There are plenty of smaller animals as well like lizzards, snakes tortoises and dassies. A visit to the Ostrich farm opposite the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope might be a treat as well. So enjoy the wildlife but please don’t feed the animals, especially the Chacma Baboons! The have lived in this area for about a million years so basically you are the invaders.

They might be nice and funny to watch but they do tend to be a nuisance as well since the like to eat the same things we do and they are curious as hell, getting slightly aggressive if they don’t get what they want.

Hiking, mountain biking, diving and surfing are some of the activities that the adventure loving tourist can do in this part of the TMNP Buffelsbaai and Bordjiesdrif Beaches offering ideal facilities for swimming and whale watching. With a fishing permit the chances are good that you might have something fresh to grill over the open fire in the evening. There are enough braai and picnic spots all over the park. But please be careful with open fires and don’t grill at places not specially pointed out by signs.

Standing at Cape Point, looking out over the ocean might just be a great view for some of the tourists , but knowing the history of the Cape Peninsula it will surely be a moment to where one starts thinking about the stories the rocks would tell if they could speak. Would they tell the story of the sailors that battled the stormy weather while rounding the Cape back in 1488 on the ship of Bartholomew Dias, which is the reason that it is also called “ the Cape of Storms”.

Or would they tell you about the San and the Khoikhoi that were the original inhabitants of the region way back before the Europeans first sighted the land. Or would they tell you about the Lusitania which was wrecked in 1911 because the light of the upper lighthouse was hidden by mist.

Cape Point has a lot to offer. Take a ride in ”the flying Dutchman” a funicular which offers the easy way up to the viewing post on top. The view can be enjoyed while eating at the Two Oceans Restaurant, which is worthwhile even if it is not the cheapest. Take a walk to the new lighthouse which is not as high up as the first one but still offered a few difficulties while being built for obvious reasons.

Or visit “Antonies Gat” the cave near the beach at Buffelsbaai in which the great spiritual leader Lalu Abdul lived after having escaped from prison and which still is a place of worship for the Muslims.
to be continued

After such an quiet evening the next day can start, early in the morning Whether you decide to hire a mountain bike, hike or do it the easy way by car, all of these options have their own special flair but don’t forget to take your picnic basket. The way through the Silvermine Reserve leads you over the mountain with several viewing spots along the way from which you can enjoy the panorama of the Cape Peninsula like the view from False Bay to Cape Point where the two oceans meet.

On the North side a visit to the Silvermine reservoir which was part of the cities water supply back in 18988 should be part of the tour. The sandstone cave system is also worth exploring. And if you are an adrenaline junkie you can go rock climbing down to Muizenberg. A dip in the ocean at one of the beautiful beaches and visiting the fishing village of Kalkbaai browsing through the numerous antique stores is a perfect way to end the day

The most comfortable way to reach the top of the mountain is by cable car. The trip takes approximately 10 minutes and on the way up the car turns around 360°, offering the visitor a splendid view of Capetown.

For he more adventurous there are more than 300 trails going up the mountain, from easy walks to real rock climbing. Platteklip Gorge which is the popular direct ascent up the centre of the main table(aprox 3 hours) Maclear’s Beacon Trail, Pipe Track and Skeleton George Trail to mention just a few. However, if you do decide to climb the mountain , please take the normal precautions. Make sure that you got a map of the mountain with you. Tell someone where you are going, dress properly and weatherproof, take your handy with you and take something to eat and to drink on the trail. Remember that the weather can change quickly.

BALLOON FESTIVAL

The Philippines are not only for rest-searching and nature lovers a great aim, but also a fantastic place for hot-air balloon journeys. Every year you can take part in Clark Field on Pampanga in the Philippine Hot-Air Balloon Festival. This is one of the biggest Hot-Air Balloon Festivals of Asia and the sight of these colourful balls which fill the sky, will take away to you the breath.

PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL

Also from the 12th to the 13th of February 2010 there is again the possibility for all which are crazy for flying to take part in this festival. Everything what can fly rises from the US Air Force Base “Clark Air Base” in the air: Ultraeasily airplanes, stunt pilots, helicopters, zeppelins, paraglider, engine dragons, parachutists and Kite’s. Name givers of the spectacular event are the colorful hot-air balloons.

