Outdoor Activities and Adventures, Johannesburg

Situated on 60 hectares of scenic valley bushveld, within easy access of both Durban and Pietermaritzburg, the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary is safe-haven to the widest selection of indigenous raptors in southern Africa. http://africanraptor.co.za/

Huge granite masses – seamed, split, shaped and sculptured by time and the elements – form an array of giant whalebacks and castellated kopjes that cover 3000 square kilometres of Matabeleland South Province. Much of the country’s history has been written and played out within the confines of the Matobo Hills – from the time thousands of years ago when ancient bushmen used the granite faces as a canvas for their unique and extraordinary art, to more recent times, when black and white met in war and peace. These are the Matobo Hills, located south of Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, Bulawayo. Forty thousand years ago the caves and crevices carved out of these rocks became home to Zimbabwe’s earliest inhabitants, the “San”. Twenty thousand years later “San” artists began painting on the walls of caves and rock shelters, using special pigments and natural minerals that have survived the onslaught of climate and time. https://www.zimbabwetourism.net/listing/matobo-hills/#

The Natural Museum of Zimbabwe located in the Centenary Park in Bulawayo, was built in 1962, and in 1982 all the natural science collections were moved here and it was renamed the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe. With its stunning displays and valuable research, collections are the best museum in Southern Africa and rank fourth in size among the museums of Africa. It is an impressive circular building with nine public display galleries, a lecture hall with a seating capacity of 120 people, a cafeteria, and eight research departments with substantial study collections and ongoing research in the following disciplines: Arachnology and Invertebrates; Entomology; Ornithology; Mammology; Herpetology; Ichthyology; Geology and Paleontology; Archaeology and Monuments. https://naturalhistorymuseumzimbabwe.com/

Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site is the ideal location for anyone interested in the park’s wildlife and birds, to those in search of serenity, identity and the extraordinary history of this World Heritage Site https://www.nmbt.co.za/listing/mapungubwe_national_park.html#lightbox[Mapungubwe National Park]/1/

The Island Nature Reserve is located approximately 25 km from Port Elizabeth and is accessed via the Seaview Road turn off along the national road. The Reserve comprises 480 ha of indigenous Alexandria coastal forest and boasts tree species such as Outeniqua yellow-wood, white and hard pear as well as white milkwood. https://www.nmbt.co.za/listing/island_nature_reserve.html

The Franschhoek Wine Tram hop-on hop-off tour is one of the best ways to discover the true essence of the Franschhoek Valley – picturesque vineyards, breath-taking scenery, warm hospitality, world-class cuisine, fine wines and a 300-year history. Passengers aboard the hop-on hop-off tour will experience a unique and leisurely introduction to the Franschhoek Valley as they journey through rolling vineyards in an open-side tram and open-air tram-bus stopping at some of South Africa’s oldest and most distinguished wine estates https://www.capetown.travel/member/franschhoek-wine-tram/

Jump into a pool of refreshing mountain water and escape the city just an hour outside of Cape Town when you hike to Crystal Pools near Gordon’s Bay. By “refreshing”, of course, we mean quite cold—in true Cape Town fashion. But after 45 minutes to an hour of hiking at the Steenbras Nature Reserve, it comes as sweet relief from the heat. The first pool is about 45 minutes from the start of the trail and you can stop here for a snack or break in the shade. For some serious swimming and kloofing opportunities, it’s best to hold out for the second pool, which is another ten to fifteen minutes up. There is also a waterfall, which you can stand below and enjoy an open-air cold shower. It’s only a 2km hike, but your legs will beg to differ. It starts out fairly easy but the climb gets tough. If you’re up for the challenge you can keep going after the second pool to the third pool that offers more swimming opportunities and an excellent view of the area. http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/see-do/nature-adventure/outdoor-activities/hiking-to-crystal-pools-in-gordons-bay

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public not-for-profit contemporary art museum that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits 21st-century art from Africa and its diaspora; hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding, and guarantees access for all. The galleries, spread over several floors, are dedicated to a large cutting-edge collection gallery; exhibition galleries; and Centres for Art Education, Curatorial Training, Performative Practice, Photography, and the Moving Image. http://zeitzmocaa.museum/

