTERN CAPE
Thetsitsikamma Forest runs into the Eastern Cape, a province
steeped in history as well as blessed with beautiful beaches and
rugged mountain scenery. This is the birthplace of President Nelson
Mandela and is the melting pot of three cultures, Xhosa, British and
Afrikaner. It is here that battles took place between the early
English settlers and the Xhosa.
NORTHERN CAPE
The Rugged Regions of the Northern Cape appeal to those seeking
broad horizons and peace and quiet. It is an area of outstanding
natural beauty and contains the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, set
in the rolling dunes of the Kalahari Desert. The park is home to the
magnificent gemsbok antelope, as well as the delicate springbok and
the Kalahari lion, with its distinctive black mane. To the south is
the Augrabies Falls National Park, where the river plunges nearly
200 feet into a narrow ravine.
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