tax_generator 0.4.0 → 0.5.0

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data/data/input/.gitignore

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # Ignore everything in this directory
-#*
+*
 # Except this file
 !.gitignore

data/data/input/destinations.xml

@@ -55,42 +55,42 @@ Make it happen
 
 Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
 
-South Africa:
+South Africa: 
 
 
-journey through  Namibia to Cape Town
-explore  South Africa’s green coast
- go from  Johannesburg to Cape Town via the Kruger National Park
-take 22 Days and go from  Vic Falls to Cape Town
+journey through  Namibia to Cape Town 
+explore  South Africa’s green coast 
+ go from  Johannesburg to Cape Town via the Kruger National Park 
+take 22 Days and go from  Vic Falls to Cape Town 
 make a positive contribution to development by helping out  at a volunteer project
 
 
 
 
 
-Kenya:
+Kenya: 
 
 
-go on an adventure to see Kenya’s wildlife
-climb  Mt Kenya
- take a   Kenyan safari
- make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project
+go on an adventure to see Kenya’s wildlife 
+climb  Mt Kenya 
+ take a   Kenyan safari 
+ make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project 
 
 
 
 
-Uganda, Tanzania & Rwanda:
+Uganda, Tanzania & Rwanda: 
 
 
 catch sight of a  Gorilla in Bwindi  National Park
-see Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys in Rwanda
- trek  Uganda’s volcanoes
- climb the iconic  Mt Kilimanjaro
- make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project
+see Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys in Rwanda 
+ trek  Uganda’s volcanoes 
+ climb the iconic  Mt Kilimanjaro 
+ make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project 
 
 
 
-West Africa:
+West Africa: 
 
 
 explore the  city of Timbuktu
@@ -99,13 +99,13 @@ take in the voodoo trail of   Burkina Faso
 
 
 
-North Africa:
+North Africa: 
 
 
 explore  Egypt
-travel the deserts, bazaars, pyramids and tombs of Egypt
-see  the best of Morocco
-take in the  Imperial cities of Morocco
+travel the deserts, bazaars, pyramids and tombs of Egypt 
+see  the best of Morocco 
+take in the  Imperial cities of Morocco 
 discover and explore  Libya's historical sites
  travel through  Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal
 
