Destinations Africa (2013)

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CAPE TOWN MUST-DO MOROCCO ACTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

s n o i t a n i t s De FRICA A

TOP SAFARIS The very best of the Big Five

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

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Smiles at 10,000ft

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Abseil down Table Mountain

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south africa > ADRENALINE RUSHES

Push yourself to the limit South Africa is a playground for thrillseekers, whether you want to throw yourself from a great height or dive with great whites. Strap in and put yourself to the test Words ALASDAIR MORTON

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f you want to push yourself to the limit, there is no better place to get the heart racing than South Africa. Take a deep breath and dive in!

Skydiving Leaping out of a perfectly good aeroplane at 10,000ft, strapped to someone who was a stranger until 20 minutes prior –this is a sure way to get the blood pumping. Freefalling at speeds of up to 120mph, the relief when

fASt fActS WHEN TO GO The summer runs from November through to April, but September is the best time to visit the country as the weather is still enjoyable and there are fewer tourists through which to fight.

ACCOMMODATION Cape Town’s Observatory is a top destination for those looking for the active lifestyle. A fun-filled part of the city, there are backpacker hostels galore. Dorm beds from about £8pn.

the ‘chute opens and you can take in the stunning scenery is an experience you can’t afford to pass up. if you want to take it a little slower, then try paragliding. You get the views without the terminal velocity!

HOW: Cape Extreme offers tandem jumps from £147 (cape-xtreme.com).

Abseiling Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain – not the most adrenaline-fuelled pursuit – but then turn it up a notch by strapping in and walking backwards down its face from the 3000ft+ summit. Trust us, no matter how impervious to vertigo you think you are, this one will have your heart in your mouth in no time.

HOW: From £15 (iafrica.com).

Shark diving Being a mere few feet away from one of nature’s most

fearsome predators is an experience likely to have you quaking in your wetsuit. if you can get the Jaws theme out of your head, it’s a nature encounter like no other.

HOW: From £100 with Marine Dynamics Shark Tours (sharkwatchsa.com).

Wakeboarding and sandboarding if you want a rush that has less chance of you ending up as something’s dinner, stick

closer to shore and try wakeboarding, where you’ll skim through the foamy surf towed by a speedboat. it’s a real workout, but damn good heart-pumping fun. Or why not give sandboarding a go, where you can ‘ride’ the coast’s dunes like a seasoned pro on a plank of wood or modified snowboard.

HOW: Try wakeboarding from £22 (wakesa.com).

Sandboarding from £35 (southafrica.info). >> GETTING THERE Virgin Atlantic flies direct from London Heathrow to Cape Town from £899 return. virgin-atlantic.com

JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA

CAPE TOWN

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

Silly fun: ostrich riding

Go faster: try wakeboarding

River rafting Taking in the astouding scenery from the comfort of an inflatable is a beautiful way to explore this wondrous country, so strap in and prepare to enjoy the white water thrills that the Doring River, in the Western Cape province, offers. You’lll get wet and wild, for sure!

HOW: Two-day trips from £48 (adventure-village.co.za).

Bloukrans Bungy: the world’s highest

BEST BEACHES Want to kick back after all that crazy action?

South Africa is home to some of the most jaw-dropping collections of sand-and-surf the world has produced.

Bungee jumping Tie a strip of elastic round your ankles, take a deep breath, and place your life in the hands of those tasked with making sure you don’t hit the bottom – bungee is a test of courage, but one that’s well worth it. Check out the 708ft high Bloukrans Bungy in Plettenberg Bay (two hours from Cape Town) – the world’s highest bungee jump. If plunging face-first into the gorge isn’t your thing, try moseying along the catwalk that has been specially designed to let you saunter over the top of the arch of the bridge, giving you incredible views over the countryside and mountains beyond.

HOW: Jumps from £55 (faceadrenalin.com).

Boulders Beach, part of Table Mountain National Park, is a top destination for some penguinspotting, and the town of Hermanus, on the Western Cape, is know as one of the world’s best land-based whale-watching sites.

And then there’s Port Elizabeth’s beautiful beaches – Kings Beach and Humewood Beach especially, which offer some of the best swimming and surfing you’ll ever find.

It looks silly and it’s much harder than it looks, but it is also great fun – that’s all you need to know about this must-not-miss SA activity that will give you one of the weirder photos to bring home for your mates. Travelling is all about unique experiences, right?

HOW: Rides from £7 for 45mins (cangoostrich.co.za).

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Boulders Beach, Cape Town

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Ostrich riding

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

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Jemaa el-Fna square by night

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Koutoubia Mosque

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Fresh produce

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28/02/2013 17:15:36

morocco > marrakech

The wonders of Marrakech This Moroccan city can bring life-altering culture shocks and great peace and relaxation within moments of each other – here’s what not to miss Words MICHAEL GADD

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here’s something to tickle every fancy in vibrant Marrakech, from phenomenal shopping and entertainment to some of the most delicious delicacies. Be prepared for a full-on assault on the senses and brace yourself for an experience totally different to anything you’ve ever had before.

