The only regret about holidaying in South Africa is that the visitor is unlikely to have enough time to visit all the breathtaking places of natural beauty, the sandy beaches, game reserves and national parks. Not only does the country have a large number of both public and private game reserves and national parks, most of these places are in malaria-free zones. Safaris, which have become the hub of South African travel experience offer visitors a chance to get up close and personal with a variety of wild animals. The Kruger National Park is perhaps the most prominent National Park, but others, such as the Pilanesburg National Park, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, the Augrabies Falls National park, the Tsitsikamma Park and the Karoo National Park offer are just as much variety of wildlife photographic opportunities. For water sports lovers, canoe trails in South Africa are fast becoming a popular way of exploring the country’s wilderness. The trails are offered around the country, both inland and in rivers near the coast. In some rivers, travellers may experience a closer encounter with nature than they bargained for as fish leap over or into your boat in certain areas of the river. Fish eagles sometimes cry out from high above and often you can spot a variety of buck, warthogs and other mammals as they forage on the banks of the river. Birds of all sorts flutter and chirp as they nest in the reeds on the shore and bird watchers can really enjoy trying to identify them. Most safaris take place on a wildlife reserve spanning hundreds if not thousands of kilometers. These reserves provide a protected space where natural plant and animal species are allowed to go on living in much the same manner as they would have been if left untouched by modern civilization.
Full name: Republic of South Africa
Population: 45.3 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Pretoria
Area: 1.22 million sq km (470,693 sq miles)
Major languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu
Major religion: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs
Life expectancy: 47 years (men), 51 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 Rand = 100 cents
Main exports: Gold, diamonds, metals and minerals, cars, machinery
GNI per capita: US $4,960 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .za
International dialling code: +27
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