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.

That said, it’s hard to find a subject that stirs as much pride, interest, passion and debate as a discussion of cuisine. Getting to grips with the local grub is as much a part of the travel experience as immersing oneself in the local culture, engaging with local people and learning the local lingo; it is definitely one of the highlights of any trip.

Thanks to the efforts of our whl.travel and Urban Adventures local partners around the globe, we’ve managed to assemble a pretty extensive selection of typical local appetisers, soups and stews, main dishes, vegetarian dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks and street foods, many even with recipes, but all recommended by inside local experts.

So start by using our photo gallery below, limber up your jaw and start munching!

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Appetisers

Soups & Stews

Main Dishes

Vegetarian Dishes

Desserts

Drinks

Snacks & Street Food

The flightless dung beetle is an endangered species, one of the largest populations of which is in the Eastern Cape of South Africa (photo courtesy of Riverbend Lodge)

Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa

Not far from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, is a must-see destination for wildlife fanatics. Launched in 1931 as a conservation area for the preservation of only 11 elephants, Addo Elephant National Park now boasts over 400 pachyderms on its reserve. It is also home to elephants, buffalos, rhinos and lions, protected from the past carnage of unregulated poaching. Today, travellers can enjoy an Addo Safari and see the dense African elephant population in its safe haven, along with the rest of the Big Seven – the Big Five plus great white sharks and southern right whales! If you appreciate the small things in life too, Addo is one of the only places to see the unique flightless dung beetle, integrating perfectly into the Addo ecosystem and providing an important cleanup service in the area.

Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia, is home to the rare tarsiers, one of the smallest primates in the world, known for their small bodies, long tails and bulbous eyes. As you can see, they have the largest eye-to-head ratio of all mammals!

Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Get into the thick of it. Outside Manado in the north of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island, is the rainforest of the Tangkoko Batuangus Mountain Nature Reserve. Here, from the village of Tanduk Rusa, near the city of Bitung, travellers can climb Mount Tangkoko and take in the 8745 hectares of Tangkoko National Park‘s wild jungle landscape of endemic flora and fauna. Many rare species are in residence, including the Sulawesi black ape (Celebes crested macaque), maleo bird, cuscus, red-knobbed hornbill, reptiles and snakes. Additionally, the is home to the rare and endangered spectral tarsier, one of the world’s smallest primates. These adorable creatures with huge ogling eyes and long tails can be seen sleeping in the treetops during the daytime. In Sulawesi, the tarsier represents love, as it is monogamous and can be seen entangling its tail with its lifetime mate.

Sian Ka’an, Mexico

Cancun, Mexico, is probably best known as a stopover for cruise ships and a top tropical beach getaway (especially during the North American spring break) littered with all-inclusive resorts. Intrepid travellers in search of nature should, however, not be deterred! Not far from the exquisite sandy coastline and cheap tequila is the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, an ecological sanctuary of mangroves and forests, where exotic plants and animals runneth over. As the first biosphere reserve in Mexico, Sian Ka’an (meaning ‘where the sky is born’ is Mayan) is now also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and populated by monkeys, jaguars, snakes, reptiles and hundreds of bird species, making it an animal and bird watcher’s paradise! As if that isn’t enough, the sanctuary contains Mayan ruins dating back 2,300 years and shares a border with the second largest coral reef in the world, one often visited by endangered sea turtles that lay eggs on the beach.

Angel Falls, located in Canaima National Park of Bolivar State, Venezuela, are the highest waterfalls in the world. Most of the water actually evaporates before it ever reaches the ground.

Canaima National Park, Venezuela

Home to Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall (16 times taller than Niagara), Canaima National Park is located in southern Venezuela and about the same size as Belgium. Canaima was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique tepui tabletop mountains and the diverse landscapes and climates it encompasses, from tropical lowland forests to high mountain peaks. This environmental medley means it plays host to approximately 9000 plant species not seen anywhere else and is sanctuary to several endangered species, including jaguars, giant armadillos, ocelots, giant anteaters and giant river otters. Canaima is also considered an ornithologist’s nirvana, with hundreds of migrating birds congregating here during the winter. Keep your binoculars handy!