Visit the Jemaa el-Fna square Watch the heartbeat of Marrakech evolve throughout the day from an outdoor seat of

FaSt FactS WHEN TO GO Summer is sweltering (June-August). Winter is quite mild, but rammed with tourists. Spring and autumn are best, especially November and February when temps range 10˚C-25˚C. ACCOMMODATION Hotels in Marrakech’s medina are reasonably priced away from peak times, with doubles starting at around £30pn.

Hostels from £5.50 for a dorm bed.

one of its adjoining cafes. By day, the city’s main square has everything from snake charmers to orange juice vendors. By night, the aromas from the food stalls are like nowhere else. the dining options are entertainment unto themselves, complemented by the myriad performers – dancers, drummers, musicians and storytellers. A tourism baptism by fire, this is a manic melting pot of no-holdsbarred Moroccan culture.

HOW: Operating hours are 9am-1am (later during Ramadan). Two people can eat well for £10.

Shop in the souks Some go to Morocco solely for the shopping – from the exotic bargains to simply being part of the hustle and bustle, it’s an experience to savour. And while every Moroccan town has its own souk quarter, few get close to matching the maze of markets in Marrakech’s medinas.

Find handicrafts, souvenirs, spices, vibrant fabrics, carpets

HOW: Viator’s three-and-a-half-hour Souks and Medinas of Marrakech tour is £12.18.

Includes guided shopping tour and a visit to a herbalist (viator.com).

Drink mint tea there are few greater simple pleasures than seeing an aromatic mint tea, brewed with care, being poured from a height. the sugary delight is the national drink and watching it being made is relaxing in itself.

You’ll understand what the locals mean when they say “insha’Allah” (“ god willing, all good things will come with time”). At the very least, tasty tea does. And don’t even think about trying to avoid it – no matter where you go in Morocco, someone will foist a mint tea on you.

HOW: Away from the crowds, Cafe Des Epices (Place Rahba Lakdima) is ideal for an authentic tea and a well-priced feed, with the menu ranging from £3-£8. >> GETTING THERE Fly direct from London to Marrakech with Ryanair or easyJet from £235 return. ryanair.com easyjet.com

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and a multitude of other trinkets. Don’t forget to haggle. tntmagazine.com/destinations TNT_1540_95 95

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

Spicy shopping

Go local at Jemaa el-Fna square

See historic palaces and monuments Large chunks of Marrakech are Unesco World Heritagelisted, so to walk down any street is a historical journey. El Badi Palace (near Place des Ferblantiers, entry about 71p) is now a sandy-coloured relic but imagine it in its former splendour as a 16th-century royal home covered in gold, turquoise and crystal. Kasbah’s Saadian Tombs (near Kasbah Mosque; entrance 71p) date back to sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603) while the Koutoubia mosque’s great square tower and shining copper globes are something to behold.

HOW: Local Marrakech Tours offers a three-hour guided walking highlights tour for around just £13 per punter (localmarrakechtours.com).

Moroccan baths

Sweet mint tea

MUST-DO MOROCCO Fés Ancient Fès is the oldest of the imperial cities and for many the heart of Moroccan culture, a place of great beauty but also an assault on the senses. It has to be seen to be believed.

Meknès Possibly the most striking if not the best known or most convenient of the imperial cities.

The fact it’s often forgotten as a tourist trap makes it a much more laid-back Moroccan experience.

Essaouira This is a more relaxed version of Morocco, big on art and beach culture. Stay a while and learn to surf or try kitesurfing.

steam bath and massage, or many other pampering treatments, will get you back on an even keel. Sexes are divided at these ancient chill-out parlours, which were originally for everyday bathing and socialising. Each hammam differs, from the basic baths to the opulent. For some the massages are a perverse form of semi-nude torture, but it’s short-term pain to feel mighty cleansed.

HOW: Get a 45-minute full-body black soap exfoliation for £20 at Heritage Spa (heritagespamarrakech.com).

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The fortified town of Essaouira

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

A day battling the souks may bring you to your knees and call for something totally relaxing. Well, Morocco has that covered in spectacular style. A visit to hammam for a

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

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Spot leopards in Malawi

Catch the migration in the Serengeti

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See elephant herds in Botswana

Zebras run with the wildebeest (above)

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Namibia is home to the rare black rhino

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Track lions in Majete Wildlife Reserve

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

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XXXCOUNTRY AFRICA > XXXLOCATION > SAFARIS

Going on safari?

It’s on everyone’s bucket list: seeing the Big Five. Africa’s national parks offer multiple opportunities to do just that. Here are our top tips for spotting the lot Words Helen elfer

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or some safari-goers, their trip is all about species spotting: seeing as many of the Big Five (lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and rhino) and more as they can.