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ Want more? Choose from a wide selection of similar trips South Africa ]]>
 <endangered_species>
 <overview>
 <![CDATA[ The black rhino is the highest profile entry on South Africa's threatened species list (good places to spot these include Mkhuze Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. The riverine rabbit is the country's most endangered mammal (the only place in the world it is found is near rivers in the central Karoo). The wild dog (seen with luck in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park) is also endangered, as is the roan antelope.
-Endangered bird species include the graceful wattled crane and the blue swallow. The African penguin and the Cape vulture are considered threatened.
+Endangered bird species include the graceful wattled crane and the blue swallow. The African penguin and the Cape vulture are considered threatened. 
 ]]>
 </overview>
 </endangered_species>
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ Endangered bird species include the graceful wattled crane and the blue swallow.
 </overview>
 <plants>
 <overview>
-<![CDATA[ Over 20,000 plant species sprout from South Africa's soil - an amazing 10% of the world's total, although the country constitutes only 1% of the earth's land surface.  Dozens of flowers that are domesticated elsewhere grow wild here, including gladiolus, proteas, birds of paradise and African lilies. South Africa is also the only country with one of the world's six floral kingdoms within its borders.  In the drier northwest, there are succulents (dominated by euphorbias and aloes), and annuals, which flower brilliantly after the spring rains, and are one of Northern Cape's major tourist attractions.  In contrast to this floral wealth, South Africa has few natural forests. They were never extensive, and today only remnants remain. Temperate forests occur on the southern coastal strip between George and Humansdorp, in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and in Mpumalanga. Subtropical forests are found northeast of Port Elizabeth in the areas just inland from the Wild Coast, and in KwaZulu-Natal. In the north are large areas of savanna, dotted with acacias and thorn trees.
+<![CDATA[ Over 20,000 plant species sprout from South Africa's soil - an amazing 10% of the world's total, although the country constitutes only 1% of the earth's land surface.  Dozens of flowers that are domesticated elsewhere grow wild here, including gladiolus, proteas, birds of paradise and African lilies. South Africa is also the only country with one of the world's six floral kingdoms within its borders.  In the drier northwest, there are succulents (dominated by euphorbias and aloes), and annuals, which flower brilliantly after the spring rains, and are one of Northern Cape's major tourist attractions.  In contrast to this floral wealth, South Africa has few natural forests. They were never extensive, and today only remnants remain. Temperate forests occur on the southern coastal strip between George and Humansdorp, in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and in Mpumalanga. Subtropical forests are found northeast of Port Elizabeth in the areas just inland from the Wild Coast, and in KwaZulu-Natal. In the north are large areas of savanna, dotted with acacias and thorn trees. 
 ]]>
 </overview>
 </plants>
@@ -1070,2150 +1070,4 @@ A friendly local firm is Around About Cars (021-422 4022; www.aroundaboutcars.co
 </when_to_go>
 </weather>
 </destination>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-<destination atlas_id="355064" asset_id="22614-4" title="Africa" title-ascii="Africa">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[You’ve probably heard the claim that Africa is ‘the birthplace of humanity’. But before there were humans, or even apes, or even ape ancestors, there was...rock. Africa is the oldest and most enduring landmass in the world. When you stand on African soil, 97% of what’s under your feet has been in place for more than 300 million years. During that time, Africa has seen pretty much everything – from proto-bacteria to dinosaurs and finally, around five to 10 million years ago, a special kind of ape called Australopithecines, that branched off (or rather let go of the branch), and walked on two legs down a separate evolutionary track. This radical move led to the development of various hairy, dim-witted hominids (early men) – Homo habilis around 2.4 million years ago, Homo erectus some 1.8 million years ago and finally Homo sapiens (modern humans) around 200,000 years ago. Around 50,000 years later, somewhere in Tanzania or Ethiopia, a woman was born who has become known as ‘mitochondrial Eve’. We don’t know what she looked like, or how she lived her life, but we do know that every single human being alive today (yup, that’s EVERYONE) is descended from her. So at a deep genetic level, we’re all still Africans.The break from Africa into the wider world occurred around 100,000 years ago, when a group numbering perhaps as few as 50 people migrated out of North Africa, along the shores of the Mediterranean and into the Middle East. From this inauspicious start came a population that would one day cover almost every landmass on the globe.Around the time that people were first venturing outside the continent, hunting and gathering was still the lifestyle of choice; humans lived in communities that rarely exceeded a couple of hundred individuals, and social bonds were formed to enable these small bands of people to share food resources and hunt co-operatively. With the evolution of language, these bonds blossomed into the beginnings of society and culture as we know it today.The first moves away from the nomadic hunter–gatherer way of life came between 14,000 BC and 9500 BC, a time when rainfall was high and the Sahara and North Africa became verdant. It was in these green and pleasant lands that the first farmers were born, and mankind learned to cultivate crops rather than following prey animals from place to place. By 2500 BC the rains began to fail and the sandy barrier between North and West Africa became the Sahara we know today. People began to move southwest into the rainforests of Central Africa. By this time a group of people speaking the same kind of languages had come to dominate the landscape in Africa south of the Sahara. Known as the Bantu, their populations grew as they discovered iron-smelting technology and developed new agricultural techniques. By 100 BC, Bantu peoples had reached East Africa; by AD 300 they were living in southern Africa, and the age of the African empires had begun.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Victorian missionaries liked to think they were bringing the beacon of ‘civilisation’ to the ‘savages’ of Africa, but the truth is that Africans were developing commercial empires and complex urban societies while Europeans were still running after wildlife with clubs. Many of these civilisations were small and short-lived, but others were truly great, with influence that reached far beyond Africa and into Asia and Europe. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Arguably the greatest of the African empires was the first: Ancient Egypt. Formed through an amalgamation of already organised states in the Nile Delta around 3100 BC, it achieved an amazing degree of cultural and social sophistication. Sophisticated food-production techniques from the Sahara combined with influences from the Middle East to form a society in which the Pharaohs, a race of kings imbued with the power of gods, sat at the top of a highly stratified social hierarchy. The annual flooding of the Nile kept the lands of the Pharaohs fertile and fed their legions of slaves and artisans, who in turn worked to produce some of the most amazing public buildings ever constructed. Many of these, like the Pyramids of Giza, are still standing today. During the good times, which lasted nearly 3000 years, Egyptians discovered the principals of mathematics and astronomy, invented a written language and mined gold. Ancient Egypt was eventually overrun by the Nubian Empire, then by the Assyrians, Persians, Alexander the Great and finally the Romans. The Nubians retained control of a great swathe of the Lower Nile Valley, despite getting a spanking from the Ethiopian empire of Aksum around AD 500.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Established in Tunisia by a mysterious race of seafaring people called the Phoenicians (little is known about their origins, but they probably hailed from Tyre in modern-day Lebanon), the city-state of Carthage filled the power gap left by the fading empire of Ancient Egypt. By the 6th century BC, Carthage controlled much of the local sea trade, their ships sailing to and from the Mediterranean ports laden with cargos of dye, cedar wood and precious metals. Back on land, scholars were busy inventing the Phoenician alphabet, from which Greek, Hebrew and Latin letters are all thought to derive. All this came to an abrupt end with the arrival of the Romans, who razed Carthage to the ground (despite the best efforts of the mighty warrior Hannibal, Carthage’s most celebrated son) and enslaved its population in 146 BC. A host of foreign armies swept across North Africa in the succeeding centuries, but it was the Arabs who had a lasting impact, introducing Islam around AD 670. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Aksum was the first truly African indigenous state – no conquerors from elsewhere arrived to start this legendary kingdom, which controlled much of Sudan and southern Arabia at the height of its powers. Aksum’s heart was the hilly, fertile landscape of northern Ethiopia, a cool, green place that contrasts sharply with the hot, dry shores of the Red Sea just a few hundred kilometres away. The Aksumites traded with Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean and Arabia, developed a written language, produced gold coins and built imposing stone buildings. In the third century AD, the Aksumite king converted to Christianity, founding the Ethiopian Orthodox church. Legend has it that Ethiopia was the home of the fabled Queen of Sheba and the last resting place of the mysterious Ark of the Covenant. Aksum also captured the imagination of medieval Europeans, who told tales of a legendary Christian king named ‘Prester John’ who ruled over a race of white people deep in darkest Africa. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The area around present-day Mali was the home of a hugely wealthy series of West African empires that flourished over the course of more than 800 years. The Ghana Empire lasted from AD 700 to 1000, and was followed by the Mali Empire (around AD 1250 to 1500), which once stretched all the way from the coast of Senegal to Niger. The Songhai Empire (AD 1000–1591) was the last of these little-known, trade-based empires, which at times covered areas larger than Western Europe, and whose wealth was founded on the mining of gold and salt from Saharan mines. Camels carried these natural resources across the desert to cities in North Africa and the Middle East, returning laden with manufactured goods and producing a huge surplus of wealth. One Malian emperor was said to possess a nugget of gold so large you could tether a horse to it! Organised systems of government and Islamic centres of scholarship – the most famous of which was Timbuktu – flourished in the kingdoms of West Africa, but conversely, it was Islam that led to their downfall when the forces of Morocco invaded in 1591. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[While the West African kings were trading their way to fame and fortune, a similar process was occurring on Africa’s east coast. As early as the 7th century AD, the coastal areas of modern-day Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique were home to a chain of vibrant, well-organised city-states, whose inhabitants lived in stone houses, wore fine silks and decorated their gravestones with fine ceramics and glass. Merchants from as far afield as China and India arrived on the East African coast in their magnificent, wooden sailing boats, then set off again with their holds groaning with trade goods, spices, slaves and exotic beasts. The rulers of these city-states were the Swahili sultans – kings and queens who kept a hold on their domains via their control over magical objects and knowledge of secret religious ceremonies. The Swahili sultans were eventually defeated by Portuguese and Omani conquerors, but the rich cultural melting pot they presided over gave rise to the Swahili language, a fusion of African, Arabic and Portuguese words that still thrives in the present day. The Omani sultans who replaced the Swahili rulers made the fabled island of Zanzibar their headquarters, building beautiful palaces and bathhouses and cementing the hold of Islamic culture on the East African coast.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[There has always been slavery in Africa (slaves were often the by-products of intertribal warfare, and the Arabs and Shirazis who dominated the East African coast took slaves by the thousands), but it was only after Portuguese ships arrived off the African coast in the fifteenth century that slaving turned into an export industry. The Portuguese in West Africa, the Dutch in South Africa and other Europeans who came after them were initially searching for lucrative trade routes, but they soon saw how African slavery worked and were impressed with how slaves helped fuel agricultural production. They figured that slaves would be just the thing for their huge American sugar plantations. At the same time, African leaders realised they could extend their kingdoms by waging war, and get rich trading with Europeans, whose thirst for slaves (and gradual insistence that slaves be exchanged for guns) created a vicious circle of conflict.Exact figures are impossible to establish, but from the end of the 15th century until around 1870, when the slave trade was abolished, up to 20 million Africans were enslaved. Perhaps half died en route to the Americas; millions of others perished in slaving raids. The trans-Atlantic slave trade gave European powers a huge economic boost, while the loss of farmers and tradespeople, as well as the general chaos, made Africa an easy target for colonialism. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The first European visitors to Africa were content to make brief forays into well-fortified coastal settlements, but it wasn’t long before the thirst to discover (and exploit) the unknown interior took hold. Victorian heroes such as Richard Burton and John Speke captured the public imagination with the hair-raising tales from the East African interior, while Mungo Park and the formidable Mary Wesley battled their way through fever-ridden swamps, and avoided charging animals while ‘discovering’ various parts of West Africa. Most celebrated was missionary–explorer David Livingstone, who was famously encountered by Henry Morton Stanley on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Livingstone spent the best years of his life attempting to convert the ‘natives’ to Christianity and searching for the source of the Nile. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Hot on the heels of the 19th-century explorers came the representatives of European powers, who began the infamous ‘scramble for Africa’, vying with each other to exploit real or imagined resources for their sovereigns, and demarcating random and unlikely national borders that still remain to this day. At the Berlin Conference of 1884–85, most of Africa was split neatly into colonies. France and Britain got the biggest swathes, with Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Belgium picking up bits and pieces. Forced labour, heavy taxation, and swift and vengeful violence for any insurrection were all characteristics of the colonial administrations. African territories were essentially organised to extract cheap cash crops and natural resources for use by the colonial powers. To facilitate easy administration, tribal differences and rivalries were exploited to the full, and Africans who refused to assimilate to the culture of their overlords were kept out of the market economy and the education system. Industrial development and social welfare were rarely high on the colonialists’ agenda, and the effects of the colonial years, which in some cases only ended a few decades ago, continue to leave their mark on the continent.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[African independence movements have existed for as long as the foreign overlords, but the formation of organised political resistance gained momentum in the 1950s and ’60s, when soldiers who had fought in both World Wars on behalf of their colonial masters joined forces with African intellectuals who had gained their education through missionary schools and universities. Young men and women went abroad to study and were inspired by the fiery speeches of communist figures and the far-reaching goals of nationalist movements from other countries. They returned home dreaming of ‘Africa for the Africans’. Some realised this dream peacefully, others only after decades of bloodshed and struggle, but by the 1970s the dream had become a reality, and a new era of independent African governments was born.In many cases, however, it didn’t take long before the dream turned into a nightmare. Fledgling African nations became pawns in the Cold War machinations of self-serving foreign powers, and factors such as economic collapse and ethnic resentment led them to spiral down into a mire of corruption, violence and civil war.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[If Africa sometimes seems like a continent suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, one of the least thoroughly digested of its many traumas was the slave trade. Part of African reality long before the white man set foot there, slavery was the fate of criminals, the indebted and prisoners of war. However, its domestic form was more benign than what came later, when Arab slave traders sent raiding parties into the interior, kidnapping the fittest and strongest. Entire regions became depopulated as villagers fled, and the impact of the Arab tactics of divide and rule, in which one chieftain turned against another, have been insidious. By the 16th century, European powers were hard on the Arabs’ heels. With African rulers acting as middlemen – the West African empires of Dahomey and Ashanti in today’s Benin and Ghana grew fat on slavery’s proceeds – British, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch traders shipped between 12 and 20 million souls across the Atlantic to work the New World’s tobacco, sugar and cotton plantations. The brutal trade finally ended in 1833 when Britain, its conscience pricked by the abolition movement, outlawed slavery in its colonies. What is striking is how deep in the continent’s subconscious this terrible episode has been buried. Some academics estimate that had it not been for the slave trade, Africa’s mid-19th-century population would have been double its 25 million figure. Yet with the exception of the markets along the Swahili coast (a 2, 900km stretch of Kenyan and Tanzanian coastline), Ghana’s castles and Senegal’s Goree Island, one rarely stumbles upon its traces. The complicity of rulers of the day may explain a reluctance to engage with the issue. As Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade, whose ancestors were slave owners, told African delegates campaigning for reparations: ‘If one can claim reparations for slavery, the slaves of my ancestors or their descendants can also claim money from me.’ The other complicating factor may be awareness of the time it took many African states to outlaw slavery – Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie, for example, only set about it in the 1920s – and embarrassment at the knowledge that it still quietly persists in countries such as Sudan, Mauritania and Niger. This awkward fact was highlighted in May 2005 when a pressure group arranged a release ceremony for 7,000 slaves in Niger. Humiliated by the media coverage, the government warned those involved they faced prosecution if they admitted to being slave masters, and the ceremony was scrapped.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[African history is a massive and intricate subject, world-s­haking events have shaped the continent’s history, from the early men and women who left their footsteps in volcanic ash to the liberation of Nelson Mandela, and a whole lot of wars, conquests, civilisations and revolutions in between.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[How do you capture the essence of Africa on paper without using up every cliché in the book? No other continent comes close to it for scale, variety and pure, raw impact. Africa offers a travel experience a thousand kilometres from the well-backpacked, air-conditioned tourist trails of Southeast Asia or the cash-cow theme parks of Australia or Europe.Africa’s natural history alone would make a dozen visits worthwhile – where else on earth can you fall asleep to the sound of lions roaring, or watch a million flamingos take off from the waters of a remote soda lake? Parts of Africa boast scenery so spectacular they’ll damn near blow your mind, but the essence of this incredible continent isn’t in any desert, mountain or lake. It’s the spirit of the people – pushing, shoving, sweating, dancing, singing and laughing – that infects so many visitors with a travel bug so powerful they’ll never stop coming back, sometimes against all sense or reason. Debate with venerable merchants among the cool, narrow streets of an Arabic medina, dance to the thumping reggae beats coming from a West African market stall, or shoot the breeze with fishermen under Indian Ocean palm trees, and you’ll be struck more than anything else by the honesty, warm-heartedness and vitality of the African people.Africa’s not always an easy place to travel in. It can be frustrating and challenging at times. Hardships and logistical disasters can happen. But don’t believe everything you see on TV: Africa’s not a hell hole full of civil war, plague, famine and violent crime. It’s a fantastic, enlightening, surprising and intriguing continent. Try it once, and we guarantee you’ll dream about coming back for the rest of your life.
-
-Make it happen
-
-Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
-
-South Africa:
-
-
-journey through  Namibia to Cape Town
-explore  South Africa’s green coast
- go from  Johannesburg to Cape Town via the Kruger National Park
-take 22 Days and go from  Vic Falls to Cape Town
-make a positive contribution to development by helping out  at a volunteer project
-
-
-
-
-
-Kenya:
-
-
-go on an adventure to see Kenya’s wildlife
-climb  Mt Kenya
- take a   Kenyan safari
- make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project
-
-
-
-
-Uganda, Tanzania & Rwanda:
-
-
-catch sight of a  Gorilla in Bwindi  National Park
-see Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys in Rwanda
- trek  Uganda’s volcanoes
- climb the iconic  Mt Kilimanjaro
- make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project
-
-
-
-West Africa:
-
-
-explore the  city of Timbuktu
-take in the voodoo trail of   Burkina Faso
- travel through West Africa from  Dakar to Douala
-
-
-
-North Africa:
-
-
-explore  Egypt
-travel the deserts, bazaars, pyramids and tombs of Egypt
-see  the best of Morocco
-take in the  Imperial cities of Morocco
-discover and explore  Libya's historical sites
- travel through  Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal
-
-
-
-]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine by Eric A Weiss (1998)Healthy Travel by Jane Wilson-Howarth (1999)Healthy Travel Africa by Isabelle Young (2000)How to Stay Healthy Abroad by Richard Dawood (2002)Travel in Health by Graham Fry (1994)Travel with Children by Cathy Lanigan &amp; Maureen Wheeler (2004)]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[Travel insurance to cover theft and illness is highly recommended. Although having your camera stolen by monkeys or your music player eaten by a goat can be a problem, the medical cover is by far the most important aspect because hospitals in Africa are not free, and the good ones are not cheap. Simply getting to a hospital can be expensive, so ensure you’re covered for ambulances (land and air) and emergency flights home.There are many policies available, including several pitched at travellers on long trips. Some forbid unscheduled boat or plane rides, or exclude dangerous activities such as white-water rafting, canoeing, or even hiking. Others are more sensible and understand the realities of travel in Africa. Shop around and read the small print to make sure you’re fully covered.]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[Legislation covering third-party insurance varies considerably from one country to another – in some places it isn’t even compulsory. Where it is, you generally have to buy insurance at the border (a process that is fraught with corruption), but the liability limits on these policies are often absurdly low by Western standards; this means if you have any bad accidents you’ll be in deep shit, so it’s a smart plan to insure yourself before heading out. If you’re starting from the UK, one company highly recommended for insurance policies and for detailed information on carnets is Campbell Irvine (020-7937 6981; www.campbellirvine.com).]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[Find out in advance whether your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or will reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures (in many countries doctors expect payment in cash). It’s vital to ensure that your travel insurance will cover the emergency transport to get you to a hospital in a major city, to better medical facilities elsewhere in Africa, or all the way home, by air and with a medical attendant if necessary. Not all insurance covers this, so check the contract carefully. If you need medical help, your insurance company might be able to help locate the nearest hospital or clinic, or you can ask at your hotel. In an emergency, contact your embassy or consulate. Membership of the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref; www.amref.org) provides an air evacuation service in medical emergencies in some African countries, as well as air ambulance transfers between medical facilities. Money paid by members for this service provides grass-roots medical assistance for local people. ]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[There is a wealth of travel health advice on the internet. For further information, the Lonely Planet website at www.lonelyplanet.com is a good place to start. The World Health Organization publishes a superb book called International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online at no cost at www.who.int/ith/. Other websites of general interest are MD Travel Health at www.mdtravelhealth.com, which provides complete travel health recommendations for every country, updated daily, also at no cost; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov; and Fit for Travel at www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk, which has up-to-date information about outbreaks and is very user-friendly. It’s also a good idea to consult your government’s travel health website before departure, if one is available:Australia (www.dfat.gov.au/travel/)Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/tmp-pmv/pub_e.html)UK (www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/index.htm)USA (www.cdc.gov/travel/)]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[It is a very good idea to carry a medical and first-aid kit around with you, to help yourself in the case of minor illness or injury. Following is a list of items you should consider packing.Acetaminophen (paracetamol) or aspirin Acetazolamide (Diamox) for altitude sickness (prescription only)Adhesive or paper tapeAnti-inflammatory drugs (eg ibuprofen) Antibacterial ointment (eg Bactroban) for cuts and abrasions (prescription only)Antibiotics (prescription only), eg ciprofloxacin (Ciproxin) or norfloxacin (Utinor) Antidiarrheal drugs (eg loperamide) Antihistamines (for hay fever and allergic reactions)Antimalaria pillsBandages, gauze, gauze rollsDEET-containing insect repellent for the skinIodine tablets (for water purification)Oral rehydration saltsPermethrin-containing insect spray for clothing, tents and bed netsPocket knifeScissors, safety pins, tweezersSterile needles, syringes and fluids if travelling to remote areasSteroid cream or hydrocortisone cream (for allergic rashes)SunblockSyringes and sterile needlesThermometerIf you are travelling through a malarial area – particularly an area where falciparum malaria predominates – consider taking a self-diagnostic kit that can identify malaria in the blood from a finger prick. ]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[A little planning before departure, particularly for pre-existing illnesses, will save you a lot of trouble later on. Before a long trip get a check-up from your dentist and from your doctor if you have any regular medication or chronic illness, eg high blood pressure and asthma. You should also organise spare contact lenses and glasses (and take your optical prescription with you); get a first-aid and medical kit together; and arrange necessary vaccinations.It’s tempting to leave it all to the last minute – don’t! Many vaccines don’t take effect until two weeks after you’ve been immunised, so visit a doctor four to eight weeks before departure. Ask your doctor for an International Certificate of Vaccination (otherwise known as the yellow booklet), which will list all the vaccinations you’ve received. This is mandatory for the African countries that require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry, but it’s a good idea to carry it anyway wherever you travel. Travellers can register with the International Association for Medical Advice to Travellers (IMAT; www.iamat.org). Its website can help travellers to find a doctor who has recognised training. Those heading off to very remote areas might like to do a first-aid course (contact the Red Cross or St John’s Ambulance) or attend a remote medicine first-aid course, such as that offered by the Royal Geographical Society (www.wildernessmedicaltraining.co.uk). If you are bringing medications with you, carry them in their original containers, clearly labelled. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing all medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles be sure to have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity. How do you go about getting the best possible medical help? It’s difficult to say – it really depends on the severity of your illness or injury and the availability of local help. If malaria is suspected, seek medical help as soon as possible or begin self-medicating if you are off the beaten track.]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[The World Health Organization (www.who.int/en/) recommends that all travellers be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, as well as for hepatitis B, regardless of their destination. Planning to travel is a great time to ensure that all routine vaccination cover is complete. The consequences of these diseases can be severe, and outbreaks of them do occur. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), the following vaccinations are recommended for all parts of Africa: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis, rabies and typhoid, and boosters for tetanus, diphtheria and measles. Yellow fever is not necessarily recommended for all parts of Africa, although the certificate is an entry requirement for many countries.]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Travel in Africa is remarkably safe most of the time, but you need to be alert on the streets of some cities. Dakar (Senegal) can be a bit edgy, and Nairobi (Kenya) is often called ‘Nairobbery’, while Lagos (Nigeria) and Johannesburg (South Africa) are no joke at all. Snatch-theft and pick-pocketing are the most common crimes, but violent muggings can occur, so it pays to heed the dos and don’ts below, and the warnings in country chapters.Don’t make yourself a target on the streets. Carry as little as possible. Don’t wear jewellery or watches, however cheap. Strolling with a camera or iPod is asking for trouble.Don’t walk the backstreets, or even some main streets, at night. Take a taxi – a few bucks for the fare might be a sound investment.Do use a separate wallet for day-to-day purchases. Keep the bulk of your cash hidden under loose-fitting clothing. Do walk purposefully and confidently. Never look like you are lost (even if you are!). Do be discreet with your possessions, especially in dorms. Keep your gear in your bag. Out of sight, out of mind.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[It’s very straightforward: the buying, selling, possession and use of all recreational drugs is illegal in every country in Africa. Having said that, cannabis (grass or resin) and other drugs are easily found if you want them. If this is your scene, take care. In 1999, two Kiwi travellers in Zambia got busted with a relatively small amount of grass, and did six months in jail with hard labour.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[The main annoyance you’ll come across in Africa are the various hustlers, touts, con men and scam merchants who always see tourists as easy prey. Although these guys are not necessarily dangerous, some awareness and suitable precautions are advisable, and should help you deal with them without getting stung (or punched).]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[dud soundsYou buy some CDs from the market, but back at the hotel you open the box and it’s got a blank CD inside, or music by a different artist. The solution: always try to listen to the CDs first.phone homeYou give your address to a local kid who says he wants to write. He asks for your phone number too, and you think ‘no harm in that’. Until the folks back home start getting collect calls in the middle of the night. And when it’s the kid’s big brother making false ransom demands to your worried ma and pa, then things can get serious. The solution: stick to addresses, and even then be circumspect.police &amp; thievesLocal drug salesmen are often in cahoots with the police, who then apprehend you and conveniently find you ‘in possession’, or just tell you they’ve seen you talking to a known dealer. Large bribes will be required to avoid arrest or imprisonment. To complicate things further, many con artists pose as policemen to extort money. Insist on being taken to the police station, and get written receipts for any fines you pay.take a tourA tout offers to sell you a tour such as a safari or a visit to a local attraction, and says he can do it cheaper if you buy onward travel with him too. You cough up for bus/ferry/plane tickets, plus another tour in your next destination, only to find yourself several days later with your cash gone and your reservations non-existent. Best to pay only small amounts in advance, and deal with recommended companies or touts only. welcome, friendYou’re invited to stay for free in someone’s house, if you buy meals and drinks for a few days. Sounds good, but your new friend’s appetite for food and beer makes the deal more expensive than staying at a hotel. More seriously, while you’re out entertaining, someone else will be back at the house of your ‘friend’ going through your bag. This scam is only likely in tourist zones –in remote or rural areas you’ll often come across genuine hospitality.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<in_transit>
-<![CDATA[Blood clots can form in the legs during flights, chiefly because of prolonged immobility. This formation of clots is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the longer the flight, the greater the risk. Although most blood clots are reabsorbed uneventfully, some might break off and travel through the blood vessels to the lungs, where they could cause life-threatening complications. The chief symptom of DVT is swelling or pain of the foot, ankle or calf, usually but not always on just one side. When a blood clot travels to the lungs, it could cause chest pain and breathing difficulty. Travellers with any of these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.To prevent the development of DVT on long flights you should walk about the cabin, perform isometric compressions of the leg muscles (ie contract the leg muscles while sitting), drink plenty of fluids, and avoid alcohol. ]]>
-</in_transit>
-<in_transit>
-<![CDATA[If you’re crossing more than five time zones you could suffer jet lag, resulting in insomnia, fatigue, malaise or nausea. To avoid jet lag try drinking plenty of fluids (nonalcoholic) and eating light meals. Upon arrival, get exposure to natural sunlight and readjust your schedule (for meals, sleep etc) as soon as possible. Antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and meclizine (Antivert, Bonine) are usually the first choice for treating motion sickness. Their main side effect is drowsiness. A herbal alternative is ginger (in the form of ginger tea, biscuits or crystallised ginger), which works like a charm for some people.]]>
-</in_transit>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Travelling with kids in Africa might sound like a nightmare but in fact many families find an African holiday is a rewarding and thrilling experience. While some posh hotels and camps ban kids under a certain age, some of the higher-end safari lodges run special wildlife-watching programmes for kids, and baby-sitting services are pretty widely available in midrange and top-end hotels. Africans adore children, and wherever they go your kids will be assured of a warm reception and a host of instant new friends. Outside the main cities, you can pretty safely assume that disposable nappies won’t be available, so bring everything you need with you.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Women form the backbone of African families, institutions that provide an excellent support network. However, these institutions are being sorely tested by the AIDS epidemic and are often upset if the men are forced to leave their homes and move to the cities as migrant industrial workers. Women usually tackle the lion’s share of agricultural work in traditional village societies, and in some nations sexual equality is enshrined in law. Sadly, on the ground, equal rights are some way off and women are often treated as second-class citizens. Families sometimes deny girls schooling, although education is valued highly by most Africans. More serious still are reports of female infanticide, forced marriages, female genital mutilation and honour killings. African women made history in 2005 when a legal protocol came into force that specifically protects women’s human rights in the 17 countries that ratified it. These countries have pledged to amend their laws to uphold a raft of women’s rights, including the right to property after divorce, the right to abortions after rape or abuse, and the right to equal pay in the workplace, among many others.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[It’s no use pretending otherwise – women travelling in Africa (alone or with other women) will occasionally encounter specific problems, most often harassment from men. North Africa can be particularly tiresome from this perspective. And in places where an attack or mugging is a real possibility, women are seen as easy targets, so it pays to keep away from these areas (you should investigate the individual country you're considering, but you can also talk to people on the ground to get the latest situation).But don’t panic! On a day-to-day basis, compared to many places, travel in Africa is relatively safe and unthreatening, and you’ll meet friendliness and generosity – not to mention pure old-fashioned gallantry – far more often than hostility or predatory behaviour. Many men are simply genuinely curious as to why on earth a woman is out travelling the world rather than staying at home with the babies, so keep an open mind and try not to be too hostile yourself. Having said that, when it comes to evening entertainment, Africa is a conservative society and in many countries ‘respectable’ women don’t go to bars, clubs or restaurants without a male companion. However distasteful this may be to post-feminist Westerners, trying too aggressively to buck the system could lead to trouble. Because of these attitudes, it can be hard to meet and talk with local women. It may require being invited into a home, although since many women have received little education, unless you have learnt some of the local language, communication between you could be tricky. However, this is changing to some extent because a surprising number of girls go to school while boys are sent away to work. This means that many of the staff in tourist offices, hotels or government departments are educated women, and this can be as good a place as any to try striking up a conversation. In rural areas, a good starting point might be teachers at local schools, or staff at health centres.Some expatriates you meet may be appalled at the idea of a female travelling alone and will do their best to discourage you with horror stories, often of dubious accuracy. Others will have a far more realistic attitude. When you are on the road, the best advice on what can and can’t be undertaken safely will come from local women. Use your common sense and things should go well. It’s also worth remembering that, as a solo female traveller, you might be best to pay a little extra for midrange hotels where the surroundings may make you feel more comfortable – many of the cheapest hotels in African towns rent rooms by the hour.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Unwanted interest from male ‘admirers’ is an inevitable aspect of travel in Africa, especially for lone women. This is always unpleasant, but it’s worth remembering that although you may encounter a lewd border official, or a persistent suitor who won’t go away, real harm or rape is very unlikely. If you’re alone in an uneasy situation, act cold or uninterested, rather than threatened. Stick your nose in a book. Or invent an imaginary husband who will be arriving shortly.Part of the reason for the interest is that local women rarely travel long distances alone, and a single foreign female is an unusual sight. And, thanks to imported TV and Hollywood films (not to mention the behaviour of some tourists), Western women are frequently viewed as ‘easy’. What you wear may greatly influence how you’re treated. African women dress conservatively, in traditional or Western clothes, so when a visitor wears something different from the norm, she will draw attention. In the minds of some men this is provocative. In general, look at what other women are wearing and follow suit. Keep your upper arms and legs covered.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[You can buy tampons and pads in most cities and major towns from pharmacies or supermarkets. Prices are about the same as in Europe (from where they’re imported) but you seldom have choice of type or brand. They’re rarely found in shops away from the main towns, so you might want to bring supplies if you’re spending a lot of time in remote areas. ]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<costs>