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park, in the Kvarner region of northern Croatia, is widely considered one of the most beautiful places on earth. What could easily be the setting of a fairytale – 16 lakes, cascading waterfalls, pristine forests, serene meadows and unique karst formations – have earned it a spot on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. It is a wonderful place to escape into for the fresh mountain air, colourful plant life and a trek through unspoiled nature on the raised walking trails. The park is also home to many woodland species, both familiar and rare, including brown bears, lynx, grey wolves, foxes, wild boars and many different types of birds.

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.

Notable as the locations of some of Africa’s preeminent water-sport destinations, Port Elizabeth and Addo National Park lie halfway between Cape Town and Durban on South Africa’s Eastern Cape. With a moderate climate and pleasant temperatures all year round, Port Elizabeth – more affectionately known as P.E. or the Friendly City by locals – and the surrounding region also offer exciting activities to terrestrial sports enthusiasts, nature lovers and history buffs alike.

Traditional wear in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, is still regularly seen. These two ladies are a prime example of the Xhosa heritage common throughout the province and in cities like Port Elizabeth.

Port Elizabeth enjoys the natural shelter of Algoa Bay, the sight of which is enhanced by the city’s distinctive Victorian architecture. Up close, the discerning traveller can get the best sense of the area by taking a Port Elizabeth tour, such as the Real City Tour, which gives visitors a true taste of South Africa and its contrasts, or the Shebeen Tour to pay a visit to some local townships and their historic taverns. A visit to a local museum, a hike on one of the region’s many nature trails, a day of whale watching or a round of golf at the Humewood Golf Course are also holiday favourites.

About an hour’s drive north of Port Elizabeth is South Africa’s third largest park, Addo Elephant National Park. Established in 1931 to save elephants on the verge of extinction, it is a refuge for elephants, as well as black rhinos, Cape buffalos and others. A safari game drive is a must for animal lovers and anyone wishing to catch a glimpse the Big Five. Whether you decide to stay near the park in an Addo-area forest lodge or other Port Elizabeth hotels found in nearby game reserves and towns, you’re never far from great animal action.

www.travel-easterncape.com is whl.travel’s eighth destination portal in the Republic of South Africa and now connects travellers to the Eastern Cape and some of the country’s most beautiful beaches through Lyon Tours & Safaris. Speaking on behalf of the team, Neil Lyons says “One can find the world in the Eastern Cape and yet you will not find another Eastern Cape in the world. We are very positive and excited about our partnership with whl.travel and are looking forward to an extremely successful website. It is great to know that whl.travel is passionate about sustainable development.” (Neil and the team actively strive to promote sustainable tourism establishments by recommending them to clients.) “We hope, together with whl.travel, to improve the lives of some of the underprivileged individuals in the Eastern Cape. In creating awareness through travel and tourism, we can help benefit local communities and create enhancement programmes for these communities. This in turn, helps conservation throughout the communities, protecting our natural and cultural heritage.”

Port Elizabeth is a proud host city of the World Cup in 2010, along with Cape Town, Johannesburg and Nelspruit, which is near the Panorama Route and Western Kruger. Other whl.travel South African destinations include the Cape Winelands and the Garden Route.

For more articles about South Africa, visit the whl.travel blog’s regional page on Southern Africa. See our whl.travel Flickr photostream for pictures from South Africa.

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IN AFRIKAANS

Port Elizabeth en Addo Nationale Park word gesien as twee van Afrika se mees prominente watersport bestemmings. Dit le halfpad tussen Kaapstad en Durban in Suid-Afrika se Oos-Kaap en spog met ‘n goeie klimaat en aangename temperature reg deur die jaar. Port Elizabeth, of P.E en die ‘Vriendelike Stad’ – so genome deur sy inwoners – en die omringende omgewing bied ‘n verskeidenheid aktiwiteite aan sport entoesiaste, natuurliefhebbers en diegene met ‘n belagstellin in die geskiedenis van die area.

