Calling Africa home, is indeed a privilege and honour. The landscape is packed with cultural diversity, archaeological wonders and a natural heritage so rich, it never ceases to amaze. Celebrate Africa Day on 25 May 2018 and head to one of these magnificent landmarks in our Wild Card parks.
Table Mountain
Picture by Bridgena Barnard
If you’ve never sat in a quiet spot somewhere on Table Mountain and gazed out over the city, feeling the breeze against your cheeks as your mind drifted, then there is a small part of you that remains unfulfilled. Table Mountain exudes an energy that can be felt everywhere in Cape Town. It’s no wonder it draws so many visitors to its slopes and lofty summit every year to experience the magnificent views. On a clear day you can see the Cederberg in the north, the Hottentots Holland and Du Toitskloof mountains to the east, as well as the shimmering Atlantic coastline of the Peninsula. Table Mountain is equally famous for the flowers found only on its slopes and for its many moods dictated mostly by the weather. – Tony Lourens
Augrabies Falls
Picture by Rudolph de Girardier
This national park would not have existed were it not for the Augrabies Falls where the mighty Orange River tumbles through a narrow bottleneck before falling 56 metres into an eerie canyon. The name is a derivation of the Nama word “Aukoerebis” which means ‘place of great noise’. The noisy epicentre is wonderful, of course, but the silent remainder of the park is special in its own right. The haunting lunar landscape is punctuated by the silhouettes of klipspringers and quiver trees. The fauna and flora of this riverine desert ecosystem warrant days of exploration. The park’s huge dassie population supports a number of Verreaux’s eagle pairs, nesting near the Ararat and Oranjekom viewpoints. – Nick Dall
Mapungubwe Hill
Picture by Rudolph de Girardier
Witches, sangomas, ancestral spirits – there’s magic in Mapungubwe, home to the most sophisticated ancient kingdom in Southern Africa. At the park’s heart is Mapungubwe Hill, a looming massif of red sandstone presiding over a valley rich in artefacts. The Hill is the ‘iceberg tip’ of an archaeological record holding 50,000 years of human history. On top of the Hill, surveying the ochre cliffs of the Limpopo-Shashe basin, the glint of the rivers in the distance and the armies of baobabs standing sentry, you could imagine living here as the king or one of the royal family. The settlement on the Hill represents the apex of life in the valley, the most complex social structure. All that’s left of its 5,000 people are remains, found in 27 graves on the Hill itself and in 93 other graves further afield. – Melissa Siebert
Drakensberg Amphitheatre
Whether you’re an intrepid mountaineer, avid birder, lover of wild flowers or passionate about rock art, you won’t find a better hiking destination than uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal. Declared a World Heritage Site for its natural beauty and cultural significance, the Drakensberg with its monumental sheer-sided plateau, jagged peaks, spires, tumbling waterfalls and deep gorges is truly spectacular and diverse. When you look up the valley of the Thukela River to the basalt cliffs of the famous Amphitheatre, the 3,000-metre-high plateau seems impenetrable, but it can be accessed up the famous chain ladders or steep trails that lead up the passes into Lesotho. The climb will take your breath away, but so will the view from the top. – Fiona McIntosh
Source
Africa Day - 25.05.2018: Experience Iconic Landmarks
Advice, information and discussions on travelling in Southern Africa
- Lisbeth
- Site Admin
- Posts: 67667
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
- Country: Switzerland
- Location: Lugano
- Contact:
Africa Day - 25.05.2018: Experience Iconic Landmarks
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
Return to “Travel Advice and Discussions”
Jump to
- Africa Wild Board Information
- ↳ Forum Information
- ↳ Africa Wild Forum Information
- ↳ Benefits for Africa Wild Members
- ↳ Questions
- ↳ Suggestions
- Conservation and Management Issues of Concern
- ↳ Rhino Management and Poaching
- ↳ Elephant Management and Poaching
- ↳ General Poaching
- ↳ Developments and Commercialisation in National Parks
- ↳ Proposed Developments in National Parks
- ↳ General Hotel Discussions, KNP
- ↳ Proposed Skukuza Hotel, KNP
- ↳ Proposed Re-zoning, KNP
- ↳ Proposed Developments, KNP
- ↳ Proposed Developments, KTP
- ↳ Sporting (and other events) in National Parks
- ↳ SANParks' Management Issues
- ↳ General Management Issues - SANParks
- ↳ General Management Issues - Kruger
- ↳ Fire Experiments & Fire Management in KNP
- ↳ Vehicle Accidents in Kruger
- ↳ River Systems & Waterhole Management in KNP
- ↳ General Management Issues - Other National Parks
- ↳ SANParks' Gallery of Shame
- ↳ Ezemvelo KZN Management Issues
- ↳ General Conservation Issues
- ↳ Endangered Species
- ↳ Endangered Ecosystems
- ↳ Hunting
- ↳ Mining and Other Extraction Issues
- ↳ Other Conservation Issues
- ↳ Global Climate Change
- ↳ In the News
- ↳ Park Facilities: Needs Attention
- ↳ Lions and Other Endangered Animals Management and Poaching
- Public Participation - Kruger Management Plan
- ↳ Public Participation - Kruger Management Plan
- Africa Wild Campaigns
- ↳ Africa Wild Causes
- ↳ Petitions Forum
- ↳ World Rhino Day
- ↳ Support Anti Rhino Poaching
- Africa Wild Directory to Game Parks of Southern Africa
- ↳ All you need to know about Game and Bird Spotting
- ↳ All you need to know about South African National Parks
- ↳ South African National Parks in General
- ↳ Kruger National Park
- ↳ Kruger Information & General Discussion Forum
- ↳ Congestion in Kruger
- ↳ Camps of Kruger
- ↳ Favourite Routes in Kruger
- ↳ Gates, Hides, Lookouts & Picnic Spots in Kruger
- ↳ Wilderness and 4x4 Trails
- ↳ Travelling to and from Kruger
- ↳ Fauna and Flora of Kruger Park