-<![CDATA[Africa can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Travelling around like a maniac is going to cost much more than taking time to explore a small region slowly and in depth.The actual cost of living (food, transport etc) varies around the continent, and travellers commonly blow big chunks of their budget on car hire (US$30 to US$150 per day), internal flights, balloon rides, adrenaline sports, organised safaris or treks (at least $100 a day in East/southern Africa), and diving or language courses.Africa is thought of as expensive among some budget travellers, but you can still scrape by for under US$20 per day. If you’d like a few more comforts (such as an in-room shower), reckon on US$30, plus a slush fund of, say, $100 a month for unexpected expenses. Beyond that, the scope for spending money is limited only by your bank account or your credit limit…]]>
-</costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Along with email, the automated teller machine (ATM) is the greatest invention for travellers since the aeroplane. Instead of having to take enough money for your whole trip, you can draw local cash as you go with a credit or debit card. Charges are low and exchange rates are usually good. The downside for travellers in Africa is that although numbers are on the rise, ATMs are still located mostly in capitals and major towns, and even then not in every country. What’s more, due to dodgy phone lines, they frequently malfunction, so you’ll still need a pile of hard cash or travellers cheques as backup. Always keep your wits about you when drawing money out, as ATMs are often targeted by thieves. Try to visit them in busy areas during daylight hours, and stash your money securely before you move away.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[You can exchange your hard cash or travellers cheques into local currency at banks or foreign-exchange bureaus in cities and tourist areas. For cash, bureaus normally offer the best rates, low (or no) charges and the fastest service, but what you get for travellers cheques can be derisory – if they’re accepted at all. Travellers cheques are more readily accepted at banks, but while rates may be OK, the charges can be as high as 10% or 20% –plus you’re often looking at a good half hour of queuing.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Credit or debit cards are handy for expensive items such as tours and flights, but most agents add a hefty 10% surcharge. It’s therefore usually cheaper to use your card to draw cash from an ATM, if they exist. If there’s no ATM, another option is to withdraw money from a local bank using your card, but be warned –this also incurs a charge of around 5%, and can be an all-day process, so go early. Before leaving home, check with your own bank to see which banks in Africa accept your card (and find out about charges). If you’re on a longer trip, and travelling in an area with decent internet access, you can pay off your monthly card bills online. Debit cards generally have no monthly bills (if you have money in your account, of course), so are less hassle for longer travels.Throughout Africa, cards with the Visa logo are most readily recognised, although MasterCard is also accepted in many places. Whatever card you use, don’t rely totally on plastic, as computer or telephone breakdowns can leave you stranded. Always have cash or travellers cheques too.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[In many African countries, inflation is high and exchange rates unpredictable. Although prices in dinars, shillings, rands, kwachas, pulas or whatever may rise from month to month, exchange rates normally keep pace, so what you pay in ‘hard currency’ (eg US dollars or euros) remains pretty much the same. However, it’s important to remember that prices invariably increase. ]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Although ATMs are handy, they sometimes don’t work. Cash is widely accepted and gets good rates, but cannot be replaced if lost. That’s where travellers cheques come in. They can attract poor rates and slow service (and in some countries are not accepted at all), and are often a pain to deal with, but they do have a major advantage of being replaceable. When exchanging travellers cheques, most banks also check the purchase receipt (the paper you’re supposed to keep separate) and your passport, so make sure you have these with you when you go to change your cheques. You can sometimes pay for items such as safaris and activities directly with travellers cheques, but most operators add a surcharge –usually 10%, but sometimes up to 20%, because that’s what banks charge them.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[For a short trip through Africa you might get all your visas before you leave home. For a longer trip, it’s easier to get them as you go along. Most countries have an embassy in each neighbouring country, but not all, so careful planning is required. Some visas are valid from when they are issued, so you may have to enter the country pretty soon after getting them. On other visas you say when you plan to enter the country and arrive within a month of that date. Sometimes it’s convenient (and relatively cheap) to get several visas in one place – South Africa or Kenya, for example.Prices vary widely, but you can expect to pay US$10 to US$50 for standard one-month single-entry visas, and up to US$200 for three-month multiple-entry visas. If you want to stay longer, extensions are usually available for an extra fee.Rules vary for different nationalities: for example, British and Aussie citizens don’t need advance visas for some southern African countries; French citizens don’t need them in much of West Africa; Americans need them nearly everywhere. The price of a visa also varies according to nationality (Lucky Irish-passport holders seem to be able to get free visas in dozens of countries!), and where you buy it. In some of Africa’s more, ahem…informal countries, you’ll also be factoring in the mood/corruption level of the person you’re buying it from.Most visas are issued in 24 or 48 hours –and it always helps to go to embassies in the morning – but occasionally the process takes a week or longer. You may have to show you have enough funds to cover the visit, or prove that you intend to leave the country rather than settle down and build a hut somewhere. (This could be an air ticket home, or a letter from your employer stating you’re expected to return to work on a specified date). For most visas you also need up to six passport photos; so take what you’ll need, although you can get new supplies from photo booths in most capitals. Some embassies ask for a photocopy of your passport data page, so it’s always worth carrying a few spare copies.If you’re travelling in West Africa, ask about a Visa Touristique Entente – a five-country visa covering Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. It costs around US$38 and is usually valid for two months. You should be able to get it in any embassy of the five countries covered, but in practice embassies of Benin seem the best bet (when we passed through Chad, the Niger embassy in N’Djamena hadn’t even heard of it).A final note: if you have Israeli stamps in your passport, they may prove problematic when you enter Sudan and some North African countries, such as Libya. Israeli border officials may stamp a piece of paper, which you can then remove, but if you’re travelling overland your Egyptian entry-point can still be a giveaway.Specifics on visas vary from country to country, and regulations can change so it’s always worth checking before you enter the country.]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Africa’s internal air network is pretty comprehensive and can save you considerable time and hardship on the roads; certainly flying over the Sahara, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the often chaotic and difficult Chad and southern Sudan is a good idea. Some airlines are first-class operations; others are about as reliable as a chocolate fireguard. Check flight details carefully (many tickets are flexible), but be prepared for delays, cancellations and bureaucratic pantomimes, especially when travelling on state-owned enterprises. Don’t expect to be put up in a four-star hotel should your flight get canned.If you’re serious about taking a few African flights, consider sorting it out when booking your main ticket. Any half-decent travel agent should be able to book a host of ‘add-on’ African flights and possibly find fares that allow a little flexibility. These add-ons are often sold at a discount overseas, so forward planning can save you a small fortune. To give you an idea of what to expect, here are some sample fares for transcontinental travel:Accra–Addis Ababa US$1100Cairo–Tunis US$560Casablanca–Dakar US$430Casablanca–Johannesburg US$660Dakar–Bamako US$170Dar es Salaam–Johannesburg US$400Johannesburg–Maputo US$150Nairobi–Dar es Salaam US$280Sample fares for domestic travel include the following:Bamako–Timbuktu US$180Cairo–Aswan US$175 Dar es Salaam–Zanzibar US$55Johannesburg–Cape Town US$75Nairobi–Lamu US$170 ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[This section is something of a misnomer. All products purporting to be Africa air passes are just cheapo deals on domestic and transcontinental flights available to travellers flying into Africa with certain airlines. These schemes operate on a tailor-made basis – routes are usually divided into price bands or sectors and you pick ’n’ mix to make an itinerary. Most schemes are fairly limited and usually dictate that your flights include an arrival or departure at one or two hubs. The airlines mentioned in this section won’t always offer the cheapest flights into Africa, but if you’re planning to take a few African flights some ‘air pass’ schemes offer great value in the long run – the best offer savings of well over 50% on domestic and continental fares. The ‘air pass’ scheme run by Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com) allows flights on South African Airways to 25 destinations across Africa if you fly in on a member carrier. Oneworld alliance (www.oneworldalliance.com) has a similar scheme called Visit Africa. Air Namibia (www.airnamibia.com) offers a southern African pass in conjunction with its international flights to Namibia from London and Frankfurt. The Indian Ocean Pass run by Air Seychelles (www.airseychelles.net), Air Mauritius (www.airmauritius.com) or Air Austral (www.air-austral.com) allows for great exploration of Indian Ocean countries, including Madagascar. It offers travel to limited countries in mainland Africa including Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa.KLM (www.klm.com) offers aPassport to Africa, which hooks into the African network of Kenya Airways. It allows for between three and 12 African flight coupons in combination with intercontinental travel on KLM, Northwest Airlines or Kenya Airways.]]>
-</air>
-<bicycle>
-<![CDATA[Cycling around Africa is predictably tough. Long, hot, gruelling journeys are pretty standard, but you’ll be in constant close contact with the peoples and environments of the continent and get to visit small towns and villages that most people just shoot through. In general, the remoter the areas you visit, the better the experience, but you’ve got to be fully prepared. A tent is standard issue, but remember to ask the village headman where you can pitch a tent when camping near settlements in rural areas.Steel steeds can be rented across the continent in tourist areas. Prices vary: you can pay US$2 to hire a cheap, Chinese bone-shaker or over US$7 for a half-decent mountain bike. Touring bikes aren’t the best choice for Africa, a continent not exactly blessed with smooth tarmac roads. Adapted mountain bikes are your best bet – their smaller 660mm (26-inch) wheel rims are less likely to be misshaped by rough roads than the 700mm rims of touring bikes, and mountain-bike frames are better suited to the rigours of African travel. Multipurpose hybrid tyres with knobbles on their edges for off-road routes and a smooth central band for on-road cruising are useful in Africa, but your tyre choices (along with the types of components, number of spares and the like) should depend on the terrain you want to tackle. You may encounter the odd antelope or zebra while cycling, but motorists are more of a threat to cyclists than rampaging wildlife. Cyclists lie just below donkeys on the transport food chain, so if you hear a vehicle coming up from behind be prepared to bail out onto the verges. That said, many of Africa’s roads are pretty quiet. Be very cautious about cycling in busy towns and cities. The heat can be a killer in Africa, so carry at least 4L of water and don’t discount the possibility of taking a bus, truck or boat across some sections (bikes can easily be transported). The International Bicycle Fund (IBF; www.ibike.org/africaguide) has a handy guide to cycling in Africa by country, although information for some countries is limited and out of date.]]>
-</bicycle>
-<boat>
-<![CDATA[Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria in southern and East Africa, as well as Lake Volta (Ghana) and Lake Nasser (Egypt and Sudan), all have ferries operating on them. There are even more fantastic journeys to be had along the Niger, Congo, Nile, Senegal, Gambia and Zambezi Rivers, to name but a few. On simple riverboats you’ll be sat on mountains of cargo, the bows of the craft sitting just above the water line, but on some major river routes large ferries and barges are used. Generally speaking, third class on all ferries is crammed with people, goods and livestock, making it hot and uncomfortable. Happily there is usually a better way: at a price, semiluxurious cabins with bar and restaurant access can be yours. Seafaring travellers might be able to hitch a lift on cargo boats down the West African coast, up the east coast of Madagascar, and on the Red Sea, but this will take some work. Down the east coast there’s a little cargo traffic and ferries from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar, but you’ll find small Arabic-style dhow sailing vessels plying the coastal waters. Similar to dhows are feluccas, the ancient sailing boats of the Nile. Pirogues (tiny canoes) ferry people across remote waterways where small, diesel-powered (and often unreliable), pontoon-style car ferries are not available. Not many ferries or boats take vehicles, but you can get a motorbike onto some. Travelling by boat can sometimes be hazardous in Africa. For the most part you can forget about safety regulations and lifeboats, and overloading is very common. To make matters worse, on some ferries third-class passengers are effectively jammed into the hold with little opportunity for escape.]]>
-</boat>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Travelling in your own vehicle will enable you to explore Africa at your leisure, but it takes some doing. As well as cars, motorbikes are a popular way of travelling around Africa, but the same things generally apply to bikes as to car travel. For heaps of other options and inspiring tales from overland trips past, present and future, check out the website of the Africa Overland Network (www.africa-overland.net).Rather than shipping your vehicle all the way to Mombasa or Cape Town, you are much better off buying something in Kenya or South Africa before taking off to explore southern and East Africa by car. South Africa in particular is a pretty easy place to purchase a car –either from a dealership or from a fellow traveller who has finished with it. Handily, cars registered in South Africa don’t need a carnet de passage for travel around southern Africa, but you will need to have an international driving licence, your home licence, vehicle insurance and registration, and you will have to get a new set of plates made. The Automobile Association (www.aasa.co.za) in South Africa offers vehicle checkups, insurance and travel advice.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[A carnet de passage (sometimes known as a triptyque) is required for many countries in Africa, with the notable exceptions of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. A carnet guarantees that if you take a vehicle into a country, but don’t take it out again, then the organisation that issued the carnet will accept responsibility for payment of import duties (up to 150% of its value). Carnets can only be issued by national motoring organisations; they’re only issued if it’s certain that if ever duties arose you would reimburse them. This means you have to deposit a bond with a bank or insure yourself against the potential collection of import duties before getting a carnet. You don’t need to prearrange a carnet for many West and southern African countries (most southern African countries will issue a Temporary Import Permit at the border, which you must buy), but if you’re driving through Africa, you’re going to need a carnet, which sadly doesn’t exempt you from the bureaucratic shenanigans encountered at numerous borders. If you’re starting in South Africa, you can get one from the Automobile Association (www.aasa.co.za) there pretty easily. In the UK, try the RAC (www.rac.co.uk). Also consider the following:Motoring organisations’ insurance companies can be a little paranoid in their designation of ‘war zones’ in Africa so watch out; none will insure against the risks of war, thus denying you a carnet. If you intend to sell the vehicle at some point, arrangements have to be made with the customs people in the country in which you plan to sell the car for the carnet entry to be cancelled.If you abandon a vehicle in the Algerian desert, you’ll be up for import duties that are twice the value of your car when it was new. ]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Hiring a vehicle is usually only an option to travellers over 25. For the most part, vehicle hire is a fairly expensive option (2WD vehicles commonly cost over US$75 a day in sub-Saharan Africa; you’re looking at over US$100 a day for a 4WD) and rental can come with high insurance excesses and bundles of strings. On a brighter note, car hire in South Africa can be an utter bargain (if you hire for a longer period, it can be less than US$30 a day), especially if booked from overseas; have a look on internet sites such as Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), Expedia (www.expedia.com) and Holiday Autos (www.holidayautos.com). Some vehicles can then be taken into Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana, which is great if you get a group together. Also consider hiring a car for exploring southern Morocco and taking a 4WD (possibly with driver) to explore Kenya’s wildlife parks at your leisure.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<hitching>
-<![CDATA[Hitching is never entirely safe in any country, and we don’t recommend it. But in some parts of Africa it’s a recognised form of transport – there is often simply no other option to grabbing lifts on trucks, 4WDs, lorries or whatever vehicle happens to come down the road first. Whatever vehicle you jump on to, you’ll generally have to pay. One exception might be in more developed countries, such as Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, where there are plenty of private cars on the road and it’s not only possible to hitch for free, but in some cases it’s very easy indeed. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. People who do choose to hitch will be safer if they travel in pairs. Remember that sticking out your thumb in many African countries is an obscene gesture; wave your hand vertically up and down instead.]]>
-</hitching>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Bus travel is the way to go where there’s a good network of sealed roads. International bus services are pretty common across the continent, and in the wealthier African states you may get a choice between ‘luxury’ air-con buses with movies (the trashy Hollywood/Bollywood variety) on tap and rough old European rejects with nonfunctioning air-con and questionable engineering. In poorer countries you just get the latter. Out in the sticks, where there are very few or no sealed roads, ancient buses tend to be very crowded with people, livestock and goods; these buses tend to stop frequently, either for passengers or because something is broken. Small minibuses take up the slack in many African transport systems. All too often they are driven at breakneck speed and rammed with nearly 30 people when they were designed for 18 (there’s always room for one more), with a tout or conductor leaning out of the side door. The front seat is the most comfortable, but thanks to the high number of head-on collisions in Africa, this seat is called the ‘death seat’: how many old bus drivers have you seen? (If you do see one, be sure to choose his bus!) These minibuses are known by different names across the continent (matatus in Kenya, dalla-dallas in Tanzania, tro-tros in Ghana, poda-podas in Sierra Leone), names that are, confusingly, pretty interchangeable for shared taxis and bush taxis. Minibuses usually only leave when very full (a process that may take hours), and will stop frequently en route to pick up and set down passengers. Minibuses are also the favourite prey of roadblock police, who are not averse to unloading every passenger while they enter into lengthy discussions about paperwork and ‘fines’ that may need paying.Shared taxis are usually Peugeot 504s or 505s or old spacious Mercedes saloons (common in North Africa). They should definitely be considered where they are found (which is not everywhere). Your average shared taxi is certainly quicker, more comfortable (if a little crowded) and less of a palaver than taking a bus or minibus, although many shared taxis are driven by lunatic speed freaks. They cost a little more than the corresponding bus fare, but in most cases once the vehicle has filled up (usually with nine to 12 people, packed in sardinelike) it heads pretty directly to the destination without constant stops for passengers. You should expect to pay an additional fee for your baggage in West Africa, but usually not elsewhere. ‘Bush taxi’ is something of a catch-all term and is used slightly differently across the continent. Basically, a bush taxi is any multiperson mode of public transport. ]]>
-</local_transport>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travelling around much of Africa often requires time, patience and stamina. African public transport sometimes leaves and arrives roughly on time (off-the-beaten-track transport is more circumspect and unreliable), but there are few interesting places that you cannot reach without your own car, even if you have to wait for a few days. It’s also worth remembering that some of your most memorable and enjoyable travel experiences will take place en route between places – in Africa, the journey is the destination.]]>
-</overview>
-<train>
-<![CDATA[Where available, travelling by train is a wonderful way to get around Africa. Even the shortest rail journey can be a classic experience, full of cultural exchange, amazing landscapes and crazy stations where all kinds of food, drinks and goods are hawked at train windows. Train travel is safer and usually more comfortable than travelling by road, although outside southern and North Africa the trains are often very slow. Long delays while the train or track is repaired en route aren’t uncommon. Second-class fares weigh in about the same or less than the corresponding bus fare. More expensive (but still negligible by Western standards) are sleeping compartments and 1st-class or 2nd-class carriages, which take the strain out of long journeys and occasionally allow you to travel in style –some high-class train carriages are like little wood-panelled museums of colonialism. It’s worth noting that in many countries male and female passengers can only sleep in the same compartment if they buy the tickets for the whole compartment (four or six bunks), and even then you might be asked for evidence that you’re married! The flip side of train travel is that security and sanitation facilities on trains can be poor, especially in 3rd class, which, although novel and entertaining at first, soon becomes simply crowded and uncomfortable. Keep an eye on your baggage at all times and lock carriage doors and windows at night.]]>
-</train>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[The bulk of air traffic with Africa is to and from Europe, but there are a handful of direct flights between Africa and North America, the Middle East and Asia. A few flights link Australia with Africa, and there are flights between South Africa and Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Many North American travellers pass through a European ‘hub’ (airports located in London, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt for example) en route to Africa. For Australasian travellers it’s often cheaper to pass through a Middle Eastern and/or Asian hub before arriving, but these flights too often pass through a European hub as well. Wherever you’re coming from, the main thing to remember is that flying into one of Africa’s main hubs is going to be your cheapest option. Flights to the hubs can cost peanuts from Europe, and once you’re there the national carriers of the various countries can easily transport you to other destinations across Africa. These extra flights are known as ‘add-ons’ and are often best booked in conjunction with your main international ticket through a decent travel agent at home (tip: flights with add-ons or multiple stops are still almost always best booked with a real live reservations agent rather than through a website).The main gateway into East Africa is Nairobi (Kenya), although Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) is also busy. Johannesburg (South Africa) is the southern African hub offering the most options (flights arrive from the Americas, Asia and Australasia as well as Europe) and biggest bargains – also look out for cheap deals into Cape Town (South Africa). In West Africa, Accra (Ghana) and Lagos (Nigeria) are the busiest gateways (and receive flights from North America), but Dakar (Senegal) is often a cheaper option. In North Africa, flying into Casablanca (Morocco) and Cairo (Egypt) is the cheapest option. If you’re travelling from Europe, Tunis (Tunisia) is often the cheapest African city in which to arrive. However, it’s surrounded by Algeria and Libya, which can make for tricky onward overland travel. ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Wild climatic variations across Africa, and differing holiday seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres, means that it’s tricky to pin down the cheapest times to fly to Africa. Using mile-wide brush strokes it could be argued that flying from June to September or around Christmas (a ‘peak season’ that can last from November to March if you’re coming from Australasia) is going to hit your budget hardest. But you don’t need generalities if you’ve a well-defined trip in mind, so get the low-down on costs from a travel agent well in advance.If you’re planning a big trip consider open-jaw tickets, which allow you to fly into one city, then out of another, and can save you cash, time and hassle. All manner of combinations are available, enabling some great overland journeys: think about a ticket into Cairo and out of Cape Town (fares from here can be amazingly cheap), or into Nairobi and out of Cape Town, or even into Dakar and out of Cape Town. Another handy way of flitting around the continent are stopovers. Many flights to Africa stop at least once before arriving at the main destination, and on some tickets (sadly not always those at the cheapest end of the spectrum) you’ll have the chance to get off; on some happy occasions taking advantage of these stopovers can effectively save the cost of an internal flight. For example, a Kenya Airways flight from London to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) goes via Nairobi, allowing you to explore Kenya first. If you’re coming from North America or Australia, a stopover in Europe can be handy if you need to pick up an obscure visa in Paris or Amsterdam or just fancy finding your travel legs somewhere vaguely familiar. Jumping on a charter flight can sometimes save you a bundle if you’re travelling from or via Europe, especially if you pick something up at the last minute. Short-date returns are common, but there is sometimes some flexibility. From the UK charter flights leave for The Gambia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Kenya, destinations that are also serviced by French operators. Charter flights to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin also leave from France between November and May. Point Afrique (04 75 97 20 40; www.point-afrique.com in French) offers cheap flights (from €400 return) to these and other Saharan countries from Paris and Marseille. Heaps of other charter flights leave from across Europe; for instance, Italy is a good place to look for cheap charters to Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya).It’s not rocket science, but take your time, shop around, double-check all restrictions and date- or route-change penalties on your ticket, look out for credit-card surcharges and book well in advance. A couple of hours on the internet should give you an idea of the most useful travel agents; talk to as many as possible. Remember that although websites are great for straightforward return tickets, they cannot tell you about little add-ons and shortcuts or custom-build itineraries from a cluster of domestic and regional flights.If you’re under 26 or a student you’ll occasionally be able to turn up some juicy deals. There are many specialist student travel agents, but many ‘normal’ travel agents offer student fares, just as student travel agents can serve older travellers. STA Travel (www.statravelgroup.com) has hundreds of potentially useful offices and affiliates around the world, but service can vary and it’s vital that you shop around. Travel agents that recognise the International Student Identity Card (ISIC; www.isic.org) scheme are another possibility – the contact details of thousands of agents are available on its website. ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[On the cheapest round-the-world (RTW) tickets Nairobi and Johannesburg are the usual stops, but stopping in these major hubs will cut down your options once you leave the continent. If you want more stops within Africa look at the Global Explorer or oneworld Explorer RTW tickets offered by the oneworld alliance (www.oneworld.com), which includes Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas. Coming from Europe with British Airways can get you to a variety of interesting African destinations, but flights within Africa are limited to British Airway’s African franchises Regional Air (based in Nairobi) and Comair (based in Johannesburg), essentially limiting travel to East and southern Africa.The trick with RTW tickets is to decide where you want to go first and then talk to a travel agent, who will know the best deals, cunning little routes and the pitfalls of the various packages. If you’re departing the UK, you could also try the handy interactive route planner at www.roundtheworldflights.com.]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Flights to Africa from North America are not cheap, but direct flights to Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), Banjul (The Gambia), Cairo (Egypt), Casablanca (Morocco) and Johannesburg (South Africa) are possible. The latter two destinations are serviced by Royal Air Maroc (www.royalairmaroc.com) from New York and Montreal, and South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) from New York respectively and are reliable options. As well as efficient trans-African networks, both these carriers have good connections inside the USA. Accra, Banjul and Lagos are serviced by rather flaky national carriers, but Egypt Air’s Cairo flight (from New York or Montreal) is worth considering. Although ‘through’ ticketing via Europe is a very popular option it might be cheaper to get a supersonic deal across the Atlantic and then a separate ticket to Africa.South African Airways has a flight between Johannesburg and São Paulo (Brazil) that continues to various South American destinations on Brazilian airline Varig. LonelyPlanet.com (www.lonelyplanet.com) Includes links to a US RTW fare generator from Airtreks.OneTravel.com (www.onetravel.com) Comprehensive North American fare generator.STA Travel (800-781-4040; www.statravel.com) The biggest student/under-26 flight agent in North America.Travel Cuts (1-866-246-9762; www.travelcuts.com) Canada’s primary student and discounted travel agent. ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Most flights head to Africa via the Middle East, often with Emirates (www.emirates.com) or Gulf Air (www.gulfairco.com); direct to Johannesburg with Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) or South African Airways (www.flysaa.com); and even via Mauritius with Air Mauritius (www.airmauritius.com) from Sydney and Perth. Other fares go via Europe. Many of these flights, including those going via the Middle East, often allow a nice Southeast Asian stopover. Of course, you could head straight to Europe and then root around for a bargain to Africa (or sort it out over the internet first), but either way, you’ll go via a combination of airlines so it may be worth considering a RTW ticket. In Southeast Asia flights go to Africa from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Most of these only fly into Johannesburg. However, Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com) runs services from Bangkok and Hong Kong to Nairobi, and you can fly to Cairo with Egypt Air (www.egyptair.com.eg) from Bangkok or Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeairlines.com) from Singapore.Flight Centre Australia (133 133; www.flightcentre.com.au); New Zealand (0800 24 35 44; www.flightcentre.co.nz)Ninemsn (http://travel.ninemsn.com.au) Good internet booking engine. STA Travel Australia (134 782; www.statravel.com.au); New Zealand (0800 474 400; www.statravel.co.nz)]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[If you are coming from Europe, then Africa is your oyster. London, Paris and Amsterdam probably have the greatest selection of flights, but whatever country you start from there’s almost nowhere that a good travel agent can’t get you into.Africa Travel Centre (0845-450 1520; www.africatravel.co.uk) Experienced UK operator offering flights and tours.Air Fair (0900-7 717 717; www.airfair.nl) Well-respected Dutch travel agent.Nouvelles Frontières (0 825 000 747; www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr) Good French option with adventure tours and charter flights.STA Travel Germany (069-743 032 92; www.statravel.de); UK (0871 2 300 040; www.statravel.co.uk) There are loads of other offices across Europe. Trailfinders (0845-058 5858; www.trailfinders.com) Reliable UK travel agent with competitive prices.]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[There is a stack of traffic between Mumbai (Bombay) in India and East Africa; flights to and from Nairobi can be pretty darn cheap. Many other Middle Eastern carriers (such as Gulf Air via Muscat and Emirates via Dubai) service North and East Africa. ]]>
-</air>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Getting yourself into Africa can be as simple as booking a direct-flight ticket from a major European hub, or as adventurous as hitching a lift on a car ferry then jumping onto a cargo truck. However you choose to do it, it pays to put aside some research time in advance to make sure you don’t blow unnecessary bucks or time. Flights, tours and rail tickets can be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel_services.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Most tourists tie in their trip with Africa’s dry seasons. This is because travel is easier, especially once you get off the main roads; dirt tracks become a sea of mud when it rains. And it’s also because lounging on the beach in a downpour just doesn’t cut the mustard. There are regional variations, but essentially it goes like this: East Africa has two dry seasons – December to February/March and June to October – with rainy seasons in between. In southern Africa it’s dry from May/June, gets really hot in October, then rains November to April/May. In West Africa the dry season is October/November to April/May, and it gets very hot at the end of this period. In Central Africa, June to September is the dry time. In North Africa, rain isn’t the main issue – it’s temperature. The best time to travel is the cooler period from October to March. Although dry seasons are usually the popular times, don’t automatically avoid the rainy season everywhere. In some countries it only rains for a few hours each day (often at night) and then the air is crystal clear, views go on for ever, and photographers soon run out of film. It’s also a good time for bird-watching, if that’s your thing. Hotel rates are cheaper and popular tourist haunts are much quieter too. And generally the local people are also happier because good rains mean good crops, so traditional festivals are often held at this time.]]>
-</climate>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The equator cuts Africa in half, which not only means that water goes in opposite directions down the plughole in the north and the south, but the continent experiences huge climatic variation. Watch out for the wet or rainy seasons, which can turn dirt roads into rivers and curtail travel to remote regions. Just as uncomfortable can be the searing hot season in some countries, which can make moving around during the day nigh on impossible.Late October to February is a great time to visit the Sahara and arid Central Africa (although be prepared for cold nights) and you can also enjoy the warm summer days of southern Africa or beachcomb along the West African coast. By around January or February, East African wildlife is concentrated around diminishing water sources and is therefore easier to spot. In contrast, the usually arid lands of North Africa spring into life between March and May. ]]>
-</overview>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<work_live_study>
-<work>
-<business>
-<![CDATA[Across Africa, official places like embassies, tourist bureaus and travel agencies open from around 8am or 9am to around 4pm or 5pm, Monday to Friday (although most embassies are only open to the public during the morning – so that’s when you need to apply for visas). In most countries throughout Africa, shops keep similar hours and are usually open on Saturday too (as are some travel agencies). Smaller shops and market stalls do not keep strict business hours at all. When there are customers around, the shopkeepers are behind their counters ready to serve, and when everyone is asleep in the heat of the afternoon, they are snoring round the back. In most cities, many shops and supermarkets stay open until late in the evening and on Saturday too, although only the largest are open on Sunday.In East and southern Africa, shops and offices close for an hour or so around noon. In North, West and Central Africa, the noon break can be two to four hours long, and businesses may stay open until 7pm or 8pm, sometimes later. Places like phone and internet bureaus keep much longer hours. Banks in most African countries are open Monday to Friday from 8am or 9am to around 2pm or 3pm. Some banks will even shut at noon. In Islamic countries, businesses (especially banks and embassies) may close all day on Friday, or have an extended lunch break (prayer-break, actually). During the Islamic fasting period of Ramadan, many businesses shut up shop at lunchtime and don’t reopen.Most cafés and smaller restaurants offer lunch from around noon to 2pm (for locals it’s the main meal of the day) and dinner in the evening from around 5pm to 7pm. Larger restaurants catering for more affluent locals and tourists keep the same lunch hours, but open later in the evening, usually from around 7pm to 10pm or later. Many restaurants open all day.]]>
-</business>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[It’s hard for outsiders to find work in most African countries, as high unemployment means a huge number of local people chase every job vacancy. You will also need a work permit, and these are usually hard to get as priority is rightly given to qualified locals over travellers.If you’re skilled in computing/web design, healthcare professions, engineering, teaching, journalism or safari guiding you’ll have a good chance of picking up a job eventually, but it’s likely to be a long and bureaucratic process. You’re unlikely to see many jobs advertised, so the best way to find out about them is by asking around among the expatriate community.]]>
-</overview>
-</work>
-</work_live_study>
-</destination>
-
-
-
-
