Restinations

23/10/2015

3 La Mauritia offers self-catering accommodation in Port Shepstone in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.

23/10/2015

Today we visit Port Shepstone in KZN. Port Shepstone is situated on the mouth of the largest river on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, the Mzimkulu River. It is also the largest harbour town on the KZN South Coast. Here, if you are brave enough, you can enjoy the thrill of the world's highest commercial abseil at 110m at the Oribi Gorge.

Have you abseiled at Oribi Gorge?
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23/10/2015

Known as the “windy city” Port Elizabeth is a beautiful city. Not as relaxed as Durban or upbeat as Cape Town, Port Elizabeth sets its own pace.

Known as the “windy city” Port Elizabeth is a beautiful city. Not as relaxed as Durban or upbeat as Cape Town, Port Elizabeth sets its own pace.

Port Elizabeth or The Bay is South Africa's fifth largest city, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, 770 km (478 mi) east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa.

Port Elizabeth was founded as a town in 1820 to house British settlers as a way of strengthening the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa. It now forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of over 1.3 million.

Located at the end of the picturesque Garden Route along the Cape coast, the city is one of South Africa's major destinations for tourists, many of whom come simply to enjoy the many fine beaches in and near the city.

Algoa Bay, the coastal strip of Nelson Mandela Bay, incorporates a 40km stretch of beaches, with protected areas for swimming at Kings Beach, Hobie Beach, Humewood Beach (which has world-class Blue Flag-status), Po***ck Beach and Denville Beach. Fishing, surfing, scuba diving, snorkelling and sailing are enjoyed at less-populated spots such as Wildside, Sardinia Bay, Blue Horizon Bay, Bluewater Bay, Beachview and Schoenmakerskop.

The area surrounding the CBD has a number of historic attractions, many of which are linked by the Donkin Heritage Trail. These include the Campanile (bell tower), built in 1923 to commemorate the arrival of the 1820 Settlers and offering a great viewpoint over the city; the city hall (1862); the Donkin Reserve park and monument; and the old stone Fort Frederick itself (1799). The CBD also boasts the towering Eastern Cape post office headquarters.
Other attractions include the gardens at St George's Park, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum (formerly known as the King George VI Art Gallery), the museum and oceanography room at Humewood, and the new Boardwalk waterfront complex.

The wider area surrounding PE also features a number of game viewing opportunities, including the famous Addo Elephant Park, 72 kilometres (45 mi) to the north near the Zuurberg mountain range and National Park.

Port Elizabeth is also home to Route 67 – a collection of 67 art pieces celebrating the years Nelson Mandela devoted to public life. It is a mix of visual arts, urban design and heritage, showcasing old Victorian churches; terraced cottages on Donkin Street – where massive silver pipes catch the famous winds of Port Elizabeth and make music; a lighthouse that once guided ships into Algoa Bay; and a large pyramid built by Donkin in memory of his wife.
There is also a large metal cut-out of Nelson Mandela symbolically leading South Africans to vote in the country’s first democratic election.

Port Elizabeth is known commonly as the watersports capital of South Africa and home of Ironman Africa. Algoa bay is home to scuba diving, game fishing charters, surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding to name but a few. There are many cruises offered from the harbour from sunset cruises to view dolphins to whale watching tours.

Port Elizabeth is also a great destination for whale watching with humpback whales sighted between June and August, and again between November and January, Southern right whales sighted between July and November, and Bryde's whales sighted all year round. Boat-based whale watching trips are run out of the Port Elizabeth harbour where guests are allowed close encounters with these majestic creatures, among other marine animals.

23/10/2015

Pietermaritzburg, set amidst forested hills and the rolling countryside of the Natal-Midlands, is one of the best-preserved Victorian cities in the world.

Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

This is the town in which the annual Dusi Canoe Marathon starts, and is the beginning or ending point of the world-renowned annual Comrades Marathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, which attracts about 15 000 participants.

Pietermaritzburg is the gateway between Johannesburg and Durban and many bus services, rail services and taxis are available on a daily basis.

23/10/2015

Phalaborwa is a town situated in the Mopani District Municipality in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It is located near the confluence of the Ga-Selati River and the Olifants, halfway up along the eastern border of the Kruger National Park in the Lowveld.

23/10/2015

Marloth Park is unique in South Africa in that residents are not permitted to erect fences around their property. The result is that wild animals roam freely around the houses and streets of the town.

Marloth Park is a wildlife sanctuary & holiday town situated on the southern boundry of the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga.

23/10/2015

Lydenburg is a town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Officially known as Mashishing, Lydenburg is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Olifants River at the base of the Long Tom Pass. It has become the centre of the South African fly-fishing industry and is an agricultural and mining centre.

The name of the town, derived from Dutch, means 'Town of Suffering'. This might sound like a strange name for such a scenic area but it was thus named because Potgieter and his followers were desperately trying to escape from a serious malaria outbreak that was ravaging their proud community in their previous settlement. These days, absolutely nothing in the lovely town and its spectacular surrounds evokes thoughts of suffering – in fact, it's quite the opposite! Lydenburg is a truly amazing and immensely pleasurable tourism experience enjoyed by tourists from South Africa and all around the world.

Lydenburg is situated at the foothills of the famous Long Tom Pass and surrounded by the Steenkampsberg and Mauchsberg mountain ranges.

