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sky diving in Mossel Bay – South Africa

July 24, 2010 by  
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edy first tandem jump in Mossel Bay

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Fun Things to Do on the Garden Route – South Africa

February 21, 2010 by  
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So where is the Garden Route? you might ask. ingersoll rand . Its a 200km section of the South African coastline stretching from the town of Mossel Bay to just the other side of the Tsitsikamma National Park. Just recently I took some time out to revisit the Garden Route, this time to research what fun exciting things one can do on the Garden Route. Its a fabulous destination and a definite must see for anybody visiting South Africa. To summarize the Garden Route, I would call it the outdoor adventure activities and golf Mecca of South Africa! I have put together some suggestions here for your trip down the Garden Route.

Scenic Drives: Well, there are a couple of lovely scenic drives on the Garden Route and depending on how much time you have and where you are staying the night you could include these on your itinerary.


Swartberg Pass and Meiringspoort near Oudtshoorn a gorgeous day trip to be enjoyed with a picnic lunch stop at a beautiful waterfall in Meiringspoort, dramatic mountain landscape and scenic vistas. New York Wholesale Jewelry . Seven passes road, the original road between George and Knysna dense indigenous forest, tannin rich black water rivers, steep gorges and a prolific bird life. Montagu pass traversing the majestic Outeniqua Mountains between George and Oudtshoorn, the original route built in 1848 with convict labour.

Mossel Bay
Shark Cage Diving an exhilarating experience I would recommend to anybody! Mossel Bay has the most accessible great white shark experience in the world, offering a shorter more comfortable boat ride on calmer waters than the competition at Gansbaai near Cape Town. You will leave with a newfound respect for these magnificent predators.

Oudtshoorn great place to visit especially if its raining everywhere else on the Garden Route. Oudtshoorn is the capital of the Little Karoo which is classed as semi desert so you can count on the weather being pretty good most of the year round.

Cango Caves an underground wonderland with the most spectacular dripstone formations

Cango Ostrich Farm - learn about the ostrich farming industry that made Oudtshoorn famous and take a ride on an ostrich!

Cango Wildlife Ranch a sanctuary to endangered wildlife species. Get up close and personal with a cheetah or go diving with the crocs.

Wilderness a tranquil seaside village offering an array of outdoor activities such as Paragliding, Canoeing up Touws River, Hiking trails through the enchanted indigenous forests, Kloofing and Abseiling.

Knysna a bustling happening little town with much to offer!

I can recommend the 4 Hour Eco Experience at Featherbed Bay, which includes a boat ride across the lagoon, a guided tour in the nature reserve, a tractor-trailer ride and a tasty lunch in a classy restaurant under the old milkwood trees.

Quad biking, Mountain biking in Harkerville and Knysna forests, Abseiling off the Knysna Heads, Canoeing on Knysna River, Hiking in the Knysna Forest

Plettenberg Bay another bustling town to include on your itinerary offering a huge selection of outdoor activities, something for the whole family. Many children activities on offer as well.
Elephant Sanctuary - where you can walk with these gentle giants and even ride one

Birds of Eden - a magnificent display of birds from all over the world!

Monkeyland - fascinating and informative!

Adventure activities such as Sea kayaking, Canoeing up the Keurbooms River, Boat cruises to view marine life such as dolphins, seals and whales in season (Jul to Dec) Sky diving, Abseiling, Hiking in the Robberg Nature Reserve, Bunji Jumping off Bloukrans Bridge (the highest bunji jump in the world at 216m)

Plett has become well known as the polo mecca of South Africa. t-amp . Exciting polo tournaments are being played at Bitou House and Kurland during Easter, December and January with polo practices throughout the year.

Tsitsikamma National Park
The Big Tree largest Outeniqua Yellowwood tree in the area with a circumference of 8.5m and a height of 36m. This is one of the largest tree species we have in South Africa and of the most beautiful in my opinion.

