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We have a very large selection of hotels and resorts in all of the regions throughout South AFrica and we will be adding them,region by region so please visit again. Read through the information that we have provided for you for each region because it will give you an idea what to find, where to find and what the specific regions have to offer - then.... decide “more or less” what you would like to include into your tailor made itinerary, decide on your dates and budget and then mail us.  We will put an itinerary together based on your personal requirements and interests.  We will also keep within your stipulated budget and give you at least two options to go through.

Cape Town and surrounds     Northern Cape     Garden Route     Eastern Cape     Limpopo     Freestate     Gauteng     Pretoria  
  Kwa Zulu Natal           Mpumalanga       Northwest

Cape PeninsulaCAPE TOWN AND SURROUNDS - The impressive presence of Table Mountain, flanked by the legendary Devil’s Peak and historical Signal Hill, stands proudly above the city. Beautiful white sandy beaches, unique floral kingdoms and magnificent countryside is what the Cape Peninsula is famed for. The surrounding area extends far into the tranquillity and beauty of the world renowned wine producing region of Cape Winelands. In the city centre you’ll find sleek skyscrapers rubbing shoulders with centuries old Dutch, Cape Malay & British architecture, while flower sellers & buskers vie for attention in the pedestrian malls, below the world famous Table Mountain. Shopaholics are extremely well catered for in this city with places like the enchanting Greenmarket Square, an open-air cobblestoned market, and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront - South Africa’s number one tourist attraction. History buffs will get their fill at the Castle of Good Hope. Pop along to the Ratanga Junction Theme Park for fun, fantasy & adventure. If it’s wildlife of a different sort that you’re after, take a hike up Table Mountain - or catch the cable-car . Take a ferry out to Robben Island or head out to Hermanus for a spot of unrivalled whale watching or shark cage diving. Sample wines of merit at the wineries of Spier, Nederburg, Meerlust and Boschendal, to name but a few. Of course, most people will be content to lap up the Cape’s natural beauty like its beaches. Take your pick from Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, Bloubergstrand and Noordhoek, all boasting pristine white sands and gorgeous vistas.

Northern capeNORTHERN CAPE - If it’s the unspoilt beauty of Africa that you’re after, head for the sunset red sands of the Kalahari.Amid the ever-shifting sand dunes, lies one of the last intact eco-systems on the continent.

South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok Park shares an unfenced boundery with Botswanas Gemsbok National Park to form the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Visit the nearby Augrabies Falls, where the waters of the Orange River plunge spectacularly into a gaping granite pool. It was the yellow diamond found by a young boy in 1866, which resulted in the world’s biggest diamond rush and spawned the town of Kimberley.  The town’s most famous attraction is the monstrous Big Hole and the adjoining Kimberley Mine Museum recapturing the prospecting spirit. 

Travel to Namaqualand every spring to capture the world’s most famous floral phenomenons: in early spring, The windswept sandveld transforms into a carpet of colourful daisies, as far as the eye can see.

Garden routeTHE GARDEN ROUTE - Framed by the magestic Outeniqua, Tsitsikamma and Langeberg mountains, Mossel Bay and Storm’s River, the Garden Route still holds visitors spellbound. The incredibly beauiful Tstitsikamma National Park with fynbos, wild orchids, lilies, otters, baboons, small buck and 280 bird species. With its succession of bays, impossibly white sandy beaches, spectacular cliffs and tidal pools, many of the country’s premier coastal resorts are to be found here. The Wilderness area, with its series of huge lakes and abundant wildlife, is a favourite destination for water sport enthusiasts, hikers and nature lovers. Knysna is perhaps the most visually arresting resort, with its famous sandstone Heads guarding the sea entrance to its huge tidal lagoon, surrounded by deep green forests. Knysna is the country’s largest commercial oyster farming centre, and for 10 days every July, the Oyster Festival draws thousands of festive visitors. The most magical way to arrive in Knysna is aboard the famous Outeniqua Choo- Tjoe, a narrow gauge steam train that chuffs through incredible coastal scenery from the nearby town of George, the highlight being, crossing the broad Kaaimans River on a railway bridge. This region boasts some of the country’s best loved hiking trails, including the Otter Trail, a 41km, 5-day coastal hike from Storms River Mouth through to Natures valley near the upmarket resort of Plettenberg Bay, where portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias landed in 1488, you can take a sunset champagne cruise to Seal Island, and if it’s close encounters you’re after, shark cage diving is on offer. Part of the semi-arid Karoo also falls within this route, in stark contrast to the lush coast. But it’s not without its star attractions, most notably the famous Cango Caves, with their spectacular limestone formations. The nearby town of Oudtshoorn is ostrich country, where a brave few risk taking a ride on one of the strange bird’s backs.

