3) With our offices based in Cape Town, South Africa, should a problem arise, we will be able to respond to the relative issue in the same time zone as you are located. We are contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
4) Since all products and services are pre–paid through Uyaphi.com you are never surprised with any additional costs, with this in mind you can budget properly for your Africa safari.
5) We do not charge Visa & Mastercard surcharges.
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The winter months are supposed to be quiet months for tourism in South Africa … but in 2009 this could not be further from the truth. A feast of sport has begun … and with the 2010 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, this excitement will not be over any time soon!
The highly entertaining IPL (Indian Premier League) has just wrapped up its visit to our shores and now it’s rugby time … the Lion’s are here and rugby lovers are gearing up for a month of excellent rugby.
Footballers are also in for a treat. The first international teams are arriving and preparations matches have begun for the FIFA Confederations Cup which officially begins on 14 June. All this sporting action is the perfect dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup, so be sure to catch some of the action while you can.
This month we focus on South Africa and some of the destinations not to be missed between matches. There is something to suit everyone in this fascinating and varied country, whether you’re after adrenaline adventure or the finer things in life.
Happy Reading!
Regards,
The Uyaphi.com Team
Uyaphi.com’s service shines bright as the African Sun...
“ ...We have returned to the UK after a most wonderful adventure through Botswana. My son and I had the most amazing time and it was everything we hoped. Thus my grateful thanks for all your help with our travel arrangements, which all happened as planned!! We have great memories (and an awful lots of photos!) of Africa.
...”
Brian (United Kingdom)
The Winelands: Great locations, good wine and much more on Cape Town’s doorstep
Wine was first made from Cape grapes back in 1659. South African wines are relative newcomers to the world stage, but continue to win over fans each year. 2008 saw a record 400 million litres exported, gracing tables of the likes of Barack Obama who toasted his election victory with a bottle of Graham Beck Brut NV, a chardonnay and pinot noir blend.
The Cape Winelands is a fertile region lying at the doorstep of Cape Town. Vineyards stretch 800 kilometres along plains and rugged mountain slopes, offering magnificent vistas, beautiful historic Cape Dutch architecture and the fruits of over 200 wine cellars to choose from. The region is divided up into a number of wine routes, offering visitors a plethora of wine tasting opportunities.
There is a lot more than wine to whet the appetite … like the farm stalls and farmers markets selling delectable locally grown and manufactured produce. This is gourmet territory and visitors have many of South Africa’s Top 100 Restaurants to choose from. And when all this indulgence gets too much, head for the country’s leading Spa locations.
The many valleys and mountains of the winelands are equally an outdoor lovers paradise, offering everything from game reserves, horse riding and mountain bike trails, to abseiling, kloofing or cooling off in the ocean nearby. You’ll never get bored; the winelands buzz with festivals and events all year through.
Accommodation in the Winelands
Stellenbosch
A town steeped in tradition encircled by the majestic peaks of the Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek, and Helderberg mountains.
Franschhoek
French flavour in dramatic surrounds: legacy of the Huguenots who settled here after fleeing France in 1688. Their viticulture skills provided a much needed boost to winemaking in the early days of the Cape.
Paarl
Meaning Pearl, due to the sun’s reflection on Paarl Rock. This is the second-largest granite outcrop in the world and home to the Taalmonument, monument to the Afrikaans language (the only monument devoted to a language in the world).
Panoramic Adventures in Mpumulanga
Mpumulanga is synonymous with game viewing – the Kruger National Park and its surrounding concessions – but few realise how much more adventure there is to be had in the “Land of the Rising Sun”.
To the west lies the Escarpment, a mountainous barrier separating flat grasslands of the highveld from Kruger bush country. On the Panorama Route be sure to stop along the lip of the escarpment to appreciate the vistas from famous viewpoints like “God’s Window” and “Bourke’s Luck potholes”. An even better way to appreciate the full magnificence of the landscape is to take to the air: a hot air balloon excursion may be just your style, or take a helicopter flip over dramatic waterfalls and pockets of indigenous forest.
The 700 metre deep Blyde River canyon slices through the escarpment for 25 kilometres, most of it nature reserve offering spectacular birding. There is an excellent hiking trail at the bottom of the canyon … Or how about a horseback adventure?
If its more adrenaline you’re after, head out on the old wagon road over the Long Tom Pass to the village of Sabie. From here you can try your hand at white water rafting (whatever your level of experience), try your luck at trout fishing … and round off the day abseiling or rock climbing.
The game is on! The Lions won the first fixture of their tour to South
Africa with a fairly unexciting 37-25 victory over the Royal XV squad
in Rustenberg on 31 May. This lacklustre victory was probably due to
the heat and high altitude. The visitors are settling in, as was
evident in the second game played this Wednesday. The Lions’ resounding victory is a wake-up call for local teams, so they will be
sure to pull out all the stops in the upcoming matches.
Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Phoekeng (Rustenburg): Saturday 30 May - The Lions beat Royal XV 37-25 Johannesburg: Wednesday 3 June - The Lions beat the local Xerox Golden Lions 74-10 Bloemfontein: Saturday 6 June - Vodacom Free State Cheetahs vs Lions (3pm)
Durban: Wednesday 10 June - Sharks vs Lions (7:10pm)
Cape Town: Saturday 13 June - Vodacom WP vs Lions (3pm)
Port Elizabeth: Tuesday 16 June - Southern Kings XV vs Lions (3pm)
Durban: Saturday 20 June - South Africa vs Lions (3pm)
Cape Town: Tuesday 23 June - Emerging SA vs Lions (7:10pm)
Pretoria: Saturday 27 June - South Africa vs Lions (3pm)
Johannesburg: Saturday 4 July - South Africa vs Lions (3pm)
Our consultants are still managing to seek out accommodation in most of the match locations, so if you are stuck with last-minute arrangements be sure to give us a shout. Africa is also far too spectacular a location to just visit for the rugby. There are plenty of options for add-on safaris, beach escapes or adrenaline adventures to keep you amused during your stay … and our consultants are specially trained to find the best itineraries to suit your hearts desire.
In the spirit of our earlier visit to the Cape Winelands, our featured Uyaphi blog this week is the Franschhoek Daily Photo. Our resident web guru James combines his vices (for great South African wine, travel and photography!) to bring you a quirky perspective on one of the Wineland’s favourite towns.
The daily photo blog is a global phenomenon: bloggers from around the world post one picture from their chosen location every day. This is a fascinating eye on the world and Uyaphi is a proud participant.
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