-<destination atlas_id="355611" asset_id="9931-1" title="South Africa" title-ascii="South Africa">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1910 the Union of South Africa was created, which gave political control to the whites. Inevitably, this prompted black resistance in the form of strikes, and political organisations were formed. Despite the moderate tone of these early resistance groups, the government reacted by intensifying repression.The Afrikaner National Party won the election in 1948. It went even further in excluding nonwhites from having any political or economic power, and the security forces brutally enforced its laws. Violence was a routine method of reaction to any opposition or protest. The suppression of black resistance ranged from the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the shooting of school children in Soweto in 1976, to the forcible evacuation and bulldozing of squatter settlements and the systematic torture – even murder – of political activists, such as Steve Biko.One of the most important organisations to oppose the racist legislation was the African National Congress (ANC). As it became obvious that the white rulers were unwilling to undertake even the most cosmetic reforms, guerrilla warfare became the preferred option for the ANC. In the early 1960s, many ANC leaders were arrested, charged with treason and imprisoned for long periods; the most famous of those was Nelson Mandela.The system of apartheid was entrenched even further in the early 1970s by the creation of the so-called Black homelands of Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana and Venda. These were, in theory, ‘independent’ countries. By creating the homelands, all blacks within white-designated South Africa were deemed foreign guest-workers and as such were without political rights. Any black person without a residence pass could be ‘deported’ to a homeland.Meanwhile, South Africa was becoming an isolated case in the face of successful liberation struggles in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which brought Marxist-leaning governments into power. As a result, a war psychosis came to dominate government thinking, and resulted in the invasion of southern Angola by South African armed forces. The South African Government also gave encouragement to counter-revolutionary guerrilla groups in both Mozambique and Angola, and refused to enter into genuine negotiations for the independence of Namibia.The international community finally began to oppose the apartheid regime, and the UN imposed economic and political sanctions. The government made some concessions, including the establishment of a farcical new parliament of whites, coloureds (people of mixed race) and Indians – but no blacks.The ‘reforms’ did nothing to ease sanctions. After the 1989 elections the new president, FW de Klerk, instituted a program that was aimed not only at dismantling the apartheid system, but also at introducing democracy. The release of political prisoners on 11 February 1990 (including Nelson Mandela), the repeal of the Group Areas Act (which set up the homelands), and the signing of a peace accord with the ANC and other opposition groups all opened the way for hard-fought negotiations on the path to majority rule.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The country’s first democratic elections took place in 1994, and across the country at midnight on 26–27 April, Die Stem (the old national anthem) was sung and the old flag was lowered. A new rainbow flag was raised and the new anthem, Nkosi Sikelele Afrika (God Bless Africa), was sung. In the past people had been jailed for singing this beautiful anthem.In the first democratic election in the country’s history, the ANC won 62.7% of the vote; 66.7% would have enabled it to overrule the interim constitution. The National Party won 20.4% of the vote, enough to guarantee it representation in cabinet. Nelson Mandela was made president of the ‘new’ South Africa.In 1999, after five years of learning about democracy, the country voted in a more ‘normal’ election. Issues such as economics and competence were raised and debated.There was some speculation that the ANC vote might drop with the retirement of Nelson Mandela. However, the ANC’s vote increased to the point where the party came within one seat of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution. The National Party lost two-thirds of its seats, losing its official opposition status to the Democratic Party. Thabo Mbeki, who took over leadership of the ANC from Nelson Mandela, became president in the 1999 elections. While Mbeki is viewed with far less affection by the ANC grass-roots than the beloved ‘Madiba’ (Mandela), he has proven himself a shrewd politician, maintaining his political pre-eminence by isolating or co-opting opposition parties. The 2004 national elections were won decisively by the ANC with 70% of the votes, with Mbeki at the helm, and today continues its dominance in daily political life.Yet it has not been all clear sailing. In the early days of his presidency, Mbeki’s effective denial of the AIDS crisis invited global criticism, and his conspicuous failure to condemn the forced reclamation of white-owned farms in neighbouring Zimbabwe unnerved both South African landowners and foreign investors. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In the coming years – in addition to choosing a successor for Mbeki, who has announced that he will step down in 2009 – attention is likely to focus overwhelmingly on crime, economic inequality, overhauling the education system and, especially, AIDS. With an estimated 4.5 million South Africans affected – more than in any other country in the world – this scourge threatens to eclipse all of South Africa’s other problems. In many ways the real work of nation building is only now beginning. While the political violence that was threatening to engulf the country in the early 1990s has for the most part disappeared, racial and cultural divisions remain entrenched. Monuments, museums and other cultural heritage sites giving tribute to black South Africans and other previously excluded groups have been springing up across the country and filling a long vacant gap. Yet many have served to re-spark old tensions, and debate continues on all sides about which version of history is the ‘real’ one.Perhaps the biggest attention grabber in South Africa’s ongoing struggle to define itself as a nation has been Freedom Park – a multimillion dollar venture on the outskirts of Pretoria that is intended to give a sweeping overview of South African history. When finished, it will span the millennia from humankind’s earliest beginnings up to the present, including a memorial to apartheid-era freedom fighters. The park, which has been lauded by President Mbeki as the country’s most important national monument, is set directly opposite the Voortrekker Monument –for years an icon for most Afrikaners and a despised symbol of colonial-era injustices for many other South Africans.What’s the next step? While almost all South Africans agree that things are better than before, no-one has quite been able to agree on which way forward will best balance out the diversity that is the country’s greatest asset, as well as its biggest challenge. There has been talk of building a road joining Freedom Park and the Voortrekker Monument. If this road ultimately comes to be seen by those on all sides as a symbol of a united path into the future, then it will have truly captured the emerging spirit of the new South Africa and the country will be well on its way to rebuilding itself as a ‘rainbow nation’.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The earliest recorded inhabitants of this area of Africa were the San (Bushmen) and the closely related Khoikhoi (Hottentots). The next arrivals were Bantu-speaking tribes who, by the 11th century, had settled the northeast and the east coast and, by the 15th century, most of the eastern half of South Africa. These tribes were pastoral but had trade links throughout the region. They were Iron Age peoples, and the smelting techniques of some tribes were not surpassed in Europe until the Industrial Revolution.The Dutch East India Company established the first European settlement in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. The settlers developed a close-knit community with their own dialect (Afrikaans) and Calvinist sect (the Dutch Reformed Church). Slaves were imported from other parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.Over the next 150 years, the colonists spread east, coming into violent contact with Bantu tribes. In 1779 the eastward expansion of the Boers (Dutch-Afrikaner farmers) was temporarily halted by the Xhosa in the first Bantu War.Further Boer expansion was hastened after the British annexed the Cape in 1806. The abolition of slavery in 1834 was regarded by the Boers as an intolerable interference in their affairs, and led to migration across the Orange River two years later. This became known as the Great Trek.Pressure on the Bantu from both the Boers and the British caused political and social changes among the tribes of the Natal area, resulting in the rise of the Zulu king, Shaka, in the early 19th century. His policy of total war on neighbouring tribes caused immense suffering and mass migration in a period known as the difaqane (the scattering).The Boers came into this chaos in search of new lands, and the British were not far behind them. The Zulu were eventually defeated, but relations between the Boers and the British remained tense – particularly after the formation of the Boer republics of the Free State and the Transvaal.Diamonds were discovered in 1867 at Kimberley, followed by the discovery of gold in 1886 on the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (Jo’burg). The Boer republics were flooded with British capital and immigrants, which created resentment among Boer farmers.The British imperialist Cecil Rhodes encouraged a rebellion among the heavily taxed – but nonvoting – English-speaking miners in the Transvaal, with a view to destabilising the Boer republics and encouraging British intervention. The resulting tensions led to the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War.The war ended with the defeat of the Boer republics and the imposition of British rule over the whole country. Britain had pursued a scorched-earth policy to combat Boer guerrillas, destroying homes, crops and livestock. During this time more than 26,000 Afrikaner women and children died in the world’s first concentration camps.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travel Alert: Crime is a problem throughout South Africa; see the Health & Safety section for details.It’s no wonder that South Africa draws more visitors than anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa. World-class wildlife-watching, cosmopolitan cities like the great big beating heart of Johannesburg, stunning natural panoramas from Table Mountain National Park and vibrant cultures make the country appealing to almost every taste and budget. Geographically, its extremes include the arid semidesert of the Karoo, the snowcapped peaks of the Drakensberg Range, the lush subtropical coast of KwaZulu-Natal and the fertile temperate valleys of Western Cape. Within the space of a day, you can journey from vineyard-clad hillsides in the Western Cape to the vast open spaces of the Kalahari; from waterfront chic in Cape Town to isolated Zulu villages; from elephant-spotting in Kruger National Park to the sublime seascapes of the coast.
-
-While it’s easy to focus on the glitz and developed infrastructure, you’ll only get below the surface by seeking out the country’s other face – most visible in the sprawling townships where far too many people live stalked by the shadows of hunger, poverty and one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world. Behind its incredible natural beauty, South Africa is the stage for the daily drama of one of the world’s greatest  experiments in racial harmony. The intensity of this drama surrounds you wherever you go, and is likely to be one of the most fascinating and challenging aspects of your travels.
-
-Make it happen
-
-Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
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-
-take a tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town visiting Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Zululand, Transkei and the Garden Route.
-see the best of South Africa on this spectacular 8-day family tour
-go the long haul and travel from  Cape Town to Nairobi
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-Want more? Choose from a wide selection of similar trips South Africa ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Crime is the national obsession and, apart from car accidents, it’s the major risk that you’ll face in South Africa. However, try to keep things in perspective, and remember that despite the statistics and newspaper headlines, the majority of travellers visit the country without incident. The risks are highest in Jo’burg, followed by some township areas and other urban centres. Daylight muggings are common in certain sections of Jo’burg, and the city’s metro train system has had a problem with violent crime. No matter where you are, you can minimise the risks by following basic safety precautions, remaining alert and exercising common sense.If you are a victim of crime in South Africa, it's most likely to occur at an ATM. There are dozens of scams that involve stealing your cash, your card or your personal identification number (PIN) - usually all three. Thieves are just as likely to operate in Stellenbosch as in downtown Jo'burg and they are almost always well-dressed and well-mannered men. The ATM scam you're most likely to encounter involves the thief tampering with the machine so your card becomes jammed. By the time you realise this you've entered your PIN. The thief will have seen this, and when you go inside to report that your card has been swallowed, he will take the card - along with several thousand rand. Choose the ATM you use carefully, and try to avoid using them at night and/or in secluded places.
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-]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[South Africa’s currency is the rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents. There is no black market. The coins are one, two, five, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and R1, R2 and R5. The notes are R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. There have been forgeries of the R200 note, and some businesses are reluctant to accept them.The best currencies to bring are US dollars, euros or British pounds in a mixture of travellers cheques and cash, plus a Visa or MasterCard for withdrawing money from ATMs.There are ATMs in all cities in South Africa, most of which give cash advances against cards belonging to the Cirrus network. Credit cards are widely accepted in South Africa, especially MasterCard and Visa. Nedbank is an official Visa agent, and Standard Bank is a MasterCard agent – both have branches across the country.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visas for Namibia are not issued at the border, though many nationalities don’t require one. Visas for Zimbabwe and Mozambique are available at the borders. (South African nationals don’t need a visa for Mozambique.) For Mozambique it’s cheaper to arrange your visa in advance at the Mozambican High Commission in Mbabane, or in Nelspruit. Both issue express visas in 24 hours.If you’ll be arranging your visa in advance: Zimbabwean visas take at least a week to issue in South Africa; those for Namibia take two to three days; and those for Botswana take between four and 14 days. Nonexpress Mozambique visas take one week.]]>
-</other>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Visitors on holiday from most Commonwealth countries (including Australia and the UK), most Western European countries, Japan and the USA don’t require visas. Instead, you’ll be issued with a free entry permit on arrival. These are valid for a stay of up to 90 days.If you aren’t entitled to an entry permit, you’ll need to get a visa (also free) before you arrive. These aren’t issued at the borders, and must be obtained at a South African embassy or consulate. Allow up to several weeks for processing. South Africa has consular representation in most countries. The website of the South African High Commission in London (www.southafricahouse.com) has an overview of visa requirements, and lists the nationalities that require visas. ]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[In addition to being the international flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA; 0861-359 722, 011-978 5313; www.flysaa.com) is the main domestic carrier, with an extensive and efficient route network to major cities. Its subsidiaries, SAAirlink (011-978 5313; www.saairlink.co.za) and SA Express (011-978 5577; www.saexpress.co.za), also service domestic routes. Domestic fares aren’t cheap. In addition to SAA and its affiliates, airlines flying domestically include the following:1time (0861-345345; www.1time.co.za) No-frills flights linking Jo’burg with Cape Town, Durban and East London, George and Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town and East London. Also offers car rentals.Comair (0860-435 922, 011-921 0222; www.comair.co.za) Operates British Airways flights within Africa, and has flights linking Cape Town, Durban, Jo’burg and Port Elizabeth.Kulula.com (0861-585 852; www.kulula.com) Operates no-frills flights linking Jo’burg, Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth and Mpumalanga. Also offers airport transfer services and car rentals.Nationwide Airlines (0861 -737 737, 011-344 7200; www.nationwideair.co.za) Operates in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, and has flights linking Jo’burg, Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth, Sun City and Nelspruit.]]>
-</air>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Buses in South Africa aren’t the deal that they are in many other countries. However, together with the less-appealing minibus taxis, they’re the main form of public transport, with a reliable and reasonably comfortable network linking all major cities. Note that many long-distance services run through the night. A good alternative to standard bus lines is Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com), which caters almost exclusively to backpackers and other travellers. It offers hop-on, hop-off fares and door-to-door service between Cape Town and Jo’burg via the Northern Drakensberg, Durban and the Garden Route. It also has a loop service from Durban via Zululand and Swaziland to Jo’burg, passing close by Kruger National Park. Point-to-point fares are more expensive than on the other major bus lines, but can work out to be more economical if you take advantage of the hop-on/hop-off feature. Along with the main long-distance bus operator Translux (011-774 3333, 0861-589 282; www.translux.co.za), Greyhound (083-915 -1200; www.greyhound.co.za), Intercape Mainliner (0861-287 287, 021-380 4400; www.intercape.co.za) and SA Roadlink (011-333 2223; www.saroadlink.co.za) have services connecting most of the major cities. In partnership with Translux, City to City (011-774 3333, 0861-589 282; www.translux.co.za) has taken over the routes that once carried people from the homelands to and from the big cities during the apartheid regime. Prices rise during school holidays; all lines offer student and senior-citizen discounts, and Intercape has backpacker discounts. Also inquire about travel passes if you’ll be taking several bus journeys, and always check with the bus companies to see if they are running any specials, which can sometimes save you up to 40%.For the main lines, reservations should be made at least 24 hours in advance (72 hours in advance for Intercape Mainliner, and as much in advance as possible for travel during peak periods). It’s sometimes possible to get a seat at the last minute, but this shouldn’t be counted on.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Cape Town, Jo’burg, Pretoria and several other urban areas have city bus systems. Fares are cheap, and routes, which are signposted, are extensive. However, services usually stop running early in the evening, and there aren’t many buses on weekends.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[South Africa is ideal for driving, and away from the main bus and train routes, having your own wheels is the best way to get around. If you’re in a group, it’s also often the most economical. Most major roads are in excellent condition, and off the main routes there are interesting back roads to explore. Driving is on the left-hand side of the road, as in the UK, Japan and Australia. Petrol costs around US$0.70 per litre, and must be paid for in cash. There is no self-service. An attendant will always fill up your tank for you, clean your windows and ask if the oil or water needs checking, and should be tipped between US$0.30 and US$0.70. Along main routes in South Africa there are plenty of petrol stations, many open 24 hours. South Africa has a horrific road-accident record, with the annual death toll around 10,000 (although some estimates place it at over 15,000). The N1 between Cape Town and Beaufort West is considered to be the most dangerous stretch of road in the country. The main hazards are your fellow drivers, though animals and pedestrians on the roads are another hazard, especially in rural areas. ]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Car rental is relatively inexpensive in South Africa. Rates start at about US$40 per day, including insurance and 200km free per day. Rental of a 4WD starts at about US$60. For cheaper rates and unlimited mileage deals, it’s best to book and prepay through your agent at home before coming to South Africa. Around About Cars (0860 422 0422; www.aroundaboutcars.com)Avis (0861-113 748, 011-923 3660; www.avis.co.za)Budget (0861-016 622, 011-398 0123; www.budget.co.za)Europcar (0800-011 344, 011-574 4457; www.europcar.co.za)Hertz (021-935 4800, 011-312 9700; www.hertz.co.za)Local car-rental companies are usually less expensive, though they tend to come and go. Several are listed below, all with agents in major cities. Also check with backpacker hostels; many can arrange better deals, from around US$25 per day or less.Imperial (0861-131 000, 011-574 1000; www.imperialcarrental.co.za)Tempest (0860-031 666, 011-396 1080; www.tempestcarhire.co.za)]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Minibus taxis run almost everywhere – within cities, to the suburbs and to neighbouring towns. They leave when full and, happily, ‘full’ in South Africa isn’t as full as it is in many neighbouring countries. Most accommodate 14 to 16 people. Driving standards and vehicle conditions often leave a lot to be desired, and there are many accidents. There are also isolated outbreaks of gangster-style shoot-outs between the various companies competing for business. Although things have settled down in recent years, minibuses in some areas and on some routes are still considered highly unsafe, and reports of muggings and other incidents remain a regular feature. Always ask for local advice on lines and areas to avoid before using minibus taxis as transport.]]>
-</local_transport>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[South Africa’s Shosholoza Meyl passenger trains are run by Spoornet (011-773 2944; www.spoornet.co.za), and offer regular services connecting major cities. These are a good and safe, albeit slow, way to get around, and are more comfortable than taking the bus.On overnight journeys, 1st- and 2nd-class fares include a sleeping berth, but there’s an additional charge for bedding hire. Alternatively, you can hire a private compartment (which sleeps four in 1st class and six in 2nd class) or a coupe (which sleeps two in 1st class and three in 2nd class) – these are a good way of travelling more securely. Meals are available in the dining car.Tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance (you can book up to three months in advance). Bookings for anywhere in the country can be done at any individual station, or through the Shosholoza Meyl Reservations Centre (0860-008 888, 011-774 4555). Sample 1st-/2nd-/economy-class fares include: Jo’burg–Durban (US$34/22/13), Cape Town–Pretoria (US$70/47/31), Jo’burg–Port Elizabeth (US$49/33/20). Return fares are double the one-way fares. It’s possible to put a vehicle on board the Trans Karoo for an extra US$180.]]>
-</local_transport>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[The major air hub for South Africa, and for the entire surrounding region, is Johannesburg International Airport (JIA or JNB; 011-921 6262; www.worldairportguides.com/johannesburg-jnb). Cape Town International Airport (CPT; 021-937 1200; www.airports.co.za) receives numerous direct flights from Europe, and is becoming an increasingly important gateway. The smaller Durban International Airport (DUR; 031-451 6758; www.airports.co.za) handles several regional flights, as does Mpumalanga Kruger International Airport (MQP; 013-753 7500; www.kmiairport.co.za) near Nelspruit and Kruger National Park. South African Airways (SAA; airline code SA; 0861-359 722, 011-978 5313; www.flysaa.com; hub JIA) is the national airline, with an excellent route network and safety record. In addition to its international routes, it operates regional flights together with its subsidiaries South African Airlink (SAAirlink; 011-978 5313; www.saairlink.co.za) and South African Express (011-978 5577; www.saexpress.co.za). Some other international carriers flying to/from Jo’burg (except as noted) :Air France (AF; 0860-340 340; www.airfrance.fr) Hub: Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris.British Airways (BA; www.britishairways.com) Jo’burg (011-441 8600); Cape Town (021-936 1200) Hub: Heathrow Airport, London. Also serves Cape Town.Cathay Pacific (CX; 011-700 8900; www.cathaypacific.com) Hub: Hong Kong International Airport.Egyptair (MS; 011-312 2202, 011-880 4126/9; www.egyptair.com.eg) Hub: Cairo International Airport.Emirates Airlines (EK; 011-883 8420; www.emirates.com) Hub: Dubai International Airport.Kenya Airways (KQ; 011-881 9795, 011-571 8817; www.kenya-airways.com) Hub: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.KLM (KL; 0860-247 474, 011-881 9696; www.klm.com) Hub: Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. Also serves Cape Town.Lufthansa (LH; 0861-842 538, 021-415 3506; www.lufthansa.com) Hub: Frankfurt International Airport. Also serves Cape Town.Qantas (QF; 011-441 8550; www.qantas.com.au) Hub: Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney.Singapore Airlines (SQ; www.singaporeair.com) Jo’burg (011-880 8560); Cape Town (021-674 0601) Hub: Singapore Changi Airport. Also serves Cape Town.Virgin Atlantic (VS; 011-340 3400; www.virgin-atlantic.com) Hub: London. Also serves Cape Town.]]>
-</air>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[From Jo’burg/Pretoria, Intercape Mainliner (0861 287 287, 021-380 4400; www.intercape.co.za) runs daily buses to Gaborone (US$20, six hours). A cheaper, but less safe and less comfortable, alternative is one of the minibuses that run throughout the day between Jo’burg and Gaborone (about US$1.40, six hours) via Mafikeng (North-West Province). In Jo’burg, departures are from Park Station. To do the trip in stages, take a City Link bus from Jo’burg to Mafikeng, from where there are direct minibuses over the border to Lobatse (1½ hours). ]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[Big Sky Coaches (www.bigskycoaches.co.za) runs two buses daily in each direction between Bloemfontein and Maseru Bridge (US$4.70, three hours). Via minibus taxi, the quickest connections are from Bloemfontein to Botshabelo (US$4, one hour), and then from there to Maseru (US$2, 1½ hours). There are also at least three buses weekly between Jo’burg and Maseru (six to seven hours). Other useful connections include a daily minibus taxi between Mokhotlong (Lesotho) and Underberg (South Africa) via Sani Pass; and several taxis daily between Qacha’s Nek (Lesotho) and Matatiele (South Africa; about US$2, 45 minutes). ]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[Several large ‘luxury’ buses run daily between Jo’burg/Pretoria and Maputo via Nelspruit and Komatipoort (US$20 to US$38, eight to nine hours). These include Greyhound, Intercape Mainliner, Panthera Azul and Translux. Panthera Azul connects Durban and Maputo (US$31, 8½ hours).Alternatively, the Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) links Jo’burg/Pretoria, Nelspruit and Durban with Manzini (Swaziland), from where you can get a minibus taxi to Maputo. The daily (except Saturday) Komati train operated by Shosholoza Meyl (0860-008 888, 011-774 4555) links Jo’burg and Komatipoort via Pretoria and Nelspruit (1st/2nd/3rd class from US$25/17/9, 13 to 14 hours). Once at Komatipoort, you can change to the Mozambican train to Maputo (Mtc15, 000, economy class only, five hours), but it’s better to take a minibus (US$3.50, 1½ hours). Visas for Mozambique are available at the borders. (South African nationals don’t need a visa for Mozambique.) It’s cheaper to arrange your visa in advance at the Mozambican High Commission in Mbabane, or in Nelspruit. Both issue express visas in 24 hours. Nonexpress Mozambique visas take one week.]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[Intercape Mainliner (www.intercape.co.za) runs four times weekly between Cape Town and Windhoek via Upington (US$65, 20 hours). It’s also possible to travel between Jo’burg and Windhoek with Intercape Mainliner (US$83, 25 hours) on these same days, with a change of buses in Upington.]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[The best connections are on the Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com), which runs from Jo’burg/Pretoria to Manzini via Nelspruit, and between Durban and Manzini via the KwaZulu-Natal coast.Minibus taxis run daily between Jo’burg (Park Station), Mbabane and Manzini (US$0.90, four hours), between Manzini and Durban (US$16, eight hours), and between Manzini and Maputo (Mozambique; US$4.50, 2½ hours). ]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[At the time of research, bus services between Jo’burg and Zimbabwe were suspended, due in part to fuel shortages. ]]>
-</land>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[South Africa has been favoured by nature with one of the most temperate climates on the African continent, and can be visited comfortably any time. Winter (June to September) is cooler and drier, and ideal for hiking and outdoor pursuits. Because vegetation is less dense, and thirsty animals congregate around water sources, winter is also the best time for wildlife-watching. Summer (late November to March) brings rain, mists and – in the lowveld – some uncomfortably hot days. Along the Indian Ocean coast, conditions are sultry and tropical, with high humidity. More of a consideration than weather are school holidays. From mid-December to January, waves of vacation-hungry South Africans stream out of the cities, with visitors from Europe and North America adding to the crush. The absolute peak is from Christmas to mid-January, followed by Easter. Accommodation in tourist areas and national parks is heavily booked, and prices can increase by more than double. Spring (mid-September to November) and autumn (April and May) are ideal almost every­where. Spring is also the best time to see vast expanses of Northern Cape carpeted with wildflowers.]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<wildlife>
-<animals>
-<mammals>
-<![CDATA[ South Africa is home to an unparalleled diversity of wildlife. It boasts the world's largest land mammal (the African elephant), as well as the second largest (white rhino) and the third largest (hippopotamus). It's also home to the tallest (giraffe), the fastest (cheetah) and the smallest (pygmy shrew). You probably have a better chance of seeing the Big Five - the black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard and lion - in South Africa than anywhere else. There's also a lesser-known 'Little Five' - the rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise and ant lion - if you're looking for a challenge.   The best time for wildlife-watching is the cooler, dry winter (June to September) when foliage is less dense, and animals congregate at waterholes, making spotting easier. Summer (late November to March) is rainy and hot, with the animals more widely dispersed and often difficult to see. However, the landscape turns beautiful shades of green around this time and birdlife is abundant. ]]>
-</mammals>
-</animals>
-<birds>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[ South Africa hosts over 800 bird species, including the world's largest bird (the ostrich), its heaviest flying bird (Kori bustard), and vividly coloured sunbirds and flamingos. Also here in abundance are weavers, who share their huge city-like nests with pygmy falcons, the world's smallest raptors. Bird-watching is good year-round, with spring (August to November) and summer the best.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</birds>
-<endangered_species>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[ The black rhino is the highest profile entry on South Africa's threatened species list (good places to spot these include Mkhuze Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. The riverine rabbit is the country's most endangered mammal (the only place in the world it is found is near rivers in the central Karoo). The wild dog (seen with luck in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park) is also endangered, as is the roan antelope.
-Endangered bird species include the graceful wattled crane and the blue swallow. The African penguin and the Cape vulture are considered threatened.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</endangered_species>
-<overview>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[South Africa encompasses one of the most diverse landscapes on the entire continent, with habitats ranging from verdant forests, to stony deserts and soaring mountains, to lush grasslands and classic African savannahs. It is home to penguins and flamingos, great white sharks and ponderous African elephants, and many more animals that will surprise and amaze visitors. There are over 700 publicly owned preserves (including 19 national parks) and about 200 private reserves, with Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park being the largest. ]]>
-</overview>
-</overview>
-<plants>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[ Over 20,000 plant species sprout from South Africa's soil - an amazing 10% of the world's total, although the country constitutes only 1% of the earth's land surface.  Dozens of flowers that are domesticated elsewhere grow wild here, including gladiolus, proteas, birds of paradise and African lilies. South Africa is also the only country with one of the world's six floral kingdoms within its borders.  In the drier northwest, there are succulents (dominated by euphorbias and aloes), and annuals, which flower brilliantly after the spring rains, and are one of Northern Cape's major tourist attractions.  In contrast to this floral wealth, South Africa has few natural forests. They were never extensive, and today only remnants remain. Temperate forests occur on the southern coastal strip between George and Humansdorp, in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and in Mpumalanga. Subtropical forests are found northeast of Port Elizabeth in the areas just inland from the Wild Coast, and in KwaZulu-Natal. In the north are large areas of savanna, dotted with acacias and thorn trees.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</plants>
-</wildlife>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355612" asset_id="1542-52" title="Cape Town" title-ascii="Cape Town">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Bush fires may be a natural part of Table Mountain's life cycle, but that doesn't make them any more welcome. In January 2006 a cigarette butt allegedly tossed by an English tourist set off a fire on the northern flank of Table Mountain that eventually engulfed a 700-hectare area from Devil's Peak to Lion's Head. A 65-year-old British tourist died from smoke inhalation but, although hundreds of people were evacuated, no homes were damaged.In contrast, regular blazes throughout the year lay waste to hundreds of shacks in the townships, leaving thousands with nothing other than the clothes they stand in. The clearly overstretched fire brigade complains of underpay and poor working conditions - some members hadn't even received a new uniform since the time of apartheid.Fires of quite another type were also snuffed out on Clifton Beach No 2 in late January 2006. Audiences of around 1000 were attending the Monday-night drumming circle on the beach, accompanied by the pyrotechnics of a group of fire dancers. The well-heeled residents of Clifton complained, prompting a squadron of police to raid the beach, snuffing out spectators' candles, searching bags for alcohol (illegal on the beach) and other substances, and generally being spoilsports.Also messing up Cape Town's life was the troubled Koeberg nuclear power station, which at full capacity provides just under half of the Western Cape's peak electricity demand. On Christmas Day 2005, one of Koeberg's two generation units was shut down due to damage caused by a loose bolt left behind during routine maintenance. Intermittent power cuts followed and became more frequent when Koeberg's second power unit failed a couple of months later. There was chaos as the robots (traffic lights) failed and cash registers and computers seized up. Sales of generators soared.The power cuts, combined with charges of corruption and cronyism levelled at the city's African National Congress (ANC) -controlled council, led to the party narrowly losing out to the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the municipal elections of March 2006. Although the third-placed Independent Party refused to work with the DA, negotiations with other smaller parties secured the DA's Helen Zille as Cape Town's new major. That same day the country's last white president, FW de Klerk, celebrated his 70th birthday at a party in the Mount Nelson Hotel where Nelson Mandela was the surprise guest of honour on a list that read like a who's who of modern South Africa.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[South Africa lays strong claim to being the cradle of mankind. At Langebaan Lagoon (north of Cape Town), the discovery of 117, 000-year-old fossilised footprints prompted one researcher to speculate that 'Eve' (the very first human, the common ancestor of us all) lived here.Little is known about these first humans, but there are signs that they conducted funerals, an indication of at least basic culture. Academics don't know whether the earliest-recorded inhabitants of South Africa - the San people - are direct descendants or if they returned to the area after aeons of travel anything between 40, 000 and 25, 000 years ago.The term Khoisan is used to describe both the San who were nomadic hunters and gatherers, and the Khoikhoi (also known as Khoekhoen, possibly meaning 'Men of Men') who were seminomadic hunters and pastoralists. It is believed the Khoikhoi developed from San groups in present-day Botswana. For centuries, perhaps even millennia, the San and the Khoikhoi intermarried and coexisted, so the distinction was by no means clear.Culturally and physically, the Khoisan developed differently from the Negroid peoples of Africa, although it's possible that they came into contact with pastoralist Bantu-speaking tribes as, in addition to hunting and gathering food, they became pastoralists, with cattle and sheep. The Khoisan migrated south, reaching the Cape of Good Hope about 2000 years ago. It was not uncommon for impoverished Khoikhoi to revert to a hunter-gatherer existence, or for the San to acquire domestic animals.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The first recorded Europeans to sight the Cape were the Portuguese, who passed by on their search for a sea route to India and for the most precious of medieval commodities: spices. Bartholomeu Dias rounded the Cape in 1488, naming it Cabo da Boa Esperança (Cape of Good Hope), but didn't linger long, as his sights were fixed on the trade riches of the east coast of Africa and the Indies.The Portuguese had no interest in a permanent settlement. The Cape offered them little more than fresh water, since their attempts to trade with the Khoisan often ended in violence, and the coast and its fierce weather posed a terrible threat to their tiny caravels.By the end of the 16th century, English and Dutch traders were beginning to challenge the Portuguese, and the Cape became a regular stopover for their scurvy-ridden crews. In 1647 a Dutch vessel was wrecked in Table Bay; its crew built a fort and stayed for a year before they were rescued.This crystallised the value of a permanent settlement in the minds of the directors of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; VOC). They had no intention of colonising the country, but simply wanted to establish a secure base where ships could shelter and stock up on fresh supplies of meat, fruit and vegetables.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Jan van Riebeeck was chosen by the VOC to lead an expedition of 80 company employees - mainly poorly educated soldiers and sailors - charged with building a fort, bartering with the Khoisan for meat, and planting a garden. He reached Table Bay on 6 April 1652, built a mud-walled fort not far from the site of the stone Castle of Good Hope that survives today, and planted the gardens now known as the Company's Gardens.The Dutch were not greeted with open arms by either the San (later to be called Bushmen by the European settlers) or the Khoikhoi (likewise called Hottentots); intermittent hostilities broke out. In 1660, in a gesture that took on an awful symbolism, Van Riebeeck planted a wild almond hedge to protect his European settlement from the Khoisan. The hedge ran around the western foot of Table Mountain down to Table Bay, and a section of it can still be seen in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The irony was that contact between the Europeans and the Khoisan would prove far more dangerous for the locals, who were mortally vulnerable to the guns and diseases of the colonists.The Khoisan proving uncooperative, the Cape settlement was soon suffering a chronic labour shortage. From 1657 Van Riebeeck started releasing VOC employees, allowing them to farm land independently, thus beginning the colonisation process of Southern Africa and giving birth to the Boers. The following year he began to import slaves from West Africa, Madagascar, India, Ceylon, Malaya and Indonesia, among other places. By the time the slave trade was ended in 1807, some 60, 000 slaves had been brought to the Cape, laying the foundations for the unique mix of cultures and races found here today.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The process of colonisation kicked off a series of wars between the Khoikhoi and the Dutch in which the locals were obviously no match for the well-armed and organised Europeans. The Dutch, who were keen to bolster their numbers, allowed some 200 Huguenots, French Calvinists fleeing persecution by King Louis XIV, to settle on the Cape in 1688.There was a shortage of women in the colony, so female slaves and Khoisan women were exploited both for labour and for sex. In time, the slaves intermixed with the Khoisan, too. The offspring of these unions form the basis of sections of today's coloured population.Under the VOC's almost complete control, Kaapstad (the Dutch name for Cape Town) provided a comfortable European lifestyle for a growing number of artisans and entrepreneurs servicing ships and crews. By the middle of the 18th century there were around 3000 people living in the riotous port, known as the 'Tavern of the Seas' by every navigator, privateer and merchant travelling between Europe and the East (including Australia).]