The Company’s Garden is Cape Town’s green lung. This oasis right in the centre of the city is a favourite for both locals and tourists. The site is important historically, and is a thriving urban space where buskers strum guitars while office workers sun themselves over lunch hour. There is plenty to do, but here are our top six things to… The Company’s Garden was first built as a refreshment station for the trade route that rounded the tip of Africa between Europe and the east. Ships sent by the Dutch East India Company would stop by after months at sea and stock up on fresh produce grown in the garden—hence, “The Company’s Garden”. There is so much to explore in terms of history inside the garden. Near the Adderley Street entrance a statue of Queen Victoria stands overlooking the Slave Lodge, while a statue of Jan Smuts looks on. Just over the road is the St George’s Cathedral, known as the “people’s church”—even during the apartheid era, all races were welcomed. It was also the starting point for the 30,000-strong demonstration led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1989—and where Tutu coined the phrase ‘rainbow people’ to describe the diversity of South Africa’s population. http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/six-reasons-to-visit-the-companys-garden

The best views of Cape Town are from the Table Mountain Cableway, a unique and 87-year- old method of seeing the wonders of the city. Travel up to the summit of the majestic flat-topped mountain and be astounded by vistas of the Mother City, Robben Island and the Peninsula. http://www.capetown.travel/products/table-mountain-aerial-cableway

Regarded as one of the great botanic gardens of the world, Kirstenbosch – or rather, the land on which it sits — was bequeathed to the government by Cecil John Rhodes. Situated on the slopes of Table Mountain, a mere 13km from the city centre, Kirstenbosch includes a fragrance garden, a medicinal garden, a garden that features 2500 species of plants found on the Cape Peninsula, a Protea garden (best seen in spring!), a braille trail, and a cycad amphitheatre. There is also a glasshouse – the Botanical Society Conservatory – which houses plants from the continent’s more arid regions. If you have little ones, you simply must take them to see the cycad amphitheatre. Dotted among the cycads are life-sized anatomically correct sculptures of dinosaurs and a pterosaur! Kirstenbosch also features a sculpture garden, where you’ll find an ever-changing exhibition of African stone sculptures, and bronze animal sculptures by Dylan Lewis. Your kids will also enjoy a walk along the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway – affectionately known as the Boomslang. This 130-metre steel-and-timber bridge snakes its way through and over the trees of the Arboretum, providing stunning views of the Garden and the Cape Flats. http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/see-do/top-attractions/relax-on-the-lawns-of-cape-towns-prettiest-garden

The beautiful Boulders Beach is one of Cape Town’s most visited beaches and the only place in the world where you get close to African Penguins. Cape Town definitely has no shortage of amazing beaches, but Boulders Beach in False Bay offers something extra special – a colony of African Penguins in all their smartly dresses, waddling glory, right under your nose. In fact, it’s the only place in the world where you can get close to African Penguins. In 1982 a couple of these little crowd-pleasers settled on the soft white sand between the large granite boulders that protect the beach from wind and large, stormy waves, and currently the population is estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 birds. Sadly the African Penguin has been classified as an endangered species, due to things like overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and irresponsible tourism activities, and the Boulders Beach colony has also felt the effect, with numbers dwindling over the last couple of years. Boulders Beach isn’t just a great place for penguins, it’s also a popular family-friendly swimming beach where kids can climb over the boulders, explore the rock pools, or swim in the cool, clear False Bay water. It’s also a great place for a leisurely picnic. Due to the R65 conservation fee, the beach is rarely packed. http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/see-do/top-attractions/boulders/headline-boulders-beach

Real emblem of Malagasy flora, the baobab is a majestic and sacred tree that counts eight species. Six of them only grow in Madagascar. The baobab alley contains the most specimens in the world, so you will realize their impressive size and admire some trunks naturally intertwined (baobab in love). At 19 kms from Morondava, admire the unique forest of baobab trees in the world. This set of a dozen trees presents a landscape of a rare elegance. Most of these baobabs are more than 800 years old, a legacy of the dense forests that have flourished on the island a long time ago. You will admire there the most beautiful specimens in a wonderful scenery. https://madagascar-tourisme.com/en/what-to-do/fauna-and-flora/baobab/

The Tsingy was the first refuge for the inhabitants of the island and it is located 820km west of Antananarivo. The Tsingy offers one of the most spectacular landscapes in Madagascar. This is why it was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by the Bemaraha park. You will be able to admire these fabulous landscapes with sharp spikes. The Tsingy was classified as UNESCO World Heritage in 1990 and occupies a part of the limestone plateau of the same name that is a part of the Bemaraha National Park which was classified as UNESCO World Heritage in 1997. The Tsingy is one of the most spectacular landscapes of Madagascar with its network of rifts, crevasses, and limestome blocks that are carved in sharped blades. https://madagascar-tourisme.com/en/discover/the-northwest/bemaraha/

The primary forest is formed by two distinct protected ares – the Analamazoatra special reserve and the Mantadia national park. The Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is only about three hours from the capital. Almost the whole park is formed by primary forest which has never been modified by human beings. It is also a refuge for many animals and plants. Thus, it is not uncommon to come across a multitude of species: lemurs, birds, chameleons, and insects of all kinds. https://madagascar-tourisme.com/en/discover/the-east/andasibe-mantadia/