For others it’s more about experiencing one-off natural wonders and soaking up the feeling of adventure on a journey through some of the world’s most sensational landscapes. However you experience it, going on safari is bound to be memorable.

Tanzania BEST FOR: Migrating wildebeest and zebra Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park are all good places to see the incredible sight of 100,000 wildebeest and zebras crossing the grassland savannah – a real natural wonder.

Camping safaris in this region come highly recommended – you’ll feel as though you’re genuinely out in the wilderness.

MORE: tanzaniaparks.com

Botswana

BEST FOR: Elephant herds Water in Botswana’s Chobe National Park gets scarce

Kenya

during September to October. Bad news for the animals

One of Africa’s most popular safari destinations is the

– great news for tourists, as this means elephant and buffalo gather round the Chobe riverfront in their hundreds to enjoy a nice drink. In the cooler winter months (April to October)

Masai Mara Reserve, where there are lions, buffalo, elephants, leopards and rhino in abundance. But even after you’ve ticked off all these fellas, you can hope to

you’ll get to see herds of zebra, buffalo, giraffe and

see plenty more, including zebra and giraffes, while the

wildebeest here too.

MORE: botswanatourism.co.bw

Mara and Talek rivers are brimming over with hippos and crocodiles.

MORE: masaimara.org

BEST FOR: Seeing the Big Five

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Malawi

BEST FOR: Lion spotting Big Five fanatics are always after the next new place to go on safari and, at the moment, their tongues are wagging

BEST FOR: Black rhinoceros The Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is home to the

about the Majete Wildlife Reserve. A group of lions were brought here in 2012 as were two more leopards – meaning

endangered black rhinoceros – which was declared extinct in western Africa last year. As well as the chance to spot this

all of the Big Five are represented in the reserve. This marks a real turnaround for Majete, which was ravaged by

increasingly rare beast, you’ll have opportunities to see giraffes, elephants, lions and often even cheetahs and

poachers in the 1990s.

MORE: malawitourism.com

leopards too.

MORE: etoshanationalpark.co.za

Namibia

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DESTINATIONS AFRICA

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GETTING THERE Fly from London Gatwick to Cape Town, via Dubai, from £631 with Emirates. emirates.com

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Mandela’s cell

Meet the locals

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Be sure to hit the beaches Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

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Hitting the Town Chilled-out beaches, stunning mountains, rolling vineyards, party people and stacks of history – you’d have to be mad to miss out on Cape Town. Fact!

Words laura chubb

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t’s not hard to see why Cape Town is South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction. This city is a thrill-a-minute, from the dramatic natural beauty of the landscape to its tumultuous past and vibrant present. Here are our top picks for making the most of it.

Robben Island

WHAT: An essential Cape Town experience is a trip to Robben Island, where you can visit the prison in which Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in jail. The island in Table Bay, around 6.9km from the shore, served as a place of banishment between the 17th and 20th centuries, and is

surrounding wine country. A 30-minute drive from the city is Constantia Valley, the oldest wine-growing area in South Africa, with 10 farms for you to explore (and, more importantly, get a taste of the produce).

HOW: We recommend Groot Constantia, where cellar tours are run every hour, on the hour, from 10am until 4pm, seven days a week. Tours with tastings included are every two hours from 10am until 4pm, and cost around £3. constantiavalley.com

Llandudno Beach

WHAT: Another thing Cape Town does exceptionally well is

now a World Heritage Site and museum. Catch a ferry

beaches, so don’t forget to take a day to bum around.

from Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront.

HOW: Ferries depart daily. Tours take 3.5 hours, including the 2.5-hour return ferry trip. Tickets are about £17. robben-island.org.za

Llandudno on Victoria Road is particularly spectacular, a stretch of pristine sand hemmed by rocky points on either side and in the shadow of Table Mountain. It’s a popular

Table Mountain

WHAT: A trip up flat-topped Table Mountain is not to be missed. At 3558ft high, it offers an epic view of the city below and the Cape Peninsula. If you’re feeling energetic,

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

Photos: Getty, Thinkstock

SOUTH AFRICA > CAPE TOWN

take the two-hour hike to the top. Fancy being lazy? You can ride the cable car.

HOW: A return cable car ticket costs around £15, or get a couple of pounds off if you book online. tablemountain.net

Wine tours

WHAT: You can’t rock up in Cape Town and not visit the

surf spot, too, with a hollow beach break.

HOW: There’s parking available for 35 vehicles, but this is a popular place, so you might want to forget the hassle of bringing your own wheels. Access to the beach is free. capetown.gov.za

V&A Waterfront

WHAT: In the heart of Cape Town’s working harbour, this cosmopolitan hubbub offers smart restaurants, bars, street performers and stunning views. It’s the place to experience the city’s modern buzz. Expect troupes of fire breathers, jugglers, and traditional African dancers on the quayside.

HOW: Trading hours are from 9am until 9pm. waterfront.co.za tntmagazine.com/destinations

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