• SAB’s World of Beer – Johannesburg

Oh yes! Let’s get this party started off right. The World of Beer in Johannesburg is an amazing day out for beer connoisseurs. The tour offered by the establishment is informative and thirst quenching. You get to taste your favourite ales plus many others, and you can cap it off with even more golden delight in the superb bar once the tour is over.

• The Sterkfontein Caves – Gauteng

Sterkfontein is renowned as being the home of the famous Mrs. Ples, the first complete Australopithecus skull, and more recently the 4.17 million-year-old Little Foot – an almost complete ape-man. I remember my visit year as a school boy with an extremely funny guide who had a Jamaican accent and commented on how the cavemen would probably use the chutes in the canyon as a “lekker foofy sliiiiiiiiiiiide”.

• Gansbaai – Western Cape

Everybody is always going on and on about the Big Five, but let me tell you that seeing a Great White Shark face-to-face is amazingly terrifying. Gansbaai is the Great White Shark capital of the world and with a number of reputable shark cage diving companies available, you have no excuses. Also, I would not recommend surfing in Shark Alley as the muggers here aren’t interested in your wallet…

• Bloukrans Bridge – Garden Route

A mere 40km from the party town that is Plettenberg Bay, you will find the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. The jump point is 216 metres above the Bloukrans River and definitely not something for the faint-hearted. Plunge into the gorge head first and for a moment you’ll believe you can fly – before pure adrenaline and exhilaration take over as you rocket toward the river, only to bounce back up at the last moment.

• Big Rush Urban Adrenaline – Durban

The Moses Mabida Stadium may be famous for being one of the most spectacular venues during the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the Durbanites have come up with a pretty good way to make use of the stadium when football isn’t on offer. Basically, you plunge 60 metres while swinging over the pristine pitch – the views, the heart-pounding excitement… it’s awesome.

• Long Street:

This vibrant and bustling city street has too many interesting places to single out just one. After the hustle during business hours, Long Street comes to life at night. A wide range of bars, cars and clubs are all on offer. Enjoy drinks with friends at the Dubliner Irish Pub, listen to a variety of live music at the Zulu Sound Bar or stomp your feet to the latest house tunes at Chrome. Better yet, stroll down the street and pop into any one of the many hotels on Long Street after a good night out.

• Greenmarket Square:

Nestled in the heart of the CBD, Greenmarket Square is the perfect place for lazy afternoons out. Browse the fleamarket stalls to find a wide range of African crafts, or alternatively grab a seat at one of the surrounding cafes or restaurants to fill your belly while soaking up the vibrant atmosphere.

• Bo Kaap:

At the edge of the city lies the colourful and cultural Bo Kaap area. Try some traditional Cape Malay cuisine at the Bo Kaap Kombuis or visit the Monkeybiz shop to pick up a unique souvenir.

• Somerset Road:

Geared toward younger visitors and party animals, this road is packed with top quality nightlife. Get into the mood at Cubana with some cocktails before exploring the wide variety of bars and clubs on the strip.

• Restaurants:

Cape Town is a culinary hot spot with a wide range of tantalising tastes available on each corner. Visit places such as Kloof Street with its boutique shops and endless range of cafes or explore the streets of the CBD to find those hidden gems that are normally only known to local residents.

There is so much on offer in this beautiful and vibrant city, so chat with the locals at any of the boutique hotels you choose and get the scoop on the best places to visit in Cape Town.

One of the items that should be on every Citizen of the World’s check list is an African Safari. Aside from being in the bush to take in the sights of the flora and fauna, there is something refreshing about the morning mist and dew on the grass of sub-Saharan Africa. Your game drives and hikes seem to re-energize your spirits, and your meals at the end of the day seem to taste far better than your pallet could imagine. Is all of this guaranteed for a Kruger park tour? Most likely, though a bit of insurance never hurt! Take a few moments to review these tips on things to pack for your game park trip to be extra-sure about that final suitcase run-thru.