Elephant in the Eastern capeEASTERN CAPE - Helen Martins, the eccentric loner created dozens of extraordinary cement statues, studded with brightly coloured crushed glass, in the backyard of her home in the dusty little town of Nieu Bethesda, in the Karoo region of the Eastern Cape. She covered almost every interior surface of her home withthe sharp stuff as well, and it was within those strange walls that she tookher life in 1976. The Owl House - so named for Martin’s favourite subject - is typical of the Karoo’s offbeat gems. A great attraction is the Karoo town of Cradock, which boasts the restored cottage of noted author and feminist Olive Schreiner. On a hill above Graaff-Reinet, you’ll encounter masses of soaring dolerite columns rising out of the Valley of Desolation, having been unveiled by millions of years of erosion. A similar remoteness exists along this region’s coastline in the former Transkei, known as the Wild Coast for its spectacular, untamed coastline and perilous seas.Former president Nelson Mandela was born in a small village here and tourists are profoundly moved by a visit to his humble childhood home. The two major cities of this region are Port Elizabeth, the ‘Friendly City’, which has wide-open beaches and an impressive promenade, wonderful examples of early Victorian architecture as well as huge nature reserve with riverside walks within shouting distance of the city centre, and East London. The museum in the latter houses the coelacanth which was caught nearby in 1938 when the strange fish was thought to have been extinct for about 80 million years. Nearby is the quaint university town of Grahamstown which hosts the country’s biggest arts festival every July. And there’s natural drama aplenty at the exclusive, award winning Shamwari Private Reserve, which provides a truly magnificent, malaria-free safari experience. Near coffe Bay is a prominent rock formation with a big hole in the middle which has become a symbol of the Xhosa of a great historical tragedy, the “Great Cattle Killing”. It is a unique structure with a huge detached cliff that has a giant opening carved through its centre by the waves. The local Xhosa call this place “izi Khaleni”, which means “place of thunder.

LimpopoLIMPOPO - This is the land of Mapungubwe, site of South Africa’s first ancient city, now a World Heritage Site.

 A destination with a rich wildlife heritage, and a wealth of historical and cultural haunts. It’s a place of legends and myths, where the spirit of Modjadji, the revered rain queen, can be found.

It’s also home to Warmbaths, famous for its therapeutic waters, the Waterberg wetlands, with spectacular scenery and wildlife, and several caves yielding fascinating examples of San rock art. Hoedspruit is an ideal spot from which to explore the famous Kruger National Park.Enjoy fly fishing, swimming and hiking in the spectacular Magoebaskloof Mountains. Visit the breathtaking Waterberg’s game and nature reserves. See sediments, fossils, bones and artifacts at the national heritage site at Makapan’s valley.

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Free stateFREE STATE - The origin of the name Bloemfontein, ‘Flower Fountain’, remains something of a mystery. But given the Free State city’s fine floral heritage, the name’s literal translation is perhaps the most fitting these days. Sites and events worth visiting are The National Botanical Gardens, The Ficksburg Cherry Festival in November, the picturesque town of Clarens, the soaring sandstone formations at Golden Gate National Park and Bloemfontein’s Hobbit House, a Victorian delight packed with eccentricities inspired by The Hobbit author JR Tolkien, who was born in the house.

