Tours of South Africa
"Our aerial journey begins at Cape Town and Table Mountain before heading south round the Cape of Good Hope and then back up past some of the best known vineyards to Stellenbosch. We then head east to Hermanus and whale watching before flying along the garden route to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape and on up the Wild Coast to Durban, in Kwazulu Natal, before heading inland to the Drakensberg Mountains.
And where better to start our aerial journey, than Cape Town, and on top of one of the most recognisable mountains in the world, Table Mountain. The mountain towers over the city, its 2 miles long and 3 and a half thousand feet above sea level. It was named Table Mountain by Antonio de Saldanha, the first European to sail into the bay in 1503. The flat top is flanked on one side by Devil's Peak, and the other Lion's Head. One of the most famous views of the mountain is from the sea to the north where it's possible to see how much it dominates the city. More often than not, the mountain top is covered by a white "tablecloth" when clouds are formed by a warm South Easterly wind rising up the mountain side and meeting colder air on top. And the views from the top are spectacular. But for those who prefer the easy way up, a cable car takes you to the plateau. And standing in the mountain's shadow is a memorial to a man, who more than any other, played such an important, as well as controversial, role in the story of South Africa, Cecil Rhodes. At the end of the nineteenth century, he used his wealth to build a British empire in the new world, through mining concessions and creating British protectorates. He created Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and dreamt of a red line of British power from Cape Town to Cairo. Cape Town is a true cosmopolitan city and a major tourist destination. Its development over the centuries has been influenced by Dutch, British and Cape Malay ideas. Today, modern buildings stand next to historic ones, including the grand City Hall built in 1905 and the much earlier Castle of Good Hope built around 1670. One of the most dominant features of the city is the new football stadium at Greenpoint on the coast. It holds 68 thousand people and was built for the 2010 world cup. Close by the stadium is the old Victoria and Alfred Waterfront which was gradually re-developed in the late 1980's into residential and shopping areas along with restaurants and expensive hotels, including an island with 40 suites surrounded by other luxury apartments. But there is another island, just off the Cape Town coast, which stands in marked contrast to this modern luxury. This is Robben Island which lies 5 miles north of Cape Town. It was a prison and had been since the end of the 17th century. And it was here, in 1963, that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of his 27 years in captivity. All prisoners had to do back-breaking hard labour in the lime quarry close by the prison and existed on very basic rations. Today, the prison is a museum and the whole island a world heritage site. Perhaps the last word about this place should come from Nelson Mandela himself, when he reflected back on his time spent here. It's true that Robben Island was once a place of darkness, but out of that darkness has come a wonderful brightness, a light so powerful that it could not be hidden behind prison walls. Another contrast is between the affluent centre of Cape Town and the townships on the city outskirts. This is Khayelitsha, home to 2 million people and built during the apartheid era for the black population. Under the new government, brick buildings are being put up to improve the housing, but the corrugated tin shanty towns still exist. It's a very different story on the west side of the city, where modern apartment blocks line the shore at Sea Point and up the side of Lion's Head. One of the glories of South Africa is its coastline. It stretches for nearly 18 hundred miles and boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And Noordhoek beach is one of them, a 4 mile stretch of white sand and deep blue sea. But this beauty can be deceptive because very quickly a storm can turn the sea into a fearsome maelstrom, which over the centuries has driven many a ship onto the shore. All around the coast, rusting wrecks can be seen. Proof, if proof was needed, of how dangerous the seas can be. And especially around the Cape of Good Hope, where gale force winds and tidal races can drive unsuspecting ships onto the rocks. Cape Point Lighthouse replaced an earlier one built higher up on the cape because in 1911, as a result of the old one being shrouded in fog and the light obscured, a Portuguese liner the Lusitania was driven onto the rocks. There was no lighthouse in 1488 when the European explorer Bartholomew Dias discovered the Cape for the first time. He erected a cross which was later replaced with this replica as a memorial to his discovery, and is interestingly used by sailors today as a navigation point. The weather patterns around the Cape area do have one very beneficial effect and that's on all the vineyards. Because, South Africa is one of the world's great wine producers, with a history that goes back to