South Africa Travel Guide: Unspoilt forests and wild beaches surround the ‘friendly city’ November 6, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Europe, Museum, Oceanarium, Rail Pass, Tickets, Tour, Trails , 2commentsThere are many places within easy reach of Port Elizabeth that offer fine walks and hikes through unspoilt natural surroundings. Even within the boundaries of the city, walkers who take to the Guinea Fowl Trail through Settlers Park Nature Reserve will be surprised by the wildness of the area.
Settlers Park contains some 160 different trees and shrubs, and is noted for its richly varied birdlife — which includes the Knysna loerie, giant kingfisher, fork-tailed drongo, gymnogene, herons, Guinea fowl and Egyptian geese. Also common are dassies (Hyrax), tortoises and leguans. The Guinea Fowl Trail takes two to three hours to walk, but is relatively easy. Many shorter walks through the park are also possible, and the park has several entry points, making it easily accessible from almost any part of the city. (more…)
South African Travel Pass all way Guide: Through a giant’s garden of dense forests and precipitous gorges November 1, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Map, Rail Pass, Tickets, Tour, Trails , 2commentsEast of Plettenberg Bay the Tsitsikamma (sparkling water) Mountains crowd in towards the sea, ensuring a rich rainfall throughout the year. Our route leads along the coastal plateau at the foot of the mountains, through a quiet world of high, primeval forest, and deep gorges rushing clear mountain streams to the sea.
Leave PlettenBberg bay by driving past the beach and across the Piesang River, then turn right into Piesang Valley Road. Turn left after 200m into Robberg Drive — noting your kms. After 3,4 km turn left and follow this side-road to the parking area at the beginning of the Robberg peninsula. (more…)
Sightseeing through the Historic Heart of the Cape Peninsula October 15, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Beach Resorts, Cape Town, Rail Pass, Restaurant, South Africa, Tour, Travel Clinic, Trip , 2commentsThe Cape Peninsula has a rich history. Here is a short drive that allows time to savour it. Our route leads through avenues of ancient oaks, past vineyards nearly three centuries old, to several places that share a peaceful, old-world charm — from the cool of Groot Constantia’s cellars to the romance of small fishing boats in Hout Bay Harbour.
The low bridge of land between Table Mountain and Lion’s Head is known as Kloof Nek. Drive to here from the city centre by driving along Adderley Street towards the mountain, turning right at the end of Adderley Street into Wale Street, then taking the 6th left turn, into Buitengracht, which becomes Kloof Nek Road. (more…)
A Sunburned Haven for Sea Birds and Hardy Fishermen part 1 October 10, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Cape Town, Destination, Hotels, Restaurant, Round The World, South Africa, Tickets, Tour, Trails, Travel Insurance , 2commentsSaldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon are the focal points of this drive through some of the finest west coast scenery. From Saldanha the route leads around the lagoon to the Postberg Nature Reserve — then heads north to the historic fishing harbours that dot the coast between Laaiplek and Paternoster. Roughly half the route is tarred, the rest is good gravel. (more…)
A Thundering Waterfall in a dry, Desert Landscape continue… September 30, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, Tour, Trails, Travel Insurance, Trip, Victoria Falls, Zambia , 2commentsWalks and drives
From here there are a number of walks and drives that you can take to outlying viewpoints. One of the most popular walks is along the 2,5 km path leading to the Arrow Head viewsite. From here you can look out over the rapids that career along the bottom of the gorge far below. For the more energetic there is the Klipspringer Hiking Trail which runs for 26km along the southern bank of the river. This is a three-day hike and walkers stay overnight in huts along the route. The trail passes Ararat, a granite rock that offers a magnificent view along the gorge, and also Moon Rock, which provides panoramic views over the whole park. (more…)
Later Additions to the Temple of Karnak April 19, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Air Tickets, Beach Resorts, China, Egypt, Library, Lodges, Malaysia, Museum, South Africa, Thailand, The Nile, Travel Clinic , add a commentThis is a singular monument, perhaps unique among all those preserved in Egypt. Its general orientation is not east-west like the Amon sanctuary, but north-south. It is in rectangular form, divided into two parts that go along the entire length of the structure. The western part includes a colonnaded room whose minor axis is aligned with the axis of the sanctuary of Amon ; north of this room there are three chapels. The eastern section is subdivided into three parts: the southern part includes a colonnaded room surrounded by smaller rooms; the central part consists basically of three rooms aligned on their axis but oriented east-west; finally, the northern part includes a series of rooms that culminated to the north in a solar sanctuary (the same kind as we have seen in Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Deir el-Bahri). (more…)
