South Africa

The varying definitions of the Kruger can be confusing: the Kruger National Park is the bulk of the area, managed by South African National Parks (SANParks), while the Greater Kruger Park includes a significant swathe of land on the western flanks of the National Park comprised of private reserves but still given over to conservation and generally sharing unfenced borders with the National Park. As far as the animals are concerned, they are all the same thing. Generally it is the larger, combined area that people mean when they refer to the Kruger Park.

The Greater Kruger area is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. The facts and figures for the Kruger are worth repeating to reinforce why it is the flagship for conservation on the African continent: nearly 20,000 square kilometres of land home to 147 species of mammal, 507 species of birds and 336 species of tree across 16 distinct habitats. With a range of accommodation and game drive safaris to suit all preferences and budgets, the Greater Kruger National Park offers, you, the visitor, an exceptional experience in Africa at its best.

The tent and tin shanty town which sprang up hot on the heels of the discovery of gold in 1886, has developed into South Africa's largest city: a vibrant, bustling modern metropolis which, while lacking the obvious attractions of our coastal towns, certainly has a lot to offer the sightseer and explorer.

A popular attraction is Gold Reef City, just south of the city centre, where you can
descend 220m underground, see a bar of gold being poured, browse through the
charming reconstruction of Johannesburg circa 1888, clip-clop through the streets in
a horse-drawn buggy and wind up with a foaming tankard of draught. Its latest
attraction is a giant Ferris wheel, allowing panoramic views of Johannesburg. The kids will insist on a ride in the Coco pan in the Victorian Funfair or the tummy-turning
Shuttle Loop, and there are various attractions on festival days and during school
holidays.

Take a picnic lunch to the Zoo Lake, north of the city centre, where you can feed the
ducks, hire a rowing boat or simply relax in this peaceful oasis. Close by is the Zoo
where the red pandas and white lions can be seen, as well as the farmyard, which
the kids will love. Museums abound! The Museum of Military History has a superb
collection of airplanes, tanks, armoured cars, weapons and memorabilia pertaining
to the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer Wars, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the
Border War and MK; the Bernberg Costume Museum and the Museum Afrika in the
Newtown Cultural Precinct which incorporates the Bensusan Museum of Photography
and the South African Museum of Rock Art.

For shopping, Johannesburg is tops: Southgate, Eastgate, Northgate, Westgate,
Cresta, Sanlam Centre, Fourways Mall, Balfour Park, Rosebank, very chi-chi Hyde Park and ritzy, glitzy Sandton City, with its recent renaissance addition, Sandton Square.