On the occasion when this picture was taken, we were visiting the park, staying at Gorah Elephant Camp, one of the luxury camps found within the park, and were on an afternoon safari. We came across these lions a few hundred meters from the camp. They were on their way to the camp to overnight with two other lionesses and the big dominant male, which was on the periphery. The young male shown here was reaching an age at which he would be kicked out of the pride fairly soon and was probably savouring the last few weeks or months with his family.

During the evening we enjoyed dinner and then were escorted to our tented rooms for the night by our ranger. We heard the pride of lions all night, grunting and roaring, clearly letting the rest of the animal kingdom know where they were and who was “King of the Addo”. Early the next morning, we found the pride again on our safari; they were very relaxed and did not seem very interested in moving on. Lions do sleep about 20 hours of the day away, so it was no surprise.

Visiting the Addo National Park is a must for any visitor venturing up or down the Garden Route of South Africa, as it offers a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a safari before or after the scenic drive along our southeastern coastline. Various accommodations, from budget to luxury, can be found around the Addo National Park, as well as in Port Elizabeth, as the park is only about 80 kilometres from the “Friendly City”, as it is locally known.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

No place on earth conjures up visions of teeming, exotic wildlife quite like the African continent, so it’s only fitting that the local fauna should sometimes be allowed to join in the fun too. The Safaricom Marathon takes place in June at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya and is famous for being the only race in the world where you get to run up against the local inhabitants. Despite cosy quarters with the Big Five, there have so far been no reports of animal attacks and experienced rangers patrol the circuit with the help of a spotter plane to make sure participants don’t end up as lunch.

The harsh terrain, high altitude and relentless equatorial sun make Kenya's 26-mile Safaricom Marathon particularly popular with professionals. One thousand runners from 20 countries have already signed themselves up for the 2010 event.

The event, which Runner’s World magazine described as “One of the top ten races to run in your life,” was set up to provide much-needed funding for wildlife conservation and community development projects across Kenya. It has so far raised over US$2 million, which has gone a long way to achieving the organisers’ goals of “using wildlife conservation as a catalyst to alleviate poverty, reduce conflict, and improve education and livelihoods in rural areas rich in biodiversity.”

Rally-ho!

Sticking with Kenya, the Rhino Charge – held deep in the bush at a different location each year – raises money for wildlife conservation in Aberdare National Park, home of the endangered black rhino. This annual off-road 4×4 rally is wildly popular with car lovers from all over the world, eager to test their mettle on the gruelling trail.

Going strong in Kenya since 1989, Rhino Charge is an exciting competition that requires a high level of skill in off-road driving and navigation

Rocks, rivers, ravines, hills, wildlife and countless other obstacles all conspire to make the rally as tricky as possible and few will stay the course. That does not seem to deter the many competitors, though, and last year a record of 48 teams raised a total of over 64 million Kenyan shillings (US$807,300). Rhino Ark, the event’s charity organisers, plan to use the money on construction of an electric perimeter fence for the park.

Monkey Business

Uganda has its own rally in the form of the 4×4 Chimp Challenge, near Kampala. Competitors try their driving luck at a skills trial, relay race, mud run, balance beam and a blindfolded trial. There are also plenty of activities for those too small to see over the steering wheel!

The balance beam is just one of many tests of skill facing competitors in Uganda's 4x4 Chimp Challenge

“Participants’ approaches range from the quietly confident to the wildly exuberant with varying degrees of success, which all makes for a great day out,” says Patrick Shah, who, as a keen off-roader and the owner of The Far Horizon travel company, the whl.travel local connection for Uganda, has first-hand experience of the event.

As the name suggests, the event aims to raise money for Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, on Lake Victoria, which cares for chimps rescued and confiscated in Uganda.

Kidding Around

Described as ‘East Africa’s premier social occasion,’ the Royal Ascot Goat Races is Uganda’s answer to the pomp and silly-hat-wearing splendour of Britain’s own Royal Ascot, but without the horses, Their Royal Highnesses or a bevy of C-list British celebrities.

A great excuse to get dolled up in all your finery, Kampala's Royal Ascot Goat Races are a big hit on Uganda's social scene

Started as a fundraiser for Entebbe Sailing Club in 1993, the race was so popular that it has since developed into a huge international event that attracts thousands and raises millions of Ugandan shillings for local charities. Its popularity is such that similar events are now held in Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Nairobi (Kenya).