HOT-AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

During the years before it was always an event of the superlatives with participants from all over the world and more than 100,000 spectators who looked the spectacle on the 60 km northwesterly from Manila situated military airport on Luzon in the province of Pampagna.

pampanga-HOT-AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

Not only for the spectators it leaves a dreamlike impression to observe the coloured activity in the sky, but also the participants will never forget the sight of the wonderful Philippine sceneries any more, the friendliness of the inhabitants which wave to you from the fields.

pampanga

The Bo-Kaap definitely invites you to take a quiet stroll through narrow cobble stone streets, lined by the typical quaint little colourful houses which are characteristic of the neighbourhood. Have a look in the Bo-Kaap museum which is the oldest original house in the area. Here you can delve into the history of the Cape Malay Muslim Community and it might inspire you to visit one of the mosques or kramats along the way . And if you get tired and hungry from the sightseeing just step into one of the restaurants where the food is still served in the traditional way, sitting on the floor and eating with your hands. The cuisine of the Malay people is delicious and had a great influence on the cooking in the Cape, even in South Africa.

I you should be in Capetown on the second of January and you see a parade of men, women and children in colourful suits with hats and umbrellas marching in the direction of Green Point stadium while singing and dancing, you are witnessing the annual “coon parade” of the Cape Malays. It wont take your feet long to start tapping to the rhythm….the enthusiasm that you see is contagious.

But don’t spend all your time with shopping, visiting the restaurants or pubs, or browsing through the arts and craft markets. The V&A Waterfront has much more to offer if you are interested in learning a bit more about the history of Capetown or even South Africa.

The Clock Tower which was the icon of the old docks and in a way a landmark of the Waterfront with the remains of the Chavonnes Battery which was an Capetown fortress dating back to the early 1700’s. Directly adjacent to the tower the visitors can watch the seals which are part of the harbour life.
Time Ball Tower that has been restored in 1997 which had the original purpose to give the ships a time signal by the dropping of a ball, by which they could check their chronometers while being in the harbour.
Breakwater Prison which housed prisoners working on the breakwater with a treadmill still bearing evidence of the harsh punishment of those days.
South African Maritime Museum with its floating exhibits which gives the visitor a tour through Capetown’s maritime history.
And last but not least the Robben Island Embarkation Building from which the prisoners were sent to Robben Island, the most famous of these being South Africa’s first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela.

But that is by far not all that the “moederstad” (mothertown) as the South Africans call it, has to offer. Apart from the surroundings, and the nature and culture a lot has been done in recent times to make Capetown even more attractive to the tourist. The rotating cable car that takes the visitor up the Table mountain while offering him a 360 degree view of Capetown and surroundings or the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront which was built in the harbour area and still has that certain flair whilst offering clubs, bars, restaurants and shopping facilities to the visitor.
To be continued

The Reserves have a lot to offer with its diversity of wildlife, landscape and indigenous plants. The visitors can explore the parks either by self guided foot trails(just remember to take a guide book), by game drives which can be booked and are led by experienced guides, by day walks with a guide, or with your own car on one of the auto trails.

The guided boat tours on the Hluhluwe Dam are just as interesting and educational for the visitor. But for the adventurous the Wilderness trails offer an thrilling first hand bush experience in which you are totally dependent on the knowledge of the game ranger since two of the three nights are spent under the clear African sky in tents. The same with the Weekend Wilderness Trails from Friday to Sunday. The Trails are offered from mid-March to mid-December.

So come meet Nile crocodile, hippo, white and black rhino, leopard, lion, cheetah, hyena, elephant, buffalo, blue wildebeest, jackal, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, nyala, eland, kudu, impala, duiker to name but a few and don’t forget your camera to take this experience back home.

The magnificent range of mountains forming a natural boarder between the KwaZulu-Natal Province and the Free State Province, were given their European name, Drakensberge (Dragon’s mountain ) by the Voortrekkers or early pioneers who crossed them with their ox wagons to reach the coastal regions of Natal. What an incredible accomplishment this was you will see when driving through them, keeping in mind that the Drakensberg are the highest mountains in Southern Africa. The Zulu people call this range uKhahlamba which means barrier of spears.

The earliest inhabitants of the Drakensberg that we know of are the San people or bushmen, leaving evidence of their life in the hundreds of paintings found on the rocks in caves and under shelters, which can be viewed by visitors and which are up to 2400 years old. They are one of the reasons that the Drakensberg got the status of a world heritage site.

The Drakensberg offer hiking trails to the visitors that wish to enjoy a leisurely walk through nature as well as the facilities for the adventurers that wish to go rock climbing at Cathkin Peak or rafting to name but two of the options.

Sites definitely worth visiting to enjoy the great flora and fauna as well as the sight are the Tugela Falls which is the second highest waterfall in the world with its 948 m at Mount-aux-Source, the Ndedema-gorge with the Sebayeni Cave and its rock paintings, Cathedral Peak and Giants Castle. The tourist routes are recognised by the brown signs with the bearded vulture on them.