Dar Es Salaam Zoo is a zoological park in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The zoo is located in the Kigamboni-district in the eastern part of the city, 37 kilometers from Downtown Dar es Salaam. The Dar es Salaam Zoo is best known for having many animals endemic to Tanzania, including but not limited to giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, antelopes, tortoises, gazelles, monkeys, hyenas, lions, leopards, snakes, and several species of birds. There is also a kids’ zone with slides, swings and jungle-gyms. http://www.tanzanianow.com/dar-es-salaam-zoo/

Located about 40km south of Luanda, the Moon Viewpoint is a spectacular landscape, shaped by years of rains and erosion, which in turn makes it look similar to the surface of the moon http://afrotourism.com/attraction/miradouro-da-lua-moon-viewpoint/

Bongoyo Island lies close to Msasani Peninsula in dare s Salaam city, about 30 minute by boat ride from the city mainland. http://tanzaniatourism.go.tz/en/destination/dar-es-salaam-marine-reserve

Mbudya Island (simply Mbudya) is an uninhabited island in Tanzania, north of the Country’s capital city, Dar es Salaam and is one of the four island of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS). http://tanzaniatourism.go.tz/en/destination/dar-es-salaam-marine-reserve

Whilst most visitors to the Zanzibar archipelago visit Unguja, commonly known as Zanzibar Island, fewer take advantage of the fact that this is an archipelago, with several other islands and numerous islets. Only a few kilometres from Stone Town are several islets such as Chumbe and Chapwani, where good accommodation is available. Bawe and Prison Islands are good for daytrips with excellent snorkelling available. Tumbatu Island, off the north-west coast of Unguja is one of the largest off-shore islands but has no facilities for tourists. Mnemba Island is located near the north-east coast featuring luxury accommodation. Although Mnemba is a private island, it is surrounded by a rich coral reef, which is great for scuba diving and snorkelling and is visited by several watersports centres in the area. http://zanzibar.net/islands-in-the-sun/

Zanzibar’s brilliant white beaches lapped by the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean provide the perfect place to relax, soak up the sun and take a break from some busy sightseeing. http://zanzibar.net/paradise-beaches/

Mamba Village is East Africa’s largest crocodile farm with over 10,000 crocodiles of varying age, size, and type including white crocodiles and newly-hatched baby crocs. The village also has a giraffe pen, an ostrich enclosure, a marine aquarium, and a botanical garden. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/mamba-village/

A short drive out of Nairobi’s central business district is the Nairobi National Park. Wide open grass plains and backdrop of the city scrapers, scattered acacia bush play host to a wide variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Visitors can enjoy the park’s picnic sites, three campsites and the walking trails for hikers.

On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking, picnic and game drives. Flamingo (Greater and Lesser) and other water birds including a variety of terrestrial birds numbering about 450 species in total. Mammals: 56 different species including white rhinos,waterbuck etc. View-points: Lion hill, Baboon cliff and Out of Africa Hills: Enasoit, Honeymoon, Lion hill ridge etc Waterfalls: Makalia. Unique vegetation: About 550 different plant species including the unique and biggest euphorbia forest in Africa, Picturesque landscape and yellow acacia woodlands. http://www.kws.go.ke/lake-nakuru-national-park

Covering 400,000 acres as at year 2000, the Douala-Edéa Wildlife Reserve boasts an 80% tropical lowland equatorial forests and 15% Atlantic mangrove, including Lake Tissongo. Established in 1932, the reserve was designated a wildlife park in 1971. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/douala-edea-wildlife-reserve/

This Sudan National park is found in Sudan (northern Sudan). it was gazetted as a protected area under Sudan National parks and reserves in 1935 on the banks of river Dinder after which it was named. other rivers cross in the park include Rahad river. The park covers an area of 7,1823sq km. It is also listed as UNESCO Biosphere reserves together with another Sudan National park. Dinder Sudan Park is known for its bird watching adventures and is an important Ramsar site in Sudan. The area of the reserve is along with a transitional eco-system of two exotic vegetation zones namely Ethiopian High plateau and the Sudanese arid Sahara. The types of vegetation in the park include meadows, riparian forests, acacia woodlands and open savannah grasslands. https://www.africatouroperators.org/sudan/dinder-national-park

Madam Tinubu, the Nigerian businesswoman and patriot, after whom the prominent Lagos landmark, “Tinubu Square,” is named lived in the area in the 19th century and was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Western Nigeria, to a trading family. Tinubu square is by Broad street, CMS, Marina – and the Brazilian quarters in Lagos Island . https://afrotourism.com/attraction/tinubu-square/