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[As the 18th century progressed, the global power of the Dutch was waning and under challenge by the British. The fourth Anglo-Dutch War was fought between 1780 and 1783. French regiments were sent to Cape Town to help the Dutch defend the city, but the British eventually prevailed at the Battle of Muizenberg in 1795 and took control of the Cape from the VOC, which by then was bankrupt.The Treaty of Amiens (1803) had the British cede the Cape back to the Dutch, but this proved just a lull in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1806 at Bloubergstrand, 25km north of Cape Town, the British again defeated the Dutch. The colony was ceded to the British on 13 August 1814.The British abolished the slave trade in 1808 and the remaining Khoisan were finally given the explicit protection of the law (including the right to own land) in 1828. These moves contributed to Afrikaners' dissatisfaction and their mass migration, which came to be known as the Great Trek, inland from the Cape Colony.Despite outlawing slavery, the British introduced new laws that laid the basis for an exploitive labour system little different from slavery. Thousands of dispossessed blacks sought work in the colony, but it was made a crime to be in the colony without a pass - and without work. It was also a crime to leave a job.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The British introduced free trade, which greatly benefited Cape Town's economy. Cape wines, in particular, were a huge hit, accounting for some 10% of British wine consumption by 1822. During the first half of the 19th century, before the Suez Canal opened, British officers serving in India would holiday at the Cape.Capetonians successfully managed to stop the British government's attempt to turn the colony into another Australia when their governor, Sir Harry Smith, forbade 282 British prisoners from leaving the ship Neptune when it docked in Cape Town in 1849. The Neptune continued to Tasmania and the Capetonians, who had challenged the might of the empire, became bolder in their demands for self-government.In 1854 a representative parliament was formed in Cape Town, but much to the dismay of Dutch and English farmers to the north and east, the British government and Cape liberals insisted on a multiracial constituency (albeit with financial requirements that excluded the vast majority of blacks and coloureds).In 1860 construction of the Alfred Basin in the docks commenced, which finally provided Cape Town with a stormproof port. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 dramatically decreased the amount of shipping that sailed via the Cape, but the discovery of diamonds and gold in the centre of South Africa in the 1870s and '80s helped Cape Town maintain its position as the country's premier port. Immigrants flooded into the city and the population trebled from 33, 000 in 1875 to over 100, 000 people at the turn of the 20th century.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[After the Great Trek, the Boers established several independent republics, the largest being the Orange Free State (today's Free State province) and the Transvaal (today's Northern Province, Gauteng and Mpumalanga).When the world's richest gold reef was found in the Transvaal (a village called Johannesburg sprang up beside it), the British were miffed that the Boers should control such wealth and precipitated war in 1899. The Boers were vastly outnumbered but their tenacity and knowledge of the country resulted in a long and bitter conflict. The British finally defeated them in 1902.Cape Town was not directly involved in any of the fighting but it did play a key role in landing and supplying the half a million imperial and colonial troops who fought on the British side. The Mount Nelson Hotel was used as headquarters by Lords Roberts and Kitchener. Bubonic plague in 1901 gave the government an excuse to introduce racial segregation, even though the disease had actually arrived in the Cape on a ship from Argentina. Blacks were moved to two locations, one near the docks and the other at Ndabeni on the western flank of Table Mountain. This was the start of what later would develop into the townships of the Cape Flats.After the war, the British made some efforts towards reconciliation, and instituted moves towards the union of the separate South African provinces. In the Cape, blacks and coloureds retained a limited franchise (although only whites could become members of the national parliament, and eligible blacks and coloureds constituted only around 7% of the electorate), but did not have the vote in other provinces.The issue of which city should become the capital was solved by the unwieldy compromise of making Cape Town the seat of the legislature, Pretoria the administrative capital, and Bloemfontein the judicial capital. The Union of South Africa came into being in the year of 1910.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Afrikaners were economically and socially disadvantaged when compared with the English-speaking minority, which controlled most of the capital and industry in the new country. This, plus lingering bitterness over the war and Afrikaners' distaste at having to compete with blacks and coloureds for low-paying jobs, led to strident Afrikaner nationalism and the formation of the National Party (NP).In 1948 the National Party came to power on a platform of apartheid (literally, 'the state of being apart'). In a series of bitter court and constitutional battles, the right of coloureds to vote in the Cape was removed (blacks had been denied the vote since 1910) and the insane apparatus of apartheid was erected.Mixed marriages were prohibited, interracial sex was made illegal and every person was classified by race. The Group Areas Act defined where people of each 'race' could live and the Separate Amenities Act created separate public facilities: separate beaches, separate buses, separate toilets, separate schools and separate park benches. Blacks were compelled to carry passes at all times and were prohibited from living in or even visiting towns without specific permission.The Dutch Reformed Church justified apartheid on religious grounds, claiming the separateness of the races was divinely ordained. The volk (literally, the 'people', but it really meant just Afrikaners) had a holy mission to preserve the purity of the white race in its promised land.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[A system of Homelands was set up in 1951, whereby the proportion of land available for black ownership in South Africa increased very slightly to 13%. Blacks then made up about 75% of the population. The Homelands idea was that each black group had a traditional area where it belonged - and must now stay. The government defined 10 such groups, which were based largely on dubious 19th-century scholarship. The area around Cape Town was declared a 'coloured preference area', which meant that no black person could be employed unless it could be proved that there was no coloured person suitable for the job.Apart from the inequity of the land allocation, not to mention the injustice of making decisions for and about people who were not allowed to vote, this plan ignored the huge numbers of blacks who had never lived in their 'Homeland'. Millions of people who had lived in other areas for generations were forcibly removed and dumped in bleak, unproductive areas with no infrastructure.The Homelands were regarded as self-governing states and it was planned that they would become independent countries. Four of the 10 Homelands were nominally independent by the time apartheid was demolished (they were not recognised as independent countries by the UN), and their dictators held power with the help of the South African military.Of course, the white population depended on cheap black labour to keep the economy booming, so many black 'guest workers' were admitted to South Africa. But, unless a black had a job and a pass, they were liable to be jailed and sent back to their Homeland. This caused massive disruption to black communities and families. Not surprisingly, people without jobs gravitated to cities such as Cape Town to be near their husbands, wives and parents.No new black housing was built, and as a result, illegal squatter camps mushroomed on the sandy plains to the east of Cape Town. In response, government bulldozers flattened the shanties, and their occupants were dragged away and dumped in the Homelands. Within weeks, inevitably, the shanties would rise again.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1960 the ANC and the Pan-African Congress (PAC) organised marches against the hated pass laws, which required blacks and coloureds to carry passbooks authorising them to be in a particular area. At Langa and Nyanga on the Cape Flats, police killed five protesters. The Sharpeville massacres in Gauteng were concurrent and resulted in the banning of the ANC and PAC. In response to the crisis, a warrant for the arrest of Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders was issued. In mid-1963 Mandela was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. Like many black leaders before him, Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, in the middle of Table Bay. He remained here until 1982 when he was moved to Pollsmoor Prison south of Constantia on the Cape. His final place of incarceration was Victor Vester Prison near Paarl.The government tried for decades to eradicate squatter towns, such as Crossroads, which were focal points for black resistance to the apartheid regime. In its last attempt between May and June 1986, an estimated 70, 000 people were driven from their homes and hundreds were killed. Even this brutal attack was unsuccessful in eradicating the towns, and the government accepted the inevitable and began to upgrade conditions. Since then vast townships have sprung up across the Cape Flats. No-one knows exactly how many people call them home, but it could be more than 1.5 million. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Apartheid's divide-and-rule tactics - favouring coloureds above blacks - stoked the animosity that lingers between the Cape's coloured and black communities today. Even so, coloureds did suffer under apartheid, and none more so than those living in the poor inner-city area known as District Six.In its time District Six, immediately east of the city centre, was the suburb that, more than any other, gave Cape Town its cosmopolitan atmosphere and life. Every race lived there and the streets were alive with people, from children to traders, buskers to petty criminals. Jazz was its life blood and the district was home to many musicians, including the internationally renowned pianist Dollar Brand (now called Abdullah Ibrahim).In 1966 District Six was classified as a white area. Its 50, 000 people, some of whose families had been there for five generations, were gradually evicted and dumped in bleak and soulless townships like Athlone, Mitchell's Plain and Atlantis. Friends, neighbours, and even relations were separated. Bulldozers moved in and the multiracial heart was ripped out of the city, while in the townships, depressed and dispirited youths increasingly joined gangs and turned to crime.The coloured Cape Muslim community of the Bo-Kaap, on the northeastern edge of Signal Hill, was more fortunate. Home to Cape Town's first mosque (the Owal Mosque on Dorp St dates back to 1798), the district was once known as the Malay Quarter because it was where many of the imported slaves from the start of the Cape Colony lived with their masters.In 1952 the entire Bo-Kaap region was declared to be a coloured area under the terms of the Group Areas Act. There were forced removals, but the residents of the community, which was more homogeneous than that of District Six, banded together in order to successfully fight for and retain ownership of their homes, many of which were declared National Monuments in the 1960s (so, fortunately, at least they were saved from the bulldozers). ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In the 1980s the apartheid regime began to crumble amid deepening economic gloom caused by international sanctions and the increasing militancy of black opposition groups (which began with the Soweto student uprising in 1976).In 1982 Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders were moved from Robben Island to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town. (In 1986 senior politicians began secretly talking with them.) In 1983 the United Democratic Front (UDF) was formed when 15, 000 antiapartheid activists gathered at Mitchell's Plain in the Cape Flats. At the same time the state's military crackdowns in the townships became even more brutal.In early 1990 President FW de Klerk began to repeal discriminatory laws, and the ANC, PAC and Communist Party were legalised. On 11 February Nelson Mandela was released. His first public speech since he had been incarcerated 27 years earlier was delivered from the balcony of City Hall to a massive crowd filling the Grand Pde.From this time onwards virtually all the old apartheid regulations were repealed and, in late 1991, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) began negotiations on the formation of a multiracial transitional government and a new constitution extending political rights to all groups.Months of negotiations and brinkmanship finally produced a compromise and an election date, although at considerable human cost. Political violence exploded across the country during this time, some of it sparked by the police and the army. Despite this, the 1994 election was amazingly peaceful.The ANC won 62.7% of the vote, less than the 66.7% that would have enabled it to rewrite the constitution. In Western Cape, though, the majority coloured population voted in the NP as the provincial government, seemingly happier to live with the devil they knew than with the ANC.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[During the 1990s drugs and the associated crime became such a problem in the Cape that communities, and in particular the coloured community, began to take matters into their own hands. People against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) was formed in 1995, as an offshoot of the Islamic organisation Qibla. The group saw itself as defending the coloured community from the crooked cops and drug lords who allowed gangs to control the coloured townships.At first the police tolerated Pagad, but their vigilante tactics turned sour in 1996 with the horrific (and televised) death of gangster Rashaad Staggie. A lynch mob burned then repeatedly shot the dying gangster. Other gang leaders were killed but Cape Town really began to worry when bombs, believed to have been planted by the more radical of Pagad's members, began to go off around the city. One of the worst was in 1998 at Planet Hollywood at the Waterfront, although by 2000 many other explosions had happened at police stations, synagogues and a gay nightclub. In September 2000 a magistrate presiding in a case involving Pagad members was murdered in a drive-by shooting.Although Pagad leader Abdus Salaam Ebrahim was imprisoned in 2002 for seven years for public violence, no-one has been convicted, let alone charged for the Cape Town bombings, which thankfully seem to have stopped. Pagad, now designated a terrorist organisation by the government, keeps a much lower and quieter profile.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In December 1997 Mandela stepped down as ANC president and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Two years later South Africa held its second free elections. There had been speculation that the ANC vote might drop, but in fact it increased, putting the party within one seat of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution.In the Western Cape elections in 2000, however, the ANC fared worse. The pact between the old NP, restyled as the New National Party (NNP), and the Democratic Party (DP) to create the Democratic Alliance (DA), brought them victory not only in the provincial elections but also in the metropolitan elections. Two years later, in a previously unthinkable alliance, the NNP ditched the DP to join forces with the ANC, putting the ANC in control of Cape Town for the first time and bringing the city its very first black female mayor, Nomaindia Mfeketo.Conscious of their core vote in the Cape Flats the ANC-led city council vowed to improve the lot of township folk by upgrading the infrastructure in the informal settlements and investing more in decent low-cost housing, such as the N2 Gateway Project along the motor corridor linking the city with the airport. Urban renewal projects were also announced for Mitchells Plain, one of the most populous coloured areas of the city. Meanwhile, the City Bowl and surrounding areas continued to benefit from increased security and the development of ritzy, loft-style apartments in grand, old structures such as Mutual Heights.Full integration of the city's mixed population, though, is a long way off, if it's achievable at all. The vast majority of Capetonians continue to live in the bleak, impoverished communities of the Cape Flats, split along racial lines and suffering horrendous economic, social and health problems.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA['Today, praise be the Lord, wine was pressed for the first time from Cape grapes.'Jan van Riebeeck, 2 February 1659Although the founder of the Cape Colony, Jan van Riebeeck, planted vines and made wine himself, it was not until the arrival of Governor Simon van der Stel in 1679 that wine-making began in earnest. Van der Stel created Groot Constantia, the superb estate on the flanks of Table Mountain, and passed on his wine-making skills to the burghers who settled around Stellenbosch.Between 1688 and 1690, some 200 Huguenots arrived in the country. They were granted land in the region, particularly around Franschhoek (which translates as 'French Corner'), and, although only a few had wine-making experience, they gave the infant industry fresh impetus.For a long time, Cape wines other than those produced at Groot Constantia were not in great demand and most grapes ended up in brandy. The industry received a boost in the early 19th century as war between Britain and France meant more South African wine was imported to the UK.Apartheid-era sanctions and the power of the Kooperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereeniging (KWV; the cooperative formed in 1918 to control minimum prices, production areas and quota limits) didn't exactly encourage innovation and instead hampered the industry. Since 1992 the KWV, now a private company, has lost much of its former influence.Many new and progressive wine makers are leading South Africa's reemergence onto the world market. New wine-producing areas are being established away from the hotter inland areas, in particular in the cooler coastal areas east of Cape Town around Mossel Bay, Walker Bay and Elgin, and to the north around Durbanville and Darling.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Good-looking, fun-loving, sporty and sociable. If Cape Town was in the dating game that's how her profile would read. And - for once - it's all true. The Mother City of South Africa occupies one of the world's most stunning locations, with an iconic mountain slap-bang in her centre.As beautiful as the surrounding beaches and vineyards can be, it's the rugged wilderness of Table Mountain, coated in a unique flora, that grabs everyone's attention.Long before the Dutch took a fancy to the Cape Peninsula in the 17th century, the land was home to the Khoisan people who valued the spiritual power of the mountains and their life-providing water. While the European immigrants, and the slaves they brought here, have all shaped the physical environment of South Africa's third-largest city, Table Mountain - now protected within a national park that covers some 75% of the peninsula - remains at Cape Town's heart. This ever present backdrop is the city's adventure playground, as well as a source of legend and continuing spiritual nourishment. Under the Khoisan name of Hoerikwaggo - meaning 'Mountain in the Sea' - the national park is promoting a new series of trails that will allow visitors, for the first time, to sleep on the mountain top while hiking a world-class trail from Cape Point to the City Bowl.Complementing the mountain's natural beauty is Cape Town's eye-catching way with design and colour in everything from the brightly painted façades of the Bo-Kaap and the Victorian bathing chalets of Muizenberg, to the contemporary Afro-chic décor of the many excellent guesthouses, restaurants and bars. The city is crammed with galleries displaying amazing artworks and shops selling wonderfully inventive craftwork. It's also getting a reputation as the fashion nexus of South Africa. This creativity seems to spring naturally from the city's multiethnic population, proof of South Africa's status as the rainbow nation and a visual record of the country's tumultuous recorded history of over 350 years.For all the city centre's visual harmony and cosmopolitan atmosphere, you don't need to be in Cape Town for long to realise that the scars of modern South Africa's violent birth and apartheid adolescence still run deep. The wealth of Camps Bay and Constantia sits side by side with the ingrained poverty of townships, such as Khayelitsha, and the deprived coloured suburbs, home to the vast majority of the city's citizens. Friendly as Capetonians can be to visitors, among themselves suspicions and misinterpretations endure, and if you take one of the deservedly popular trips into the townships you'll be a step ahead of the vast majority of locals.Seeing life in the townships may shock and upset, but you'll also discover it's not a one-note story of grim survival. There are huge differences in lifestyle and many great examples of civic pride and optimism to balance against the shocking crime and HIV/AIDS statistics. And there's ubuntu, true African hospitality and care for fellow human beings. Look across the city and you'll also see people of all skin colours working together to make Cape Town a better place for everyone. Discovering the Mother City's true diversity and spirit is all part of getting the most out of a visit here.Reality check aside, Cape Town is an old pro at showing visitors a good time. There may not be game parks on Kruger's scale, but there are plenty of great wildlife-spotting opportunities, from the penguins at Boulders to the antelopes, buffaloes and black rhino at Solole Game Reserve. The restaurants and bars compare favourably with those of other cosmopolitan cities. There's a lively cultural scene, particularly when it comes to music, which pervades every corner of the city, and if outdoor activities and adrenaline buzzes are your thing, you've come to the right place. As local troubadour David Krammer's sing-along anthem for the Cricket World Cup has it, 'Welcome to Cape Town/Enjoy the party/Come in and have some fun/Cape Town's number one'.The capital of Western Cape province and the parliamentary capital of the republic, Cape Town works in a way that so few cities on the African continent do. Historic buildings have been saved, businesses are booming, inner-city crime is coming under control and you'll seldom be stuck for a parking space. Factor back in those stunning mountains, magnificent surf beaches and outstanding vineyards and you'll soon discover - like many before you - that it's easy to lose track of time while exploring all the wonders of this unique Southern African city. Now don't you think it's time you made a date with Cape Town?
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-Make it happen
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-Ready to go? These recommended partners make it easy:
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-explore  ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Cape Town is one of the most relaxed cities in Africa, which can instil a false sense of security. People who have travelled overland from Cairo without a single mishap or theft have been known to be cleaned out in Cape Town - generally when doing something like leaving their gear on a beach while they go swimming.Paranoia is not required, but common sense is. There is tremendous poverty on the peninsula and the 'informal redistribution of wealth' is reasonably common. The townships on the Cape Flats have an appalling crime rate and unless you have a trustworthy guide or are on a tour they are not places for a casual stroll.Stick to the roads when you walk around the city, and always listen to local advice. There is safety in numbers.Swimming at any of the Cape beaches is potentially hazardous, especially for those inexperienced in surf. Check for warning signs about rips and rocks and only swim in patrolled areas.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Follow the rules listed below and you'll cut your chances of becoming a crime statistic while withdrawing cash from an ATM:Avoid ATMs at night and in secluded places. Rows of machines in shopping malls are usually the safest.Most ATMs in banks have security guards. If there's no guard around when you're withdrawing cash, watch your back, or get someone else to watch it for you.Watch the people using the ATM ahead of you carefully. If they look suspicious, go to another machine.Use ATMs during banking hours and if possible take a friend. If your card is jammed in a machine then one person stays at the ATM and the other seeks assistance from the bank.When you put your card into the ATM press cancel immediately. If the card is returned then you know there is no blockage in the machine and it should be safe to proceed.Don't hesitate to be rude in refusing any offers of help to complete your transaction. If someone does offer, end your transaction immediately and find another machine.Carry your bank's emergency phone number, and if you do lose your card report it immediately.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Medical services are of a high standard in Cape Town. In an emergency contact the police (10111) to get directions to the nearest hospital. Many doctors make house calls; they're listed under 'Medical' in the phone book, and hotels and most other places to stay can arrange a visit.Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital (021-480 6111; www.netcare.co.za; 181 Longmarket St, City Bowl) The best private hospital; reception is on the 8th fl.Groote Schuur Hospital (021-404 9111; www.capegateway.gov.za/gsh; Main Rd, Observatory) In an emergency, you can go directly to its casualty department. ]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[SAA-Netcare Travel Clinic (021-419 3172; 11th fl, Picbal Arcade, 58 Strand St, City Bowl; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) For vaccinations and travel health advice.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<costs>
-<![CDATA[Western Cape accounts for about 15% of the country's total GDP, and many of South Africa's petroleum, insurance and retail corporations have their base in Cape Town. Viticulture, clothing, textiles, agriculture and fishing are all important sectors of the local economy, as is tourism. The opening of the Cape Town International Convention Centre has given a significant boost to this sector of the economy, and several high-profile hotel developments are under way, including an ultraluxury hotel complex at the Waterfront by entrepreneur Sol Kerzner of Sun City fame.Cape Town's economy has been on a roll over the last few years, and is rapidly catching up with similar cities abroad. This in turn means that the city's not quite the bargain that it used to be. There have been accusations that Capetonian businesses have been overcharging, particularly at the high end of tourism where some hotel prices have shot up in excess of international levels. In some respects, Cape Town's prices are just catching up with those of equivalent cities in the world - what still makes the city decent value is the high quality of products and services you get for your cash.Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has become the watchword of Cape Town's economy, with many white-owned businesses scrambling to find either black or coloured partners or investors in the wake of the enactment of the BEE Bill in January 2005. Economic charters and codes of good practice to redress the imbalances in South Africa's economy have been drawn up and all businesses now should be implementing BEE strategies. At the same time, the government is also pushing a 'buy South African' policy with the Proudly SA campaign (www.proudlysa.co.za) - look out for the colourful logo in the national-flag colours on local products.Most visitors will find eating and drinking very good value in Cape Town compared to elsewhere in the world; in contrast telephone charges, particularly for mobile phones, are pricey. If you're on a backpacker budget, you'll be looking at spending a minimum of R200 a day, while four-star travellers should reckon on R1000 to R1500 per day.]]>
-</costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[If your card belongs to the worldwide Cirrus network you should have no problem using ATMs in Cape Town. However, it pays to follow some basic procedures to ensure safety.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Credit cards, especially MasterCard and Visa, are widely accepted. Nedbank is an official Visa agency and Standard Bank is a MasterCard agency - both have branches across the country. For lost or stolen cards contact the following:Amex (0860 003 768)Diners Club (021-686 1990)MasterCard (0800 990 418)Visa International (0800 990 475)]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[The unit of currency is the rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents (¢). The coins are 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 20¢and 50¢, and R1, R2 and R5. The notes are R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. The R200 note looks a lot like the R20 note, so check them carefully before handing them over. There have been forgeries of the R200 note; some businesses are reluctant to accept them. Rand is sometimes referred to as bucks. For exchange rates, see the inside front cover. ]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Value-added tax (VAT) is 14%. Foreign visitors can reclaim some of their VAT expenses on departure. This applies only to goods that you are taking out of the country; you can't claim back the VAT you've paid on food or car hire, for example. Also, the goods have to have been bought at a shop participating in the VAT foreign tourist sales scheme.To make a claim, you need your tax invoice. This is usually the receipt, but make sure that it includes the following: the words 'tax invoice'; the seller's VAT registration number; the seller's name and address; a description of the goods purchased; the cost of the goods and the amount of VAT charged; a tax invoice number; and the date of the transaction.For purchases over R2000, your name and address and the quantity of goods must also appear on the invoice. All invoices must be originals, not photocopies. The total value of the goods claimed for must exceed R250.At the point of your departure, you will have to show the goods to a customs inspector. At airports make sure you have the goods checked by the inspector before you go and check in your luggage. After you have gone through immigration, you make the claim and then pick up your refund cheque - at the airport in Cape Town you can then cash it straight away at the currency-exchange office (usually in rand or US dollars).To save time, there's a VAT desk in the Clock Tower Centre (021-405 4545; 9am-8.30pm) at the Waterfront, which can take care of the paperwork, or at Cape Town Tourism (021-426 4260; www.tourismcapetown.co.za; cnr Castle &amp; Burg Sts, City Bowl; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun Dec-Mar, 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun Apr-Nov) in the City Bowl.You can also make your claim at the international airports in Jo'burg and Durban, at the Beitbridge (Zimbabwe) and Komatipoort (Mozambique) border crossings and at major harbours.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Visitors on holiday from most Commonwealth countries (including Australia and the UK), most Western European countries, Japan and the USA don't require visas. Instead, you'll be issued with a free entry permit on arrival. These are valid for a stay of up to 90 days. But if the date of your flight out is sooner than this, the immigration officer may use it as the date of your permit expiry unless you request otherwise.If you aren't entitled to an entry permit, you'll need to get a visa (also free) before you arrive. These aren't issued at the borders, and must be obtained at a South African embassy or consulate in your own country. Allow several weeks for processing. South Africa has consular representation in most countries. The website of the South African High Commission (www.southafricahouse.com) in London has a helpful overview of visa requirements, and listings of which nationalities require visas.For any entry - whether you require a visa or not - you need to have at least two completely blank pages in your passport, excluding the last two pages.You can apply for a South African visa extension or a reentry visa at the Department of Home Affairs (021-465 0333; www.samigrationservices.co.za; 56 Barrack St; 8.15am-3.15pm Mon-Fri).]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[There are many direct international flights into Cape Town, although sometimes you'll have to change planes at Johannesburg (Jo'burg). Useful online ticket sellers include the following:Cheap Flights (www.cheapflights.co.uk)Flight Centre(www.flightcentre.com)STA Travel (www.statravel.com)Travel.com.au (www3.travel.com.au/home.html)Zuji (www.zuji.com)]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Air Mauritius (021-671 5225; www.airmauritius.com; Sanclaire Bldg, 21 Dreyer St, Claremont)Air Namibia (021-936 2755; www.airnamibia.com.na; Cape Town International Airport)British Airways (in Jo'burg 011-4418600; www.ba.com)KLM (0860 247 747; www.klm.co.za; Slade House, Boundary Terraces, 1 Mariendahl Lane, Newlands)Lufthansa (0861 842 538; Cape Town International Airport)Malaysia Airlines (021-419 8010; fax 021-419 7017; 8th fl, Safmarine House, 22 Riebeeck St, City Bowl)SAA (021-936 1111; www.flysaa.com; Cape Town International Airport)Singapore Airlines (021-674 0601; 3rd fl, Sanclaire Bldg, 21 Dreyer St, Claremont)Virgin Atlantic (021-934 9000; Cape Town International Airport)]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Cape Town International Airport (021-937 1200; www.airports.co.za) is located 20km east of the city centre. There is a tourist information office and Internet access in both the international and domestic departure/arrival halls.]]>
-</air>
-<bicycle>
-<![CDATA[The Cape Peninsula is a terrific place to explore by bicycle, but there are many hills, and distances can be deceptively large - it is nearly 70km from the centre to Cape Point. Unfortunately, you are not supposed to take bicycles on suburban trains.The following places in Cape Town offer bicycle hire: Atlantic Tourist Information Centre (021-434 2382; 243 Main Rd, Sea Point; bicycle/scooter per day R85/195)Cape Info Africa (021-425 6461; www.capeinfoafrica.co.za; 32 Napier St, Waterkant; per day R85)Downhill Adventures (021-422 0388; www.downhilladventures.com; Orange St, Gardens; per day R100) Homeland Shuttle &amp; Tours (021-426 0294, 083 265 6661; www.homeland.co.za; 305 Long St, City Bowl; per day R80)]]>
-</bicycle>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Interstate buses arrive at the bus terminus at Cape Town Train Station, where you'll find the booking offices for the following bus companies:Greyhound (021-505 6363; www.greyhound.co.za)Intercape Mainliner (021-380 4400; www.intercape.co.za)SA Roadlink (021-425 0203; www.saroadlink.co.za)Translux (021-449 3333; www.translux.co.za)Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) is aimed at backpackers and travellers, offering hop-on, hop-off fares and door-to-door service between Cape Town and Jo'burg via the Northern Drakensberg, Durban and the Garden Route.For local bus services the main station is the Golden Acre Terminal (Grand Parade, City Bowl). From this station Golden Arrow (0800 656 463; www.gabs.co.za) buses run, with most services stopping early in the evening. Buses are most useful for getting along the Atlantic coast from the city centre to Hout Bay (trains service the suburbs to the east of Table Mountain). When travelling short distances, most people wait at the bus stop and take either a bus or a shared taxi, whichever arrives first. A tourist-friendly alternative is the City Sightseeing Cape Town bus service.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Be prepared for the sometimes-erratic breaking of road rules by fellow drivers, and drive with caution. Breath testing for alcohol exists but given the lack of police resources and the high blood-alcohol level permitted (0.08%), drunk drivers remain a danger. It's highly unlikely that the police will bother you for petty breaches of the law, such as breaking the speed limit. This might sound like a pleasant state of affairs, but after you've encountered a few dangerous drivers, strict cops seem more attractive.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Major local and international car-hire companies in Cape Town include the following:Avis (086 102 1111; www.avis.co.za; 123 Strand St, City Bowl)Budget (086 001 6622; www.budget.co.za; 120 Strand St, City Bowl)Hertz (021-400 9650; www.hertz.co.za; cnr Loop &amp; Strand Sts, City Bowl)CABS Car Rental (021 386 5500; www.cabs.co.za; 14 Montreal Ave, Airport Industria)
-A friendly local firm is Around About Cars (021-422 4022; www.aroundaboutcars.com; 20 Bloem St, City Bowl; 7.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-noon Sat &amp; Sun). This company offers one of the best independent deals in town with rates starting at R169 per day for a Mazda 323 with a R4000 excess on any claims (R210 for no excess). Many backpacker hostels can also arrange deals from around R200 per day or less.South Africa is a big country but, unless you're a travel writer on a tight schedule, you probably don't need to pay higher rates for unlimited kilometres. For meandering around, 400km a day should be more than enough, and if you plan to stop for a day here and there, 200km a day might be sufficient.However, if you're hiring with an international company and you book through the branch in your home country, you'll probably get unlimited kilometres at no extra cost. At peak times in South Africa (mainly in summer), even your local branch might tell you that unlimited-kilometre deals aren't available. Your travel agency may be able to get around this.When you're getting quotes make sure that they include value-added tax (VAT), as that 14% slug makes a big difference.One problem with nearly all car-hire deals is the excess: the amount you are liable for before the insurance takes over. Even with a small car you can be liable for up to R5000 (although there's usually the choice of lowering or cancelling the excess for a higher insurance premium). A few companies offer 100% damage and theft insurance at a more expensive rate. You may also be charged extra if you nominate more than one driver. If a non-nominated driver has an accident, then you won't be covered by insurance. Always make sure you read the contract carefully before you sign.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[The following places hire out motorcycles or scooters:Café Vespa (083 448 2626, 083 646 6616; www.cafevespa.com; 108 Kloof St, Tamboerskloof; 9am-midnight) New 150cc Vespas from R110 per day, including insurance and helmet, depending on how long you hire it for.Harley-Davidson Cape Town (021-424 3990; www.harley-davidson-capetown.com; 45 Buitengracht St, City Bowl; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) Hires out a Harley 1340cc Big Twins or an MG-B convertible sports car for R1150 per day.Le Cap Motorcycle Hire (021-423 0823; www.lecapmotorcyclehire.co.za; 43 New Church St, Tamboerskloof; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) Motorcycle hire from R360 per day.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[It costs R22 to drive along Chapman's Peak Dr.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Consider taking a nonshared taxi at night or if you're in a group. Rates are about R10 per kilometre. There's a taxi rank at the Adderley St end of the Grand Pde in the city, or call Marine Taxi (021-434 0434), SA Cab (0861 172 222; www.sacab.co.za) or Unicab Taxis (021-447 4402).]]>
-</local_transport>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Shared taxis cover most of the city with an informal network of routes. They're a cheap and efficient way of getting around. Useful routes are from Adderley St, opposite the Golden Acre Centre, to Sea Point along Main Rd (R3) and up Long St to Kloof Nek (R2).The main rank is on the upper deck of Cape Town Train Station and is accessible from a walkway in the Golden Acre Centre or from stairways on Strand St. It's well organised, and finding the right rank is easy. Anywhere else, you just hail shared taxis from the side of the road and ask the driver where they're going.]]>
-</local_transport>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Flights, tours and rail tickets can all be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/travelservices.]]>
-</overview>
-<train>
-<![CDATA[Metro commuter trains are a handy way to get around, although there are few (or no) trains after 6pm on weekdays and after noon on Saturday. For more information contact Cape MetroRail (0800 656 463; www.capemetrorail.co.za).Metro trains have first- and economy-class carriages only. The difference in price and comfort is negligible, though you'll find the first-class compartments to be safer on the whole. The most important line for visitors is the Simon's Town line, which runs through Observatory and around the back of Table Mountain through upper- income white suburbs such as Newlands, on to Muizenberg and the False Bay coast. These trains run at least every hour from 5am to 7.30pm Monday to Friday (to 6pm on Saturday), and from 7.30am to 6.30pm on Sunday. (Rikkis meet all trains and go to Boulders.) Some trains have Biggsy's, a restaurant carriage and rolling wine bar. There's a small extra charge to use it.Metro trains run some way out of Cape Town, to Strand on the eastern side of False Bay, and into the Winelands to Stellenbosch and Paarl. They are the cheapest and easiest means of transport to these areas; security is best at peak times.Some economy/first-class fares are Ob- servatory (R4.20/5.50), Muizenberg (R5.50/8.50), Simon's Town (R7.30/12), Paarl (R8.50/14.50) and Stellenbosch (R7.50/12).The African Vintage Rail Tours (021-419 5222; www.vintagetrains.co.za) runs occasional trips to the Spier wine estate using a steam locomotive, as well as two-hour sunset train trips to Milnerton.]]>
