DESTINATIONS BEYOND WILDLIFE AFRICA
w HISTORY The blood of British, Zulu and Boer warriors once drenched the plains of KwaZulu-Natal, a beautiful region in the foothills of South Africa’s Drakensburg Mountains. Local guides lead animated tours of the key sites, which include Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift and Fugitive’s Drift from the Zulu War, and Spion Kop from the Boer War, giving visitors an insight into the battles and the eventual fate of colonialism. History goes back much further in these mountains as the whole area is peppered with San rock art, some of it 3,000 years old. The most spectacular and concentrated collections are found in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. KwaZulu-Natal is particularly
photogenic and best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. The roads are well maintained and clearly signposted, and many British holidaymakers fly to Johannesburg or Durban and self-drive. Several operators offer itineraries that include a safari and a few days at Isimangaliso Wetland Park, an important coastal sanctuary. If your history-loving clients are
passing through Johannesburg then suggest they visit the Apartheid Museum – a truly perception-altering journey through South Africa’s recent
past. And, of course, no trip to Cape Town is complete without visiting Robben Island, where the late Nelson Mandela was famously imprisoned.
w SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES There’s no way to have a quiet day at Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River plunges 344 feet over the rocks below creating a deafening roar, a 100ft plume of spray and incredible conditions for watersports. These include white-water rafting in an area classified ‘extremely difficult’, with long and violent rapids and huge drops. If that’s not hardcore enough, how about abseiling from the rock face, gorge swinging, microlighting or even bungee-jumping from Victoria Falls Bridge? Don’t write off the area if your clients are older or less fit. There are helicopter rides, pleasure boat tours and plenty of places just to stand and admire this Wonder of the World – just warn them to pack waterproofs, as the spray is intense and sightseers get soaked. With airports on both sides of the falls, it’s easy to build a few nights here into a wider Africa itinerary. Elsewhere on the continent, thrill-
seekers can try gorilla trekking through Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
LEFT: Victoria Falls
or hiking around the Ngorongoro Crater. And for desert adventure, nowhere
beats Namibia, where the apricot- coloured dunes around Sossusvlei reach almost 1,000ft. Suggest 4x4 rides, sandboarding, dune-bashing, quadbiking or simply photographing this extraordinary landscape.
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Expert Africa has an eight- night Safari and Sands holiday, with three
LEFT: Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania BELOW: Sossusvlei, Namibia
nights in Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania followed by a five-night
beach holiday in Zanzibar. From £2,488 including accommodation, flights and transfers.
expertafrica.com
Somak Holidays has a nine-night Best of KwaZulu- Natal self-drive holiday, with
three days spent touring the
battlefields. From £1,653 including accommodation, flights and transfers.
somak.com
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travelweekly.co.uk 3 March 2016
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