Lydenburg is heaven on earth for the nature lovers and outdoor junkies among us and an absolute must-see on any visit to Mpumalanga. Besides the Sterkspruit and Dorps River, the Doringbergspruit and the Klipgatspruit rivers also grace the area, making Lydenburg one of the top fly-fishing destinations in South Africa. There are challenging 4X4 routes and hiking trails aplenty to keep avid adventurers happy and its superb location, a mere 290km from Pretoria, makes it the ideal point from which to explore the province's many other wonderful tourist attractions, including the picturesque Panorama Route (boasting the unmatched beauty of the Blyde River Canyon and God's Window) and the world-famous Kruger National Park – South Africa's premier game-viewing experience.

A great attraction in the area is the Lydenburg Waterfall - consisting of 3 stunning waterfalls. It is regarded as one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Mpumalanga and definitely an enchanting sight to see. Two of the falls lie next to each other and plunge into a deep pool which feeds the third. It’s a mesmerizing sight that draws a continuous flow of people everyday. Other attractions in Lydenburg include historic memorials, nature reserves and other splendid sights and even some marvelous hidden fishing spots.

Bordering Lydenburg is the Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve, home to a wealth of fascinating wildlife and birdlife, and also to an extremely interesting historical attraction: An enjoyable 5km hike through the park leads to the site of some truly amazing Stone Age ruins, complete with living quarters and farming terraces – an insight into the lives of those who called this stunning landscape home before we did.

In June 2006 it was announced that Arts and Culture minister, Pallo Jordan, approved the name change of Lydenburg to Mashishing (meaning "long, green grass"). However the name still hasn't caught on. Road signs still say Lydenburg and businesses and local building such as the "Lydenburg Museum" have still kept the old name.

23/10/2015

In the far North Eastern corner of KwaZulu-Natal lies one of natures last frontiers – Kosi Bay part of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park – the first natural World Heritage Site in South Africa to be accorded this distinction.

Kosi Bay is a series of four interlinked lakes and is the main town in the Maputaland area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

23/10/2015

Today's top destination in South Africa is Knysna. Knysna is one of South Africa's best known travel destinations located 72 km east of George in Western Cape. Located in Knysna is one of our top 10 restinations for; Phantom Forest Eco Reserve, "popping the question".

23/10/2015

Kimberley, the diamond capital of South Africa is the capital of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Kimberley, thanks to the fevered diamond rush of the 1870s, has a glittering past. Take a guided tour of a once-operational diamond mine - The Big Hole; which descends a staggering 840m below the earth. Imagine a hand-dug hole the size of eight football fields and you have some idea of the labour that went into creating the Big Hole. For those who prefer being above ground, visit the city's glittering choice of jewellery stores.

Being the diamond capital of the world, Kimberley is well-known for its exquisite. individually crafted jewellery, offering a precious personalised memento of a trip to Kimberley.

There were actually five 'big holes' in Kimberley – diamond mines that mined volcanic kimberlite pipes. Other than the Big Hole, they've now mostly been filled in.

It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historical significance due to its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Boer War. Notable personalities such as Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes here, and the roots of the De Beers company can also be traced to the early days of the mining town.

Just over half of the population speak Afrikaans, with other languages being Setswana, isiXhosa and English.

Kimberley is situated on the N12, which branches off the N1 in the Karoo, offering an alternative route to Johannesburg from Cape Town, and it’s a good place to stop over for a day or two. There is a small airport.

A few kilometres from the city centre lies Kimberley’s oldest residential suburb, Belgravia, which dates back to the 1870s. These homes were built at the peak of diamond trade. This is where South Africa's mining dynasty's patriarch, Harry Oppenheimer, was born. It's said that there once was more millionaires in this area than anywhere else in the world.

Today, Kimberley is the seat of the Provincial Legislature for the Northern Cape and the Provincial Administration. It services the mining and agricultural sectors of the region.

The Sol Plaatje University, due to open its doors in 2014, is expected “to inject new life and purpose into this historic mining city.

You can fly directly to Kimberley from all the major cities in South Africa. It's about 500 kilometres or a five-hour drive from Johannesburg, with the best times to visit being the cooler months in spring (August, September) and autumn (March, April) are recommended. Kimberley can get very hot in summer (December to March) and very cold in winter (May, June and July). Tours to do while in Kimberley include a visit the Big Hole, the Magersfontein battlefield and the Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre. There is loads to do in Kimberley, though, so you could spend several days here. Art lovers are also in for a treat. The Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre showcases San art, both ancient rock art and contemporary creations. Not far away is the William Humphreys Art Gallery, specialising in South African artists but also offering a fine collection of 16th and 17th century Flemish, Dutch, English and French masters.

23/10/2015

Come visit KwaZulu-Natal's Hidden Valley of Beauty - Karkloof; where there are a number of activities including mountain biking, fishing, swimming (in natural pools) or the famous Karkloof Canopy Tour which offers a thrilling way to learn more about our forests while hanging 40m above the ground.

The pleasant drive on the R617 from Howick into the KZN Midlands, on a winding country road leads you to The Hidden Valley of Beauty, Karkloof.

23/10/2015

Our featured destination today in South Africa is: George is the sixth oldest town in South Africa, situated in the beautiful Western Cape Province and is the Capital of the Southern Cape.