South Africa major cities

Description:

Durban - city information, tourism, weather and more

Durban has a beach culture! Even the high-rise offices look out over the Indian Ocean, and busy executives hang up their suits and ties, slip into shorts, and jog along the beachfront at lunchtime. Many keep a surfboard in their cars and catch a quick wave before or after work (or both).

 
Durban has from its earliest days possessed a special charm...a certain mystique that adds 'something extra' to the meeting of warm Indian Ocean, radiant golden sands and lush sub-tropical greenery. The creation of Durban Metro beckons visitors to this sublime paradise with yet another bonus...the addition of three invaluable elements to our ever-evolving, ever-widening portfolio of irresistible attractions.


To offer the broadest possible spectrum of unforgettable experiences, we've brought to your holiday doorstep the magnificent environment and cultural wonders of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, long and tranquil beaches of The South and up-market ambience of the historic and culturally-rich Sugar Coast.


Sophisticated and cosmopolitan, Durban Metro after dark is abuzz with elegant lounges, funky taverns and cozy inns...distinctive local theatre and live music...trendy clubs, pubs and discos. Rave 'till dawn and catch sunrise over the vast Indian Ocean horizon - this is nightlife in a modern, authentic African metropolis!


From your luxury hotel, self-catering apartment or back-packers' lodge, all the delights of our 'mega-city' are linked by efficient transport services...the same network that connects you with the star attractions a little further afield. No less than two World Heritage Sites wait among the majestic Berg, teeming bush, endless beach and monumental battlefields that lie within your easy reach. What a Buzz!


Being a coastal city, Durban is constantly affected by the warm sea current flowing down its coastline. The coast to the north and south of Durban enjoys beautiful beaches and warm water with high humidity. One of the most powerful currents in the world is the Agulhas Current which travels southward down the Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal shoreline. Surfing is one of the primary activities on the many beaches, where you will find the surf lifesavers with several signs demarcating safe swimming areas. Angling and boating are also very popular activities.


Durban is famed for its mild, sunny winter climate and year-round "fun-in-the-water" weather. Durban is blessed with an abundance of vegetation and a subtropical climate with sunshine for at least 320 days a year. Temperatures range from 16°C and 25°C during the winter months of June, July and August. Summer temperatures can reach 32°C with relatively high humidity during the hot season. Throughout the year, swimming is good in the Indian Ocean.


Durban is a thriving industrial centre, supporting a major seaport, and a year-round holiday destination. Industries include shipbuilding and ship repairing, sugar refining, petroleum refining, fishing, automobile assembly, and the manufacture of food products, paint, chemicals, fertilizers, soap, footwear, and textiles.


Durban has everything from shopping centres, such as The Pavilion, and chain stores to factory shops and supermarkets as well as hundreds of small businesses ranging from jewellery stores to coffee shops. When you are looking for anything to buy, Durban has it all...


Overlooking the Durban Harbour and the Natal Royal Yacht club and set just off the Victoria Embankment, Wilson's Wharf offers the sightseer a cross section of diverse choices; from a browsers market consisting of numerous stalls selling anything from arts and crafts to souvenirs of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal to fully licensed upmarket restaurants boasting exotic seafood menus. Wilson's Wharf should be on every visitor to Durban's must see list.


Whether one sits and sips a cocktail on one of the sun drenched wooden decks at one of the many restaurants taking in the atmosphere of a balmy, breezy typical Durban day or soaking up the romantic atmosphere of the evening ambience with soft background music interspersed by the night sounds of the sea; Wilson's Wharf guarantees a memorable experience.

Cape Town - city information, weather, tourism and more.

Welcome to Cape Town, Mother City of Africa, and the Western Cape, an area which is regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the world. The City is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers, the local Bushman and Hottentot tribes and the Bantu tribes from the north. Cape Town is situated on the far South Western tip of Africa, about 1600 km from Johannesburg.


Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate. In summer it is usually pleasantly warm. The hottest days are often cooled by pleasant breezes or strong winds. The winters are cool and wet, but the temperature hardly ever falls below 10° C.


Tourism in Cape Town peaks between November and March when the city lazes through mid summer. The Mother City has a bustling nightlife that includes restaurants of all kinds, and many clubs and pubs spread around the city. Cape Town is unique. It has an architecture and lifestyle which are broadly cosmopolitan yet quintessentially Capetonian. But that's just the physical base.


The city has grown a soul and an adventurous spirit. With a diversity of people and landscapes - from the mountains, lush indigenous gardens to sandy beaches, the Mother City is the perfect place for the adventurous spirit to live out its wildest fancies.


