Cities and Towns in
South Africa
A brief introduction
to a few of the many and varied cities and towns
where we offer
accommodation on this web site and in our printed
guide.
CAPE
TOWN, WESTERN CAPE
So rich in natural
scenic splendour, so renowned for the cultivation of its
fruit and vine and the cultural diversity of its peoples
and their historic legacy, this tavern of the seas has
also re-embraced its harbour area in the form of the
magnificent Waterfront development. A mountain,
surrounded by sea that lies draped at its feet, shaped
and restrained by a coastline of magnificent beaches,
Table Mountain and its sister peaks of Devil's Peak and
Lion's Head are so impressive that international airlines
make special flypasts on their way to lands around the
globe. Our many hosts and hostesses welcome you from all
corners of the Cape Peninsula and would like to help you
discover the magnificence and diversity of this, the
Mother City.
To assist with your
planning of a holiday in Cape Town, we offer accommodation in
the following areas of The Cape Peninsula and other parts of Greater Cape Town and a brief description can be
viewed by clicking on the areas below:
Southern Suburbs
False Bay area
Atlantic Seaboard
City Bowl
Northern Suburbs (The
Tygerberg)
To view accommodation
in Cape Town, click
HERE.
DURBAN,
KWAZULU NATAL
A major harbour city,
Durban has also been labelled as South Africa's fun city.
Culture and cuisine are influenced by the large
populations originating from the Indian Subcontinent and
Europe, as well as the Zulu nation of KwaZulu-Natal.
Durban is an all year round destination with the
extremely mild winter making this time of the year very
popular compared to colder and wetter of South Africa. A
scenic diversion would be to travel along the Old Main
Road inland towards Pietermaritzburg, passing the massive
Pavilion Shopping Centre, the Heritage Market and the
Valley of 1000 Hills along the way.
For bed and breakfast or
self-catering accommodation in Berea, Durban see
20 Palm Grove B&B , and
Ocean's
Rest Guest House at The Bluff.
EAST LONDON,
EASTERN CAPE
With some of the finest beaches in South Africa and generally excellent
weather, East London is a great destination for a seaside holiday. It
also serves as a most pleasant base from which to explore the hinterland
such as Grahamstown, Hogsback and Stutterheim as well as the surrounding
coastal areas of the "Sunshine Coast", down to Port Alfred and up to Kei
Mouth. Visit the East London Museum with the famous Coelacanth fish
specimen and whilst there, visit the interesting and colourful display
of Xhosa culture. Also worth a visit are the Lock Street Gaol, the
harbour, aquarium, Queen’s Park Zoo and gardens. East London is also an
ideal stopover between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern and Western Cape.
Bed and breakfast
accommodation in East London can be viewed at
Kilkerran House in Bonnie Doon.
FRANSCHHOEK, THE
WINELANDS
This spectacularly beautiful valley produces some of
the best wines in our country. With some of the most notable restaurants
and its French origins, Franschhoek blends these elements to produce a
unique tourist destination. Tranquil, historic wine farms are a feature
of the valley. Trout are found on farms such as La Verdure.
Self catering accommodation in
Franschhoek is offered at La Vedure Cottages.
GEORGE, THE GARDEN
ROUTE
George is situated in the heart of a green, well-watered
plateau producing hops for beer making, as well as vegetable and dairy
farming. George is an ideal base from where to explore the Garden Route
and Little Karoo areas. Excellent roads radiate from George – down to
the sea at The Wilderness and on to "The Lakes District", to historic
Mossel Bay and over the spectacular Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn. This
is an important timber area and the Passes Road is a scenic, but slower
alternative to Knysna, taking in some of the forests and missing out
part of the busier N2 on the coastal dunes below. Another way to Knysna
is to take the daily steam train on its often spectacular route along
the coast and past the lakes.
Bed & breakfast and self-catering
accommodation in George is offered at Erica B&B
HERMANUS,
THE OVERBERG
This popular seaside resort is one of the
premier whale watching spots along our coastline. Southern Right Whales
are found in Walker Bay between July and November each year when they
come to calve and nurse their offspring. Often they come very close to
the shore and can be easily viewed from the rocky promontories to be
found between the beaches of Hermanus. The beaches are linked together
by the scenic cliff path. Hermanus lies nestled between mountain and sea
and probably the best way to explore the mountains is to visit Fernkloof
Nature Reserve with its well preserved Cape fynbos and presented in a
beautiful setting.