Mollusc Mania

In addition to its newfound fame as a footie mecca, South Africa also has a well-deserved reputation as one of the sportiest nations on the continent. The annual 10-day Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival in July is one of the Garden Route‘s most popular events with around 65,000 visitors and a great fun-for- the-whole-family vibe, equally loved by sporty types, gourmands or those just looking to let off a little steam.

The ancient, indigenous forests of Knysna make the Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour a particularly scenic and popular race in South Africa

Currently in its 27th year, it is more than just a celebration of the famous Knysna oyster; it’s an opportunity for paddling, angling, soccer, night biking, bowls, rugby, adventure races and golf. The main attractions are the Pick n Pay Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon and the two-day Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour through the beautiful local forests, which have become popular with amateurs and professionals alike. So even if you’re not a fan of molluscs, there’s still plenty to get your muscles a movin’!

Wacky Races

The whl.travel local connection for Swaziland, Darron Raw of Swazi Trails, also organises an adrenaline-fuelled event known as the Swazi Xtreme held yearly in August. Described as having a “a proud tradition of challenging competitors with race routes that incorporate awesome natural features, friendly rural people and an atmosphere of risk and reward,” the adventure race has become a big hit garnering plenty of media coverage.

Giving something back to the communities through which the competitors pass is a key concern and local accommodations, staff and facilities are used wherever possible. A successful sponsorship partnership with a major food company even provided three local primary schools with food for a year – definitely not something to be sniffed at!

And Finally, Something for the Masochists…

As the toughest foot race on earth, the Marathon des Sables has a fearsome reputation for making grown men weep. Taking place in Morocco’s scorching, wind-swept Sahara Desert – where midday temperatures reach 48 degrees Celsius – this six-day endurance race covers 243km, or roughly a marathon a day. Runners have to lug all of their kit except for water, which is strictly rationed, so you can see why a penchant for pain is a prerequisite.

Temperatures can soar to 48 degrees Celsius and sand storms are par for the course on the gruelling Marathon des Sables in Morocco's Sahara Desert (courtesy of Flickr/USACE Europe District)

It’s not all blood, sweat, tears and festering blisters, though. The stark desert scenery is absolutely breathtaking and the camaraderie amongst the participants makes it the experience of a lifetime. But if you fancy a little self-punishment you’ll have to get to the back of the line. Believe it or not, there’s currently a three-year waiting list!

This African Gospel Church - a structure like many in the townships - is in the Langa Township in the Flats outside Cape Town

So what are you to do? Are there reasonably priced accommodation options anywhere in South Africa? How can one find exciting and responsible travel options beyond the pomp of a month of games? And, as we’ve written about already, is there any way of ensuring that some of the money spent will be fairly distributed, so that the inflated profits benefit as wide a cross-section of people as possible, not just the already rich and powerful?

Opportunism and Exploitation

We’ve seen a growing number of articles decrying the avarice of accommodation owners in South Africa as they set special room rates to laughably outrageous levels. “Research this week on Hotels.com UK website showed that the four-star, centrally located Cape Town Lodge Hotel, which from May 28 to June 5 charges £68 per room per night, is raising its rate on June 11, when the tournament gets under way, to £395,” reported Travelmole in mid-December 2009. “Hotel rates always rise during big sporting events: during the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Sydney (2000) they were three times the usual level. But the increases in South Africa almost match those made during the Beijing Olympics, when hoteliers were accused of exploitation.”

The lion is one of the Big Five found in Kruger National Park, the country’s largest game reserve and a superb place for a safari (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

“The World Cup has brought out the worst in some sectors of the tourism industry both in South Africa and abroad, but it seems that this is a phenomenon that follows every big event of this sort,” added Martin Hatchuel, the South African travel writer who publishes www.thistourismweek.co.za. “I have had quite a bit of contact with people in Australia who tell me that Sydney suffered a decline in tourism in the three years following its Olympics – and the reason most people seemed to have for avoiding the city as a destination was ‘greed.’ So South Africa is not alone.”

Given the price gouging and apparent absence of reasonable oversight, one real fear is that not only will little of any profits actually reach the local level, but that any backlash suffered as a result of unfair market practices will hurt locals the most.

Finding a Fair Room

One way of helping to make a small difference – and help redress some of the possible imbalances – is to book accommodation and tours with locally run, small-scale lodges and tour operators, especially those committed to bringing opportunity to the townships. This is not only in keeping with FIFA’s social development policy of providing support to community-based organisations, it also provides alternative lodging options in World Cup host cities where exploitative pricing is now evident.