Tree Top Canopy Tours offering fun and adventurous cable sliding from one big tree to the next, a great way to be introduced to our beautiful indigenous forest and its little inhabitants!

Hiking trails along the rugged coastline

Pristine Beaches
Of course dont forget that this entire stretch of coastline has a myriad of gorgeous beaches, most of them having blue flag status. Heralds Bay, Glentana and Victoria Bay near George, Wilderness beach, Buffels Bay, Noetsie Bay, Plettenberg Bay and Natures Valley, all offering the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean and beautiful stretches of golden sand. This makes the Garden Route a superb summer destination!

Golfing is a huge activity on the Garden Route with some of the top golf course in the world based here such Fancourt Country Club Estate offering 4 courses built by Gary Player, our South African golf icon, George Golf Course, Simola Golf Estate, Pezula Champioship Golf Course offering the most spectacular scenery, Knysna Golf Course and Goose Valley Golf Course in Plettenberg Bay.

So all in all, a great destination to include on your itinerary when you come to visit our beautiful South Africa!

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    Surf Travel to South Africa

    February 21, 2010 by  
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    Arriving in Cape Town is over whelming, the first thing you notice is the warmth and friendly attitude to you the surfer. This country has been through so much in the past 30 years and it has always been my dream to set foot on its soil to surf the glorious waves that caress its shores daily. South Africa is blessed with some of the best and most consistent surf the world has to offer. Couple this with the mild climate and you have a surfing paradise. During the South African winter the coastline is supplied with almost endless groundswell and offshore winds due to the constant flow of cold front activity in the southern Atlantic. So as a surfer arriving from a rainy Oregon to find warmth and amazing surf is a dream come true.



    The tour I was on, involved sessions at numerous South African premier surf spots which include Jeffrey's Bay, Seal Point, Victoria Bay, Bruce's Beauties and as well as many other spots that "crank" in winter. Dylan collected me after arrival and we were all packed up to head off along the coast. South African surfers are always so stoked it is amazing and Dylan was no acceptation to that rule and assured me that he had a thorough knowledge of surfing in the area and that he was our tour guide. Furthermore he practically guaranteed me that I will get to the respective spots when they are at their best, he just fell short in advising me he had arranged the swell as well.



    As we arrived at the lodge on the outskirts of town I was greeted by the other surfers on the tour who had arrived a day or two earlier. Dylan whispered in my ear and ensured me with an eager smile that the tour remains personal and that by limiting the number of people on each tour guarantees we all get a great time. Like all South Africans he is proud of the countries surf and then could not refrain from telling me yet again for the 5th time that he would ensure I surfed as many African barrels as possible. Umm. I went to bed with that thought. My second day started with Dylan taking the tour to a place at Muzuimbrug, an ideal spot he assured me to get acquainted to African Waves. Muzies as it is known, is renowned for its rolling and very consistent A-Frame waves and endless stretch of beach. Whilst Dylan provided surf lessons for some learners on the tour I paddled out the back to enjoy some glass morning surf.

    After a hearty lunch we set off on an orientation tour of the stunning Cape Peninsula, Dylan believed this would help us get our bearing on the land and we also had a visit to the Cape Point Nature reserve as well as Cape Towns more famous tourist sights including a visit to boulders beach where wild penguins happily play.



    The morning of day 3 was an important one for me personally as I could not wait to set out on our first port of call which was a 65-meter bungee at Gouritz. This is optional on the tour but its highly recommended to get you stoked and ready for the adventure that lies ahead and I was game for it. If you plan on doing the worlds highest one later in the trip, I suggest you do this one first to get a feel for it! I did not opt for the higher



    Along the way we stopped at Mossel Bay for a surf session, there was a selection of 3 breaks to choose from, Inner and Outer Pool as well as Ding Dangs. Depending on the conditions and your standard the surf guides will take you to the one with most zest, and they selected one just fine for me.