The Eastern Cape of South Africa has some excellent young talent in its rural areas, as demonstrated by the wire cars these boys have made for their enjoyment. The whl.travel local connection would like to harness this talent to empower the local communities by giving them the opportunity to sell these crafts.

Port Elizabeth geniet die natuurlike hawe van Algoa Baai en hierdie uitsig op die baai word gekomplimenteer deur die stad se ken merkende Victoriaanse argitektuur. Vir ‘n naderby kyk, kan die berese reisiger ‘n goeie gevoel van die area kry deur een van die Port Elizabeth stadstoere, soos die Real City Tour, mee te maak. Hierdie toere gee die besoeker ‘n ware smaak van Suid-Afrika en die kontras tussen die mense en kulture. Die Shabeentoer besoek van die nabygelee ‘townships’ en hulle historiese tavernes. Ander vakansie gunstelinge in Port Elizabeth sluit in ‘n besoek aan een van die stad se museums, ‘n staptoer op een van die menigde natuur roetes in die omgewing, ‘n dag van walvisbesigtiging of ‘n rondte golf by die Humewood Golfbaan.

Sowat ‘n uur se ry noord van Port Elizabeth vind mens Suid’Afrikas se derde grootste park, die Addo Olifant Nationale Park. Hierdie park is in 1931 gestig om olifante op die rand van uitsterwing te red en is vandag nog ‘n veilige hawe vir olifante sowel as swartrenosters, Kaapse buffels en ander diere. ‘n Safari wildbesieningstoer is ‘n moet vir diereliefhebbers en elkeen wat graag die Groot Vyf te sien wil kry. Dit maak nie saak of jy kies om naby die park in die Addo area of een van die Port Elizabeth hotelle op nabygelee wildsplase of dorpe te bly nie, mens is nooit ver van waar die aksie is nie.

www.travel-easterncape.com is whl.travel se agste bestemmings portal in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika en verbind nou reisigers met die Oos-Kaap en van die land se mooiste strande, deur Lyon Tours & Safaris. Neil Lyon, hoof van die Lyon Tours & Safaris span noem “Mens kan die wereld in die Oos-Kaap vind, maar mens sal nie nog ‘n Oos-Kaap in die wereld vind nie. Ons is baie positief en opgewonde oor ons vennootskap met whl.travel en sien uit na ‘n uiters suksesvolle webtuiste. Dit is wonderlik om te weet dat whl.travel passievol is oor volhoubare ontwikkeling.” (Neil en die span streef aktief daarna om volhoubare toerisme ondernemings te bemark deur hulle aan kliente voor to stel.) “Ons hoop dat ons in samewerking met whl.travel, die lewens van sommige van die minderbevoorregte individue in die Oos-Kaap kan verbeter. Deur bewustheid met toerisme te skep, kan ons die plaaslike gemeenskappe help en verrykkings programme vir hierdie gemeenskappe skep. Hierdie programme het die potensiaal om konservasie in die gemeenskappe te help en so ons natuurlike en kulturele erfenis te bewaar.”

Port Elizabeth is ‘n trotse gasheerstad vir die Sokker Wereldbeker in 2010, naas Kaapstad, Johannesburg en Nelspruit, wat naby die Panorama Roete en Westelike Kruger gelee is. Ander whl.travel Suid-Afrikaanse bestemmings sluit in, die Kaapse Wynland en die Tuinroete.

Vir meer inligting en artikels oor Suid-Afrika, besoek die whl.tours blog se area bladsy oor Suid-Afrika. Gaan na ‘whl.travel Flickr photostream’ vir foto’s van Suid-Afrika.

“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.