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SOUTH AFRICA'S PARKS AND CITIES
JOHANNESBURG
Situated on the Transvaal Highveld, 5751 feet above sea level, it is the largest city and commercial centre of South Africa. The city came into being when gold was discovered in 1886, since then it has grown from a shanty town to a modem sophisticated city. Johannesburg is the main gateway to the major tourist regions of Southern Africa.
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
The first national park created in Africa, Kruger Park covers an area of over 12 000 square miles of the Eastern Transvaal bushveld - the natural habitat of hundreds of species of animals and birds. Lion, elephant, cheetah, giraffe, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, crocodile, baboon, zebra, and a large number of antelope are some of the animals often spotted in a days game viewing. Bird-watching is excellent with lilac-breasted rollers, vultures, hombills and secretary birds to name a few. The Park's rest camps provide comfortable accommodations in huts and chalets and most of the camps have restaurants and curio shops.
CAPE TOWN
"Mother City" is the affectionate name for Cape Town, the oldest city in South Africa. With Table Mountain as a dramatic backdrop, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Founded in 1652 as a victualling station for the ships of the Dutch East India Company on their way to and from the East, Cape Town has grown to a great modem complex. It lies at the
northern end of the Cape Peninsula which also contains its suburbs, and the busy harbor of Table Bay, fishing villages, extensive vineyards, a spectacularly beautiful marine drive, innumerable beaches along its two shorelines, several nature reserves, including the Cape of Good Hope Reserve at the southern tip of the Peninsula, the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and the newly developed Waterfront district.
GARDEN ROUTE
The Garden Route between Mossel Bay and Storms River runs parallel to the coastline, which features lakes, mountains, golden beaches, cliffs and dense indigenous forests. The Oudtshoorn area in the Little Karoo (a semi desert area) is famous for its ostrich show farms and Cango Caves and Cheetah Ranch. Lots of intimate little country inns have sprung up along the Garden Route making this a delightfuL area to spend a few days pottering around.
DURBAN
The holiday city offers a subtropical carnival atmosphere, endless summers , an effervescent ocean lined with golden beaches, and thousands of pleasure options. It is also a large and important harbor. The port of Durban handles more cargo than any other port along the African coastline. Durban's subtropical climate has made it South Africa's most popular holiday resort, and is warm enough for swimming and sun-bathing in any season. It is a city full of color, bustle and excitement with gleaming seafront hotels and miles of golden beaches edging the Indian Ocean.
DRAKENSBERG
Extending for about 100 miles from the Cape Midlands to the Northern Transvaal, the Drakensberg is Southern Africa's principal mountain range, its highest peaks being on the border between Natal and the country of Lesotho. Along the lower slopes of the natal Drakensberg are some of South Africa's most beautiful and appealing country hotels, guest farms and nature reserves. Stone Age paintings decorate the walls of many caves and rocky overhangs, the flora and fauna of the mountains are a source of constant delight to naturalists.
ZULULAND GAME PARKS
Zululand has many splendid game and nature reserves. The best known and most accessible are St. Lucia Game Reserve which is primarily a reserve for hippos and crocs, and further inland, Umfolozi, Hluhluwe and Mkuzi, all three of which contain, among their varied animal population, both the black and white rhino. Northward on the Mocambique border, is Ndumu, noted especially for its unique concentration of bird life. All these game parks have comfortable hutted camps.
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