-</train>
-</getting_there_and_around>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[If you've spent time in the Mediterranean then you've experienced Cape Town's climate. The summers are generally warm and dry, while winters tend to be wet and cool, the rains brought on by fierce northwesterly gales. Neither season experiences extremes of temperature, thanks to prevailing winds.Be prepared though for 'four seasons in one day'. The peninsula's shape creates microclimates, so you can be basking in the sun on one side of the mountain and sheltering from chilly rain and winds on the other. It's no accident that Newlands is so lush in comparison to Cape Point - the former receives four times as much rain annually as the latter.]]>
-</climate>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Climate change is a serious threat to the ecosystems that humans rely upon, and air travel is the fastest-growing contributor to the problem. Lonely Planet regards travel, overall, as a global benefit, but believes we all have a responsibility to limit our personal impact on global warming.Flying &amp; Climate ChangePretty much every form of motorised travel generates carbon dioxide (C02; the main cause of human-induced climate change), but planes are far and away the worst offenders, not just because of the sheer distances they allow us to travel, but because they release greenhouse gases high into the atmosphere. The statistics are frightening: two people taking a return flight between Europe and the US will contribute as much to climate change as an average household's gas and electricity consumption over a whole year. Carbon Offset SchemesClimatecare.org and other websites use 'carbon calculators', which allow travellers to offset the level of greenhouse gases they are responsible for with financial contributions to sustainable-travel schemes that reduce global warming - including projects in India, Honduras, Kazakhstan and Uganda. Lonely Planet, together with Rough Guides and other concerned partners in the travel industry, support the carbon offset scheme run by Climatecare.org. Lonely Planet offsets all of its staff and author travel.For more information check out our website: www.lonelyplanet.com.]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<work_live_study>
-<work>
-<business>
-<![CDATA[Banking hours vary but are usually from 9am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 11am Saturday. Post offices are usually open from 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am to noon Saturday.Most shops are open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 1pm Saturday. Major shopping centres, such as the Waterfront and Canal Walk, are open daily, often to 9pm.Cafés generally open from 7.30am to around 5pm daily. A few places (more usually in the City Bowl) are closed on Sunday or occasionally Monday. Restaurants open for lunch from 11.30am to 3pm, with dinner usually kicking off around 7pm and last orders at 10pm.]]>
-</business>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Because of high unemployment and fears about illegal immigration from the rest of Africa, there are tough penalties for employers taking on foreigners without work permits. So far this doesn't seem to have stopped foreigners getting jobs in restaurants or bars in tourist areas, but this might change. Don't expect decent pay, something like R10 to R20 per hour plus tips (which can be good) is usual. The best time to look for work is from October to November, before the high season starts and before university students begin holidays. ]]>
-</overview>
-</work>
-</work_live_study>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355613" asset_id="" title="Table Mountain National Park" title-ascii="Table Mountain National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Covering some three quarters of the peninsula, Table Mountain National Park (www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain) stretches from flat-topped Table Mountain to Cape Point. For the vast majority of visitors the main attraction is the 1086m-high mountain itself, the top of which can easily be accessed by the Cableway (424 5148; www.tablemountain.net; adult one-way/return US$8/16, child US$4/6; 8.30am-7pm Feb-Nov, 8am-10pm Dec &amp; Jan), which runs every 10/20 minutes in high/low season. The views from the revolving cable car and on the summit are phenomenal. The Cableway doesn’t operate when it’s dangerously windy, and there’s little point going up if you are simply going to be wrapped in the cloud known as the ‘tablecloth’. The best visibility and conditions are likely to be first thing in the morning or in the evening. Hikers can take advantage of over 300 routes up and down, but bear in mind that the mountain is over 1000m high, conditions can become treacherous quickly and it’s easy to get lost. Unprepared and foolhardy hikers die here every year. In 2005 Table Mountain National Park launched the first of its planned suite of three Hoerikwaggo Trails (www.tablemountainpark.com/parks/table_mountain/ht) designed to allow visitors, for the first time, to sleep on the mountain, and eventually to hike 80km or so from the City Bowl to Cape Point.If you don’t have your own transport, rikkis will drop you at the cable car from the city centre or take a nonshared taxi.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355614" asset_id="" title="Free State" title-ascii="Free State">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[This is a place where farmers in floppy hats and overalls drive rusty bakkies full of sheep over bumpy roads; where giant fields of sunflowers languish by brightly painted Sotho houses. It’s true that Free State doesn’t hold any trump cards when it comes to South Africa’s not-to-be-missed attractions. In this staunchly Afrikaans region the line between the colours is stark, and dreams of an Afrikaner Arcadia live on. While there’s no question that Free State has a long way to travel on the road to racial harmony, even in the smallest rural villages, the once-impenetrable barrier between black and white is beginning to break apart. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355615" asset_id="" title="Bloemfontein" title-ascii="Bloemfontein">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[As the provincial capital of the Free State, and South Africa’s judicial capital, tourism in Bloem (as the locals call it) is generally business oriented. But it’s also a university town, so when school’s in session, nightlife is raging. There’s no real reason to go out of your way to visit Bloem, although it has a few interesting sights if you are in the neighbourhood. Commemorating the 26, 000 women and children who died in British concentration camps during the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War, the National Women’s Memorial depicts a bearded Afrikaner, setting off on his pony to fight the British, bidding a last farewell to his wife and baby, who are to perish in one of the camps. It’s a powerful image and one still buried in the psyche of many Afrikaners.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Both SAAirlink (433 3225) and Nationwide Airlines (011 344 7200; www.flynationwide.co.za) connect Bloemfontein with Cape Town (US$160) and Jo’burg (US$135), in addition to other destinations.Translux and Greyhound run daily buses to Durban (US$20 to US$31, nine hours), Jo’burg/Pretoria (US$20 to US$27, five hours), East London (US$24, seven hours), Knysna (US$36, 12 hours) and Cape Town (US$43 to US$48, 10 hours). Big Sky Buses (www.bigskycoaches.co.za) runs to Maseru in Lesotho (US$4.70, three hours) twice daily Monday to Friday.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355616" asset_id="" title="Gauteng" title-ascii="Gauteng">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Fast, bustling and a cabaret of contradictions, Gauteng (pronounced ‘how-teng’) covers just 1.5% of the country’s land surface, yet accounts for 34% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and, perhaps more extraordinarily, 10% of the GDP of the whole of Africa. The laid-back, friendly atmosphere of Pretoria, the country’s administrative capital, belies a turbulent past. Fifty or so kilometres down the M1 motorway away is Johannesburg, the provincial capital and third-largest city on the continent. Sprawling and booming, it’s a strange conurbation of opulent suburbs set alongside some of the country’s starkest urban poverty. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355617" asset_id="1531-20" title="Johannesburg" title-ascii="Johannesburg">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travel Alert: Crime is a serious problem in Johannesburg; see the Dangers & Annoyances section for details.Jo’burg, or ‘Jozi’ as it’s more commonly known, is without a doubt the great big beating heart of South Africa, and has long played a Jekyll-and-Hyde role in the global consciousness. Often the stage on which the epic of this extraordinary nation has been played out, the colossus of Jo’burg – with all its thrills and foibles – is today a fascinating, multitudinous city, where all the ups and downs of 21st-century South Africa can be witnessed in three, multicolour dimensions.In the past, the city’s darker personality proved the most enduring. The Jo’burg of the newsflash was a city where fear and loathing reigned supreme; a city where spiralling gun crime and poverty had manifested itself in a society where one half of the population stagnated, while the other looked on impassively through coils of razor wire.As ever, there is an element of truth to the stereotypes. Jo’burg does bear scars of South Africa’s turbulent 20th century, and many will take time to heal. Stark inequalities persist, but armed with a new self-confidence – ironically most pronounced in the infamous township of Soweto – Africa’s giant hub is beginning to introduce itself to a healthier diet of urban renewal and social regeneration. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Pay careful attention to your personal security in Jo’burg. Daylight muggings in the city centre and other inner suburbs, notably Hillbrow, are not uncommon and you must be constantly on your guard. You’d be crazy to walk around central Jo’burg at night – if you arrive after dark and don’t have a car, catch a taxi to your final destination.Crime is a big problem, but it is important to put things in perspective: remember that most travellers come and go without incident and that much of the crime afflicts parts of the city you would have little reason to stray into. It’s when using ATMs that you’re most vulnerable. Seek local advice, listen to it and remain aware of what’s going on around you.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[AIDS line (0800-012 322)Fire (10111)Rape Crisis Line (116 1888)SA Police Headquarters (10111; Main Rd)]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Johannesburg General Hospital (011-488 4911; M1/Jubilee Rd, Parktown) Jo’burg’s main public hospital.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[There are banks with ATMs and change facilities at every commercial centre. American Express and Rennies Travel (an agent for Thomas Cook) have branches at the airport and in major malls.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[JIA is located about 25km east of central Johannesburg in Kempton Park. Between 5am and 10pm, buses run every half hour between JIA and Park Station (US$11, 45 minutes). The area immediately around Park Station is confusing and known for muggings. The Airport Link (884 3957) is a reputable airport shuttle. Taxis are expensive at around US$43 one way to the northern suburbs. Most hostels will collect you from the airport.Metropolitan Bus Services (Metrobus; 375 5555; www.mbus.co.za; Gandhi Sq) runs services covering 108 routes in the Greater Jo’burg area. Fares work on a zone system, ranging from zone one (US$0.50) to zone eight (US$1.40).If you do take a minibus taxi into central Jo’burg, be sure to get off before it reaches the end of the route and avoid the taxi rank – it’s a mugging zone. US$0.70 will get you around the inner suburbs and the city centre, and US$1.20 will get you almost anywhere.Taxis operate meters if they work. It’s wise to ask a local the likely price and agree on a fare at the outset. From the taxi rank at Park Station to Rosebank should cost around US$10. There has been a very serious problem with violent crime on the metro system, mostly on those lines connecting with black townships. The Jo’burg–Pretoria metro line should also be avoided.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[South Africa’s major international and domestic airport is Johannesburg International Airport (JIA; 921 6262; www.acsa.co.za).All regular flights to national and regional destinations can be booked through SAA, which also has offices in the domestic and international terminals of JIA.Smaller budget airlines, including Comair, Kulula, 1Time and Nationwide, also link Jo’burg with major destinations and often have much cheaper fares.]]>
-</air>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[A number of international bus services leave Jo’burg from the Park Station complex for Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.The main long-distance bus lines (national and international) also depart from and arrive at the Park Station transit centre, in the northwest corner of the site, where you will also find their respective booking offices. Translux, City to City, Greyhound, SA Roadlink, Greyhound and Intercape service major and minor destinations. With the exception of City to City buses, which commence in Jo’burg, all services that are not heading north commence in Pretoria at the Pretoria station. Some sample fares are Cape Town (US$51 to US$63, 19 hours), Durban (US$17 to US$28, eight hours), Nelspruit (US$11 to US$25, five hours), East London (US$43, 15 hours) via Bloemfontein (US$20, seven hours), and Plettenberg Bay (US$42, 18 hours).Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) now services backpackers from Jo’burg. ]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355618" asset_id="" title="Pretoria" title-ascii="Pretoria">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[At once the ‘Afrikaner Jerusalem’, former headquarters of the apartheid state, and site of the presidential inauguration of Nelson Mandela, the pretty, laid-back city of Pretoria – the administrative capital – carries a remarkable amount of history for its age. Ironically, the city that for so long was a byword for white domination is now home to Thabo Mbeki, the liberated country’s black president.It’s just 50km from Jo’burg, and is expected within 15 years to form part of a megalopolis of 20 million people. Yet Pretoria moves at a slower pace than its giant neighbour and remains Afrikaans culturally. Military and educational institutions associated with the capital remain, while the tens of thousands of university students drive Pretoria’s vibrant nightlife.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Hatfield Clinic (012-362 7180; 454 Hilda St) A well-known suburban clinic.Pretoria Academic Hospital (011-354 1000; Dr Savage Rd) The place to head for in a medical emergency.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[There are banks with ATMs and change facilities across town:American Express (346 2599; Brooklyn Mall; 9am-5pm)Nedbank (cnr Burnett &amp; Festival Sts) Next to Hatfield Galleries.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Get You There (346 3175) operates shuttle buses between JIA and Pretoria, day and night about every hour, charging US$13 to/from hostels and hotels. If you call ahead, most hostels, and many hotels, offer free pick-up.There’s an extensive network of local buses. Fares range from US$0.70 to US$0.90, depending on the distance. There are taxi ranks on the corner of Church and Van der Walt Sts, and on the corner of Pretorius and Paul Kruger Sts. ]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Most interprovincial and international bus services commence in Pretoria, unless they are heading north. Translux, Greyhound and Intercape fares from Pretoria are identical to those from Jo’burg. If you only want to go between the two cities, it will cost about US$6. Minibus taxis leave from the main terminal by the train station and travel to a host of destinations including Jo’burg (US$4). Because of high incidents of crime, we don’t recommend taking the metro between Pretoria and Jo’burg. Baz Bus (Cape Town 021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) will pick up and drop off at Pretoria hostels.Long-distance minibus taxis leave from near the railway and bus stations just off Scheidling St.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355619" asset_id="" title="KwaZulu-Natal" title-ascii="KwaZulu-Natal">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Rough and ready, smart and sophisticated, rural and rustic, KwaZulu-Natal is as eclectic as its cultures, people and landscapes. It has its metropolitan heart in the port of Durban and its nearby historic capital, Pietermaritzburg. The beaches along this coast attract local holiday-makers, and to the north is Zululand, home to some Africa’s most evocative traditional settlements and cultural sites. The region also boasts alluring national parks and isolated, wild coastal reserves. The province’s border in the far west, the heritage-listed uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountain range, features awesome peaks, unforgettable vistas and excellent hiking opportunities. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355620" asset_id="" title="Durban" title-ascii="Durban">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Stretching along a swathe of butter-yellow sand, South Africa’s third-largest city offers a lively, if slightly tacky, prepackaged seaside holiday. The beachfront, with its multi-km stretch of high-rise hotels and snack bars, remains a city trademark, and the city centre, peppered with some grandiose colonial buildings and fascinating Art Deco architecture, throbs to a distinctly African beat. Home to the largest concentration of people of Indian descent in the country, Durban also boasts the sights, sounds and scents of the subcontinent. While the beachfront is still a favourite spot, many visitors, wary of the city’s increasing reputation for crime, base themselves in the suburbs, which are chock-a-block with accommodation, shopping malls, funky bars and stylish eateries.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Entabeni Hospital (031-204 1200, 24hr trauma centre 031-204 1377; 148 South Ridge Rd, Berea) The trauma centre charges US$80 per consultation.Travel Doctor (031-360 1122; durban@traveldoctor.co.za; International Convention Centre, 45 Ordnance Rd; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat) For travel-related advice.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[There are banks with ATMs and change facilities across the city. These include Standard Bank, FNB and Nedbank.American Express Central Durban (301 5541; 11th fl, Nedbank Bldg, Durban Club Place; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9-11am Sat); Musgrave Centre (202 8733; FNB House, 151 Musgrave Rd, Musgrave) Rennies Bank Central Durban (305 5722; grd fl, 333 Smith St); Musgrave Centre (202 7833; Shop 311, Level 3, Musgrave Centre; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30-11.30am Sat)]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The Airport Shuttle Bus (465 1660) departs the airport regularly to the beach and city centre’s major hotels (US$4). Some hostels run their own taxi shuttle services. The main bus terminal and information centre for inner-city and metropolitan buses is on Commercial Rd. Durban Transport (309 5942) runs the bus services Mynah and Aqualine. Mynah covers most of the beachfront and central residential areas. Trips cost around US$0.40. The larger Aqualine buses run through the outer-lying Durban metropolitan area.A taxi between the beach and Florida Rd, Morningside costs about US$4.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Durban International Airport is off the N2, 18km south of the city. Several airlines link Durban with South Africa’s main centres. The popular and useful Baz Bus (304 9099; www.bazbus.com; 1st fl, Tourist Junction; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-noon Sat) has an office next to Durban Africa. Long-distance buses leave from the bus stations near the Durban train station. It’s safest to enter from NMR Ave, not Umgeni Rd. All of the major companies have daily departures to Jo’burg (US$26 to US$30, eight hours), Cape Town (US$63, 22 to 27 hours), Port Elizabeth (US$44, 15 hours) and Pietermaritzburg (US$12, one hour), among other destinations. Buses also run to Gaborone (via Jo’burg; US$47, 15½ hours) and Maputo (via Jo’burg; US$31, 15 hours). Some long-distance minibus taxis running mainly to the south coast and the Wild Coast region of Eastern Cape leave from around the Berea train station. To Jo’burg it costs US$18. The areas in and around the minibus taxis’ ranks are unsafe and extreme care should be taken if entering them. Durban train station (0860-008 888) is huge. Use the NMR Ave entrance, 1st level. Even hardy travellers report feeling unsafe on the local inner-city and suburban trains. Long-distance services are another matter – they are efficient and arranged into separate male and female sleeper compartments for Jo’burg (1st/2nd class US$34/22, 12½ hours).]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355621" asset_id="" title="Pietermaritzburg" title-ascii="Pietermaritzburg">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Billed as the heritage city, and KZN’s administrative and legislative capital (previously shared with Ulundi), Pietermaritzburg’s (usually known as ‘PMB’) grand historic buildings hark back to an age of pith helmets and midday martinis. By day, the city is vibrant: its large Zulu community sets a colourful flavour and the Indian community brings echoes of the subcontinent to its busy streets. A large student population adds to the city’s vitality.Pietermaritzburg is where you need to book most of the accommodation and walks for KwaZulu-Natal Parks. The KZN Wildlife Headquarters (845 1000; www.kznwildlife.com; Queen Elizabeth Park, Duncan McKenzie Dr; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) is a long way northwest of the town centre.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Pietermaritzburg airport, also known as the Oribi airport, is 6km southeast of the city and private taxis are available. SAAirlink (386 92861), with an office at the airport, flies to Jo’burg daily (US$114). Bus companies Greyhound, Translux, SA Roadlink, Luxliner and Intercape offer similar prices depending on the level of onboard services. Destinations offered include Jo’burg (US$17 to US$27, six to seven hours), Cape Town (US$54, 22 hours), Pretoria (US$26, seven to eight hours), Port Elizabeth (US$42, 15 hours) and Durban (US$7 to US$24, 1½ hours).Cheetah Coaches (342 4444) runs daily (US$8) between Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Durban International Airport. Sani Pass Carriers (701 1017; spc@y.co.za) runs buses up into the southern Drakensberg. The Baz Bus (in Durban 031-304 9099; www.bazbus.com) travels between Durban and Pietermaritzburg twice a week.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355622" asset_id="" title="Mpumalanga" title-ascii="Mpumalanga">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Unassuming Mpumalanga (Place of the Rising Sun) adheres to a quieter pace of life. This inland province, South Africa’s smallest, is where the plateaus of the highveld begin their spectacular tumble onto the lowveld plains at the dramatic Drakensberg Escarpment. Many travellers zip through on their way to Kruger National Park, but it’s well worth setting aside a few days to explore the historic towns, roaring waterfalls and some of the best hiking trails in South Africa. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355623" asset_id="" title="Kruger National Park" title-ascii="Kruger National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Try to imagine a national park the size of Israel, with huge tracts of acacia, sycamore figs and bushwillow interrupted by open savannah, rushing rivers and the occasional rocky bluff. Now fill it with lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffaloes and black rhinos (the Big Five), plus cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and many species of smaller animals, and you’ll start to have some notion of what it’s like to visit Kruger National Park.The park has an extensive network of sealed roads and comfortable camps, but if you prefer to keep it rough, there are also 4WD tracks, and mountain bike and hiking trails. Even when you stick to the tarmac, the sounds and scents of the bush are never more than a few metres away.Additionally, as long as you avoid weekends and school holidays, or stick to areas north of Phalaborwa Gate and along gravel roads, it’s easy to travel for an hour or more without seeing another vehicle.Southern Kruger is the most popular section of the park, with the highest animal concentrations and the easiest access. Kruger is at its best in the far north. Here, although animal concentrations are somewhat lower, the bush setting and wilderness atmosphere are all-enveloping.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Several domestic airlines link Jo’burg (US$160, one hour), Cape Town (US$300, 2¼ hours) and Durban (US$190, 1½ hours) with Mpumalanga Kruger International Airport (MKIA) near Nelspruit (for Numbi, Malelane and Crocodile Bridge Gates), and with Kruger Park Gateway Airport in Phalaborwa (2km from Phalaborwa Gate). Nelspruit is the most convenient large town near Kruger, and is well served by buses and minibus taxis to and from Jo’burg. Numbi Gate is about 50km away, and Malelane Gate about 65km away. Phalaborwa, in the north on the edge of Kruger, is the gateway for northern Kruger. Most visitors drive themselves around the park, and this is the best way to experience Kruger. Avis (013-735 5651; www.avis.co.za) has a branch at Skukuza, and there is car rental from the Nelspruit, Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa airports.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_around>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355624" asset_id="" title="The Drakensberg" title-ascii="The Drakensberg">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The tabletop peaks of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg range, which form the boundary between South Africa and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, offer some of the country’s most awe-inspiring landscapes. This vast 243, 000-hectare sweep of basalt summits and buttresses are so recognisably South African that they’ve become tourist-brochure clichés. If any landscape lives up to its airbrushed, publicity-shot alter ego, it is the jagged, green sweep of the Drakensberg.The Drakensberg (or the ‘Berg’, as it’s often called) is usually divided into three sections, although the distinctions aren’t strict. The northern Drakensberg runs from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the Royal Natal National Park. Harrismith and Bergville are sizeable towns in this area.The central Drakensberg’s main feature is Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, the largest national park in the area. Northwest of Giant’s Castle is the Cathedral Peak wilderness area. The towns of Bergville, Estcourt and Winterton are all adjacent to the central Drakensberg.The southern Drakensberg runs down to the Transkei. This area is less developed than the others, but is no less spectacular. There’s a huge wilderness area, and the Sani Pass route into southern Lesotho.There’s no single road linking all the main areas of interest so you’re better off selecting one (or a few only) places rather than spending most of your time behind a wheel in search of sights. In general, you must book all KZN Wildlife accommodation (except camping) in advance through either the Pietermaritzburg or Durban KZN Wildlifebranches. There are also several local information offices:Central Drakensberg Information Centre (036-488 1207; www.cdic.co.za; Thokozisa; 9am-6pm) Based in the Thokozisa complex, 13km outside Winterton on Rte 600, this private enterprise is extremely helpful. Okhahlamba Drakensberg Tourism (036-448 1557; www.drakensberg.org.za; Tatham Rd, Bergville; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) Covers the northern and central Drakensberg. Southern Drakensberg Escape Tourism Centre (033-701 1471; www.drakensberg.org; Clocktower Centre, Old Main Rd, Underberg; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat) Covers the southern region from Underberg, Himeville and Sani Pass.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355625" asset_id="" title="Royal Natal National Park" title-ascii="Royal Natal National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Spanning out from some of the range’s loftiest summits, the 8000-hectare Royal Natal Park (438 6310; www.kznwildlife.com; adult/child US$3.40/2; 5am-7pm) has a presence that far outstrips its relatively meagre size, with many of the surrounding peaks rising as high into the air as the park stretches across. With some of the Drakensberg’s most dramatic and accessible scenery, the park is crowned by the sublime Amphitheatre, an 8km wall of cliff and canyon equally spectacular from below or from up on high. Looming up behind is Mont-aux-Sources (3282m), so called because the Tugela, Elands and Western Khubedu Rivers rise here; the last eventually becomes the Orange River and flows all the way to the Atlantic.The park’s visitors centre (8am-12.30pm &amp; 2-4.30pm) is about 1km in from the main gate. There’s also a shop selling basic provisions. Fuel is available in the park. Except for the Amphitheatre-to-Cathedral (62km, four to five days) and the Mont-aux-Sources (20km, 10 hours) hikes, most of the 25-odd walks in Royal Natal are day walks. The park has become a mecca for climbers. You must apply for a permit from the KZN Wildlife office. If you plan to camp on the mountain, you should book with the QwaQwa tourist officer (058-713 4415). Otherwise there’s a basic hut on the escarpment near Tugela Falls. An overnight hiking permit costs US$4.Thendele (033-845 1000; chalet per person US$43-47), the park’s main camp has a variety of accommodation, including some reasonable two-bed chalets. There are also several places outside the park, including Amphitheatre Backpackers (438 6106; amphibackpackers@worldonline.co.za; camp site US$5.50, dm/d US$10/22), 21km north of Bergville. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355626" asset_id="" title="The Garden Route" title-ascii="The Garden Route">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The Garden Route is perhaps the most internationally renowned South African destination after Cape Town and the Kruger National Park, and with good reason. Within a few hundred kilometres, the range of topography, vegetation, wildlife and outdoor activity is breathtaking. Roughly encompassing the coastline from Mossel Bay in the west to just beyond Plettenberg Bay in the east, it caters to all kinds of travellers and all manner of budgets.You can hike in old-growth forests, bike through wildlife reserves, commune with monkeys, chill-out on superb white beaches and canoe in lagoons. The towns most commonly used as bases are Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.Places are described west to east. Most travellers visit Oudtshoorn while traversing the Garden Route so, although this town is technically in the little Karoo, we’ve included it .]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355627" asset_id="" title="Oudtshoorn" title-ascii="Oudtshoorn">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[That it bills itself as the ostrich capital of the world is no overstatement. These birds have been bred hereabouts since the 1870s, and at the turn of the 20th century fortunes were made from the fashion for ostrich feathers. Oudtshoorn boomed, and the so-called ‘feather barons’ built the grand houses that lend the town its distinct atmosphere today.The town still turns a pretty penny from breeding the birds for meat and leather, and the ostriches also pay their way with tourists – you can buy ostrich eggs, feathers and biltong all over town – but more importantly Oudtshoorn is a great base for exploring the different environments of the Garden Route and the Karoo; the latter is a desolate and harsh landscape dotted with eccentric little towns.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Intercape (0861-287 287; www.intercape.co.za) has a service to Jo’burg (US$43, 14½ hours, daily). Otherwise you can take a Translux bus (021-449 3333; www.translux.co.za) to Mossel Bay (US$7, one hour, daily) and from there you can get to multiple destinations. The Baz Bus stops at George, from where you can arrange a transfer to Oudtshoorn with Backpackers’ Paradise (US$4.70).Every Saturday the Southern Cross train leaves for Cape Town at 5pm.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_around>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355628" asset_id="" title="Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park" title-ascii="Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[This park (adult/child US$11/6) protects 82km of coast between Plettenberg Bay and Humansdorp, including the area 5km out to sea. Located at the foot of the Tsitsikamma Range and cut by rivers that have carved deep ravines into the ancient forests, it’s a spectacular area to walk through. Several short day walks give you a taste of the coastline. The main information centre for the national park is Storms River Mouth Rest Camp, 68km from Plettenberg Bay and 8km from the N2. The park gate is 6km from the N2. It’s 2km from the gate to the main camp, which is open 24 hours. The 42km Otter Trail (per person US$70) is one of the most acclaimed hikes in South Africa, hugging the coastline from Storms River Mouth to Nature’s Valley. The walk, which lasts five days and four nights, involves fording a number of rivers, and gives access to some superb stretches of coast. Book the trail through SAN Parks (012-426 5111). The trail is usually booked up one year ahead. There are often cancellations, however, so it’s always worth trying. Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (012-428 9111; www.sanparks.org; camp site/forest hut/family cottages US$19/31/99) offers forest huts, chalets, cottages and ‘oceanettes’; all except the forest huts are equipped with kitchens, bedding and bathrooms. Another good option is Tsitsikamma Falls Adventure Park (280 3770; www.tsitsikammaadventure.co.za; Witelsbos; s/d incl breakfast from US$24/49), a family-run guesthouse about halfway between Nature’s Valley and Jeffrey’s Bay, and near a beautiful waterfall. Greyhound, Intercape and Translux buses run along the N2 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, from where it’s an 8km walk to Storms River Mouth.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355629" asset_id="23705-10" title="Sudan" title-ascii="Sudan">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1821 the viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, conquered northern Sudan and opened the south to trade, with catastrophic results. Within a few decades British interests were also directed towards Sudan, aiming to control the Nile, contain French expansion from the west and draw the south into a British-East African federation. The European intrusion, and in particular the Christian missionary zeal that accompanied it, was resented by many Muslim Sudanese.The revolution came in 1881, when one Mohammed Ahmed proclaimed himself to be the Mahdi – the person who, according to Muslim tradition, would rid the world of evil. Four years later he rid Khartoum of General Gordon, the British-appointed governor, and the Mahdists ruled Sudan until 1898, when they were defeated outside Omdurman by Lord Kitchener and his Anglo-Egyptian army. The British then imposed the Condominium Agreement, effectively making Sudan a British colony.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Sudan achieved independence in 1956, but in a forerunner of things to come, General Ibrahim Abboud summarily dismissed the winners of the first post-independence elections. Ever since, flirtations with democracy and military coups have been regular features of the Sudanese political landscape. So has war in the mostly non-Muslim south, which revolted after its demands for autonomy were rejected.In 1969 Colonel Jaafar Nimeiri assumed power and held it for 16 years, surviving several coup attempts, and making numerous twists and turns in policy to outflank opponents and keep aid donors happy. Most importantly, by signing the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement to grant the southern provinces a measure of autonomy he quelled the civil war for more than a decade.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1983 Nimeiri scrapped the autonomy accord and imposed sharia (Islamic law) over the whole country. Exactly what he hoped to achieve by this is unclear, but the effect on the southern population was entirely predictable, and hostilities recommenced almost immediately. Army commander John Garang deserted to form the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), which quickly took control of much of the south.Nimeiri was deposed in 1985 and replaced first by a Transitional Military Council, then, after elections the next year, Sadiq al-Mahdi became prime minister. In July 1989 power was seized by the current president, Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir; however, Hassan al-Turabi, fundamentalist leader of the National Islamic Front (NIF), was widely seen as the man with real power.The government’s brand of belligerent fundamentalism, border disputes with half its neighbours and possible complicity in a 1995 assassination attempt on Egypt’s president soon cost Sudan all its regional friends.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The year 1999 was something of a watershed in Sudanese politics: in December, just when the country’s domestic and international situation seemed to be improving, President al-Bashir dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and imposed a three-month state of emergency; all as part of an internal power struggle with Al-Turabi. The subsequent elections in December 2000 were boycotted by opposition parties, giving al-Bashir an easy win, and in 2001 Al-Turabi and several members of his party were arrested after signing an agreement with the SPLA.By 2002 things were looking up again – the economy had stabilised and a ceasefire was called after President al-Bashir and SPLA leader John Garang met in Nairobi – but it seems good news in Sudan is always followed by bad. In February 2003 black African rebels in the western Darfur region rose up against the government they accused of oppression and neglect. The army’s heavy-handed response, assisted by pro-government Arab militias (the Janjaweed), escalated to what many have called genocide. The government’s scorched-earth campaign killed some 200,000 Sudanese and uprooted millions more.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[While Darfur spun out of control, peace crept forward in the south, and in January 2005 a deal was signed ending Africa’s longest civil war. It included accords on sharing power and wealth (including equal distribution of oil export revenue), and six years of southern autonomy followed by a referendum on independence. In July the beloved Garang became the first vice president in a power-sharing government, and president of the south, but was killed less than a month later in a helicopter crash. Garang’s No.2, Salva Kiir, took his place and has earned praise.By the middle of 2006 Sudan was at a crossroads. While a Darfuri peace accord with some rebel factions was signed in May, the killing got worse and al-Bashir, fearing they will arrest people on war-crimes charges, has refused to allow UN peacekeepers to replace the small and ineffective African Union force. Meanwhile foot-dragging on the implementation of key elements of the peace agreement threatens to derail the peace in the south.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Modern Sudan is situated on the site of the ancient civilisation of Nubia, which predates Pharaonic Egypt. For centuries sovereignty was shuttled back and forth between the Egyptians, indigenous empires such as Kush, and a succession of independent Christian kingdoms.After the 14th century AD the Mamelukes (Turkish rulers in Egypt) breached the formidable Nubian defences and established the dominance of Islam. By the 16th century the kingdom of Funj had become a powerful Muslim state and Sennar, 200km south of present-day Khartoum, was one of the great cultural centres of the Islamic world.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travel Alert: The security situation in Sudan is highly unstable and several areas, particularly in and around Darfur, are no-go zones. Check Safe Travel for current government warnings.Sudan is the largest, yet one of the least visited, countries in Africa. Although various ongoing conflicts mean much of this vast nation remains off limits, travel is possible in the northeast, and in parts of the south, where Africa transitions into the tropics. The pyramids and other ancient sites littering the northern deserts may pale compared to the best Egypt has on offer, but you can usually experience these without another person in sight – and this sense of discovery often repeats itself in the towns, too, since Sudan’s tourist trail is still no more than a trickle. And while the solitude is a top draw, visitors invariably agree that the Sudanese are among the friendliest and most hospitable people on earth, with a natural generosity that belies their poverty, and this alone makes any trip worthwhile. Whether you rush through on a Cairo to Cape Town trip, or spend a slow month soaking up the history and hospitality, visiting Sudan is an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Any travel in Sudan should be approached with caution and many areas of the country are no-go zones. The security situation in northern and eastern Sudan can deteriorate rapidly and travellers should be cautious, particularly around the Eritrean border. Travellers should not visit Western Sudan and Darfur; heavy fighting is still taking place and the border with Chad is closed. Southern Sudan should also be avoided, kidnapping is common and armed rebels operate in areas bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is also tribal conflict in central Sudan's South Kordofan region. The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office website has a detailed rundown of Sudan's trouble spots. ]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Sudanese money can be confusing when you first arrive. Although banknotes are in dinars, prices are almost always quoted in the old Sudanese pounds (1 dinar = S£10). Assume that the real price is minus a zero. Just to confuse matters further, some people drop the thousands, so ‘10 pounds’ means S£10, 000, ie SDD1000. In addition to this, the government has announced a new currency (also to be called the pound), but has not said when it will begin or what the rate will be compared to the dinar – expect even more dancing with zeroes.Private exchange offices have the same rates as banks, but longer hours. US dollars are the easiest to change (outside Khartoum you’ll be hard pressed to change anything else), though euros, British pounds and most Middle Eastern currencies are widely accepted in Khartoum and Port Sudan. The only way to change Egyptian pounds and Ethiopian Birr is on the black market, which is easy at the borders and a little risky in Khartoum.Money can be wired to Khartoum and Port Sudan (even from the US and Britain, though this could always change because of sanctions) with Western Union and Travelex. Credit cards and travellers cheques are useless.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Everyone except Egyptians needs a visa (most people pay US$160, and if there is evidence of travel to Israel you will be denied) and getting one could be the worst part of your trip. Except in Cairo, where visas are often issued in a day or two (but not for Americans and Britons), you should expect a wait of at least two weeks and probably more (you should see the twinkle in the eye of the official in Addis Ababa when he tells you it will take one month!) and there is no guarantee it will ever come.If you won’t be in Egypt, it helps to let an agent arrange it. Most of the time they will get you a counter visa: they arrange everything at the Ministry of Interior in Khartoum and you pick it up at the airport. This service will likely cost around US$150 and if you are lucky can take as little as two days. The other option, used primarily by those crossing overland since it costs more, is an invitation visa, in which you are sent a number that you give the embassy or consulate, which should speed up the normal process. With either option, there is a good chance something will go wrong along the way, so get started as early as possible.]]>