JohannesburgGAUTENG - Gauteng is the economic powerhouse of the Southern African region and home to Africa’s greatest cities. From the vibrant metropolis of Soweto, through dynamic Johannesburg, City of Gold, to the tree-lined diplomacy of Pretoria, Gauteng is a cosmopolitan, multicultural mix of people from all walks of life, from all four corners of the world. Gauteng’s wealth is not only in the gold, but also in the people. The unique cultural and social legacy is the multicultural melting pot, evidenced in many excellent museums, theatres, galleries, cultural precincts and craft markets. Gauteng has a rhythm, movement and style of it’s own. Egoli still pulsates with entrepreneurial energy. Gold Reef City provides a sense of what the city was like after prospectors poured into the area in the late 19th Century. This huge historical theme park, just outside the city, was built on the site of the Crown Mines, which was the world’s richest gold mine until it closed in 1975. Daily displays of gumboot dancing, which migrant mineworkers developed in their cramped hostels as a form of recreation, are a big crowd-pleaser. The Magaliesberg area, just an hour’s drive away from Johannesburg, is a magnet for people who live in the urban jungle, offering tranquil hills and valleys, lovely scenic drives and gentle walks, inviting country hide-aways, and a wonderful arts and crafts route. And thanks to a discovery at Krugersdorp, Johannesburg has earned a new boast. The Sterkfontein Caves, where some of the earliest known hominoids were recently unearthed, have been proclaimed a World Heritage Site. A visit to the site is a pilgrimage to the dawn of humanity. In this sense, the city has undoubtedly struck gold again. It’s a tribute to South Africa’s political maturity that its administrative capital, Pretoria, still teems with statues and monuments commemorating a time when the country’s indigenous people were brutally oppressed.

PretoriaPRETORIA - The city’s central feature, Church Square, remains dominated by a huge bronze statue of ‘Oom Paul’ Kruger, generally regarded as the father of Afrikanerdom, and high on a hill south of the city centre lies the massive Voortrekker Monument, which is regarded as a shrine to the Afrikaner community.

The hamlet of Hatfield near the famous Loftus Rugby Stadium, is a particularly ‘happening’ part of the city; with its many restaurants and nightclubs. And half way between Pretoria and Midrand is the suburb of Centurion, which boomed in the early eighties when the man-made Centurion Lake and shopping centre were developed along the Hennops River. From booms to blooms ... each spring the entire city turns a glorious shade of lilac. The first Jacaranda tree was imported to Pretoria from Brazil in 1888 and today some 70 000 of the feathered, lilac-foliaged trees grace parks, gardens and streets, providing a visual feast.

Shop ‘til you drop in Gauteng – there’s something for everyone and for every pocket. Purchase stunning handmade crafts and souvenirs from roadside vendors, browse in an atmospheric African curio market, wander through one of the many colourful flea markets, go for designer labels in upmarket, world-class shopping malls, or browse in an Africana bookstore or one of the many art galleries. Johannesburg is cementing its position as the country’s capital of culture. With two brand new world class theatres the Teatro at Montecasino and the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City Casino , audiences are streaming in to see hit shows such as The Lion King and the award-winning smash hit musical, Hairspray .

Durban beachfrontKWA ZULU NATAL - South Africa’s cosmopolitan playground boasts spectacular golden beaches, year-round sunshine, never-ending activities and fun, not to mention a variety of activities and sights. Just 20 minutes drive to the north lies Umhlanga, playground of the jetset, boasting a wondrous promenade, pavement cafes and laidback vibe. Durban’s port is Africa’s busiest, as is abundantly clear if you visit one of the restaurants and pubs perched right on the waters edge at the harbour entrance - a constant stream of huge container ships and industrious tugs pass by, tantalisingly close. At the end of Durban’s Golden Mile is the beginning of a new world of fun, entertainment and excitement. uShaka Marine World, spanning over 15 hectares of prime beach front, is Africa’s largest Marine Theme Park. Durban and its surrounding suburbs are blessed with incredible restaurants, from the Colonial fine dining experience of The Royal Grill to the cool, funky fare of Bean Bag Bohemia in Morningside and dozens of indoor and outdoor bistros. Get spicy at the vibrant Victoria Market, a treasure house of Indian wares, curios and food. Also worth a visit is the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Just 45-minutes drive west from the city centre, it has magnificent views, a Zulu village and large craft market. Head a bit further west and you’re on the Midlands Meander - an established, excellent arts and crafts route offering glorious accommodation and excellent wares amid beautiful scenery. Continue on that route and you’ll reach the mighty Drakensberg Mountain range. Recently proclaimed a World Heritage Site, it is a must see, with its superb examples of Bushmen paintings, soul-feeding vistas, mountain walks and ample accommodation, from campsites to luxury hotels. A couple of hours’ drive to the north lies big game country - some of the country’s best game reserves are found here - and to the west the sites of several historic battles between Boer, Brit and Zulu can be discovered.

