http://www.southafrica.com/blog/ en 2008-12-31T11:52:08+00:00 hourly 6 2008-12-31T11:52:08+00:00 http://www.southafrica.com/blog/a-family-day-at-willem-prinsloo-agricultural-museum 2008-12-31T11:52:08+00:00 en Editor Travel The Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum, in Rayton, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, offers insight into the history of South African farming, from the Stone Age right through to 1945. History is brought to life in a way that the entire family will enjoy, as visitors explore the two homesteads and the large surrounding farmyard, complete with vintage tractors, agricultural implements, horse-drawn wagons and domesticated farm animals. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/brilliant-bird-watching-at-nylsvley-nature-reserve 2008-12-25T10:00:25+00:00 en Editor Travel Located in the upper reaches of the Nyl River near Naboomspruit in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the Nylsvley Nature Reserve is renowned for its abundant and diverse birdlife. More than 400 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, which includes part of South Africa’s largest floodplain (vlei), with over a hundred of these species being waterfowl. During a good rainy season it is not unusual for as many as 80,000 birds to be counted in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, so it’s no wonder that birding enthusiasts are drawn to this avifaunal paradise. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/explore-the-intriguing-findings-from-the-past-in-makapansgat-valley 2008-12-15T12:32:12+00:00 en Editor Travel The Makapansgat Valley in the Limpopo Province of South Africa is teeming with life, as a variety of animals and birds enjoy the plentiful plant and insect life found in this fertile valley. The picturesque Makapansgat Valley is the site where, way back in February 1925, Professor Raymond Dart announced the discovery of the remains of the first “ape-man”. The numerous caves in the mountain-sides of the valley have yielded fossils believed to date back 3.3 million years, as well as Stone Age and Iron Age relics, thereby linking it to the history of South Africa’s renowned Cradle of Humankind. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/shamwari-takes-top-honors 2008-12-09T11:19:00+00:00 en Editor Newsworthy As modern civilization takes away more natural habitats to build homes, malls and factories, there is still an escape from all the city madness in a magical world of ecological wonder that lies in the remote stretch between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It is a game reserve that is internationally known and has received numerous awards for its ability to combine luxury accommodation with effective and innovative conservation projects, offering guests a truly unforgettable wildlife experience. It is Shamwari Game Reserve. And recently it has again given South Africa reason to be proud. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/cape-town-secures-2008-telegraph-travel-best-world-city-award 2008-12-04T12:46:39+00:00 en Editor Features Affectionately known as the “Mother City” of South Africa, Cape Town is a popular tourist destination drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from within its borders and beyond every year. Set against the backdrop of the iconic Table Mountain, this vibrant city is packed with places of interest to visit, while its surroundings offer an astounding array of natural wonders to explore. South African Tourism recently announced that Cape Town has won the Best World City Award in the Telegraph Travel Awards 2008. Additionally, South Africa secured a spot in the top three for the category of Best Non-European Country. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/south-africa-awarded-at-international-wine-spirit-competition 2008-12-01T12:17:34+00:00 en Editor Features At the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) awards held in London on 22 November, South Africa was once more in the limelight, with Kanonkop Wine Estate being awarded the Winemaker of the Year trophy. This is no small achievement when considering that the 2008 competition drew over 7,000 entries from more than 80 countries. The entries were judged by a panel of international experts over a period of about six months, with northern hemisphere entries being submitted around four months ahead of those from the southern hemisphere. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/world-beauties-arrive-in-south-africa 2008-11-24T11:56:33+00:00 en Editor Newsworthy The OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, has recently been flooded with the arrival of a hundred and fifteen of the world’s most beautiful women. Representing countries from all corners of the globe, these beauties, and Miss World hopefuls, gracefully entered the country to attend the various functions and events leading up to the competition. Johannesburg, the tourism industry and its governing bodies, have been pulling out all the stops to ensure that the Miss World finalists enjoy a memorable visit to South Africa. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/wavescapes-surf-film-festival-2008 2008-11-20T09:45:52+00:00 en Editor Features The Wavescapes Surf Film Festival is more than just a film festival that showcases documentaries and artistic eulogies, it is an event that is trying to raise awareness to the danger that sharks across the world are in. Together with Save Our Seas Foundation, the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival strives to educate the public that sharks are not the great threat they are perceived to be and that the slaughter of millions of sharks a year could lead to their extinction and have a major impact on the environment should they no longer exist. Wavescapes Surf Film Festival is all about nature, surfing and the relationship that surfers share with the big blue ocean. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/blue-flag-beaches-in-south-africa 2008-11-17T13:13:26+00:00 en Editor Features The Foundation for Environmental Education Campaign is a non-profit organization that works towards creating environmental awareness and the impact that humans have on the lives of animals on land and in the sea. They created a Blue Flag project to award countries and specific freshwater and maritime beaches the Blue Flag, which lets visitors to various countries know which authorities comply with the criteria. Countries throughout the Caribbean, Europe, New Zealand and South Africa, all have Blue Flag beaches, and the latest list of Blue Flag beaches in South Africa has recently been announced. http://www.southafrica.com/blog/three-sa-eco-lodges-in-national-geographic-adventures-top-50 2008-11-13T13:36:04+00:00 en Editor Newsworthy Eco-lodges have become a vital part of conservation, tourism and support systems for local communities. To be recognized as an eco-lodge, establishments must fulfill a few requirements. Not only must the lodge be able to provide good service and great comfort, but their initiative must be to look for environmentally friendly ways to operate, such as using recyclable materials and causing the least amount of disruption to the environment. They must use the cultural aspects of their location in the lodge and encourage the local community in using their traditions and the conservation of the natural surroundings to derive an income from the tourism industry.