the Travel Enthusiast
- 11 MayAdam in Amazing Places | NO COMMENTS
South Africa, The Edge of Splendor
South Africa’s symbol, the table mountain itself ©Diriye Amey/flickr
South Africa lies on the most southern edge of the African continent. The culturally, historically and ethnically versatile country faced many tragedies throughout the centuries and still faces several issues in the present. It managed to temper much of its problems and has become one of the world’s most intriguing places in many way.
South Africa is neighbored by countries like Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique and also with small countries like Swaziland and Lesotho.
The de jure capital is Pretoria yet it has three main administrative centers. Pretoria is the executive capital, Bloemfontein is the judicial capital and Cape Town is the legislative capital of the country.
The country recognizes 11 official languages (English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Zhosa, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda and Southern Ndebele.), thus making South Africa unique in the world.
- 03 MarAdam in Amazing Places | 1 COMMENT
Cape Town, The Metropolis of The Southern Atlantic
The Table Mountain, Cape Town ©warrenski/flickr
Cape Town kept its tolerance even among hard times
Cape Town always had more liberal spirit than the rest of the country. Numerous cultures of South Africa didn’t survived during the the apartheid period, because many artists both black and white were either persecuted or exiled. However, in the middle of the 1990’s, South Africa rediscovered its roots, Cape Town becoming a scene of a flourishing culture. There are always new art galleries and clubs being opened, concerts are very common all around the city, and theaters and museums are filled with people.
- 08 Marandra88 in News | NO COMMENTS
The best cable car rides in the world
Rio de Janeiro
Cable cars were probably invented for practical reasons, but it didn’t take long for people to notice that cable cars, if suspended above the right kind of scenery, can be awfully nice. Unless you have a fear of heights, cable car trips can be a great experience, and there are several cable car rides in the world whose purpose is to show off the view rather than just take passengers from one place to another.
You can find urban cable cars and cable cars that will allow you a seeping view of a mountain or valley. Try a few of the best cable car rides in the world to see some amazing places from a different angle. …
- 09 Jantomtum in Amazing Places | 1 COMMENT
The best city skylines in the world
Tokyo skyline, photo by Ian Muttoo on Flickr
Step into a city and become part of its day to day life by visiting cafes, galleries, theaters and busy shopping centers, get to know its streets and parks and people. But sometimes, if you want to fully appreciate a city, you need to take a step back and admire things from afar.
A city’s skyline can be just as iconic as its individual landmarks, and in some cases even more so. After all, a modern skyscraper seems all the more impressive when you see it from a distance, towering over all the other buildings around it! If you are an urban explorer who likes to see the best features of a city from an outsider’s point of view, here are some of the best city skylines in the world. …
- 07 Septibi60 in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
Top 5 gap year destinations
Cape Point, South Africa
Whenever someone mentions anything about gap years, most people would instantly think about college students who defer an academic year in order to travel the world. However, taking a gap year might not be a bad idea for professionals either, nowadays. You don’t have a job, or you hate your job? Spend a few months, or even a year traveling – it’s much less irresponsible than it sounds.
Traveling for longer periods of time means that you can work while visiting new places, and it also gives you the chance to pick up some useful skills that will come handy when you return home. If you think that it’s time for something completely different, here are top 5 gap year destinations. …
- 15 Aug
The most amazing botanical gardens in the world
Botanical gardens might have started out as smallish medicinal plant gardens in the Middle Ages, but they gradually developed into gardens run by universities or scientific institutions in order to study plants and display some of the most interesting specimens to the public.Sure, seeing a huge cactus in a greenhouse is not the same as seeing one in its natural habitat, but if you are not able or don’t have the time to travel, the botanical garden is a great place to see a bit of nature. And besides, many botanical gardens are great tourist attractions in their own right, not only because they exhibit some wickedly interesting plants, but also because they do it in a novel way. So here are some of the most amazing botanical gardens in the world. …
- 28 Mar
The best sandboarding destinations in the world
Since we’ve already written about where you can find the most interesting sand dunes in the world, here’s another treat for those of you who still feel some nostalgia for those childhood days spent playing in the sand box. Sand has many uses, way beyond building castles on the beach, especially if you are longing to do something more adventurous than developing your miniature castle building skills – sandboarding.Sandboarding is not that different from snowboarding, but instead of fluffy frozen water, you end up with mouthfuls of sand when you tumble down. For all the extreme-sports enthusiasts, here are the best sandboarding destinations in the world. …
- 28 Oct
Top 10 places to see in Africa
Dogon Country, Mali
To continue our series of posts on the main sights that are an absolute must on each continent, here are the top 10 places in Africa that are so amazing that it’s a real shame if you take a tour o the continent. Obviously, it’s nearly impossible to visit all of Africa at once.
The continent is so large, the cultures so diverse and the landscapes so amazing that it would probably take years to see all the visit-worthy places. So if you have a dilemma about where to go on your African tour, here is a list of places that we are sure you’ll just love. …
- 08 MarTudi in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
South African Adventure V: Shopping
A friendly “native” in Pretoria
Although South Africa is a leading provider of outdoor activities and wildlife safaris, it doesn’t mean the shopping is a neglected activity in this amazingly diverse country. Actually, no matter how hooked on sports, cultural activities or history someone is, it’s almost impossible to imagine traveling without shopping, even when shopping is restricted to buying souvenirs.
However, when it comes to South Africa, spending your money on souvenirs is much closer to an investment than a waste: considering that for some relatively small prices you get the chance to buy some unique artworks and amazing artifacts, you will be soon regretting that you haven’t brought a bigger suit case. Here are some useful tips on where and how to find the good stuff: …
- 04 MarTudi in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
South African Adventure IV: the Cities
Johannesburg
So far we’ve seen what the soon to be host of the FIFA World Cup 2010 edition, South Africa, can offer in terms of natural parks, historical routes and lifestyle. If you are determined to visit the country during the Wold Cup, then you will probably spend a lot of time in the cities. This is why today we give you a short guide about South Africa’s biggest and best known cities: …
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