1.  Camera

Perhaps the most important item for your trip, therefore you should keep it in your carry-on luggage for safe-keeping. Most Kruger National park tours last between 3 to 5 hours each drive, so consider purchasing a second battery to keep in your back-pack in case your game drive is longer than your battery life. Don’t forget to make sure your camera battery charger fits with your adapter for South African electrical outlets. As for the photo-fanatics, keep your camera equipment to a minimum. The more you bring the more you may have to carry, and keep an eye on! Point-and-Shoots work just as well as an SLR in most game drives if they have a good zoom; and with a good compact camera you will be able to snap the shots quickly without fiddling with lens attachments. Remember, the animals are quick and won’t wait for you to prep for a photograph!

2.  Sun-Protection

Remember that any Kruger National Park Safari will be subject to the weather of the region no matter what season you plan on travelling there. Temperatures can be extremely hot but the heat is second only to the UV index which is generally between 8 and 11, meaning this area has a “very high and/or extreme risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure”. Visitors should use sun-screen, applying it often and with a high SFP. Also, wear clothes that cover as much of your skin as comfortably possible – consider khaki and lighter coloured natural fibres that breathe allowing for ventilation to prevent over-heating, along with a full brimmed hat for maximum coverage. Not to mention, pack two pairs of sunglasses, you never know where one pair might fall off!

3.  Adventure Apparel

Jeans, rain-jacket, cold-weather fleece, khakis, long-sleeve shirts, high socks, and durable/waterproof boots. Of course depending on the level of bush you’ll be touring, this list may change a bit, but it’s best to dress comfortably and with the ability to adapt to the quick-changing weather patterns the Kruger can have. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to have a list of activities mapped out that you may partake in so that you can pack accordingly. Being prepared is the key to packing the right apparel for African bush travel.

4. Maps and Field Guides

It’s good to have maps of the areas you’re going, with clear directions, before you arrive. Maps are available for purchase from petrol stations but may not cover the area or be in a format that works for you. Review your map, test your map, see where your destinations are, and double-check them. Remember that GPS’s and Smart-Phones may not work in the vast surrounds of the 2 million hectares that is the Kruger Park.  Also, for wildlife-enthusiasts, bird-watchers, and nature-lovers, be sure to bring the right books for you to maximize your experience. Kruger park tours are designed to show you the best in its bio-diversity via all kinds of life.

5. Minimalist toiletries

Keep in mind that Southern Africa is a water-precious region, so you will be taking quick showers, and probably not have the power supply for your hair dryer or electric toothbrush. Think about what the bare essentials are that you will need and take only those. Instead of an electric razor bring the old-school blade version and test out a few 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioners before you arrive. What moisturizer will be the most versatile? Opt for your spectacles rather than contact lenses, the dust may render them useless anyway. Also, go with the un-scented varieties of toiletries, and insect repellent, and pick bio-degradable or organic versions to minimize your carbon footprint as many bush-sewage systems try to re-use gray water for irrigation.

After a few days in the bush, you’ll probably leave with great appreciation for nature and a renewed sense of self. Of course, don’t leave your home country without copies of your passports and having a medication plan by referencing your medications against a list of those available in your destination. A few stragglers that you should try to fit into your bags if you can: binoculars, a flash-light, a good book to read on a rainy day, and a bottle of Amarula for a safari camp-fire nightcap (this can be purchased upon arrival).

Finally, your guides and other locals always get a kick out of a few souvenirs from your home-town, so if you’ve got space maybe bring a few knick-knacks to hand out to friends you make and or trade for some crafts to bring home in exchange. Make the most out of any South African safari and be prepared. Happy travelling!

Down here in Cape Town, it seems that the infamous February heat is here to stay. It is this time of the year that I give up on pretending that being female means you that don’t sweat. Not the best time for a Cape Town tour. You want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? We delicate little creatures, we well-brought up ladies, we do sweat, a LOT.

