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Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you. The best guide to South Africa, packed with essentials Gorgeous beaches, spring wildflowers, mountain hikes, white-water adventures, amazing wildlife encounters African crafts, picturesque wine routes, traditional tribal villages, Cape Dutch colonial architecture Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Out of Africa lodges, Zulu home-stays, big-city luxury, dune-side chalets, Winelands B&Bs, rustic wilderness camps Country bistros, curry shops, tea terraces, African-food cafes, seaside braais (barbecues), an oyster-tasting tavern Fresh, thorough, practical--off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 26 pages of maps, 23 vacation itineraries, and more City walking tours Big Game Adventures miniguide Important contacts, smart travel tips Pleasures & Pastimes, don't-miss activities New & Noteworthy Festivals Background essays, further reading, videos to watch Complete index

The Gold Guide An easy-to-use section divided alphabetically by topic
Under each listing you'll find tips and information that will help you accomplish what you need to in South Africa
You'll also find addresses and telephone numbers of organizations and companies that offer destination-related services and detailed information and publications
Destination: South Africa Helps get you in the mood for your trip
New and Noteworthy Cues you in on trends and happenings
What's Where Gets you oriented
Pleasures and Pastimes Describes the activities and sights that really make South Africa unique
Fodor's Choice Showcases our top picks from special restaurants and one-of-a-kind accommodations to out-of-the-ordinary sights and activities..
Let them inspire you! Festivals and Seasonal Events Special occasions that will make you visit even more memorable
The following chapters in Fodor's South Africa are divided geographically
Each city chapter begins with an Exploring section subdivided by neighborhood; each subsection recommends a walking or driving tour and lists sights in alphabetical order
Each regional chapter is divided by geographical area; within each area, towns are covered in logical geographical order, and attractive stretches of road and minor points of interest between them are indicated by the designation En Route
Throughout, Off the Beaten Path sights appear after the places from which they are most easily accessible
And within town sections, all restaurants and lodgings are grouped together
To help you decide what to visit in the time you have, all chapters begin with recommended itineraries; you can mix and match those from several chapters to create a complete vacation
The A-to-Z section that ends all chapters covers getting there and getting around
It also provides helpful contacts and resources
Johannesburg Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Cape Town and the Peninsula
The Western Cape Garden
Route and Little Karoo Durban and KwaZulu-Natal Swaziland Zimbabwe Botswana Portraits of South Africa
Wonderful essays about seeing wildlife, about personal and political issues in South Africa, and about Zimbabwe's history, followed by suggestions for any pretrip research you want to do, from recommended reading to movies on tape with South Africa as a backdrop
Index
Maps
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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Pleasures and Pastimes

Beaches
South Africa has some of the finest beaches on earth -- literally hundreds of miles of golden sands, often without a soul on them. The surf is big, though, and dangerous undertows and side washes are common. Beaches in major cities have lifeguards, and helicopters periodically patrol the coastline. Cape Town and the entire Western Cape have glorious beaches, but the water is extremely cold year-round, and wind can be a problem. The water is warmer along the Garden Route, with the best swimming beaches found Plettenberg Bay. Around Durban and the resorts of KwaZulu-Natal, the water is ideal for swimming, but keep and eye out for the stinging Portuguese man-of-war (bluebottle), particularly when the wind is coming from the east. All major resort beaches in KwaZulu-Natal are protected by shark nets. For truly deserted beaches and warm water, head to Rocktail Bay Lodge in the far north of KwaZulu-Natal.

Bird-Watching
Bring your binoculars if you like birds, because South Africa ranks as one of the finest bird-watching destinations on the planet. Kruger National Park alone has recorded more than 500 different bird species, many of breathtaking beauty. The best time for bird-watching is October-April, when migrants are in residence.

Canoeing and White-Water Rafting
The world's most incredible one-day white-water rafting trip is on the Zambezi River, through the gorges below Victoria Falls. It's an adventure you won't soon forget, and no prior experience is necessary. Another great trip is canoeing on the Zambezi above the Falls, where the river is wide and sluggish, dotted with islands on which hippos and elephants feed.

Cricket
White South Africans are crazy about it -- during international matches, you'll often find crowds gathered in front of the windows of electronics stores watching the action. These international competitions, known as test matches, are played against England and former colonies like India, West Indies, and Australia, and a one-day test match is as riveting as anything baseball can produce. The longer five-day test matches involve subtle nuances of strategy that will confound -- and probably bore -- anyone not born to the game. South Africa's various provinces also compete against each other in the annual Castle Cup competition. A major push is under way to introduce cricket into black communities, but it remains an essentially white sport.

Dining
South Africa won't unseat France anytime soon from its culinary throne. But there are three bright spots you should keep in mind. The first is the abundance of fresh seafood, from plump Knysna oysters to enormous Mozambiquean prawns to the Cape's own magnificent clawless lobsters, known as crayfish. The second is the country's love affair with Indian cuisine, first brought to South Africa by Indian laborers in the 19th century. Samoosas and curries appear on almost every menu, and the fast food choice in Durban is bunny chow, a curry-filled loaf of bread.

Excerpted from South Africa: The Complete Guide to the Cities, Winelands, and Game Parks, with Zimbabwe and B Otswana by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Fodor's South Africa

Fodor's South Africa

0679035362

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