Bed and breakfast
(B&B) and
self-catering accommodation in Hermanus (in the Overberg) can be viewed
on the Barford Haven page.
JOHANNESBURG,
GAUTENG
Johannesburg or Jo'burg as it is also affectionately known, is generally
regarded as the collection of suburbs, towns and cities that have grown
together to make the largest urban complex in Southern Africa. This is
also the busiest and most important commercial centre in Africa, with a
number of other superlatives to its name, including Africa's busiest
airport (most international flights to Southern Africa land at O.R.
Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park). Johannesburg was literally
built on gold and although most mines in the vicinity are now worked
out, a number of mine dumps, like artificial hills still lie scattered
along the old gold bearing reef from the West Rand through to the East
Rand. This most famous city of gold is really a much smaller area that
went into economic decline some years ago. Some signs of revival are now
under way, but most commerce, industry and luxury suburbs are now
located away from the old city centre in areas such as Sandton, Randburg,
Midrand and towns of the East and West Rand. Soweto the famous township
lies south-west of the city (Soweto = South-West Townships) and it is
possible to take an organised tour to this fascinating place. Aspects of
the attraction / theme park at Gold Reef City help capture a feeling of
Johannesburg in its heyday and it is also possible to go underground on
a tour of an old gold mine in the same complex.
Shopping
malls, theatres, restaurants, sight seeing opportunities and other
entertainment abound in vibrant Greater Johannesburg. Extensive freeways
link parts of the city as well as Pretoria / Tshwane. A modern high
speed rail system is currently being built to connect important parts of
Johannesburg and Pretoria with the international airport. It is hoped
that much of this system will be operating prior to South Africa hosting
the Soccer World Cup in 2010.
For
accommodation on this website, see
Sandton below and for Kempton Park,
accommodation is offered at
Afton Guest House
KNYSNA, THE GARDEN ROUTE
Separated from the sea by the majestic Knysna Heads, no
part of Knysna is ever very far from the aquatic influence of the Knysna
Lagoon. Take a pleasure cruise over its surface, cross over the centre
by steam train, eat oysters from its depths and view Knysna from a
myriad of angles. Brenton-on-Sea, a nearby has with impressive views
over the sea and beaches. This is the main beach area of "greater Knysna".
New accommodation listing expected from Knysna soon.
NELSPRUIT,
MPUMALANGA
The rapidly growing provincial capital of Mpumalanga,
Nelspruit is also the largest town in the Lowveld. The most recent major
development in the area is the opening of a new regional airport, making
it even easier to reach Nelspruit. The town is well serviced with shops,
restaurants and other facilities. The new regional shopping centre,
Riverside Mall is just outside town on the road to White River. Oranges,
sub-tropical fruit and nuts are grown extensively in the areas
surrounding Nelspruit. With extremely good access to to the many
attractions in the Lowveld / Bushveld , Nelspruit would be an ideal home
base for a couple of days. Apart from the Kruger National Park, other
attractions in the area include - the Lowveld Botanical Gardens
adjacent to the Nelspruit Waterfall, Sudwala Caves with the Dinosaur
Park close by and Barberton, where in the gold rush days of the 1800's,
it is reported that a reef so rich in gold was discovered, that it
sparkled in the sun.
For bed and breakfast
(B&B) accommodation in Nelspruit, contact
Edelweiss Bed and Breakfast.
PLETTENBERG BAY,
THE GARDEN ROUTE
"Plett" as it is affectionately known, has
some of the best beaches to grace our coastline. Framed by the Robberg
Peninsula on the one side and the Keurbooms Lagoon and Tsitsikamma
Mountains on the other, Plett looks down upon a bay that is often
visited by schools of dolphins, frequented by large black kelp gulls and
a beautiful shoreline, where once in a while a rare pansy shell may be
found. Small boats bring in catches of the day that grace tables at some
of the fine restaurants in the area. Ask your hosts
about the scenic drives in the area … to beaches and forest and
impressive cliff top view points.