In fact, continued Hatchuel, “It seems to me that the people who are being most sensible about this World Cup are those who own the smaller accommodation establishments and other small tourism businesses.”

To help the price-daunted World Cup fan, below is a list of off-the-beaten-track lodging options on offer through whl.travel, in some cases the only online booking service available for these properties. While other hotels are charging outlandish rates, these B&Bs promise not to bamboozle their customers. Their rates will be higher than usual, but still most definitely a bargain, especially considering the unbeatable cultural experience of life in a South African township (especially during the World Cup) and the assurance that the money spent is actually reaching the people.

Cape Town

• Kopanong
• Liziwe’s Guest House
• Majoro’s B&B
• Malebo’s Bed and Breakfast
• Ma Neo’s
• Ndibovayo Bed and Breakfast
• Radebe’s B&B
• Vicky’s Bed and Breakfast

Mossel Bay (on the Garden Route, midway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth)

• Polani’s Xhosa Homestay
• Yonwaba Sesotho Homestay

Meeting the People

Whether or not alternative accommodation is key, meeting the people and experiencing the country should be. In a previous blog post, we’ve already proposed community or nature tours and activities in or near the World Cup host cities. What follows is a more targeted list to help zero in.

Traditional Xhosa dancers in South Africa perform for guests at a Mossel Bay township's first non-alcoholic shabeen and day-care centre

Cape Town
whl.travel offers access to a variety of community-based cultural and volunteer experiences, including:

• half-day, full-day and three-day township tours, and
• extended (28-day) volunteer adventures involving cheetahs, lions, monkeys, surfing and outreach to children.

Nelspruit
Nelspruit is quite close to Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route, as well as within several hour’s drive of the Mpumalanga Highlands.

All three are superb destinations with a broad offering of nature-oriented and outdoor activities, like river rafting, geckoiing, mountain biking, zip-line flying, rock abseiling, mountain boarding and following an aerial cable trail over a forest.

Animal enthusiasts will find satisfaction in visits to the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre for abandoned, injured and poisoned wildlife or to an elephant sanctuary.

Geckoiing is the use of a small raft steered using webbed gloves. It is one of the best ways to have fun with family and friends.

Port Elizabeth and the Garden Route
In Port Elizabeth, both a Shebeen Tour and a Real City Tour bring travellers to the heart of township life, while the Addo Tour spends a day at the famous Addo Elephant National Park.

Further west, along the Garden Route, a Meet the People Tour out of Mossel Bay is an absolute must, although a coastal cliff hike, game drive in Fynbos or horseback ride through a private game preserve are also a treat.

The Day After It’s Over

Not long after Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, declared “This World Cup belongs to Africa!” on the day of the World Cup 2010 draw, Nelson Mandela, appearing via video link, closed a short speech by saying that “The people of Africa have learned the lessons of patience and endurance in their long struggle for freedom. May the reward brought by the World Cup prove that the long wait for its arrival on African soil has been worth it.”

It’s time to wonder if the reward, so promising in principle, is still out of reach in practice because of misguided expectations about who is coming to the World Cup, how much they can afford and how widely they will travel after it’s all over.

“I think that the organisers of the World Cup and the tourism authorities in South Africa have missed – or failed to communicate – one important piece of intelligence: the demographics of the average soccer traveller,” said Hatchuel. “I have a suspicion that most of them will be males in the 24-32 year bracket, and if that’s the case, I expect they’ll be sticking to the host cities, and looking for the parties rather than travelling round the country.”

If that does turn out to be true, then it’s even more important that the mindful minority shows genuine interest in more than just sport and partying, both during the World Cup and after it’s over. South Africa can’t afford to suffer as Sydney did for its greed.

“This World Cup belongs to Africa!” declared Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, at the Cape Town Convention Centre on 5 December 2009, the long-awaited day of the World Cup 2010 draw. Needless to say, since then, Africa’s already considerable pride at hosting the world’s most popular sporting event grows by the day, in lock step with the excitement of soccer fanatics from all across the continent (and around the world) eagerly awaiting kickoff of the first game – South Africa versus Mexico in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium at 4pm local time on 11 June 2010.