Which is why leaving the house on a day when the mercury is set to rise to 42 degrees centigrade is not at the top of my list of priorities. There are only a few select reasons why I would even think of crossing the threshold on a day like this – natural disasters, an inviting swimming pool and family members in mortal peril number amongst these; as does registering to vote in the upcoming election.

I had foolishly left my registration for (possibly) the hottest day of the year. Not going was obviously not an option, so I was forced to get up from in front of my industrial strength fan and make my way down to the relevant registration station with the rest of the fools that didn’t yet have that reassuring little bar-coded sticker on the inside of their green identity documents.

I believe in giving credit where it is due and I have to applaud the Electoral Commission for making registration as easy and painless as it was. No queues, no unnecessary paperwork – just polite efficiency. (Granted, when I got outside my car had been decorated with a few COPE stickers but since these came off with relatively little effort I wasn’t too upset.) So now I am officially registered to vote in the upcoming election, which gives me the full right to criticize any halfwit decisions our government may make in the next four years.

Those of you who didn’t register, however, won’t have that luxury. You will have to sit quietly in your little corner keeping mum about corruption, mismanagement and general apathy at the hands of our future leaders. The only way that we will ever get our beautiful country to function to its full potential is to get involved, and registering to vote is the first little baby step in the right direction (even if you run the risk of getting vicarious sunburn just by heading out the door).

The time has come to stop moaning and get actively involved. Stand up and be counted – if we don’t care enough to make this country work, why should anyone else bother?

Where does it go?

Payday! Whoopee! After days of living on peanut butter and toast there is nothing more satisfying than taking a surreptitious peek at my bank balance only to find it a bit less depressing. One bone of contention, however, is the dreaded bite the Taxman takes out of my modest, yet hard-earned, salary.

I used to get really pissy when taxes were mentioned. As a young working individual, I really felt (and still feel) the loss of those few hundred Rands and for what? To line the pockets of the government fat cats, to keep the gravy train on its rails? Recently, however, I’ve started to notice things going on in Cape Town. Small things, inconspicuous things, but if you start adding you up you get quite a surprise…

For one thing the streets are absolutely spotless. Granted, there’s not much we can do to improve the lacking infrastructure (short of a major demolition project nothing is going to make a difference) but there is not a piece of paper or a scrap of plastic lying around. This begs the question – have the good people of Cape Town all undergone a simultaneous ecological paradigm shift? Or could it be that government is finally getting with the program? Surely not?

But they have, it seems. Helen Zille was recently named the best mayor in the world and I can see why. I daily encounter teams of neatly dressed men and women who are cleaning the streets, sweeping up garbage and cleaning the gutters. At night time these groups are replaced by a neighbourhood watch. I come from a small town with very little crime, my parents sleep with the back door unlatched for heaven’s sake, but I can honestly say I’ve never felt safer anywhere than in Cape Town right now.

Furthermore, during the December holidays when I drove out to Onrus to join my parents over weekends, I noticed road works. You know – those stop/go numbers that irritate the living bejeesus out of everybody. I also noticed increased police presence on the road, which included various road blocks, one of which made me over an hour late for a dinner date. But despite the relative inconvenience of these encounters, I was impressed. For the first time since I can remember I could see my tax money at work and I liked what I saw.

I am cautiously optimistic about the future of our country. Soon it will be 2010 and all the football fans that join us for Cape Town tours from around the globe will be going back to their home countries with pleasant memories of their stay in sunny SA. They will tell their friends and then they will tell theirs and before you know it we may just be able to boost our tarnished worldwide reputation just a little.

It saddens me to see my friends leave our beautiful shores to go seek their fortunes elsewhere. I am getting fed-up of going to a farewell party every single weekend, it makes me mad. I understand their reasons for leaving but I still feel they’re copping out. Why not stay and help us make this country work? Why tuck tail and run at the first sign of hardship? My dad has a saying, “The grass is only greener on the other side because there is more manure over there” and I tend to agree.

Suffice it to say I am here to stay and I’m glad that government has finally joined the party.