-</other>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[You have to register within three days of arrival in Khartoum, Port Sudan, Gallabat or Wadi Halfa. In Khartoum, go to the Aliens Registration Office (al-Tayyar Murad St; 9am-3pm); the process costs SDD8700 and you need one photo and photocopies of your passport and visa (there’s a copier in the building). If you registered on entry at a land border (which only costs SDD6600), you need to do it again in Khartoum, but you don’t have to pay again. In many towns you will need to register with the police; this is free.]]>
-</other>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visa extensions are issued at the Aliens Registration Office (al-Tayyar Murad; 9am-3pm)in Khartoum. You need one photo and varying amounts of money and patience to get your extra 30 days.]]>
-</other>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visas for the following neighbouring countries are available from embassies in Khartoum.Central African Republic A one-month visa costs SDD13, 500; you’ll need two photos and it takes two days.Chad The embassy was closed at the time of research, but should reopen soon.Democratic Republic of Congo A one-month visa costs SDD15, 000; you’ll need two photos and the visa is ready in two days.Egypt This consulate is not the most organised place – arrive early to beat the worst queues. Most people pay SDD7500 and you’ll need two photos. The visa is ready the same day. It’s easier to get a tourist visa on arrival (which most but not all nationalities can do), especially if you’re flying.Eritrea One-month visas cost US$40 and are ready in three days, or pay an extra $10 for same-day service. You need two photos and a copy of your passport.Ethiopia Three-month visas cost US$20 and require two photos. You can pick it up the same day.Kenya A single-entry visa valid for three months costs US$50 and is issued the same day. You need one photo and photocopies of your passport and plane ticket.Libya Applications must go through a Libyan travel agent, but you can pick up the visa here.Saudi Arabia Visa applications are handled by travel agents (many of which surround the embassy), which can get you a transit visa in two days (perhaps one day if you go very early). You need two photos, a letter of introduction from your embassy and US$100.Uganda Single-entry visas valid for up to three months cost US$30 and are ready in two days. You need two photos and a letter of invitation from someone in Uganda, though this last requirement is sometimes waived.]]>
-</other>
-<permits>
-<![CDATA[A travel permit is required for most journeys outside Khartoum, excepting northern destinations. Take two photos, a copy of your passport and SDD8700 to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and expect to wait a day or two. Carry photocopies of this permit along with copies of your passport and visa to give to police.]]>
-</permits>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Half a dozen airlines connect Khartoum to all large Sudanese cities. Sudan Airways (83787103; al-Baladaya St; 8am-6pm Sat-Thu, 9-11am Fri) has the most flights, and, along with Air West (83742513; al-Barlman St), the fewest problems with cancellations and overbookings; though neither company will win a reliability award. There’s a domestic airport tax of SDD1500.]]>
-</air>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Sudan is undergoing a road-building frenzy and all significant towns northeast of El-Obeid will probably be linked by paved roads within the lifetime of this book. Fast comfortable buses, which already link Khartoum to Port Sudan, El-Obeid and Atbara, will replace most of the bokasi that bounce over the desert tracks. It’s best to buy bus tickets a day in advance. ]]>
-</local_transport>
-<train>
-<![CDATA[The only remaining practical passenger service is the Khartoum to Wadi Halfa run, though there is a monthly train from Atbara to Port Sudan and a western line to Nyala. Sleepers and 1st-class seats are expensive but comfortable; 2nd class is bearable and in 3rd class you really get what you paid for!]]>
-</train>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Khartoum is well connected to Africa and the world. Sudan Airways (83787103) has frequent flights to north and east Africa and the Middle East, though its competitors usually have similar prices and better service. African airlines connecting Khartoum to their capitals include EgyptAir (83780064), Kenya Airways (83781080) and Ethiopian Airlines (83762088). Lufthansa (83771322) and British Airways (83774579) fly to North America through Europe, while Emirates (83799473) and Gulf Air (83762381) go worldwide via the Middle East.]]>
-</air>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Sudan’s climate ranges from hot and dry in the north to humid and tropical in the equatorial south. September to April is the best time to visit. Northern temperatures can exceed 40°C year-round, but peak from April to July. The heaviest rains (rarely more than 150mm in Khartoum) in July and August (Port Sudan’s meagre rainy season is October to December) present few problems for travel in the north, though wreak havoc on roads in the Nuba Mountains. Fierce dust storms (the haboob) blow occasionally from July to August and November to January. In the slightly cooler south it rains year-round, but April to November is the wettest time.]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<work_live_study>
-<work>
-<business>
-<![CDATA[Banking hours are 9am to 12.30pm, while most government, airline and similar offices are usually closed by 3pm. Most local shops stay open late, but might close briefly between 1pm and 5pm. Few places open on Friday. Breakfast, which most people take between 9am and 10am, is a Sudanese institution – don’t be surprised if that vital functionary isn’t at his desk.]]>
-</business>
-</work>
-</work_live_study>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355630" asset_id="" title="Eastern Sudan" title-ascii="Eastern Sudan">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Eastern Sudan includes Port Sudan where you can have a go at some of the best diving the Red Sea has to offer.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355631" asset_id="" title="Port Sudan" title-ascii="Port Sudan">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Sudan’s only major industrial port is the base for some of the Red Sea’s best diving. Port Sudan Tourism (0311-8-22927; www.portsudantourism.com) can put you in touch with local captains. On land, watching ships unload in the port is about as exciting as it gets in this sprawling but surprisingly laid-back city, though strolling the streets reveals some scattered colonial buildings. All the services you might need are here, including foreign exchange and fast internet access, but despite its prosperity, power and water are unreliable.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Minibuses (SDD250, 45 minutes) for Suakin leave from the city centre. The major bus companies serving Kassala (SDD3500, six hours) and Khartoum (SDD9000, 13 hours) have offices in the city centre and at the bus station (Souq esh-Shabi). Buses for Atbara (SDD4000, 10 hours) have their own bus station nearby. Minibuses (SDD50) from the city centre drop you nearly 1km away from the main bus station, so consider a taxi (SDD400).The train to Atbara (1st/2nd class SDD4300/3300) departs sometime around the 8th of each month, and there are daily flights to/from Khartoum (SDD21, 000, one hour). Sudan Airways’ Saturday flight to Cairo stops in Port Sudan on the way.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355632" asset_id="" title="Khartoum" title-ascii="Khartoum">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Built where the two Niles meet, Khartoum is one of the more modern cities in Central Africa, with paved roads, high-rise buildings and all the services you might want or need. Some travellers consider it nothing but a dusty, congested and joyless (nightlife is nearly nonexistent) stopover. But those looking to uncover its culture will appreciate what they find when they start walking around. Besides, its people are hospitable, the riverside setting is attractive and it’s one of the safest cities in Africa – so for one reason or another most people end up liking it here.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Buses (SDD40 to SDD80) and minibuses (SDD100) cover most points in Khartoum and run very early to very late. Taxi prices (and if they have no passengers the minibuses work like taxis and often cost less) are negotiable: expect to pay around SDD400 to SDD500 for journeys within the city centre and SDD800 to destinations within greater Khartoum. For shorter trips (except in central Khartoum) there are also motorised rickshaws, which should cost no more than SDD300.The short ride by taxi from Khartoum airport to the city centre is unofficially fixed at SDD2500, though you can sometimes bargain this down. Better yet, try sharing the ride.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Most road transport departs from one of four bus stations. Almost everything rolling south, east and west, including El-Obeid, Gederaf, Kassala and Port Sudan, goes from the modern and chaotic mina bary (land port) near Souq Mahali in southern Khartoum. The Sajana bus station serves Dongola and Wadi Halfa; Karima and Merowe buses use Omdurman’s Souq esh-Shabi; and the Atbara Bus Station is in Bahri.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="355633" asset_id="1524-33" title="Swaziland" title-ascii="Swaziland">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The arrival of increasing numbers of Euro­peans from the mid-19th century brought new problems. Mswazi’s successor, Mbandzeni, inherited a kingdom rife with European carpetbaggers – hunters, traders, missionaries and farmers, many of whom leased large expanses of land.The Pretoria Convention of 1881 guaranteed Swaziland’s ‘independence’ but also defined its borders, and Swaziland lost large chunks of territory. ‘Independence’ in fact meant that both the British and the Boers had responsibility for administering their various interests in Swaziland, and the result was chaos. The Boer administration collapsed with the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War, and afterwards the British took control of Swaziland as a protectorate.During this troubled time, King Sobhuza II was only a young child, but Labotsibeni, his mother, acted ably as regent until her son took over in 1921. Labotsibeni encouraged Swazis to buy back their land, and many sought work in the Witwatersrand mines (near Johannesburg) to raise money.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1960 King Sobhuza II proposed the creation of a legislative council, composed of elected Europeans, and a national council formed in accordance with Swazi culture. The Mbokodvo (Grindstone) National Movement, which was formed at this time, pledged to maintain traditional Swazi culture but also to eschew racial discrimination. When the British finally agreed to elections in 1964, Mbokodvo won a majority and, at the next elections in 1967, won all the seats. Swaziland became independent on 6 September 1968.The country’s constitution was largely the work of the British. In 1973 the king suspended it on the grounds that it did not accord with Swazi culture. He also dissolved all political parties. Four years later the parliament reconvened under a new constitution that vested all power in the king. Sobhuza II, at that time the world’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 1982. In keeping with Swazi tradition, a strictly enforced 75-day period of mourning was announced by Dzeliwe (Great She-Elephant), the most senior of his hundred wives. Only commerce essential to the life of the nation was allowed. And that didn’t include sexual intercourse, which was banned, punishable by flogging. Choosing a successor wasn’t easy – Sobhuza had fathered more than 600 children, thereby creating hundreds of potential kings. Prince Makhosetive, born in 1968, was finally chosen and crowned King Mswati III in 1986.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The king continues to represent and maintain the traditional way of life and to assert his pre-eminence, for better and often for worse, as absolute monarch. Following his predecessor’s style, Mswati dissolved parliament in 1992 and Swaziland was again governed by a traditional tribal assembly, the Liqoqo. Since then, democratic reform has begun with the drafting – albeit restrictive – of a constitution. Despite the increasing agitation for faster change, even many reformers propose a constitutional king in a democratic system of government.Currently, Swaziland’s greatest challenge comes from the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the country has the world’s highest HIV infection rate (almost 39% for adults between 15 and 49 years of age), and life expectancy has fallen as a result from 58 to 33 years. It’s estimated that there are currently more than 70,000 AIDS orphans in the country, and by 2010 one out of six people will be a child under 15 who has lost both parents.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[In eastern Swaziland archaeologists have discovered human remains dating back 110, 000 years, but the ancestors of the modern Swazi people arrived relatively recently.During the great Bantu migrations into southern Africa, one group, the Nguni, moved down the east coast. A clan settled near what is now Maputo in Mozambique, and a dynasty was founded by the Dlamini family. In the mid-18th century increasing pressure from other Nguni clans forced King Ngwane III to lead his people south to lands by the Pongola River, in what is now southern Swaziland. Today, Swazis consider Ngwane III to have been the first king of Swaziland.The next king, Sobhuza I, withdrew under pressure from the Zulus to the Ezulwini Valley, which today remains the centre of Swazi royalty and ritual. When King Sobhuza I died in 1839, Swaziland was twice its present size. Trouble with the Zulu continued, although the next king, Mswazi (or Mswati), managed to unify the whole kingdom. By the time he died in 1868, the Swazi nation was secure. Mswazi’s subjects called themselves people of Mswazi, or Swazis, and the name stuck.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Swaziland might be among the smallest countries on the continent and one of Africa's remaining monarchies, but there's more than novelty value on offer here. You can almost feel South Africa's undercurrents of tension fade away when you cross the border into friendly, easy-going ittle Swaziland, making it a relaxing stopover on the trip between Mozambique and South Africa. And it's surprising how much there is to do here - the royal ceremonies, excellent wildlife reserves and superb scenery should be more than enough reason to come. Try Hlane Royal National Park for an eyeful of white rhinos, lions and antelopes - camping options are available for overnight stays. You may not want to stay overnight in the somewhat dull Mbanane, but you may well pass through on your way to the Ezulwini & Malkerns Valleys, the former renown for its picturesque scenery and the latter for its handicrafts.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[The unit of currency is the lilangeni; the plural is emalangeni (E). It is tied in value to the South African rand. Rands are accepted every­where and there’s no need to change them. Emalangeni are difficult to change for other currencies outside Swaziland. Only a few ATMs accept international credit or debit cards. The most convenient are at Standard Bank in Swazi Mall, Mbabane and inside the Royal Swazi Hotel’s casino. Nedbank and First National change cash and travellers cheques. Banking hours are generally from 8.30am to 2.30pm weekdays, and until 11am Saturday. Most banks ask to see the receipt of purchase when cashing travellers cheques. ]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visas for Mozambique are available at the borders but it’s cheaper to arrange them in advance at the Mozambiquan High Commission (404 3700; Princess Dr, Mbabane) or Nelspruit (South Africa). Allow 24 hours.]]>
-</other>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Most people don’t need a visa to visit Swaziland. If you don’t need a visa to enter South Africa, you won’t need one for Swaziland. Anyone staying for more than 60 days must apply for a temporary residence permit from the Chief Immigration Officer (404 2941; PO Box 372, Mbabane) whose offices are in the Ministry of Home Affairs.]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[There are a few infrequent (but cheap) domestic buses, most of which begin and terminate at the main stop in the centre of Mbabane. Generally you’ll find minibus taxis are the best public transport, although they often run shorter routes. There are also nonshared (private hire) taxis in some of the larger towns. ]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<hitching>
-<![CDATA[Hitching is never entirely safe in any country, and we don’t recommend it. But in some parts of Africa there is often simply no other option to grabbing lifts on trucks, 4WDs, lorries or whatever vehicle happens to come down the road first. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. Hitching is easier here than in South Africa, as the skin colour of the driver and hitchhiker aren’t factors in the decision to offer a lift. You will, however, have to wait a long time.]]>
-</hitching>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Swaziland’s main airport is Matsapha International Airport, southwest of Manzini. (Schedules and tickets often refer to the airport as Manzini.) Swaziland Airlink (518 6155/92; www.saairlink.co.za) flies daily between Swaziland and Johannesburg (US$127 one way). Swazi Express Airways (518 6840; www.swaziexpress.com) flies four times a week to Durban (US$63 to US$175) and twice a week to Maputo (US$21 to US$63) and Vilanculos (US$21 to US$197) in Mozambique.]]>
-</air>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Generally speaking, Manzini has the main international transport rank for transport to Jo’burg, Durban and Mozambique. Less frequent departures are in Mbabane for the northern destinations of Gauteng and Mpumalanga (South Africa). ]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[The main border crossing between Swaziland and Mozambique is at Lomahasha–Namaacha (open 7am to 8pm). The border crossing between Mhlumeni and Gobahas is open 7am to 6pm.Inquire at the tourist office in Mbabane about bus services from Mbabane to Maputo (Mozambique). Minibuses depart Maputo daily in the morning for the Namaacha–L­omahasha border (US$2, 1½ hours) with some continuing on to Manzini (US$4.50, 3½ hours). Minibus taxis operate daily from Manzini to Maputo (US$10, 2½ hours).]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[The main border crossings with South Africa are: Josefsdal–Bulembu (open 8am to 4pm); Oshoek–Ngwenya (open 7am to 10pm); Emahlathini–Sicunusa (open 8am to 6pm); Mahamba (open 7am to 10pm); and Golela–Lavumisa (open 7am to 10pm). The Baz Bus (South Africa 021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) runs from Jo’burg/Pretoria to Durban via Mbabane and Manzini three times a week, returning direct to Jo’burg/Pretoria on alternate days.Minibus taxis run daily between Jo’burg (Park Station), Mbabane and Manzini (US$20, five to six hours) and Manzini and Durban (US$21, six hours). On many routes, you’ll change minibuses at the border. Most long-distance taxis leave early in the morning.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Summer sees torrential thunderstorms, especially in the western mountains, and temperatures on the lowveld are very hot, often over 40°C; in the high country the temperatures are lower and in winter it can get cool. Winter nights on the lowveld are sometimes very cold.Try to avoid visiting rain-soaked Swaziland during the rainy season (December to April). The best time to visit is in May–June or October, but bring something warm. ]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-</destination>
-
-
-<destination atlas_id="3550641" asset_id="22614-4" title="Africa" title-ascii="Africa">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[You’ve probably heard the claim that Africa is ‘the birthplace of humanity’. But before there were humans, or even apes, or even ape ancestors, there was...rock. Africa is the oldest and most enduring landmass in the world. When you stand on African soil, 97% of what’s under your feet has been in place for more than 300 million years. During that time, Africa has seen pretty much everything – from proto-bacteria to dinosaurs and finally, around five to 10 million years ago, a special kind of ape called Australopithecines, that branched off (or rather let go of the branch), and walked on two legs down a separate evolutionary track. This radical move led to the development of various hairy, dim-witted hominids (early men) – Homo habilis around 2.4 million years ago, Homo erectus some 1.8 million years ago and finally Homo sapiens (modern humans) around 200,000 years ago. Around 50,000 years later, somewhere in Tanzania or Ethiopia, a woman was born who has become known as ‘mitochondrial Eve’. We don’t know what she looked like, or how she lived her life, but we do know that every single human being alive today (yup, that’s EVERYONE) is descended from her. So at a deep genetic level, we’re all still Africans.The break from Africa into the wider world occurred around 100,000 years ago, when a group numbering perhaps as few as 50 people migrated out of North Africa, along the shores of the Mediterranean and into the Middle East. From this inauspicious start came a population that would one day cover almost every landmass on the globe.Around the time that people were first venturing outside the continent, hunting and gathering was still the lifestyle of choice; humans lived in communities that rarely exceeded a couple of hundred individuals, and social bonds were formed to enable these small bands of people to share food resources and hunt co-operatively. With the evolution of language, these bonds blossomed into the beginnings of society and culture as we know it today.The first moves away from the nomadic hunter–gatherer way of life came between 14,000 BC and 9500 BC, a time when rainfall was high and the Sahara and North Africa became verdant. It was in these green and pleasant lands that the first farmers were born, and mankind learned to cultivate crops rather than following prey animals from place to place. By 2500 BC the rains began to fail and the sandy barrier between North and West Africa became the Sahara we know today. People began to move southwest into the rainforests of Central Africa. By this time a group of people speaking the same kind of languages had come to dominate the landscape in Africa south of the Sahara. Known as the Bantu, their populations grew as they discovered iron-smelting technology and developed new agricultural techniques. By 100 BC, Bantu peoples had reached East Africa; by AD 300 they were living in southern Africa, and the age of the African empires had begun.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Victorian missionaries liked to think they were bringing the beacon of ‘civilisation’ to the ‘savages’ of Africa, but the truth is that Africans were developing commercial empires and complex urban societies while Europeans were still running after wildlife with clubs. Many of these civilisations were small and short-lived, but others were truly great, with influence that reached far beyond Africa and into Asia and Europe. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Arguably the greatest of the African empires was the first: Ancient Egypt. Formed through an amalgamation of already organised states in the Nile Delta around 3100 BC, it achieved an amazing degree of cultural and social sophistication. Sophisticated food-production techniques from the Sahara combined with influences from the Middle East to form a society in which the Pharaohs, a race of kings imbued with the power of gods, sat at the top of a highly stratified social hierarchy. The annual flooding of the Nile kept the lands of the Pharaohs fertile and fed their legions of slaves and artisans, who in turn worked to produce some of the most amazing public buildings ever constructed. Many of these, like the Pyramids of Giza, are still standing today. During the good times, which lasted nearly 3000 years, Egyptians discovered the principals of mathematics and astronomy, invented a written language and mined gold. Ancient Egypt was eventually overrun by the Nubian Empire, then by the Assyrians, Persians, Alexander the Great and finally the Romans. The Nubians retained control of a great swathe of the Lower Nile Valley, despite getting a spanking from the Ethiopian empire of Aksum around AD 500.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Established in Tunisia by a mysterious race of seafaring people called the Phoenicians (little is known about their origins, but they probably hailed from Tyre in modern-day Lebanon), the city-state of Carthage filled the power gap left by the fading empire of Ancient Egypt. By the 6th century BC, Carthage controlled much of the local sea trade, their ships sailing to and from the Mediterranean ports laden with cargos of dye, cedar wood and precious metals. Back on land, scholars were busy inventing the Phoenician alphabet, from which Greek, Hebrew and Latin letters are all thought to derive. All this came to an abrupt end with the arrival of the Romans, who razed Carthage to the ground (despite the best efforts of the mighty warrior Hannibal, Carthage’s most celebrated son) and enslaved its population in 146 BC. A host of foreign armies swept across North Africa in the succeeding centuries, but it was the Arabs who had a lasting impact, introducing Islam around AD 670. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Aksum was the first truly African indigenous state – no conquerors from elsewhere arrived to start this legendary kingdom, which controlled much of Sudan and southern Arabia at the height of its powers. Aksum’s heart was the hilly, fertile landscape of northern Ethiopia, a cool, green place that contrasts sharply with the hot, dry shores of the Red Sea just a few hundred kilometres away. The Aksumites traded with Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean and Arabia, developed a written language, produced gold coins and built imposing stone buildings. In the third century AD, the Aksumite king converted to Christianity, founding the Ethiopian Orthodox church. Legend has it that Ethiopia was the home of the fabled Queen of Sheba and the last resting place of the mysterious Ark of the Covenant. Aksum also captured the imagination of medieval Europeans, who told tales of a legendary Christian king named ‘Prester John’ who ruled over a race of white people deep in darkest Africa. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The area around present-day Mali was the home of a hugely wealthy series of West African empires that flourished over the course of more than 800 years. The Ghana Empire lasted from AD 700 to 1000, and was followed by the Mali Empire (around AD 1250 to 1500), which once stretched all the way from the coast of Senegal to Niger. The Songhai Empire (AD 1000–1591) was the last of these little-known, trade-based empires, which at times covered areas larger than Western Europe, and whose wealth was founded on the mining of gold and salt from Saharan mines. Camels carried these natural resources across the desert to cities in North Africa and the Middle East, returning laden with manufactured goods and producing a huge surplus of wealth. One Malian emperor was said to possess a nugget of gold so large you could tether a horse to it! Organised systems of government and Islamic centres of scholarship – the most famous of which was Timbuktu – flourished in the kingdoms of West Africa, but conversely, it was Islam that led to their downfall when the forces of Morocco invaded in 1591. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[While the West African kings were trading their way to fame and fortune, a similar process was occurring on Africa’s east coast. As early as the 7th century AD, the coastal areas of modern-day Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique were home to a chain of vibrant, well-organised city-states, whose inhabitants lived in stone houses, wore fine silks and decorated their gravestones with fine ceramics and glass. Merchants from as far afield as China and India arrived on the East African coast in their magnificent, wooden sailing boats, then set off again with their holds groaning with trade goods, spices, slaves and exotic beasts. The rulers of these city-states were the Swahili sultans – kings and queens who kept a hold on their domains via their control over magical objects and knowledge of secret religious ceremonies. The Swahili sultans were eventually defeated by Portuguese and Omani conquerors, but the rich cultural melting pot they presided over gave rise to the Swahili language, a fusion of African, Arabic and Portuguese words that still thrives in the present day. The Omani sultans who replaced the Swahili rulers made the fabled island of Zanzibar their headquarters, building beautiful palaces and bathhouses and cementing the hold of Islamic culture on the East African coast.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[There has always been slavery in Africa (slaves were often the by-products of intertribal warfare, and the Arabs and Shirazis who dominated the East African coast took slaves by the thousands), but it was only after Portuguese ships arrived off the African coast in the fifteenth century that slaving turned into an export industry. The Portuguese in West Africa, the Dutch in South Africa and other Europeans who came after them were initially searching for lucrative trade routes, but they soon saw how African slavery worked and were impressed with how slaves helped fuel agricultural production. They figured that slaves would be just the thing for their huge American sugar plantations. At the same time, African leaders realised they could extend their kingdoms by waging war, and get rich trading with Europeans, whose thirst for slaves (and gradual insistence that slaves be exchanged for guns) created a vicious circle of conflict.Exact figures are impossible to establish, but from the end of the 15th century until around 1870, when the slave trade was abolished, up to 20 million Africans were enslaved. Perhaps half died en route to the Americas; millions of others perished in slaving raids. The trans-Atlantic slave trade gave European powers a huge economic boost, while the loss of farmers and tradespeople, as well as the general chaos, made Africa an easy target for colonialism. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The first European visitors to Africa were content to make brief forays into well-fortified coastal settlements, but it wasn’t long before the thirst to discover (and exploit) the unknown interior took hold. Victorian heroes such as Richard Burton and John Speke captured the public imagination with the hair-raising tales from the East African interior, while Mungo Park and the formidable Mary Wesley battled their way through fever-ridden swamps, and avoided charging animals while ‘discovering’ various parts of West Africa. Most celebrated was missionary–explorer David Livingstone, who was famously encountered by Henry Morton Stanley on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Livingstone spent the best years of his life attempting to convert the ‘natives’ to Christianity and searching for the source of the Nile. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Hot on the heels of the 19th-century explorers came the representatives of European powers, who began the infamous ‘scramble for Africa’, vying with each other to exploit real or imagined resources for their sovereigns, and demarcating random and unlikely national borders that still remain to this day. At the Berlin Conference of 1884–85, most of Africa was split neatly into colonies. France and Britain got the biggest swathes, with Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Belgium picking up bits and pieces. Forced labour, heavy taxation, and swift and vengeful violence for any insurrection were all characteristics of the colonial administrations. African territories were essentially organised to extract cheap cash crops and natural resources for use by the colonial powers. To facilitate easy administration, tribal differences and rivalries were exploited to the full, and Africans who refused to assimilate to the culture of their overlords were kept out of the market economy and the education system. Industrial development and social welfare were rarely high on the colonialists’ agenda, and the effects of the colonial years, which in some cases only ended a few decades ago, continue to leave their mark on the continent.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[African independence movements have existed for as long as the foreign overlords, but the formation of organised political resistance gained momentum in the 1950s and ’60s, when soldiers who had fought in both World Wars on behalf of their colonial masters joined forces with African intellectuals who had gained their education through missionary schools and universities. Young men and women went abroad to study and were inspired by the fiery speeches of communist figures and the far-reaching goals of nationalist movements from other countries. They returned home dreaming of ‘Africa for the Africans’. Some realised this dream peacefully, others only after decades of bloodshed and struggle, but by the 1970s the dream had become a reality, and a new era of independent African governments was born.In many cases, however, it didn’t take long before the dream turned into a nightmare. Fledgling African nations became pawns in the Cold War machinations of self-serving foreign powers, and factors such as economic collapse and ethnic resentment led them to spiral down into a mire of corruption, violence and civil war.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[If Africa sometimes seems like a continent suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, one of the least thoroughly digested of its many traumas was the slave trade. Part of African reality long before the white man set foot there, slavery was the fate of criminals, the indebted and prisoners of war. However, its domestic form was more benign than what came later, when Arab slave traders sent raiding parties into the interior, kidnapping the fittest and strongest. Entire regions became depopulated as villagers fled, and the impact of the Arab tactics of divide and rule, in which one chieftain turned against another, have been insidious. By the 16th century, European powers were hard on the Arabs’ heels. With African rulers acting as middlemen – the West African empires of Dahomey and Ashanti in today’s Benin and Ghana grew fat on slavery’s proceeds – British, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch traders shipped between 12 and 20 million souls across the Atlantic to work the New World’s tobacco, sugar and cotton plantations. The brutal trade finally ended in 1833 when Britain, its conscience pricked by the abolition movement, outlawed slavery in its colonies. What is striking is how deep in the continent’s subconscious this terrible episode has been buried. Some academics estimate that had it not been for the slave trade, Africa’s mid-19th-century population would have been double its 25 million figure. Yet with the exception of the markets along the Swahili coast (a 2, 900km stretch of Kenyan and Tanzanian coastline), Ghana’s castles and Senegal’s Goree Island, one rarely stumbles upon its traces. The complicity of rulers of the day may explain a reluctance to engage with the issue. As Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade, whose ancestors were slave owners, told African delegates campaigning for reparations: ‘If one can claim reparations for slavery, the slaves of my ancestors or their descendants can also claim money from me.’ The other complicating factor may be awareness of the time it took many African states to outlaw slavery – Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie, for example, only set about it in the 1920s – and embarrassment at the knowledge that it still quietly persists in countries such as Sudan, Mauritania and Niger. This awkward fact was highlighted in May 2005 when a pressure group arranged a release ceremony for 7,000 slaves in Niger. Humiliated by the media coverage, the government warned those involved they faced prosecution if they admitted to being slave masters, and the ceremony was scrapped.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[African history is a massive and intricate subject, world-s­haking events have shaped the continent’s history, from the early men and women who left their footsteps in volcanic ash to the liberation of Nelson Mandela, and a whole lot of wars, conquests, civilisations and revolutions in between.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[How do you capture the essence of Africa on paper without using up every cliché in the book? No other continent comes close to it for scale, variety and pure, raw impact. Africa offers a travel experience a thousand kilometres from the well-backpacked, air-conditioned tourist trails of Southeast Asia or the cash-cow theme parks of Australia or Europe.Africa’s natural history alone would make a dozen visits worthwhile – where else on earth can you fall asleep to the sound of lions roaring, or watch a million flamingos take off from the waters of a remote soda lake? Parts of Africa boast scenery so spectacular they’ll damn near blow your mind, but the essence of this incredible continent isn’t in any desert, mountain or lake. It’s the spirit of the people – pushing, shoving, sweating, dancing, singing and laughing – that infects so many visitors with a travel bug so powerful they’ll never stop coming back, sometimes against all sense or reason. Debate with venerable merchants among the cool, narrow streets of an Arabic medina, dance to the thumping reggae beats coming from a West African market stall, or shoot the breeze with fishermen under Indian Ocean palm trees, and you’ll be struck more than anything else by the honesty, warm-heartedness and vitality of the African people.Africa’s not always an easy place to travel in. It can be frustrating and challenging at times. Hardships and logistical disasters can happen. But don’t believe everything you see on TV: Africa’s not a hell hole full of civil war, plague, famine and violent crime. It’s a fantastic, enlightening, surprising and intriguing continent. Try it once, and we guarantee you’ll dream about coming back for the rest of your life.
-
-Make it happen
-
-Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
-
-South Africa:
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-journey through  Namibia to Cape Town
-explore  South Africa’s green coast
- go from  Johannesburg to Cape Town via the Kruger National Park
-take 22 Days and go from  Vic Falls to Cape Town
-make a positive contribution to development by helping out  at a volunteer project
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-
-Kenya:
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-
-go on an adventure to see Kenya’s wildlife
-climb  Mt Kenya
- take a   Kenyan safari
- make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project
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-
-Uganda, Tanzania & Rwanda:
-
-
-catch sight of a  Gorilla in Bwindi  National Park
-see Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys in Rwanda
- trek  Uganda’s volcanoes
- climb the iconic  Mt Kilimanjaro
- make a positive contribution   working on a volunteer project
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-
-
-West Africa:
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-explore the  city of Timbuktu
-take in the voodoo trail of   Burkina Faso
- travel through West Africa from  Dakar to Douala
