Spectacular South Africa
by Robin and Stella Mountain

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Situated halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, beautiful Mossel Bay is a coastal village and harbor on the World Famous Garden Route. This popular holiday town, the Jewel of the Cape Garden Route, is surrounded by a sunbathed peninsula and the refreshing waters of the Indian Ocean. It is a busy summer destination, as well as an ideal winter retreat. It is blessed with a mild climate all year round, but its most important feature is its status as the historical capital of the Garden Route. Well-traveled pleasure boats dock regularly, as well as other international seafarers who are using the modern docking facilities. Due to its rich history, there are many museums in the town to visit, the most popular attraction being the Post Office Tree (where letters are still posted today in a seaman's boot). Mossel Bay has beautiful beaches and is a sportsman's and waters sport enthusiast's paradise, with a wide variety of conventional and adventure sports to be enjoyed such as golf, tennis, bungi and bridge diving, diving, snorkeling, boating, and sailing, to name but a few.

A trip to South Africa is not complete without a visit to Cape Town, the Mother City of Africa and the Western Cape, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the world. Cape Town provides a setting for many scenic wonders, magnificent seascapes, and panoramic vistas. The impressive presence of Table Mountain, flanked by the legendary Devil's Peak and historical Signal Hill, stands proudly above the city. Beautiful white sandy beaches along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams, and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the breathtaking tranquility of the Winelands, green in summer and red-gold in fall.

Cape Town is a city of culture and boasts a multitude of entertainment options, ranging from outdoor activities and adventures in the sun to a roaring night life under neon signs. It offers a vast range of shopping opportunities, including haggling with shop holders at Greenmarket Square Flea Market, as well as breezing through sophisticated and stylish shopping malls. The huge variety of restaurants reflects the multicultured history of the Cape and caters for everyone's taste, from fast-food outlets and casual to the chic to the very elegant. Together with a warm summer and temperate winter climate and a friendly community, the Western Cape and the Mother City are an ideal holiday destination throughout the year.

A South African Safari is an unforgettable experience. South Africa has preserved wide tracts of land for conservation, allowing visitors to witness and experience close encounters with African animals at home in their natural habitats. The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park of nearly two million hectares and is unrivaled in the diversity of its life forms and serves as a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.

The "Big Five" - lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino - are among these. Also to be seen are zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, cheetah, wild dogs, and hippo. Private game reserves adjoining Kruger offer exclusive luxury accommodation in harmonious bush lodges or luxury tented camps. With most of these lodges in excellent settings, it is not uncommon to see game from your private viewing deck overlooking a waterhole. Game viewing takes place from open-air vehicles, and a private game guide will ensure that the experience is unforgettable, getting you up close and personal with the wildlife. Before dark falls, watch the blazing African sunset melt away and darkness take its place as a lion roars in the distance. With every modern comfort, excellent cuisine and sipping South Africa’s delicious wines, the romance of Africa is certainly captured.

South Africa is the destination of the future. Most travelers have been to Europe, have done more than their fare share of cruises, and want to learn and experience something new. Exchange rates make South Africa particularly attractive and alluring. Embark on your once-in-a-lifetime adventure of traveling to South Africa, and join the many travelers who have commented that their travel to South Africa has been the best trip ever taken in their life.

Note: OSSN and Ntaba Tours are very excited to offer our upcoming familiarization program to South Africa. Robin and Stella personally accompany the groups and travel with them for the entire duration of the trip. For more information, contact Ntaba Tours at www.ntabatours.com or call OSSN at 800.771.7327 for more details about this exciting adventure!

Robin and Stella Mountain are the owners of Ntaba Tours, an OSSN supplier member company that operates unique tours and wildlife safaris in southern Africa. See their site at www.ntabatours.com, or call them at 866.466.8222.

(Credits: Ntaba Tours)