- ↳ Travel Tales of Kruger
- ↳ History of Kruger
- ↳ Awards Survey
- ↳ Addo Elephant National Park
- ↳ Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
- ↳ KTP Information and General Discussion Forum
- ↳ Camps of KTP
- ↳ Pics of Creatures Spotted in KTP
- ↳ Travel Tales of KTP
- ↳ Mapungubwe National Park
- ↳ Agulhas National Park
- ↳ Augrabies Falls National Park
- ↳ Namaqua National Park
- ↳ Bontebok National Park
- ↳ Karoo National Park
- ↳ Golden Gate Highlands National Park
- ↳ Camdeboo National Park
- ↳ Garden Route National Park
- ↳ Marakele National Park
- ↳ Mokala National Park
- ↳ Mountain Zebra National Park
- ↳ Table Mountain National Park
- ↳ Tankwa Karoo National Park
- ↳ West Coast National Park
- ↳ Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
- ↳ All you need to know about Kwa Zulu Natal Game Parks
- ↳ Hluhluwe/Imfolozi Game Reserve
- ↳ Mkuze Game Reserve
- ↳ Ndumo Game Reserve
- ↳ Ithala Game Reserve
- ↳ iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- ↳ Tembe Elephant Park
- ↳ Other KZN Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Travel tales of KZN Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about other South African Game Parks
- ↳ Pilanesberg Game Reserve
- ↳ Gauteng Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ North West Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Limpopo Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Western Cape Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Northern Cape Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Eastern Cape Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Free State Province Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ Mpumalanga Game Parks & Nature Reserves
- ↳ All you need to know about Botswana Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Mozambique Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Namibia Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Eswatini (Swaziland) Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Tanzania Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Zambia Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Malawi Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Zimbabwe Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Kenya Game Parks
- ↳ All you need to know about Uganda Game Parks
- ↳ Questions and discussions on all Southern African Parks
- Africa Wild Travel Tales
- ↳ Africa Wild Travel Tales
- ↳ Travel Tales of South African National Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Kruger National Park
- ↳ Travel Tales of Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
- ↳ Travel Tales of Addo Elephant National Park
- ↳ Travel Tales of Mapungubwe National Park
- ↳ Travel Tales of other South African National Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of KZN Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Hluhluwe/Imfolozi Game Reserve
- ↳ Travel Tales of Ndumo Game Reserve
- ↳ Travel Tales of Mkuze Game Reserve
- ↳ Travel Tales of Ithala Game Reserve
- ↳ Travel Tales of Tembe Elephant Park
- ↳ Travel Tales of Other KZN Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Other South African Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Pilanesberg Game Reserve
- ↳ Travel Tales of North West Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Limpopo Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Eastern Cape Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Western Cape Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Northern Cape Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Gauteng Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Free State Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Mpumalanga Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Botswana Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Namibia Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Zimbabwe Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Tanzania Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Central & East Africa Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Swaziland Parks
- ↳ Travel Tales of Zambia Parks
- ↳ Tales of Wildlife Experiences & Animal Behaviour
- ↳ Travel Tales of Africa Wild Adventures
- ↳ Travel Tales from around the World
- African Wildlife: Animals, Birds, Plants
- ↳ Mammals
- ↳ Birds
- ↳ Reptiles
- ↳ Amphibians and Fishes
- ↳ Invertebrates
- ↳ Plants
- ↳ The Monthly How, What & Why of Wildlife
- Africa Wild Special Interests
- ↳ Africa Wild Photography
- ↳ Pic of the Day
- ↳ Pic of the Month 2024
- ↳ Pic of the Month 2022/2023
- ↳ Pic of the Year 2023
- ↳ Pic of the Year 2022
- ↳ Pic of the Year 2021
- ↳ Archived Galleries 2011-2024
- ↳ Gallery the Year 2011
- ↳ Bird Pic of the Year 2011
- ↳ Animal Pic of the Year 2011
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2012
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2014
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2015
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2013
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2016
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2017
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2018
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2019
- ↳ Gallery of the Year 2020
- ↳ Gallery of the year 2021
- ↳ Gallery of the year 2022
- ↳ Gallery of the year 2023
- ↳ Gallery of the year 2024
- ↳ General Photography Discussion Forum
- ↳ Technical Photography Discussion Forum
- ↳ Photo Competition - Your Best Photo of.....
- ↳ Webcams
- ↳ Monthly Webcam Gallery
- ↳ Webcam Sightings
- ↳ Africa Wild Quizzies & Games
- ↳ Wildlife from Out of Africa
- ↳ The Fishing Hole
- ↳ Books & Recommended Reading
- ↳ Heritage
- ↳ Natural World
- ↳ Environmental Activists
- Africa Wild Travel and Holiday Information
- ↳ Your Holidays - Responsible Tourism
- ↳ Dongas & Dust
- ↳ Camping
- ↳ Travel Advice and Discussions
- Africa Wild Social Forum
- ↳ The Rhino Midden