    Inner Pools wave breaks very close to famed outer Pool off a section of rocks, walls up when at its best and is usually surfed when Outers is flat. Outer Pool Gets large and challenging in solid winter swell but is usually surfed when clean and orderly in light westerly winds. Outer offers a cooking right hand reef break with a solid wall and a long ride. Ding Dangs a fun hotdog wave that works when winter swell wraps around cape St Blaise.



    After the surf, we set off on the road again, the most beautiful scenery as we enter the Garden Route is breath taking and most of us all sighed with disbelief at the views and the panorama that was unrolling ahead of us. Depending on the time of year, apparently the guides can surprise the group and dive for some crayfish (Cape Rock lobster) along the way for the evening dinner, this was not the case for my tour but I gather it can be the norm.



    Its up early to get the best swell the next morning and we all opted to head for a spot called Buffalo Bay Point - a very similar wave to Bruces Beauties that too me was going to be the highlight of the tour and was to come so I took this as a trial event. The point can get superlative in the right conditions by all accounts and before leaving the US I had heard great reports of the conditions that can be found here so was please to see a perfect 3ft day.



    That evening we checked into another local surf lodge, and zipped out for and evening surf! We headed off to a place I had dreamed of since first seeing the movie Endless Summer - Bruces Beauties - it breaks a lot more often than is thought of and is by know means a gentle long boarders paradise. When cooking, Bruces is a screaming right hand point that freight trains along a jagged line of rocks. Get ready for mean gaping barrels Dylan shouted as he disappeared into the water, leaving the rest of us half changed, running and falling every other step! It was just like a clip from the movie here I was about to hit the surf of Endless Summer.



    The next day I found it very difficult to get up to be honest, three great days of epic surf and with another few more to comes I just could not cope my body was feeling the flight and the perfect surf of the night before. So rather than surf I just joined the tour to watch the rest of the group under a go some lessons on the beach and sat back enjoying the wild environment that seemed as if Portland and US Airports was just a forgotten memory. I could not believe that only 90+ hours ago I was crammed into a bus in Portland with a huge longboard knocking everyone that moved. Now I lay head back on the sand listening to the sounds of sea birds and knowing that I am totally at peace and having the best surf trip in my life. Heating Denver . Sure I have surfed some amazing spots but to surf a spot I have seen over a thousand time son video and then to actually enjoy it going off better than in the film was beyond even my wildest thoughts of surfing in South Africa.



    After a few more days of touring and surfing spots such as Boneyards, Supertubes, Salad bowls, J-Bay, Tubes, Point and Albatross it was time to start to head back in the direction of the Cape. Everyone on the tour had become exhausted and tired but we were now a travelling surf family too tired to talk but desperate for one more last surf before the Cape and we were not disappointed as slowly we drove towards Buffalo Bay again and it was just as we left it, perfect



    As we drove in to Cape Town the next day Dylan turned to us all and said How about Sky diving, or Paragliding? We can even arrange a shark dive if you wish! in a great chorus we all said shut up man we are exhausted! The one thing you can say about South Africans they are a great friendly bunch and the stoke of surfing runs deep in there veins.



    The beauty of the tour I think was summed up by the people on it, from 6 surfers who were learning to surf for the first time and having lessons daily to the rest of us who ranged from beginner to advanced. We all surfed well and all experienced the conditions first hand. We all had our own experiences and that is something all of us will take away and is our surf memory an amazing surf trip.



    I travelled with Xoxxi ( http://www.xoxxisurf.com ) which is a surf brand run by regular surfers for regular surfers and they were very helpful in this unique travel surfing experience. You can also visit the South African tourism website at ( http://www.southafrica.net ) for other information on visiting the country. You may also like to purchase a book, and I would recommend Surfing in South Africa, By Steve Pike (ISBN: 1919833153).

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      South Africa Volunteer – Excitement Included!

      February 21, 2010 by  
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      If you have thought about becoming a South Africa volunteer you won't be short of opportunities to help, or to enjoy yourself once the working day is finished. Used Cars Denver . Volunteering in South Africa offers arguably the widest choice and the chance for real excitement and adventure!