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 along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the winelands, green in summer and red-gold in autumn.


Other attractions include many historical buildings still standing among the new skyscrapers, the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Point - supposedly the place of the Meeting of Two Oceans (they really meet at Cape Agulhas) and Robben Island - which houses the old prison for political prisoners convicted during the apartheid era.


Another popular attraction are the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens - a legacy from Cecil John Rhodes, who wanted to preserve Devils Peak and the eastern slopes of Table Mountain as a national Park. The 528-hectare park includes 6000 species of indigenous plants.


Cape Town provides a setting for many scenic wonders, magnificent seascapes and panoramic vistas. The beautiful coastal areas of Camps Bay, Clifton, Llandudno, Bantry Bay, Hout Bay and Blouberg surround the breathtaking tranquility of the winelands, Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franshhoek.


Cape Town boasts a multitude of entertainment, ranging from outdoor activities and adventures in the sun to a roaring night life under neon signs. The vast range of shopping opportunities includes haggling with shopholders at Greenmarket Square Flea Market, as well as breezing through sophisticated and stylish shopping malls. The huge variety of restaurants reflects the multicultured history of the Cape and cater for everyone's taste, from fast-food outlets and casual to the chic to the very elegant.


It is also a great place for sporting enthusiasts, with some of the best diving sites in Kalk Bay and bathing spots along the many and beautiful beaches surrounding the area as well as sporting facilities of every kind throughout the city and suburbs


Cape Town is a city of culture, built on a history that reflects in the architecture, cuisine, music and dance. Together with a warm summer and temperate winter climate and a friendly community, the Western Cape and the Mother City are an ideal holiday destination throughout the year.

Johannesburg - city information, weather, tourism and more

Johannesburg, unlike most other major cities, was not founded near water. Inland, and perched on the 80km long rocky outcrop of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg's existence and growth came from the financial waters left behind - gold.


The discovery of this enchanting mineral hidden below the plains of the highveld sparked off one of the fastest urban developments of the modern era.


Gauteng is said to offer one of the world's best climates: summer days (from November through March) are warm with low to no humidity and wind free. Winter days (June through August) are crisp and clear, with light frost to be seen on most mornings, bright blue and sunny skies and very very dry air.


The rainy season is in summer with virtually no rainfall during the winter months. Rainstorms usually occur during mid-afternoon and are often harsh accompanied by much thunder and lightning and occasional hail, but they are brief and are followed by warm sunshine again.


In just over a century, the ramshackle congregation of prospectors' tents and crude digging devices near the farm of Langlaagte has spread for more than 30 kilometres in each direction into a metropolis of skyscrapers.


The Johannesburg of today is a modern version of its inauspicious but frantic beginnings. It is the technological and financial forerunner of Africa, South Africa's premier business destination and home, including Soweto, to more than five million people.
 

Built on and maintained by the ancient ground it covers, Johannesburg is the prince of the subcontinent.


Johannesburg offers a host of attractions and activities, of which the following are a few examples:


Famous or notorious, Soweto is a former township from the times of Apartheid. Starting about 15 km away from the centre of Johannesburg, it comprises some 63 sq. km, where an estimated two million people live - and a must for the visitor to
Johannesburg.


The Adler Museum of Medicine; the Apartheid Museum, the Dynamite Museum chronicling the history of explosives and chemicals; the Madiba Freedom Museum charting South Africa's journey to demoscracy; the Museum Afrika where you step into the typical 1950s shebeen are a few of the many to be visited in Johannesburg.


Johannesburg has a host of parks, gardens and reserves - from Bokkie Park giving children the opportunity to experience farm life to the Botanical Gardens, home to some of the finest plant collections in the world.


Johannesburg is a shopper's paradise. The shopping malls offer superior quality merchandise, entertainment and are unique lifestyle destinations whilst the craft markets feature African masks, carvings, dolls, baskets - whatever you`re looking for you'll find at bargain prices.


Gold Reef City theme park will raise your adrenalin on one of the roller coaster rides and an underground visit to the gold mine is an interesting option.


Heia Safari Ranch offers an authentic Zulu village built entirely with materials imported from Zululand - right here in Gauteng. A unique opportunity exists to see traditional Zulu crafts, customs and clothing which have been handed down through the generations from pre-Shaka times.


You can also visit Lesedi, a multi cultural village set amongst the pristine bushveld and rocky hills less than an hour's drive north of Johannesburg. Live the experience - experience the vibrant and colourful traditions of the Basotho, Ndebele, Pedi, Xhosa and Zulu peoples on a short tour or even stay overnight with us. Be part of traditional Africa for just a short while. You will never forget it!