Luxury Southern African Travel

There is something that stirs deep within you when you look an African elephant square in the eye. The ancient beast’s leathery skin reads like a road map and all you want to do is stroke its enormous ears and tug playfully at the wiggling trunk.

Along South Africa’s Garden Route there is a wealth of sanctuaries and parks where you can have the most wonderful one-on-one experience with these gentle giants. Stay over at a 5 star lodge and listen as the elephants eat, play, sleep, and snore… all night long. What a lovely sight when you step out onto your balcony in the morning and watch the Ellies go about their morning routines.

Some venues have very tame elephants that you may feed and stroke. Or you can choose to go for an elephant ride through the spectacular African bush. The biggest fun is walking the elephants down to the river and watching them play in the water; just like children – dunking each others’ head under the water.

Finish the day with an elephant picnic in the middle of the veld as you watch the beasts graze under a setting sun.

Most of the organisations have an eco-friendly and holistic approach; the animals are well-loved, and happy.

Tags: Travel and Tourism News by Astrid Stark
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Port Elizabeth - South Africa’s first newly-built 2010 World Cup stadium officially opened on Sunday in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth a year before kick-off next June.

“For us today’s first opening of a newly-built 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium is a huge boost,” said local organising committee chief Danny Jordaan.

“It demonstrates the capacity of SA’s construction industry and our commitment to deliver on all our 2010 FIFA World Cup promises,” Jordaan said in a statement.

Eight 2010 games, including a quarter final and a third and fourth place playoff, will be hosted at the city’s 48 000-seater Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.

The new ground hosts the touring British and Irish Lions rugby team on Tuesday when they will play a local Southern Kings Invitational side.

The 2010 ‘curtain raiser’ Confederations Cup starts on Sunday at four refurbished stadiums in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Rustenburg.

Five additional new stadiums that will also be used in Africa’s first World Cup were “shaping up nicely” to be ready ahead of 2010, Jordaan said.

The eight nation Confederations Cup will be played for two weeks in four host cities. The World Cup follows a year later at 10 grounds in nine cities.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Soccer/WorldCup/383/007371176d68421eac03f50865011707/07-06-2009%2005-06/First_SWC_2010_stadium_opened

Tags: FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup South Africa by Admin
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The Garden Route is just heaven for kids.

Monkeyland in Plettenberg Bay is only a few kilometres from Knysna and it’s the world’s first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary; which means you walk underneath monkeys that are jumping around your head, pelting you with sticks and leaves. It’s a sanctuary for a large variety of monkeys and birds; many of them endangered. Here you will find the gorgeous black and white ruffed Lemurs, Gibbons, Capuchins, the naughty little Marmosets and the Cottontop Tamarin - with its ridiculous hair-do.

A unique walk with Cheetah cubs, wrapping yourself in a python, or a wander through the free-flight aviary is a pretty special experience for kids of all ages. There is even a wolf sanctuary with a diverse collection of wildlife and farmyard animals.

Bigger kids, like dad, can experience the awesome ecological spectacular of the Tsitsikamma Forest, suspended 30m above the forest floor in a full body harness on a steel cable pulley system. Awesome! Move silently from one giant Yellow Wood to the next, taking in the green wonders of the indigenous forest canopy.

Tags: Travel and Tourism News by Astrid Stark
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