Panoramic Blue B&B offers comfortable
bed & breakfast accommodation in Plettenberg Bay
PORT
ELIZABETH, EASTERN CAPE
Our hostesses and
hosts in the "Friendly City" welcome you to
their guest houses and homes, all positioned with easy
access to much that the visitor seeks. Magnificent
beaches stretch along an attractive beach front with
restaurants and fast food outlets. The newest addition to
the beachfront is the casino complex and entertainment
area. Another, more established complex comprises a
museum, snake park, bird aviary and aquarium /
dolphinarium. "The Apple Express", a narrow
gauge steam train, many remnants of the era of the
British 1820 settlers, including those found along the
Donkin Heritage Trail, are complimented by shops,
entertainment, sports facilities and restaurants of this
sophisticated city. Journey a little further out of Port
Elizabeth and take in the Addo Elephant Park or drive to
one of the malaria free game reserves near Grahamstown.
If you enjoy walking and the outdoors, you need look no
further than the Settlers Park in the city or Cape Recife
Nature Reserve between Port Elizabeth and the sea.
We offer accommodation at
Margate Place in Summerstrand and
Sylvesters
Guest House in Mill Park
SABIE,
MPUMALANGA
In a
most picturesque setting, Sabie, with its origins tracing back to a gold
discovery in 1895, is today better known as a forestry and tourism
centre. Scenic drives radiate out in all directions to points of
interest, making Sabie an ideal base from which to explore the region.
Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Long Tom Pass, Sudwala
Caves, the magnificent Panorama Route with its numerous waterfalls and
stunning views across the Lowveld (low lying areas including the Kruger
National Park) and the well preserved historic gold mining town of
Pilgrim's Rest, mean that at least two sightseeing days are recommended
here. It is also a pleasant drive down to the Kruger National Park and
back again after a day's game viewing.
Bed and breakfast
(B&B) accommodation at Villa Ticino in Sabie.
SANDTON, GAUTENG
A large, affluent suburban area and commercial centre,
boasting one of the largest shopping centre complexes in South Africa,
including Sandton City and Sandton Square. These shops appear to be
equally popular with discerning local shoppers as well as international
visitors. There are also many fine restaurants in the area. The rapidly
growing concentration of top class hotels and office blocks in these
parts supports the fact that this is one of the most important and
sought after business centres in our country. Good freeways provide easy
access to all parts of Greater Johannesburg (Gauteng Province) including
Midrand, Randburg and the airport. Kyalami Race Track and the
Lippinzaner horse centre are a few minutes away by car.
Bed and breakfast
(B&B) and
self-catering accommodation in Sandton can be viewed at
Inyoni Guest Cottages in Duxberry.
SEDGEFIELD, THE
GARDEN ROUTE
Regarded by many as being in the heart of the Garden
Route, Sedgefield is extremely well placed to explore the region - from
the Tsitsikamma Forests in the East to Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn to the
West and North respectively. This is too a large degree a holiday town
and with tree covered hills, lakes and sea, it has a picturesque setting
and is never too far away from water. A scheduled steam train line
passes through Sedgefield and is popular with visitors to the Garden
Route. Bird watching, walking trails along lake edges or through forests
or a round of golf are but some of the activities in this area.
For accommodation
close to Sedgefield, please see Wilderness and Knysna.
SOMERSET WEST
Dominated by the Helderberg ("clear mountain"),
Somerset West has developed as an affluent dormitory town to Cape Town.
With attractive suburbs, Somerset Mall a large regional shopping centre
and many other shops and restaurants in the town centre, Somerset West
is also an independent town in its own right. Along with adjoining
Strand and Gordon's Bay, it forms one of the largest urban areas in the
Western Cape outside of Cape Town. Somerset West is surrounded by some
of South Africa's best known wine estates and co-ops, many of them open
for wine tasting and offering meals at their estate restaurants. The
nearby beach resort areas of Strand and Gordon's Bay are clearly visible
from the hills of Somerset West. Cape Town itself is only about 60
kilometres away and historic Stellenbosch is even closer at 20
kilometres.
The accommodation closest to Somerset West, that we offer, is at
Aan-den-Weg near Stellenbosch
STELLENBOSCH,
THE WINELANDS
A vast number of historic buildings reflect the fact that this is the
second oldest town in South Africa. The oak trees, the historic
buildings and the university give Stellenbosch a special atmosphere and
have contributed towards making this town one of the most magnificent in
our land. The beautiful surrounding hills, mountains and valleys shelter
and nourish a wine and deciduous fruit industry that produces famous
wines and fruit of export quality. Much can be written about
Stellenbosch, but only a visit will begin to do justice to all that it
has to offer.
Aan-den-Weg offers
bed & breakfast accommodation on a wine and rose farm.
To view accommodation
in other parts of South Africa, click HERE
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