FriendsTravel invites you to sensational South Africa.
The Rainbow Nation
South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa, bordered in the North by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. South Africa’s landmass exceeds that of France, Germany and Spain combined and offers a diversity of cultures, history, heritage, natural beauty and wildlife to match it’s size.
In the cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, you will find first world infrastructure,culture and cuisine. Outside of these centres, the infrastructure remains excellent, but you will start to experience the more traditional African way of life. This, mixed with 5 World Heritage sites, some of the most famous Game Reserves in the world, unspoilt beaches makes for a holiday second to South Africa none. South Africa also acts as the hub for travel into much of Southern and East Africa.
A visitor to South Africa has a wide choice of ways to see the country. The more adventurous or repeat visitor may wish to tailor-make his holiday, hire a car or jeep and choosing accommodation along the chosen route. Others may wish to “stay put” in Cape Town, Durban or any of the other holiday centres, while others may wish to go on a fully escorted (guided) tour, which is guaranteed to give the best introduction to the country and its people. If you are a big game enthusiast, a “Safari” conjures up some of the most wonderful images of the Big Five & other fauna and flora found anywhere. Escapades have selected the best game parks and lodges and the best safaris itineraries under our Game Lodge packages. Try these and Africa will have you hooked.
South Africa is also fortunate to have a number of justly famous luxury rail journeys with trains in the caliber of “Blue Train” and “Rovos Rail” setting the standards. Escapades offer trips of a lifetime on these and others such as the “Desert Express” in Namibia and Shongololo Express. For the young at heart, our overland camping adventures gives you the flexibility to get off the well-worn paths and to feel and experience the ‘real’ Africa. We invite you to browse the following pages for a wide array of travel options in South Africa.
| SOUTH AFRICA | Country Fast Facts |
| CAPITAL CITY | The only nation in the world with three capital cities :
Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital |
| OFFICIAL NAME | Republic of South Africa (formerly Union of South Africa) |
| VISA | The following information on entry requirements has been confirmed with the South African authorities. However, these requirements are subject to change at any time. It is the traveller’s responsibility to check with the High Commission of the Republic of South Africa and its consulates for up-to-date information.
Canadian Citizens do not require a Visa to enter South Africa. |
| HEALTH | Health requirements can change at any time . The Public Health Agency of Canada strongly recommends that your travel plans include contacting a travel medicine clinic or physician six to eight weeks before departure.Based on your individual riskassessment, a health care professional can determine your need for immunizations and/or preventive medication and advise you on precautions to avoid disease. Travelers are reminded to ensure that their routine (childhood) immunizations (e.g., tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and measles) are up to date.
Travelers may be required to show evidence of a yellow fever vaccination if they are arriving from countries where yellow fever is endemic. |
| POPULATION | 43,997,838 |
| LOCATION | Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent, bordering the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Namibia (967km), Botswana (1840km), Zimbabwe (225km), Mozambique (419km), Swaziland (430km) and Lesotho (909lm). |
| LANGUAGES | There are 11 official languages; Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu. |
| AREA | Total 1,219,912 square km Land 1,219,912 square km Water 0 square km. (Slightly less than twice the size of Texas) |
| COASTLINE | 2,798 km |
| RELIGION | Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3% unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% |
| CLIMATE | Mostly semiarid; subtropical along the east coast, sunny days, cool nights. |
| CURRENCY | African Rand (ZAR) |
| TIME | GMT +2 hours. |
| ELECTRICITY | 220/230 Voltage, 50 Frequency, M Plug |
| INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE DIAL CODE |
+27 |
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