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DID YOU KNOW?
Most Kruger visitors are South Africans (78%), followed by Germans (29), Britons (12), Dutch (8), French (7) and Americans (6.5)

Friday, 26 August 2011 PAGE 23

DID YOU KNOW?

The world-famous Kruger National Park has 15 451 beds and 4.5 million people visited the park last year

Put a pretty Spring in your Namaqua step

Kim Helfrich THE Northern Cape and adjacent West Coast is having a spring flower season of note thanks to good rains at the start of this month. The floral carpets covering the mostly barren and dusty ground of Namaqualand have also attracted a large number of visitors, boosting tourism spend in the area. Colleen Rust, of the Hantam National Botanical Garden in Nieuwoudtville, said this years display could well be compared with expensive champagne. Enjoy it slowly, taking in the delight of each sip before moving on to another, is her advice. Hantam is the provinces only botanical garden and visitors can enjoy expanses of daisies in a variety of colours, pink evening flowers, sporries, pietsnot, varkiesknol and purple hongerblom. As an added bonus, Hantam visitors are ferried around in an ancient Bedford bus. The spring show is also in full bloom at SANParks Namaqua National Park, 22km from Kamieskroon and 67km from Springbok, acknowledged as Northern Capes Spring Flower Capital. Both coastal and inland areas of the park received good rain early in August and this has transformed it into a riot of colour, said spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli. The area around Soebatsfontein has some wonderful patches of purple and yellow vygies while the 4x4 route between Skilpad and Soebatsfontein is well worth the drive. In addition to Hantam and the Namaqua park, visitors to the area would do well to spend time in Kamieskroon and take in Geogab, the Kakamas/Springbok road and the roads to Arkoep and Leliesfontein. SANParks has also broken new ground this year in its efforts to make enjoying the spring flowers more accessible. It is running a special flower beach camp in the Namaqua Park. The camp is accessible only by 4x4 and the tented structures will be dismantled and taken away ready for erection in time for next years spring flower display, said SANParks sales and marketing manager Bheki Zwane. People wanting to spend quality time in the remote beauty of Namaqualand to enjoy the flowers as well as take in beach walks in search of seals and waterbirds can also opt for transfers from the Namaqua Park headquarters if they do not have off-road vehicles. Enquiries: Hantam garden 027-218-1200; SANParks 012 -428- 9111

PARADISE RETURNS: Water, rocks and spring flowers combine in an easy-onthe-eye setting in the Hantam National Botanical Garden. Picture: COLLEEN RUST

The Smoke that Thunders is just a doze away

Victoria Falls is so quiet you cant sleep, writes Scott Smith
LIVINGSTONE is so close to Johannesburg that I have hardly dozed off when the flight attendant wakes me for landing. Just short of two hours and closer than Table Mountain, another natural wonder of the world is Victoria Falls, the Smoke That Thunders, or Mosi-Oa-Tunya, as the locals would say. We land in Zambia and make our way to the border with Zimbabwe. If you blink more than once passing through downtown Livingstone, you might miss it. There are maybe one or two buildings higher than three stories but South Africa has a firm stamp: Spar, KFC and Steers are all in evidence. Victoria Falls town, on the Zimbabwe side, is quiet but its a little bigger than one might think, with homes and settlements stretching far from the main road among warthogs and impala. Home prices are increasing, which is a sign that Zimbabwe has licked her wounds. In the market you will find the usual curios and from one stall to the next you see much of the same thing. Despite the hardships, crime doesnt seem to be a problem and many will tell you that at night your biggest fear is wild animals the town is within the Zambezi National Park. We escape the dust of the town and drive further up the Zambezi River to take for a comfortable cruise up and down the river, watching the hippos in the water and elephants on the banks. The next day, we saw the falls and were happy we came at a time when the Zambezi River is not in full spate so we could walk freely around the forested area without getting too wet. The falls do bring up a gentle mist, however. The rain forest stays green all year round, bringing relief from the harsh sun that can send temperatures to over 40C. I didnt have a chance to fly in a helicopter but from the ground you get a better sense of the sheer volume of the water. Victoria Falls is clearly a tourist haven. We opted for the expensive and grand Stanley & Livingstone, named after the explorers, David Livingstone and Henry Stanley. It was so quiet that an avid inner-city dweller like me almost couldnt sleep because it was so jarring to my senses. Its an impressive hotel. With decor, beautiful interior grandeur, and 16 suites of Victorianstyle elegance. We take a drive through the private reserve and enjoy the feeding of rhinos and stop by the elephant sanctuary, with 18 elephants in the project. People pay US$120 (R900) to sit on the back of an elephant for about an hour. A dash expensive but one needs to remember that this is also a rehabilitation facility. Rather tame than dead, and the elephant rides raise money for anti-poaching initiatives. It was the first time I had touched an elephant. I felt his trunk, flexible sponge rippling with muscle, rough skin and coarse hair. The ranger assures me that they can feel. I clap my hand on his hefty forehead and dont get so much as a flicker out of the long eyelashes. The Vic Falls present such a lovely natural border. As you marvel at their length and expanse, you see those on the Zambian side marvelling at the same thing a rusty bridge erected in 1905 by the son of the famous biologist, Charles Darwin. Evolution is happening on so many levels here that the tourist attraction to the Victoria Falls is sure to develop even further, hopefully increasing the need to preserve this natural, wild wilderness. #The writer travelled to Victoria Falls courtesy of Rani Resorts, Wild Horizons and Flight Centre. Readers offer: The elegant Stanley & Livingstone is set within the gamerich Victoria Falls private game

GRAND LUXURY: The Stanley & Livingstone hotel.

UP CLOSE: Ellie rides raise funds for anti-poaching.

RUSTIC ELEGANCE: Vic Falls private game reserve. reserve, 10 minutes from Victoria Falls. Priced from R6 085 per person sharing, enjoy a fivestar experience at this boutique hotel. This package includes return flights from Johannesburg to Livingstone, Zambia, return hotel transfers, two nights accommodation in a luxury suite with breakfast daily. Bonus: one child under 12 eats and stays for free, only paying for flights and transfers. This package is valid for travel between now and January 31, 2012, subject to currency fluctuations and availability. Visa: South Africans do not require a visa to visit Zambia or Zimbabwe. Currency: Rands or US dollars. Victoria Falls is a malaria area, so take proper precautions. Get there: British Airways flies to Livingstone from Johannesburg six days a week. Contact Flight Centre on 0860 400 747 to book this package or visit www.flightcentre. co.za for more details.

MOSI-OA-TUNYA: Closer to Johannesburg than Table Mountain, the mighty Victoria Falls beckon.

On the Go is edited by Jeremy Shepherd Smith Email: jeremys@thenewage.co.za Phone: 011 542 1263\082 673 3690 www.thenewage.co.za