Many vacationers think a holiday should include carnivals, boardwalks lined with souvenir shops and game arcades, or casinos. Others like hiking along mountain trails, backpacking into remote places, or scaling the highest mountain they can climb. Those who would rather see nature up close and personal without undue exertion or danger, and who prize peace and quiet, should experience the Wilderness on the Cape of South Africa.
One of the most beautiful countries on earth, South Africa has many ecosystems. This particular region is called the Afromontane, an area of forested peaks and extensive coastlines. The town faces the ocean across the Touw Lagoon, a tiny bay at the mouth of the Touw river. It backs up to cliffs whose tops are covered with dense forest. The beaches are white sand, the ocean is quiet, and there are many rivers and lakes for water-skiing, fishing, boating, and other water sports.
People also hike into the forest to catch a glimpse of exotic animals or ascend to the heights to watch for whales and dolphins. There are mountain biking trails, and hang and paragliding are popular. A guided walk through the Garden Route Botanical Garden is a good way to learn about the unique flora and fauna of this small and fragile ecosystem. The Pied Kingfisher Trail is designed to maximize opportunities for bird watching. This spot is known as a photographer's paradise.
The area is largely protected today, with managed timbering of its forests and protection for the many birds and animals that make their home here. From Blue duikers to chameleons, the forest teems with life. (It's hoped that some elephants may still be surviving in the forest, although they may be gone.) But whales and dolphins play off-shore, water and land birds can be seen from the boardwalk that makes up part of the Pied Kingfisher Trail, and plants such as many varieties of fynbos make every nook and cranny gorgeous.
This region of mountains, forest, and ocean front has a mild climate, with a range from 10 to 50 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is ample, keeping the vegetation lush, but there are lots of sunny days. The town is right on the Lagoon, at the mouth of the Touw River, and backs up to tall cliffs overhung by the forest edge.
The first guesthouse opened here in the late 1800s, and the tradition of hospitality has continued ever since. The town hopes that people will visit and then return year after year to relax, enjoy the regional beauty, and help support the preservation of a fragile ecosystem and a way of life that has disappeared in other parts of the world.
This resort town has annual events. However, they are not the usual tourist attractions like carnivals or Taste of the Town community-wide festivals. Here, people eagerly await the April plant sale and the fall Wildflower Show. Many species of whale can be seen off the coast from June to November. People go to Dolphin's Point and other high overlooks to spot whales and dolphins.
The internet can tell you more about this little bit of heaven at the end of the continent of Africa. Check out the white sand beaches and the flora and fauna that might not be found anywhere else. June to November is whale season, but there are things to do and see all year round.
One of the most beautiful countries on earth, South Africa has many ecosystems. This particular region is called the Afromontane, an area of forested peaks and extensive coastlines. The town faces the ocean across the Touw Lagoon, a tiny bay at the mouth of the Touw river. It backs up to cliffs whose tops are covered with dense forest. The beaches are white sand, the ocean is quiet, and there are many rivers and lakes for water-skiing, fishing, boating, and other water sports.
People also hike into the forest to catch a glimpse of exotic animals or ascend to the heights to watch for whales and dolphins. There are mountain biking trails, and hang and paragliding are popular. A guided walk through the Garden Route Botanical Garden is a good way to learn about the unique flora and fauna of this small and fragile ecosystem. The Pied Kingfisher Trail is designed to maximize opportunities for bird watching. This spot is known as a photographer's paradise.
The area is largely protected today, with managed timbering of its forests and protection for the many birds and animals that make their home here. From Blue duikers to chameleons, the forest teems with life. (It's hoped that some elephants may still be surviving in the forest, although they may be gone.) But whales and dolphins play off-shore, water and land birds can be seen from the boardwalk that makes up part of the Pied Kingfisher Trail, and plants such as many varieties of fynbos make every nook and cranny gorgeous.
This region of mountains, forest, and ocean front has a mild climate, with a range from 10 to 50 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is ample, keeping the vegetation lush, but there are lots of sunny days. The town is right on the Lagoon, at the mouth of the Touw River, and backs up to tall cliffs overhung by the forest edge.
The first guesthouse opened here in the late 1800s, and the tradition of hospitality has continued ever since. The town hopes that people will visit and then return year after year to relax, enjoy the regional beauty, and help support the preservation of a fragile ecosystem and a way of life that has disappeared in other parts of the world.
This resort town has annual events. However, they are not the usual tourist attractions like carnivals or Taste of the Town community-wide festivals. Here, people eagerly await the April plant sale and the fall Wildflower Show. Many species of whale can be seen off the coast from June to November. People go to Dolphin's Point and other high overlooks to spot whales and dolphins.
The internet can tell you more about this little bit of heaven at the end of the continent of Africa. Check out the white sand beaches and the flora and fauna that might not be found anywhere else. June to November is whale season, but there are things to do and see all year round.
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