Do you know the difference between Sabi Sand, Sabi Sabi, and Lion Sands? Or the location of the Johannesburg cottage Nelson Mandela called home after his release from Robben Island?
Do you know the best way to reach Kruger National Park? Or the name of the beach near Cape Town that cute African penguins call home?
If you’re scratching your head don’t fret as South African Tourism has created an online training course designed to make every Travel Agent a destination specialist.
And, to put a cherry on top, completing the cyber school gives consultants the chance to win a place on the Quintessential South Africa famil with this eight-night expedition hosted by South African Tourism and South African Airways.
The prize visits some of the country’s favourite tourist stops from Cape Town and Grootbos Private Nature Reserve to Lion Sands Game Reserve and Johannesburg.
All Agents need to do to enter is complete the South Africa Specialist online training course then pen a paragraph of just 30 words detailing the Mandela attraction they would visit and why before midnight on November 15.
To get a jump start on the South African studies here are four must-do destinations for travellers heading across the Indian Ocean to discover Nelson Mandela’s homeland.
Cape Town
Table Mountain, Cape Town. Credit: South African Tourism
South Africa’s coastal city is considered to be one of the world’s most multicultural settlements and a destination boasting everything from wildlife to wine.
While the two big tourist attractions are Table Mountain and Robben Island there’s a lot more for visitors to do including meeting African penguins on Boulders Beach, sampling award-winning wine in the Cape Winelands, and indulging in a fine-dining experience at the V&A Waterfront.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. Credit: South African Tourism
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, one of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World just 150km from Cape Town, sits on a pristine 2500ha plot boasting 100 endangered plant species and six mammals of conservation concern.
With whale watching, bird spotting, horse riding, diving with sharks, guided hikes, four-wheel-drive safaris and guided tours on the schedule there’s lots to occupy a guest’s time at this remote eco-resort.
Johannesburg
Maboneng Precinct market in Johannesburg. Credit: South African Tourism
The country’s biggest city is more than just the place for South African Airways flights from Australia to land with the metropolis telling the stories that put South African history into perspective.
Visit Soweto and the home Nelson Mandela returned to after being released from prison, take a street-art tour around Newtown which is also home to Museum Africa, and explore the hip Maboneng Precinct before retiring to a rooftop restaurant like the Living Room for a sunset tipple.
Lion Sands Game Reserve
Lion Sands River Lodge
A visit to South Africa isn’t complete without going on safari, and Sabi Sand Game Reserve is one of the best locations for wildlife watching with Lion Sands Game Reserve a luxurious place to stay inside the protected sanctuary beside Kruger National Park.
The hours around sunrise and sunset are dedicated to wildlife drives with lodge guides and trackers helping guests spot roaming lions, zebras, hippos, rhinos, leopards, giraffe and elephants.
SA SPECIALIST COMPETITION – ENTER NOW
Win 1 of 6 spots on this 8-night quintessential South African famil thanks to South African Tourism and South African Airways. To enter the competition you need to complete the SA Specialist online training course, and in the spirit of Nelson Mandela’s Centenary, tell us in 30 words or less which Mandela-inspired tourist attraction you would visit and why.
Stay at the lavish Taj hotel in Cape Town, over-looking one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, Table Mountain. Drink your way through the Cape Winelands and dine in the country’s finest restaurants. Immerse yourself with the locals as you cycle through a local township and enjoy a home cooked meal. Honour Mandela’s legacy and visit his jail cell on a boat trip out to Robben Island. Meet the African Penguins on a visit to Boulder’s beach. Experience a night on the town bar hopping through Cape Town’s famous haunts.
ENTER the South Africa Specialist Competition HERE.
- READ: Travellers are changing the way they book Africa
- READ: Agents get close to the Big 5 in South Africa
- READ:What’s all the fuss about South Africa anyway?
What are your favourite places to experience in South Africa?
Written by Sarah Nicholson, KARRYON contributor.
This article is brought to you by:
