South Africa has great scenery. A recent poll said it was the best in the world, but my vote goes to the South African weather and the people.
I just stumbled on an article about last year’s (2006) Conde Nast Reader’s Travel Awards by UK magazine Conde Nast Traveler. South Africa’s scenery scored 97.8% - the highest in the world – with South Africa being voted the world’s fifth best tourist destination.
Now in their ninth year, the awards come out of a comprehensive survey of readers' favorite hotels, spas, cities, countries and more, based on a range of criteria that are then compiled into a score out of 100. In the country category, South Africa's overall score was 94.2% - putting it ahead of other destinations such as Thailand, France, the US, Greece and Malaysia.
This is the sixth year in a row that South Africa has been ranked as one of the world's top 20 destinations. In 2005 the country came in at ninth place, up from 13th place in 2004. The top country in 2006 was Italy, with a score of 95.57%, followed by New Zealand (94.81%), Australia (94.44%) and India (94.42%).
South Africa's hotels and spas were also rated among the best in the world, with six establishments making it onto the top 20 list of leisure hotels in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.
I wondered about the scenery. What made the Conde Naste readers vote for South Africa’s Scenery? I have lived here all my life and have traveled all around the country. South Africa certainly has spectacular scenery – beaches on both the Indian and Atlantic Ocean, mountains, deserts, veld, rivers - but I think visitors to South Africa are also embraced by its different-ness. It just wraps itself around you like an invisible film of cling wrap. You see, Africa is not just a continent; it is a state of mind.
To get that, people who are not from Africa, should take a look at South Africa Rocks. This is a communal blog that has a Flickr group and a Facebook Group of South Africans (mostly young) who truly believe their country Rocks, big time! Nic Haralambous, the man behind the project put the question on Facebook why people should come to SA. The answers say a lot. Read them here.
There are many higher mountains and wider rivers and places that are hotter and colder than in South Africa. Luxury accommodation and resorts are plentiful across the world and South Africa has them too, but if you walk along a pristine beach on the Wild Coast and watch waterfalls tumbling into the Ocean, you get a new perspective on life. You’ll never be the same again.
A sunrise or sunset in the bush, with the sounds of wild animals and birds waking up or settling down and the smell of smoke from the cooking fires floating on the air, makes your sundowner of early morning cup of coffee taste just that little bit better.
As a kid my family took us to a variety of Game Reserves every school holiday, so we were regular visitor to Kruger National Park and had our favorite camps and waterholes. The Northern KwaZulu-Natal Game Reserves like Hluhluwe -Umfolozi and up in St Lucia are very different, but no less exciting.
Birdwatchers, butterfly people and eco-tourists from across the world come to South Africa to enjoy and experience many wonders that we, South Africans so often take for granted.
I live in Durban, on the East Coast of South Africa. We call this city of 3, 5 million people eThekwini. It is mid winter now but the temperature is 24C today and it is a beautiful hot, blue sky day.
Why am I still writing? I’m going to the beach!
