South African Adventure I: National Parks

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Less than a day has passed since the closing ceremony of the 21th edition of the Olympic Winter games, but the that contagious competitive spirit and characteristic effervescence are still in the air.  However, it is the first day of spring and there are only 101 days left till the next major sports event of the year, the 2010 FIFA World cup, whose 19th edition will be hosted in premiere by South Africa.

Considering that football fans have a little more than one month to purchase their tickets (the official end date of the sales period is April 7), now would be the right time to make your reservations and establish your South African itinerary. And by itinerary I don’t just mean your way from the stadium to the hotel: the soccer competition is more like an excuse excuse to visit some of Africa’s gorgeous nature and vibrant cities.

During this first post dedicated to South Africa and its amazing attractions, I will try to present you the country’s five most popular national parks.

Golden Gate National Park

Africa’s Golden Gate is not at all similar to the famous bridge crossing the San Francisco Bay. The afternoon rays reflected by the limestone cliffs have given the park its romantic name, but apart form its splendid views, the park is also home to some rare species of birds (like the bald ibis or the bearded vulture).

The Golden gate is also one of the most user-friendly parks in the country, offering numerous  accommodation options, organized trips and educational programs.

Addo Elephant National Park

Only 72 kilometers far from Port Elisabeth, Addo Elephant National Park is set in beautiful Sunday River Valley, that has been home to the wise and dignifying elephants for thousands of years. However, when the park was founded 8 decades ago, the elephants were on the verge of extinction due to poaching and excessive hunting.

Now the revived elephant population enjoys the valley’s rich vegetation and numerous water sources, and continues to represent a true delight for any nature lover.

Cape Peninsula National Park

Cape Peninsula National Park might not be the biggest, not the most spectacular among South Africa’s parks, but due to its proximity to the Cape Town metropolitan area and the iconic landmarks it shelters, this small park is widely popular. Concentrated on the park’s modest surface you will find the famous Table Mountain, the Cape Point discovered by Bartolomeu Dias in its journey along the African coast and a unique flower garden.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Part of  Kgalagadi  uniqueness resides from the fact that this nature reserve is the first trans-national park on the continent. With a surface of over 3,6 million hectares, the park is also one of the biggest protected areas in the world. The park is populated, among others) by numerous specials of felines, like lions and the leopards, an impressive number of raptor birds and various species of antelopes.

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park in eastern South Africa represents the African nature at its best: here is where the traveler can explore no less than 2 million ha of amazing wilderness, and see dozens of species of trees, plants and animals, including Africa’s Big Five – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard.

In addition to being a splendidly preserved ecosystem, the park represents also a great opportunity go back to the roots of the African culture: the reconstructed villages of  Masorini and Thulamela show us, with great accuracy, how Africans used to live hundreds of years ago.

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