South Africa in the context of tourism is national parks plus rock art and other evidence of the spiritual maturation of primitive man, as well as all the interesting things associated with diamond mining – from the inexpensive contemplation of mines to the acquisition of precious stones that requires determination and will. An additional bright touch in this portrait is the rich heritage of the colonial regime in the form of a developed tourist infrastructure, cities of entertainment, well-equipped museums and a whole bunch of enjoyable vacation activities – from diving and windsurfing to fishing and safaris. In a word, exotic and primitive (in the truest sense of the word) under European sauce.
South Africa is a small region. Geographically, this includes only five countries and one overseas territory of France. I must say that the tourist fate of the region was very successful – not least thanks to the diamond deposits, to which, like moths on a lantern, businessmen of the Old World flocked. Of course, their hard life in a foreign land consisted not only in drilling stubborn rock, but also in all kinds of amusements for “diamond” money – this is how beach resorts, wine valleys and entertainment complexes appeared in the once dense countries.
The most popular South African tourism destinations today are Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Lesotho and Swaziland are still clearly not up to the level of neighboring countries, and the Eparse Islands have been placed under the authority of the French tourist fraternity.
A distinctive feature of trips to the “lower edge” of Africa is, alas, the invariably high cost, and a large share of the funds spent is spent on a flight with at least two, and often with three transfers.
In addition, these directions are more than exotic – after all, only the end of the world is farther – so the position obliges. Botswana, for example, maintains a traditionally high price bracket due to a policy of restricting mass tourism (which, given the crazy beautiful – and fragile – nature, is quite reasonable).
The natural wealth of South Africa seems to have been the first created by the Creator – with a generous hand, bright colors, generously and with love. Diversity is the hallmark of local landscapes. Here you can canoe the expanses of the Okavango Delta, and in just a couple of hours you can walk along the cracked, lifeless surface of the “ghostly valley” of the Kalahari. Numerous cave sites of primitive people deserve special attention, the remains of which date back 2 million (!) Years, and various evidence of ancient creativity – rock paintings, petroglyphs, etc. South Africa also has its own Grand Canyon – Fish River, the depth of which reaches half a kilometer.
Those who prefer everything at once (and at the same time marked “luxury”) rush to the Republic of South Africa. Let’s not lie, saying that there really is everything here – the golden coast of Port Elizabeth and the picturesque gardens of Garden Route, the Zulu kingdoms and one of the best entertainment complexes in the world Sun City, wine regions and rainforests of Limpopo province… Well, of course, the city of Kimberley is the diamond capital of the world, in which you definitely need to make some kind of rash purchase. And for those who are ready to exchange all the sights of the world for the expanses of the sea, the blue expanse of the ocean stretches from the Cape of Good Hope to the Antarctic itself. In a word, South African pleasures are for every taste, you just need to choose your own!
According to Countryaah, Southern Africa has the following countries:
- Botswana
- Lesotho
- Namibia
- Eparce Islands (Dependent Territory, French Overseas Region)
- Swaziland
- Republic of South Africa