Supporters of Bafana Bafana, the South Africa national soccer team (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

The success of the World Cup will however be measured by more than just the tenacity of the teams. Nearly 500,000 people are expected to visit South Africa from game 1 until the finals precisely one month later. Their presence comes as an important economic injection, especially in the tourism sector, as the hordes head out to experience the country.

So, as a primer for the independent traveller in South Africa during the games – the traveller passionate about soccer, but also about meeting and making a difference with the local communities hosting the games – here’s a quick overview of how between games you can connect with the people, just a small but important step in being a good guest.

On the World Cup Trail

Nine cities will be the stage for the 2010 World Cup: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Pretoria, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth and Rustenburg.

The spread of destinations covers a great deal of the country, facilitating discovery of the diversity of regions and people.

Johannesburg

The opening match, nine other first-round matches, two second-round matches, two quarter finals and the finals will all be held in Johannesburg’s two venues: Ellis Park and Soccer City stadiums. Despite its bad reputation, Jo’burg is the financial hub of South Africa and a city full of life and interesting sights.

The busy city centre of Johannesburg

In between games is a perfect opportunity to take them in, not the least of which are the Museum of Apartheid, Soweto or other townships, the Mai-Mai market and the botanic gardens. Perhaps the best way to get to them and understand their significance is on any of several emotion-packed Johannesburg day tours possible through Urban Adventures.

Jo’burg is also within easy reach of two other game venues: Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, both sites of five first-round and one second-round matches.

Cape Town

Cape Town’s Cape Town Stadium will welcome 70,000 spectators to each of five first-round, one second-round, one quarter-final and one semi-final matches. More commonly known as the ‘Mother City’, Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most storied cities. Naming Cape Town’s top five attractions – Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, the Winelands and Cape Point – conveys some of its richness but only just scratches the surface, for there is a great deal more to see and do.

Wine tasting and cellar tours are favourite pastimes in the Cape Winelands. These Franschhoek vineyards are a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Cape Town.

As in Jo’burg, Cape Town tours are highly recommended, not only because they can help you get to places a little difficult to reach but because the accompanying guides put you in the right frame of mind to understand the important but sometimes intangible historical contexts, especially on Robben Island, where many political prisoners were incarcerated, including Nelson Mandela for over 20 years; the Cape Winelands, a perfect retreat for wine lovers; and any of several township and volunteer experiences that show you a different side of Cape life.

Cape Town is a good launch point for travel along South Africa’s famous Garden Route, an unspoiled and often inaccessible coastal corridor rich with wetlands, dunes, rivers, ancient forests, beaches, lakes, mountains and indigenous flora and fauna. Beyond its eastern reaches lies the seaside city of Port Elizabeth, whose Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be the site of five first-round and one second-round matches, as well as a quarter-final game and the third-place playoff.

Nelspruit

The city of Nelspruit is the smallest of the host locations, a community of approximately 200,000 people who will welcome four first-round matches to their Mbombela Stadium.

Giraffes are commonly sighted in Kruger National Park, also home to the Big 5, Little 5 and the Birding Big 6

Nelspruit brings two of South Africa’s most tantalising natural wonders into easy reach: Kruger National Park, which is the country’s largest game reserve and a superb place for a safari; and the dramatic Panorama Route, just a short drive from Nelspruit. Both destinations offer an array of adrenalin-pumping outdoor activities, most of which are conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner involving both briefings about local flora and fauna and proactive measures to minimise impact on the environment.

Nelspruit could also be a point of departure to reach Polokwane, 300 kilometres to its northwest, where the Peter Mokaba Stadium will see four first-round matches. To reach Polokwane from Nelspuit, one could detour west across the nature-rich rolling hills of the Mpumalanga Highlands, where outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of activities from which to choose.

Bloemfontein and Durban

Both Bloemfontein and Durban will host five first-round matches and one second-round match each in their Free State Stadium and Moses Mabhida Stadium, respectively. One semi-final game will also be played in Durban.

Bloemfontein, South Africa’s judicial capital, is popularly referred to as the ‘City of Roses’ due in part to its floral displays and annual Bloem Show (late April/early may), the largest agricultural and entertainment show in the country.

Coastal and cosmopolitan, Durban is the place to go for sun, sea and sand. Most city attraction are found along its Golden Mile of beach, including uShaka Marine World (one of the world’s largest aquariums) and Wilson’s Wharf (the trendy shopping and dining distrinct) on the Victoria Embankment, where there’s no shortage of restaurants and nightclubs.