Top 3 Cities In South Africa
While South Africa is dotted with a number of urban centers, there can be little doubt that the top three SA cities are Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.
Each of these cities has a unique character that draws different types of people.
See which one appeals the most to you!
Johannesburg / Jo?burg / Jozi
For young, vibey, fast-paced living.
The pulsing city with a heart of pure gold, Johannesburg is known as Egoli (place of gold), Jo?burg, and today also carries the trendy name of Jozi.
A relatively young city, Jo?burg traces its modern history back to 1886 when it sprang up as a gold-rush shanty town.
Today this thriving bustling city is the most densely populated South African city, home to 3 225 800 people and growing.
Jo?burg has a pleasant balmy climate for most of the year and is renowned for dramatic afternoon thunderstorms in summer. The nights can get pretty cool, especially in winter.
The city of Johannesburg has no mountains or coastline to shape it, and it is an enormous, sprawling urban jungle.
Some of the top attractions in and around Jo?burg include the Sterkfontein caves, the township of Soweto, The Apartheid Museum, the Mai Mai Herbalist market and Rosebank craft market.
Jo?burg is a shopper?s paradise - there are numerous malls ? and the Sandton area is particularly popular with shopaholics.
Durban ? Durbs-by-the-Sea
Steaming hot, yet so damn cool!
The settlement of Port Natal only really started in 1823, although Vasco da Gama has ?discovered? it back in 1497.
Most people equate Durban with a laid back, ?chilled? atmosphere, and also with extremely humid heat, almost all year round. For many Durban is the place to live if you love to surf, but there is more to this city than awesome waves, golden beaches, sugar cane plantations and palm trees.
Durban lies in the heart of the Zulu kingdom, land of King Shaka, which gives the entire region a rich cultural history that can be felt just by walking through the hot streets. A large ?Indian? community also calls Durban home, and these people add their own flavor to the city?s effervescent, colorful population.
Durban offers great shopping at malls and markets, historical and cultural attractions and plenty for families to do. Perhaps the most well-known tourist spot is uShaka Marine World which boasts an aquarium, dolphinarium and snorkel reef, a world of water slides and marine-theme shopping.
Cape Town ? The Mother City
Paradise found ? between the mountains and the two oceans
Cape Town as an urban settlement began in the mid-1600?s as a trading post for ships passing the tip of Africa en route to The East.
Today Cape Town is loved for its breathtaking natural beauty, with Table Mountain dominating the views from almost anywhere in the city. The beaches on both the Indian and Atlantic sides offer crystal blue waters, white sandy beaches and beautiful bodies all summer long.
From any of the chi-chi restaurants, cafes and wine-bars along the coastline you can even enjoy watching whales playing in the bay.
With numerous museums and art galleries, theatres and craft markets, Cape Town is undoubtedly the Culture Capital of SA. If the money is found in Jo?burg, the creativity springs from Cape Town?s vibrant multi-cultural population.
Don?t miss the top tourist attraction in the country ? The Victoria and Albert Waterfront ? a fabulous development on the foreshore which offers a world of entertainment and shopping.
A lot more laid back than Jozi, but more cosmopolitan than Durbs, Cape Town is the place to be for the arty, nature-loving yet trendy individual.
So which of these fantastic cities sounds like your perfect place to be? We suggest you don?t restrict your self to just one ? visit them all and enjoy the best of the South African urban experience!
Francois has been a tour guide and teacher in http://www.bookcapetown.com/ for the past 6 years. To learn more about http://www.bloombergaccommodation.co.za/villas.html visit his website.
Related Articles:
Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre Integrate Their Information Systems Durban Hospital is Orion Health's First Site in South Africa
Ethekwini Hospital & Heart Centre (EHHC) in Durban, South Africa, is implementing Rhapsody Integration Engine to build and manage interfaces between their clinical information systems. It is the first major hospital user of Rhapsody Integration Engine in South Africa. The Rhapsody Integration Engine manages and streamlines message exchange between EHHC's hospital applications, databases and external systems for simplified and more economic integration.
South Africa Quake Goldminers Freed
One man was killed and four injured when an earthquake trapped a group of goldminers in an underground shaft south-west of Johannesburg.Rescuers battled for 12 hours to free the men, trapped at a depth of 2.
South Africa Safari Top Five National Parks and Game Reserves
A South Africa safari is the ideal wildlife trip to go on because the infrastructure and accommodation is superb in all the wildlife parks there and it is still highly affordable in comparison to other African countries.But given a choice some of the national parks and game reserves are better than others.
Top 3 Cities In South Africa
While South Africa is dotted with a number of urban centers, there can be little doubt that the top three SA cities are Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.
Gambling In South Africa
South African casinos, like television, were relatively latecomers compared to the rest of the world - but they've certainly been making up for lost time over the past few decades. Probably the most famous casino of all in South Africa is the world renowned Sun City. This same chain has expanded significantly over time, and now boasts casinos is every major city as well as many of the most prominent and popular South African holiday resorts.
African Hunting Safaris
Has it always been your dream to take a high quality and adventurous African vacation? If so, then you just might find African hunting safaris to be quite exciting. You will be taken to some of the most primitive areas of Africa. Youll notice the forests are very lush and are riddled with beautiful waterfalls. The mountains are very lofty, which simply rounds out the magnificence that you can experience on African hunting safaris.
Traveling in South Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban
Johannesburg Jo'burg, as it's known, is the largest city in South Africa, its busy bustling streets lack real beauty. But you'll be rewarded with wonderful experiences of the real South Africa and the climate is glorious.
Tour South Africa
If you want to tour South Africa you are not alone. This can be one of the most exhilarating and interesting vacations that you ever go on. But before you get too far ahead of yourself, consider what you will need to do before you start your tour of South Africa. There are many details that you should consider so that you get the most out of your experience.
THRASS UK and Barclays - Teaching New Skills to Thousands of Children in South Africa
THRASS UK, based in Chester, England, and supported by Barclays, has just entered into a five-year partnership with South Africa's Absa Bank, a member of the Barclays Group, to deliver the TalkTogether Literacy Project in schools and universities across South Africa. The primary aim of the Project is to improve literacy standards across the country, and hundreds of student teachers will be trained in the first year alone in order to achieve this.
10 Attractions You Can?t Miss When Visiting Cape Town ? South Africa
1. Table Mountain