This National Forest Reserve on the outskirts of the city covers an area of 7,500 acres of tropical rainforest. While wildlife is rather hard to spot, there are walking trails, a lake, an arboretum and a great picnic area. http://afrotourism.com/attraction/parc-du-banco/

There is a island in the city of asyut Banana Island, which is a nice place to relax. http://www.touregypt.net/asyut.htm

The Valley of the Queens, like the nearby Valley of Kings, is also an ancient royal necropolis where the wives of the great pharaohs were laid to rest from 1550 to 1070 BCE. During the time of the New Kingdom pharaohs, the area was called Ta-Set-Neferu which means “The Place of the Children of the Pharaoh”. Although the name Valley of the Queens tends to suggest that only queens were laid to rest here, the area was also used for the burials of princes; princesses and other family members of the nobility. The necropolis is located on the West Bank of the Nile, more or less directly opposite the ancient capital city of Thebes, which today is the modern city of Luxor. The Valley of the Queens is home to around 70 tombs, many of which are exquisitely decorated. A prime example would be the tomb of Queen Nefetari from the 19th dynasty. Her tomb is adorned with splendid polochrome reliefs which have remained intact through the ages and can still be appreciated to this day. Tourists that are intending visiting the site should keep in mind that only a limited number of tombs are open to visitors. The beautiful tomb of Queen Nefetari is not open, but special permission can be obtained from the Commercial and Event Office in Luxor for a fee. The tomb belonging to the wife of King Ramesses II is strictly off-limits altogether. This is considered to be the most beautiful tomb discovered, but because of its fragile condition, officials feel that heavy tourist traffic could cause irreparable damage. https://www.egypttoursplus.com/valley-of-the-queens/

Valley of the Kings is without question one of the most historically significant archaeological sites in the world. For roughly 200 years, archaeologists have been exploring the site, and during this time they have discovered 65 ancient tombs, with the latest discovery being made in 2008. The valley is essentially a royal necropolis that was used by the rulers of Egypt for a period of 500 years. Being a “royal necropolis” the area was reserved for the burial of Egypt’s New Kingdom pharaohs and a few lesser nobles. However, not all the tombs were actually used for burial purposes. Instead, several of them simply remained vacant. The Valley of the Kings is one of Egypt’s biggest tourist attractions, with an average of around 5,000 people visiting the site each day. On days when Nile River cruise ships dock in Luxor, the number of tourists can climb to as many as 9,000. It is without doubt one of the most fascinating places in all of Egypt. https://www.egypttoursplus.com/valley-of-the-kings/

Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary situated outside of picturesque Regent Village is only 30 minutes from Freetown. Located along the Regent/Bathurst mountain road, this sanctuary for orphaned and habituated chimpanzees is a refuge for human visitors as well. Offering daily scheduled visits, as well as 6 eco-huts for overnight stays, Tacugama is the perfect place for those wishing to escape the heat and hustle of Freetown and enjoy fragrant forest breezes in the company of some extraordinary creatures. The Sanctuary now offers self-catering accommodation in the form of 6 beautifully crafted lodges. Established to rescue orphaned and captured chimps, the facilities expanded to encompass two large reserves. Tacugama has been featured in various wildlife programmes and magazines. A rescued albino chimp at the sanctuary also helped to bring it to international attention. Sadly, the albino chimp is no longer alive but the sanctuary continues to grow from strength to strength. These endangered animals share 98.6 per cent of their DNA with humans and their complex social behaviours and human-like tendencies are fascinating to behold. The story behind Tacugama is just as riveting. Established in 1995, this sanctuary, which covers 100 acres of rain-forest and watershed, is home to 90 chimpanzees that have been victimized by the illegal hunting, capturing, and selling of their species. During the conflict, Tacugama staff smuggled food to the chimpanzees and pleaded with the rebels to spare their lives. Don’t miss the extraordinary experience of viewing these intelligent beings up-close in their natural habitat. https://www.visitsierraleone.org/tacugama-chimpanzee-sanctuary/

Landious Travel is a tour operator based in Egypt. The tourist company “Landious Travel” presents you with a long list of Services & Tours in Egypt. You can book transfers, Nile cruises, tours, and excursions in Egypt in this online shop. Such services are available in all the Egyptian cities e.g. Hurghada, Safaga, Sharm El-Sheikh, El-Quseir, Marsa Alam, Luxor and Cairo. Mainly, we make bookings on several touristic services e.g. excursions, trips, Egypt tours, Nile Cruises and transportation.