      If you are reading this article you are obviously the kind of self-motivated, determined individual that Africa's volunteer organizations are crying out for. In return for your help they can provide you with the experience of a lifetime and the chance to make a real difference. You will make a huge and very positive impact in an area where it is very much needed.

      In Red Hill district there are orphaned children who will benefit enormously from you helping to teach them English. In the township of Masiphumelele you can help the rural community as a medical assistant. If language and medicine aren't quite you thing, what about helping coach sports, or just getting your hands dirty painting classrooms or building new community projects?

      As a South Africa volunteer you get to help in a huge variety of ways and each will change the future of the people you work with. It's not all work and no play though. plastic surgery . You will also have the chance to experience the beauty of the famous Boulders Beach with it's colony of penguins - yes penguins in South Africa! There's the vibrant multi-cultural society of Cape Town itself. There's the iconic Table Mountain and, of course, Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent so many years.

      Then there are the activities. limousine . Are you into diving? What about shark cage diving! A bit much? What about a visit to a game reserve on horseback... or elephant? Surfing, abseiling, sky diving, they're all available.

      A South Africa volunteer is going to work hard for some of the time. Volunteer coordinators will use your help in the way that best suits you and does most good for the community around you. The sense of satisfaction you'll get is incredible, the friends you make will be life-long, South Africa itself is just stunning.

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        East Africa – Jewel of the World

        February 21, 2010 by  
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        Africa is the one place most people dream of visiting at least once in a lifetime.

        At the very heart of the continent, East Africa, you have Africas greatest and most famous wildlife reserve, the unforgettable Serengeti and Maasai Mara where millions of wildlife roam free much as they have for centuries. East Africa is home to a huge variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhinoceros, the silverback mountain gorilla, chimpanzee, red colobus monkey, shoebill stork, whale-sharks and bottlenose dolphins. This part of Africa has the biggest and best that the continent has to offer. The epic snow-capped volcano Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Crater - the worlds only intact crater where one can observe the Big Five. East Africa is also the source of the Great Nile and home to the romantic spice isles of Zanzibar. But there is so much more to this Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are blessed with natural treasures. Indeed no other place in the world can boast of such beauty in a land preserved with the famous and the undiscovered, yet unlike much of the rest of the world, unspoiled by commercialism. mozilla downloads . Accommodations are varied, from comfortable lodges to award-winning private tented camps, treetop lodges and the most exclusive beach resorts in the world.

        There is much to see and do for anyone who wishes to visit this Garden of Eden anyone intent on an adventure of a lifetime should visit East Africa. One can do as much or as little as one likes relax amidst beautiful natural surroundings be it on safari or on a spice island. Age is not a criteria all that is needed is a sense of adventure.

        Aim 4 Africa Ltd offers bespoke holidays to East Africa. Each holiday itinerary is unique and tailored to suit ones own interests, preferences and budget. Download Winrar . With first-hand insider knowledge of this wonderful part of Africa, one gets to visit not only famous landmarks but also off-the-beaten path locations together with cultural encounters with East Africas 250-strong indigenous tribes and incorporate adventures of all kinds. Our clients have ranged from 18 months to 86 years of age, activities ranging from observing the Great Migration in the Serengeti to tandem sky-diving and trekking Kilimanjaro, to gorilla tracking in Rwanda, and this is more often than not followed by blissful days in Zanzibar relaxing by the Indian Ocean.

        Aim for the Heart of Africa for the holiday of your lifetime, the place to rekindle your spirit and rejuvenate your soul you will not be disappointed!

        Aim 4 Africa organises responsible, tailor-made holidays to East Africa - you may combine a safari in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania with a trek up Kilimanjaro or gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda and Tanzania. Top this up with a relaxing beach or adrenaline-pumping holiday in Zanzibar or Pemba islands, and you have the perfect recipe for the holiday of a lifetime!

        For more information, contact Aim 4 Africa Ltd on +44 114 2552533 or visit www.aim4africa.com

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