the Dutch settlers in the late seventeenth century. These are just some of the very beautifully maintained historic estate houses in the shadow of Table Mountain, at Constantia. The main area of the Cape wine industry is to the east of Cape Town around Stellenbosch. One of the earliest estates is Boschendal which has a history stretching back to 1685. The old manor house has been enlarged and altered over the years and what we see today dates from 1812. Time to head for the coast and a place which has become most associated with whale watching, Hermanus. Back in the 19th century when whales where spotted, the boats would put to sea and the killing would begin. Today when whales are spotted, it is cameras that shoot the whales. From the shore, it's possible to see Right Whales from June through to December as they arrive to calve in the shelter of the bay. These huge barnacled creatures often with calves, can be seen close to the shore, quietly drifting with the tide. Though out at sea they can be seen breaching, an action that is still not truly understood, is it aggression or playfulness? Whatever the answer, it is a truly dramatic sight. One of the best known stretches of coast straddles the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape and is known as the Garden Route. It runs from Mossel Bay to Storms River. In 1780, a visiting naturalist noted that nature has made an enchanted abode at this beautiful place. There are many outstanding features to attract visitors, including a dramatic coastline. Swim from the wide beach at Nature's Valley, part of the Tsitsikamma National Park. Visit a seal colony and watch the hundreds of Cape Fur seals. In the winter, the sea pups are born and you can see them play under the watchful eyes of their parents. Hike along the Otto Trail and truly get back to nature as numbers are limited and there are only a few facilities along with the way. It takes 5 days and is one of the most popular trails in the country. It's a tough but rewarding experience. And if a more peaceful pursuit is wanted, then there are a number of golf courses along the Garden Route. This one is Pinnacle Point Golf Resort, where on some of the holes, you really don't want to miss the green. The road bridge across the river Bloukrans is the highest single span bridge in the world and the perfect place to hurl yourself off, attached to a bungee rope of course. The drop holds various entries in the Guinness Book of Records. The Garden Route is also a very popular place to live, and towns like Plettenberg Bay have grown into large and successful resorts. And for those with means, there are some outstanding modern cliff top houses complete with amazing views along the coast. At Noetzie Beach, which has been used as a holiday site for generations, there are a series of modern castles dating from the 1930's. Using local stone, the houses began to look like castles and it only took a few turrets and a bit of castellation to complete the picture. Today, the five castles are a mixture of private homes and luxury hotels. To the east of the Garden Route is Algoa Bay, and the country's third largest port and fifth largest city, Port Elizabeth. In the centre of the city is the Donkin Reserve, which is surrounded by many historic buildings including the Campanile Tower built in 1923 to commemorate the British Settlers arriving in 1820. But there is an older building, Fort Frederick, built by the British in 1799 to prevent a possible French invasion. And one of the newest is the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium with a capacity of just under fifty thousand. The stadium hosts both rugby and football matches as well as concerts. An important milestone is its role as one of the World Cup venues. On the North side of the bay is the Alexandria dune field, one of the largest active dune fields in the world. The wind has created patterns in the sand that are always shifting and changing. The dunes are flanked by a strip of indigenous forest. Wildlife is one of South Africa's assets, and close to Port Elizabeth is the Shamwari Game Reserve, the largest private reserve in the country and one of the top conservation companies in the world. Several lodges are dotted around the 60 000 acre site and the reserve offers visitors a glimpse of the Big Five, elephants, rhinos, buffalos, lions and leopards. Most are shy creatures and the presence of our helicopter means they hide from view. However, the zebra and wildebeest do not seem too worried. The next stretch of coastline is perhaps the most dramatic and the most beautiful, the Wild Coast. This is an area of outstanding beauty and one of the country's most underdeveloped areas. The communities still pursue age old traditions and much of the land is owned by the local inhabitants. One such tradition is taking the cattle to the beach. There's no grass or drinking water but rather like humans, they just seem to want to relax, sleep and generally chew the cud. All along the Wild Coast, this sight can be seen. Perhaps the most iconic place along the coast is the Hole in the Wall. This huge detached cliff was separated from the land thousands of years ago and softer rock in the centre has eroded away leaving a hole. The local