mpumalanga blyde river canyonMPUMALANGA - n the north east corner of South Africa, vast reserves combine the attractions of the ‘Big Five’ with impeccable hospitality. South Africa’s world renowned reserve is the Kruger National Park, which boasts the most developed infrastructure of all Africa’s game parks, plus the world’s largest concentration of species, making it the best do-it-yourself drive-through reserve and great value for money too. For those whose idea of safari means experiencing the African bushveld in secluded luxury, with gourmet food and personal game rangers, the private game reserves adjoining the Kruger National Park offer it all. Don‘t miss Bourke’s Luck Potholes, an awesome moonscape of deep hollows and channels. Also worth a visit is Pilgrim’s Rest, the Victorian town ‘frozen’ in the time of the gold prospectors. Venture back in time by spending an enlightening evening with the Sabie River Valley’s original inhabitants, the Shangaan. The people of the Village, situated high in the valley, live as their ancestors did, providing First World city dwellers with fascinating insights into tribal life and culture. The highlight of the visit is a performance of traditional songs and dances during the Royal Feast. Whether you choose to spend your nights in a lodge or a bush camp, film star treatment comes with the territory. With most of the safari lodges situated around water holes, excellent game sighting is possible. There are no fences between each private reserve’s boundaries, allowing the game to wander freely. Just outside the town of Graskop is God’s Window, a fissure in the mountain side which reveals the rocky escarpment and the Lowveld about a kilometre below, with Mozambique and Kruger Park in the distance. The Blyde River Canyon’s rust coloured sandstone cliffs, are another example of this region’s astounding natural beauty.

SuncityNORTHWEST PROVINCE - Approximately two hour’s drive out of Johannesburg, in the midst of untamed bush, the sudden appearance of huge domes, glowing fiery torches, aged stonework, sculpted animals and soaring palms, leaves one blinking in disbelief. The complex boasts two world-ranked golf courses, The Lost City adjoining Sun City and a man-made beach built for the pleasure seekers.

The village people at Sun City showcase most of the cultures and tribes in South Africa, highlighting the day-to-day living in rural areas through dress, song, dance and food. Experience the history and beliefs of tribes such as Tswana, Zulu, Pedi, Xhosa, Ndebele, Venda, Shangaan, Ntwana etc. North West offers the visitor insight into the lifestyles, architecture and craftsmanship of these main tribes. The nearby Pilanesberg National Park offers visitors a reality check, the unspoilt bushveld sanctuary being home to the requisite ‘Big Five’ as well as abundant birdlife. This exquisite sanctuary features some of the country’s best animal spotting facilities, among them Scavenger Hide, an underground hide with glass viewing ports, and a stilted bird hide in the middle of Mankwe Dam. Another attraction of this province is the Madikwe Game Reserve, a joint venture between the state, the private sector and local communities.

The luxurious Madikwe River Lodge with contemporary African dcor, is rated as a top game lodge in South Africa, where fantastic sightings of the ‘Big Five’ will keep you coming back for more. Wildlife getaway or a glitzy, glamorous extravaganza, the North West has it all.

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For additional information and enquiries please email sales@islandbrides.co.za or info@islandbrides.co.za

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