people call it "the place of thunder" because when the sea crashes through the hole, the sound is like thunder and can be heard some distance away. The erosion has created a sheltered and safe place to swim and is one of the most popular places to visit on the Wild Coast. And on the hill across the bay, a group of Xhosa women wash clothes in a way that is not altered for centuries, fresh water, a convenient bush and a warm wind is all that's needed for a perfect day's washing, unless a helicopter comes along to disturb it. Inland from the coast, groups of round houses, known as rondavels, can be seen in clusters surrounded by vegetable patches and enclosures for cattle. They are built in the traditional manner, using thatch with earth and cow dung walls. These round houses can be seen all the way up the east coast and in places the thatch has been replaced by corrugated tin and the earth and cow dung walls with cement blocks or bricks but the shape has remained the same. Originally built with no services, many have electricity and running water with a separate erf closet outside. Rivers provide much needed water as well as offering locals the opportunity to swim and get cool. But this peaceful looking river soon gives way to a 500 foot drop into a dark gorge. These are the Magwa Falls which were created as a result of seismic activity when the ground split open thousands of years ago to create this impressive gorge. At the end are the falls, and they can be seen from several vantage points. It's an impressive and majestic sight. Equally impressive are these rare waterfalls which drop directly into the sea. There are not that many of them in the world and on the Wild Coast you can find two. This one is Waterfall Bluff and here the water cascades down a near 200 foot drop. The falls attract visitors all year round even though it's in a very remote part of the Wild Coast. And another reason for visiting this part of the Coast is to see the wonderful rock formations including Cathedral Rock. It's free standing and over the centuries has been sculpted by the sea and wind and does indeed take on the appearance of a great flying buttress on a medieval cathedral. Over the border in Kwazulu Natal sugar cane production provides much needed employment in rural areas. Most of the country's sugar comes from this part of the country. There are well over 30 000 registered growers and parts of the landscape are covered with sugar cane fields. When the cane is cut it goes to one of the mills and this one is on the coast at Bazley Beach, close to Durban. The delicious burnt sugar smell spreads downwind for several miles. Our route now takes us up the coast to South Africa's third largest city and busiest port, Durban. The harbour is natural, one of only a few on this stretch of the coast and was opened in the 1840's when it was known as the Port of Natal. But perhaps Durban is most famous for its seafront and beaches and is in complete contrast to the Wild Coast we have just seen. Here are all the usual ingredients of a different style of tourism, theme parks, large hotels and casinos. Durban also played its part in the world cup story at the Moses Mabhida Stadium which comes complete with a funicular cab, which takes visitors to the top of the arch for breathtaking views over the city and coast. Inland from Durban is the Valley of a Thousand Hills which is very much a part of the Zulu Kingdom, founded at the beginning of the 19th century by Shaka Zulu, who united tribes together by diplomacy and force. At the height of his empire, Shaka commanded an army of over 50 000 Zulu warriors. Today the area is full of small villages and farms which dot this beautiful landscape and have changed very little over the centuries. And for centuries, the Umgeni River has flowed over Howick Falls. The Zulu people call the falls the KwaNogqaza, meaning "place of the tall one". European settlers first saw the falls in the early 1800's and when the river was in flood, some lost their lives trying to cross the river upstream by getting swept over edge, plunging 300 feet to their deaths. From here it's only a few miles to South Africa's highest mountain range, which in total runs some 600 miles, the Drakensberg. The Zulus refer the mountains as uKhahlamba, meaning barrier of spears. In Afrikaans, it's Drakensberg which translates as Dragon Mountains, where there are vultures that glide on the rising air. To the north is another spectacular natural rock formation, the amphitheatre. This awe-inspiring natural feature is one of the most impressive cliff faces in the world and dominates to Royal Natal National Park. A small stream runs off the top and drops just over 3000 feet to the valley below. This makes the Tugela Falls the second highest waterfall in the world by only 100 foot from the Angel Falls in Venezuela. Perhaps the best known mountain in the Drakensberg range is Cathedral Peak and from the hotel in the valley, there is a clear view up to the summit. And by flying up the path to the top, the climb will take us less than a minute, so sit back and enjoy the ride. The views from the top of Cathedral Peak are spectacular and a perfect place to end this journey."
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