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-
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-North Africa:
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-
-explore  Egypt
-travel the deserts, bazaars, pyramids and tombs of Egypt
-see  the best of Morocco
-take in the  Imperial cities of Morocco
-discover and explore  Libya's historical sites
- travel through  Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Senegal
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-]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine by Eric A Weiss (1998)Healthy Travel by Jane Wilson-Howarth (1999)Healthy Travel Africa by Isabelle Young (2000)How to Stay Healthy Abroad by Richard Dawood (2002)Travel in Health by Graham Fry (1994)Travel with Children by Cathy Lanigan &amp; Maureen Wheeler (2004)]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[Travel insurance to cover theft and illness is highly recommended. Although having your camera stolen by monkeys or your music player eaten by a goat can be a problem, the medical cover is by far the most important aspect because hospitals in Africa are not free, and the good ones are not cheap. Simply getting to a hospital can be expensive, so ensure you’re covered for ambulances (land and air) and emergency flights home.There are many policies available, including several pitched at travellers on long trips. Some forbid unscheduled boat or plane rides, or exclude dangerous activities such as white-water rafting, canoeing, or even hiking. Others are more sensible and understand the realities of travel in Africa. Shop around and read the small print to make sure you’re fully covered.]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[Legislation covering third-party insurance varies considerably from one country to another – in some places it isn’t even compulsory. Where it is, you generally have to buy insurance at the border (a process that is fraught with corruption), but the liability limits on these policies are often absurdly low by Western standards; this means if you have any bad accidents you’ll be in deep shit, so it’s a smart plan to insure yourself before heading out. If you’re starting from the UK, one company highly recommended for insurance policies and for detailed information on carnets is Campbell Irvine (020-7937 6981; www.campbellirvine.com).]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[Find out in advance whether your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or will reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures (in many countries doctors expect payment in cash). It’s vital to ensure that your travel insurance will cover the emergency transport to get you to a hospital in a major city, to better medical facilities elsewhere in Africa, or all the way home, by air and with a medical attendant if necessary. Not all insurance covers this, so check the contract carefully. If you need medical help, your insurance company might be able to help locate the nearest hospital or clinic, or you can ask at your hotel. In an emergency, contact your embassy or consulate. Membership of the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref; www.amref.org) provides an air evacuation service in medical emergencies in some African countries, as well as air ambulance transfers between medical facilities. Money paid by members for this service provides grass-roots medical assistance for local people. ]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[There is a wealth of travel health advice on the internet. For further information, the Lonely Planet website at www.lonelyplanet.com is a good place to start. The World Health Organization publishes a superb book called International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online at no cost at www.who.int/ith/. Other websites of general interest are MD Travel Health at www.mdtravelhealth.com, which provides complete travel health recommendations for every country, updated daily, also at no cost; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov; and Fit for Travel at www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk, which has up-to-date information about outbreaks and is very user-friendly. It’s also a good idea to consult your government’s travel health website before departure, if one is available:Australia (www.dfat.gov.au/travel/)Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/tmp-pmv/pub_e.html)UK (www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/index.htm)USA (www.cdc.gov/travel/)]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[It is a very good idea to carry a medical and first-aid kit around with you, to help yourself in the case of minor illness or injury. Following is a list of items you should consider packing.Acetaminophen (paracetamol) or aspirin Acetazolamide (Diamox) for altitude sickness (prescription only)Adhesive or paper tapeAnti-inflammatory drugs (eg ibuprofen) Antibacterial ointment (eg Bactroban) for cuts and abrasions (prescription only)Antibiotics (prescription only), eg ciprofloxacin (Ciproxin) or norfloxacin (Utinor) Antidiarrheal drugs (eg loperamide) Antihistamines (for hay fever and allergic reactions)Antimalaria pillsBandages, gauze, gauze rollsDEET-containing insect repellent for the skinIodine tablets (for water purification)Oral rehydration saltsPermethrin-containing insect spray for clothing, tents and bed netsPocket knifeScissors, safety pins, tweezersSterile needles, syringes and fluids if travelling to remote areasSteroid cream or hydrocortisone cream (for allergic rashes)SunblockSyringes and sterile needlesThermometerIf you are travelling through a malarial area – particularly an area where falciparum malaria predominates – consider taking a self-diagnostic kit that can identify malaria in the blood from a finger prick. ]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[A little planning before departure, particularly for pre-existing illnesses, will save you a lot of trouble later on. Before a long trip get a check-up from your dentist and from your doctor if you have any regular medication or chronic illness, eg high blood pressure and asthma. You should also organise spare contact lenses and glasses (and take your optical prescription with you); get a first-aid and medical kit together; and arrange necessary vaccinations.It’s tempting to leave it all to the last minute – don’t! Many vaccines don’t take effect until two weeks after you’ve been immunised, so visit a doctor four to eight weeks before departure. Ask your doctor for an International Certificate of Vaccination (otherwise known as the yellow booklet), which will list all the vaccinations you’ve received. This is mandatory for the African countries that require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry, but it’s a good idea to carry it anyway wherever you travel. Travellers can register with the International Association for Medical Advice to Travellers (IMAT; www.iamat.org). Its website can help travellers to find a doctor who has recognised training. Those heading off to very remote areas might like to do a first-aid course (contact the Red Cross or St John’s Ambulance) or attend a remote medicine first-aid course, such as that offered by the Royal Geographical Society (www.wildernessmedicaltraining.co.uk). If you are bringing medications with you, carry them in their original containers, clearly labelled. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing all medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles be sure to have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity. How do you go about getting the best possible medical help? It’s difficult to say – it really depends on the severity of your illness or injury and the availability of local help. If malaria is suspected, seek medical help as soon as possible or begin self-medicating if you are off the beaten track.]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<before_you_go>
-<![CDATA[The World Health Organization (www.who.int/en/) recommends that all travellers be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, as well as for hepatitis B, regardless of their destination. Planning to travel is a great time to ensure that all routine vaccination cover is complete. The consequences of these diseases can be severe, and outbreaks of them do occur. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), the following vaccinations are recommended for all parts of Africa: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis, rabies and typhoid, and boosters for tetanus, diphtheria and measles. Yellow fever is not necessarily recommended for all parts of Africa, although the certificate is an entry requirement for many countries.]]>
-</before_you_go>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Travel in Africa is remarkably safe most of the time, but you need to be alert on the streets of some cities. Dakar (Senegal) can be a bit edgy, and Nairobi (Kenya) is often called ‘Nairobbery’, while Lagos (Nigeria) and Johannesburg (South Africa) are no joke at all. Snatch-theft and pick-pocketing are the most common crimes, but violent muggings can occur, so it pays to heed the dos and don’ts below, and the warnings in country chapters.Don’t make yourself a target on the streets. Carry as little as possible. Don’t wear jewellery or watches, however cheap. Strolling with a camera or iPod is asking for trouble.Don’t walk the backstreets, or even some main streets, at night. Take a taxi – a few bucks for the fare might be a sound investment.Do use a separate wallet for day-to-day purchases. Keep the bulk of your cash hidden under loose-fitting clothing. Do walk purposefully and confidently. Never look like you are lost (even if you are!). Do be discreet with your possessions, especially in dorms. Keep your gear in your bag. Out of sight, out of mind.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[It’s very straightforward: the buying, selling, possession and use of all recreational drugs is illegal in every country in Africa. Having said that, cannabis (grass or resin) and other drugs are easily found if you want them. If this is your scene, take care. In 1999, two Kiwi travellers in Zambia got busted with a relatively small amount of grass, and did six months in jail with hard labour.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[The main annoyance you’ll come across in Africa are the various hustlers, touts, con men and scam merchants who always see tourists as easy prey. Although these guys are not necessarily dangerous, some awareness and suitable precautions are advisable, and should help you deal with them without getting stung (or punched).]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[dud soundsYou buy some CDs from the market, but back at the hotel you open the box and it’s got a blank CD inside, or music by a different artist. The solution: always try to listen to the CDs first.phone homeYou give your address to a local kid who says he wants to write. He asks for your phone number too, and you think ‘no harm in that’. Until the folks back home start getting collect calls in the middle of the night. And when it’s the kid’s big brother making false ransom demands to your worried ma and pa, then things can get serious. The solution: stick to addresses, and even then be circumspect.police &amp; thievesLocal drug salesmen are often in cahoots with the police, who then apprehend you and conveniently find you ‘in possession’, or just tell you they’ve seen you talking to a known dealer. Large bribes will be required to avoid arrest or imprisonment. To complicate things further, many con artists pose as policemen to extort money. Insist on being taken to the police station, and get written receipts for any fines you pay.take a tourA tout offers to sell you a tour such as a safari or a visit to a local attraction, and says he can do it cheaper if you buy onward travel with him too. You cough up for bus/ferry/plane tickets, plus another tour in your next destination, only to find yourself several days later with your cash gone and your reservations non-existent. Best to pay only small amounts in advance, and deal with recommended companies or touts only. welcome, friendYou’re invited to stay for free in someone’s house, if you buy meals and drinks for a few days. Sounds good, but your new friend’s appetite for food and beer makes the deal more expensive than staying at a hotel. More seriously, while you’re out entertaining, someone else will be back at the house of your ‘friend’ going through your bag. This scam is only likely in tourist zones –in remote or rural areas you’ll often come across genuine hospitality.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<in_transit>
-<![CDATA[Blood clots can form in the legs during flights, chiefly because of prolonged immobility. This formation of clots is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the longer the flight, the greater the risk. Although most blood clots are reabsorbed uneventfully, some might break off and travel through the blood vessels to the lungs, where they could cause life-threatening complications. The chief symptom of DVT is swelling or pain of the foot, ankle or calf, usually but not always on just one side. When a blood clot travels to the lungs, it could cause chest pain and breathing difficulty. Travellers with any of these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.To prevent the development of DVT on long flights you should walk about the cabin, perform isometric compressions of the leg muscles (ie contract the leg muscles while sitting), drink plenty of fluids, and avoid alcohol. ]]>
-</in_transit>
-<in_transit>
-<![CDATA[If you’re crossing more than five time zones you could suffer jet lag, resulting in insomnia, fatigue, malaise or nausea. To avoid jet lag try drinking plenty of fluids (nonalcoholic) and eating light meals. Upon arrival, get exposure to natural sunlight and readjust your schedule (for meals, sleep etc) as soon as possible. Antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and meclizine (Antivert, Bonine) are usually the first choice for treating motion sickness. Their main side effect is drowsiness. A herbal alternative is ginger (in the form of ginger tea, biscuits or crystallised ginger), which works like a charm for some people.]]>
-</in_transit>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Travelling with kids in Africa might sound like a nightmare but in fact many families find an African holiday is a rewarding and thrilling experience. While some posh hotels and camps ban kids under a certain age, some of the higher-end safari lodges run special wildlife-watching programmes for kids, and baby-sitting services are pretty widely available in midrange and top-end hotels. Africans adore children, and wherever they go your kids will be assured of a warm reception and a host of instant new friends. Outside the main cities, you can pretty safely assume that disposable nappies won’t be available, so bring everything you need with you.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Women form the backbone of African families, institutions that provide an excellent support network. However, these institutions are being sorely tested by the AIDS epidemic and are often upset if the men are forced to leave their homes and move to the cities as migrant industrial workers. Women usually tackle the lion’s share of agricultural work in traditional village societies, and in some nations sexual equality is enshrined in law. Sadly, on the ground, equal rights are some way off and women are often treated as second-class citizens. Families sometimes deny girls schooling, although education is valued highly by most Africans. More serious still are reports of female infanticide, forced marriages, female genital mutilation and honour killings. African women made history in 2005 when a legal protocol came into force that specifically protects women’s human rights in the 17 countries that ratified it. These countries have pledged to amend their laws to uphold a raft of women’s rights, including the right to property after divorce, the right to abortions after rape or abuse, and the right to equal pay in the workplace, among many others.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[It’s no use pretending otherwise – women travelling in Africa (alone or with other women) will occasionally encounter specific problems, most often harassment from men. North Africa can be particularly tiresome from this perspective. And in places where an attack or mugging is a real possibility, women are seen as easy targets, so it pays to keep away from these areas (you should investigate the individual country you're considering, but you can also talk to people on the ground to get the latest situation).But don’t panic! On a day-to-day basis, compared to many places, travel in Africa is relatively safe and unthreatening, and you’ll meet friendliness and generosity – not to mention pure old-fashioned gallantry – far more often than hostility or predatory behaviour. Many men are simply genuinely curious as to why on earth a woman is out travelling the world rather than staying at home with the babies, so keep an open mind and try not to be too hostile yourself. Having said that, when it comes to evening entertainment, Africa is a conservative society and in many countries ‘respectable’ women don’t go to bars, clubs or restaurants without a male companion. However distasteful this may be to post-feminist Westerners, trying too aggressively to buck the system could lead to trouble. Because of these attitudes, it can be hard to meet and talk with local women. It may require being invited into a home, although since many women have received little education, unless you have learnt some of the local language, communication between you could be tricky. However, this is changing to some extent because a surprising number of girls go to school while boys are sent away to work. This means that many of the staff in tourist offices, hotels or government departments are educated women, and this can be as good a place as any to try striking up a conversation. In rural areas, a good starting point might be teachers at local schools, or staff at health centres.Some expatriates you meet may be appalled at the idea of a female travelling alone and will do their best to discourage you with horror stories, often of dubious accuracy. Others will have a far more realistic attitude. When you are on the road, the best advice on what can and can’t be undertaken safely will come from local women. Use your common sense and things should go well. It’s also worth remembering that, as a solo female traveller, you might be best to pay a little extra for midrange hotels where the surroundings may make you feel more comfortable – many of the cheapest hotels in African towns rent rooms by the hour.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Unwanted interest from male ‘admirers’ is an inevitable aspect of travel in Africa, especially for lone women. This is always unpleasant, but it’s worth remembering that although you may encounter a lewd border official, or a persistent suitor who won’t go away, real harm or rape is very unlikely. If you’re alone in an uneasy situation, act cold or uninterested, rather than threatened. Stick your nose in a book. Or invent an imaginary husband who will be arriving shortly.Part of the reason for the interest is that local women rarely travel long distances alone, and a single foreign female is an unusual sight. And, thanks to imported TV and Hollywood films (not to mention the behaviour of some tourists), Western women are frequently viewed as ‘easy’. What you wear may greatly influence how you’re treated. African women dress conservatively, in traditional or Western clothes, so when a visitor wears something different from the norm, she will draw attention. In the minds of some men this is provocative. In general, look at what other women are wearing and follow suit. Keep your upper arms and legs covered.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[You can buy tampons and pads in most cities and major towns from pharmacies or supermarkets. Prices are about the same as in Europe (from where they’re imported) but you seldom have choice of type or brand. They’re rarely found in shops away from the main towns, so you might want to bring supplies if you’re spending a lot of time in remote areas. ]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<costs>
-<![CDATA[Africa can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Travelling around like a maniac is going to cost much more than taking time to explore a small region slowly and in depth.The actual cost of living (food, transport etc) varies around the continent, and travellers commonly blow big chunks of their budget on car hire (US$30 to US$150 per day), internal flights, balloon rides, adrenaline sports, organised safaris or treks (at least $100 a day in East/southern Africa), and diving or language courses.Africa is thought of as expensive among some budget travellers, but you can still scrape by for under US$20 per day. If you’d like a few more comforts (such as an in-room shower), reckon on US$30, plus a slush fund of, say, $100 a month for unexpected expenses. Beyond that, the scope for spending money is limited only by your bank account or your credit limit…]]>
-</costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Along with email, the automated teller machine (ATM) is the greatest invention for travellers since the aeroplane. Instead of having to take enough money for your whole trip, you can draw local cash as you go with a credit or debit card. Charges are low and exchange rates are usually good. The downside for travellers in Africa is that although numbers are on the rise, ATMs are still located mostly in capitals and major towns, and even then not in every country. What’s more, due to dodgy phone lines, they frequently malfunction, so you’ll still need a pile of hard cash or travellers cheques as backup. Always keep your wits about you when drawing money out, as ATMs are often targeted by thieves. Try to visit them in busy areas during daylight hours, and stash your money securely before you move away.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[You can exchange your hard cash or travellers cheques into local currency at banks or foreign-exchange bureaus in cities and tourist areas. For cash, bureaus normally offer the best rates, low (or no) charges and the fastest service, but what you get for travellers cheques can be derisory – if they’re accepted at all. Travellers cheques are more readily accepted at banks, but while rates may be OK, the charges can be as high as 10% or 20% –plus you’re often looking at a good half hour of queuing.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Credit or debit cards are handy for expensive items such as tours and flights, but most agents add a hefty 10% surcharge. It’s therefore usually cheaper to use your card to draw cash from an ATM, if they exist. If there’s no ATM, another option is to withdraw money from a local bank using your card, but be warned –this also incurs a charge of around 5%, and can be an all-day process, so go early. Before leaving home, check with your own bank to see which banks in Africa accept your card (and find out about charges). If you’re on a longer trip, and travelling in an area with decent internet access, you can pay off your monthly card bills online. Debit cards generally have no monthly bills (if you have money in your account, of course), so are less hassle for longer travels.Throughout Africa, cards with the Visa logo are most readily recognised, although MasterCard is also accepted in many places. Whatever card you use, don’t rely totally on plastic, as computer or telephone breakdowns can leave you stranded. Always have cash or travellers cheques too.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[In many African countries, inflation is high and exchange rates unpredictable. Although prices in dinars, shillings, rands, kwachas, pulas or whatever may rise from month to month, exchange rates normally keep pace, so what you pay in ‘hard currency’ (eg US dollars or euros) remains pretty much the same. However, it’s important to remember that prices invariably increase. ]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Although ATMs are handy, they sometimes don’t work. Cash is widely accepted and gets good rates, but cannot be replaced if lost. That’s where travellers cheques come in. They can attract poor rates and slow service (and in some countries are not accepted at all), and are often a pain to deal with, but they do have a major advantage of being replaceable. When exchanging travellers cheques, most banks also check the purchase receipt (the paper you’re supposed to keep separate) and your passport, so make sure you have these with you when you go to change your cheques. You can sometimes pay for items such as safaris and activities directly with travellers cheques, but most operators add a surcharge –usually 10%, but sometimes up to 20%, because that’s what banks charge them.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[For a short trip through Africa you might get all your visas before you leave home. For a longer trip, it’s easier to get them as you go along. Most countries have an embassy in each neighbouring country, but not all, so careful planning is required. Some visas are valid from when they are issued, so you may have to enter the country pretty soon after getting them. On other visas you say when you plan to enter the country and arrive within a month of that date. Sometimes it’s convenient (and relatively cheap) to get several visas in one place – South Africa or Kenya, for example.Prices vary widely, but you can expect to pay US$10 to US$50 for standard one-month single-entry visas, and up to US$200 for three-month multiple-entry visas. If you want to stay longer, extensions are usually available for an extra fee.Rules vary for different nationalities: for example, British and Aussie citizens don’t need advance visas for some southern African countries; French citizens don’t need them in much of West Africa; Americans need them nearly everywhere. The price of a visa also varies according to nationality (Lucky Irish-passport holders seem to be able to get free visas in dozens of countries!), and where you buy it. In some of Africa’s more, ahem…informal countries, you’ll also be factoring in the mood/corruption level of the person you’re buying it from.Most visas are issued in 24 or 48 hours –and it always helps to go to embassies in the morning – but occasionally the process takes a week or longer. You may have to show you have enough funds to cover the visit, or prove that you intend to leave the country rather than settle down and build a hut somewhere. (This could be an air ticket home, or a letter from your employer stating you’re expected to return to work on a specified date). For most visas you also need up to six passport photos; so take what you’ll need, although you can get new supplies from photo booths in most capitals. Some embassies ask for a photocopy of your passport data page, so it’s always worth carrying a few spare copies.If you’re travelling in West Africa, ask about a Visa Touristique Entente – a five-country visa covering Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. It costs around US$38 and is usually valid for two months. You should be able to get it in any embassy of the five countries covered, but in practice embassies of Benin seem the best bet (when we passed through Chad, the Niger embassy in N’Djamena hadn’t even heard of it).A final note: if you have Israeli stamps in your passport, they may prove problematic when you enter Sudan and some North African countries, such as Libya. Israeli border officials may stamp a piece of paper, which you can then remove, but if you’re travelling overland your Egyptian entry-point can still be a giveaway.Specifics on visas vary from country to country, and regulations can change so it’s always worth checking before you enter the country.]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Africa’s internal air network is pretty comprehensive and can save you considerable time and hardship on the roads; certainly flying over the Sahara, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the often chaotic and difficult Chad and southern Sudan is a good idea. Some airlines are first-class operations; others are about as reliable as a chocolate fireguard. Check flight details carefully (many tickets are flexible), but be prepared for delays, cancellations and bureaucratic pantomimes, especially when travelling on state-owned enterprises. Don’t expect to be put up in a four-star hotel should your flight get canned.If you’re serious about taking a few African flights, consider sorting it out when booking your main ticket. Any half-decent travel agent should be able to book a host of ‘add-on’ African flights and possibly find fares that allow a little flexibility. These add-ons are often sold at a discount overseas, so forward planning can save you a small fortune. To give you an idea of what to expect, here are some sample fares for transcontinental travel:Accra–Addis Ababa US$1100Cairo–Tunis US$560Casablanca–Dakar US$430Casablanca–Johannesburg US$660Dakar–Bamako US$170Dar es Salaam–Johannesburg US$400Johannesburg–Maputo US$150Nairobi–Dar es Salaam US$280Sample fares for domestic travel include the following:Bamako–Timbuktu US$180Cairo–Aswan US$175 Dar es Salaam–Zanzibar US$55Johannesburg–Cape Town US$75Nairobi–Lamu US$170 ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[This section is something of a misnomer. All products purporting to be Africa air passes are just cheapo deals on domestic and transcontinental flights available to travellers flying into Africa with certain airlines. These schemes operate on a tailor-made basis – routes are usually divided into price bands or sectors and you pick ’n’ mix to make an itinerary. Most schemes are fairly limited and usually dictate that your flights include an arrival or departure at one or two hubs. The airlines mentioned in this section won’t always offer the cheapest flights into Africa, but if you’re planning to take a few African flights some ‘air pass’ schemes offer great value in the long run – the best offer savings of well over 50% on domestic and continental fares. The ‘air pass’ scheme run by Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com) allows flights on South African Airways to 25 destinations across Africa if you fly in on a member carrier. Oneworld alliance (www.oneworldalliance.com) has a similar scheme called Visit Africa. Air Namibia (www.airnamibia.com) offers a southern African pass in conjunction with its international flights to Namibia from London and Frankfurt. The Indian Ocean Pass run by Air Seychelles (www.airseychelles.net), Air Mauritius (www.airmauritius.com) or Air Austral (www.air-austral.com) allows for great exploration of Indian Ocean countries, including Madagascar. It offers travel to limited countries in mainland Africa including Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa.KLM (www.klm.com) offers aPassport to Africa, which hooks into the African network of Kenya Airways. It allows for between three and 12 African flight coupons in combination with intercontinental travel on KLM, Northwest Airlines or Kenya Airways.]]>
-</air>
-<bicycle>
-<![CDATA[Cycling around Africa is predictably tough. Long, hot, gruelling journeys are pretty standard, but you’ll be in constant close contact with the peoples and environments of the continent and get to visit small towns and villages that most people just shoot through. In general, the remoter the areas you visit, the better the experience, but you’ve got to be fully prepared. A tent is standard issue, but remember to ask the village headman where you can pitch a tent when camping near settlements in rural areas.Steel steeds can be rented across the continent in tourist areas. Prices vary: you can pay US$2 to hire a cheap, Chinese bone-shaker or over US$7 for a half-decent mountain bike. Touring bikes aren’t the best choice for Africa, a continent not exactly blessed with smooth tarmac roads. Adapted mountain bikes are your best bet – their smaller 660mm (26-inch) wheel rims are less likely to be misshaped by rough roads than the 700mm rims of touring bikes, and mountain-bike frames are better suited to the rigours of African travel. Multipurpose hybrid tyres with knobbles on their edges for off-road routes and a smooth central band for on-road cruising are useful in Africa, but your tyre choices (along with the types of components, number of spares and the like) should depend on the terrain you want to tackle. You may encounter the odd antelope or zebra while cycling, but motorists are more of a threat to cyclists than rampaging wildlife. Cyclists lie just below donkeys on the transport food chain, so if you hear a vehicle coming up from behind be prepared to bail out onto the verges. That said, many of Africa’s roads are pretty quiet. Be very cautious about cycling in busy towns and cities. The heat can be a killer in Africa, so carry at least 4L of water and don’t discount the possibility of taking a bus, truck or boat across some sections (bikes can easily be transported). The International Bicycle Fund (IBF; www.ibike.org/africaguide) has a handy guide to cycling in Africa by country, although information for some countries is limited and out of date.]]>
-</bicycle>
-<boat>
-<![CDATA[Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria in southern and East Africa, as well as Lake Volta (Ghana) and Lake Nasser (Egypt and Sudan), all have ferries operating on them. There are even more fantastic journeys to be had along the Niger, Congo, Nile, Senegal, Gambia and Zambezi Rivers, to name but a few. On simple riverboats you’ll be sat on mountains of cargo, the bows of the craft sitting just above the water line, but on some major river routes large ferries and barges are used. Generally speaking, third class on all ferries is crammed with people, goods and livestock, making it hot and uncomfortable. Happily there is usually a better way: at a price, semiluxurious cabins with bar and restaurant access can be yours. Seafaring travellers might be able to hitch a lift on cargo boats down the West African coast, up the east coast of Madagascar, and on the Red Sea, but this will take some work. Down the east coast there’s a little cargo traffic and ferries from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar, but you’ll find small Arabic-style dhow sailing vessels plying the coastal waters. Similar to dhows are feluccas, the ancient sailing boats of the Nile. Pirogues (tiny canoes) ferry people across remote waterways where small, diesel-powered (and often unreliable), pontoon-style car ferries are not available. Not many ferries or boats take vehicles, but you can get a motorbike onto some. Travelling by boat can sometimes be hazardous in Africa. For the most part you can forget about safety regulations and lifeboats, and overloading is very common. To make matters worse, on some ferries third-class passengers are effectively jammed into the hold with little opportunity for escape.]]>
-</boat>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Travelling in your own vehicle will enable you to explore Africa at your leisure, but it takes some doing. As well as cars, motorbikes are a popular way of travelling around Africa, but the same things generally apply to bikes as to car travel. For heaps of other options and inspiring tales from overland trips past, present and future, check out the website of the Africa Overland Network (www.africa-overland.net).Rather than shipping your vehicle all the way to Mombasa or Cape Town, you are much better off buying something in Kenya or South Africa before taking off to explore southern and East Africa by car. South Africa in particular is a pretty easy place to purchase a car –either from a dealership or from a fellow traveller who has finished with it. Handily, cars registered in South Africa don’t need a carnet de passage for travel around southern Africa, but you will need to have an international driving licence, your home licence, vehicle insurance and registration, and you will have to get a new set of plates made. The Automobile Association (www.aasa.co.za) in South Africa offers vehicle checkups, insurance and travel advice.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[A carnet de passage (sometimes known as a triptyque) is required for many countries in Africa, with the notable exceptions of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. A carnet guarantees that if you take a vehicle into a country, but don’t take it out again, then the organisation that issued the carnet will accept responsibility for payment of import duties (up to 150% of its value). Carnets can only be issued by national motoring organisations; they’re only issued if it’s certain that if ever duties arose you would reimburse them. This means you have to deposit a bond with a bank or insure yourself against the potential collection of import duties before getting a carnet. You don’t need to prearrange a carnet for many West and southern African countries (most southern African countries will issue a Temporary Import Permit at the border, which you must buy), but if you’re driving through Africa, you’re going to need a carnet, which sadly doesn’t exempt you from the bureaucratic shenanigans encountered at numerous borders. If you’re starting in South Africa, you can get one from the Automobile Association (www.aasa.co.za) there pretty easily. In the UK, try the RAC (www.rac.co.uk). Also consider the following:Motoring organisations’ insurance companies can be a little paranoid in their designation of ‘war zones’ in Africa so watch out; none will insure against the risks of war, thus denying you a carnet. If you intend to sell the vehicle at some point, arrangements have to be made with the customs people in the country in which you plan to sell the car for the carnet entry to be cancelled.If you abandon a vehicle in the Algerian desert, you’ll be up for import duties that are twice the value of your car when it was new. ]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Hiring a vehicle is usually only an option to travellers over 25. For the most part, vehicle hire is a fairly expensive option (2WD vehicles commonly cost over US$75 a day in sub-Saharan Africa; you’re looking at over US$100 a day for a 4WD) and rental can come with high insurance excesses and bundles of strings. On a brighter note, car hire in South Africa can be an utter bargain (if you hire for a longer period, it can be less than US$30 a day), especially if booked from overseas; have a look on internet sites such as Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), Expedia (www.expedia.com) and Holiday Autos (www.holidayautos.com). Some vehicles can then be taken into Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana, which is great if you get a group together. Also consider hiring a car for exploring southern Morocco and taking a 4WD (possibly with driver) to explore Kenya’s wildlife parks at your leisure.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<hitching>
-<![CDATA[Hitching is never entirely safe in any country, and we don’t recommend it. But in some parts of Africa it’s a recognised form of transport – there is often simply no other option to grabbing lifts on trucks, 4WDs, lorries or whatever vehicle happens to come down the road first. Whatever vehicle you jump on to, you’ll generally have to pay. One exception might be in more developed countries, such as Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, where there are plenty of private cars on the road and it’s not only possible to hitch for free, but in some cases it’s very easy indeed. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. People who do choose to hitch will be safer if they travel in pairs. Remember that sticking out your thumb in many African countries is an obscene gesture; wave your hand vertically up and down instead.]]>
-</hitching>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Bus travel is the way to go where there’s a good network of sealed roads. International bus services are pretty common across the continent, and in the wealthier African states you may get a choice between ‘luxury’ air-con buses with movies (the trashy Hollywood/Bollywood variety) on tap and rough old European rejects with nonfunctioning air-con and questionable engineering. In poorer countries you just get the latter. Out in the sticks, where there are very few or no sealed roads, ancient buses tend to be very crowded with people, livestock and goods; these buses tend to stop frequently, either for passengers or because something is broken. Small minibuses take up the slack in many African transport systems. All too often they are driven at breakneck speed and rammed with nearly 30 people when they were designed for 18 (there’s always room for one more), with a tout or conductor leaning out of the side door. The front seat is the most comfortable, but thanks to the high number of head-on collisions in Africa, this seat is called the ‘death seat’: how many old bus drivers have you seen? (If you do see one, be sure to choose his bus!) These minibuses are known by different names across the continent (matatus in Kenya, dalla-dallas in Tanzania, tro-tros in Ghana, poda-podas in Sierra Leone), names that are, confusingly, pretty interchangeable for shared taxis and bush taxis. Minibuses usually only leave when very full (a process that may take hours), and will stop frequently en route to pick up and set down passengers. Minibuses are also the favourite prey of roadblock police, who are not averse to unloading every passenger while they enter into lengthy discussions about paperwork and ‘fines’ that may need paying.Shared taxis are usually Peugeot 504s or 505s or old spacious Mercedes saloons (common in North Africa). They should definitely be considered where they are found (which is not everywhere). Your average shared taxi is certainly quicker, more comfortable (if a little crowded) and less of a palaver than taking a bus or minibus, although many shared taxis are driven by lunatic speed freaks. They cost a little more than the corresponding bus fare, but in most cases once the vehicle has filled up (usually with nine to 12 people, packed in sardinelike) it heads pretty directly to the destination without constant stops for passengers. You should expect to pay an additional fee for your baggage in West Africa, but usually not elsewhere. ‘Bush taxi’ is something of a catch-all term and is used slightly differently across the continent. Basically, a bush taxi is any multiperson mode of public transport. ]]>
-</local_transport>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travelling around much of Africa often requires time, patience and stamina. African public transport sometimes leaves and arrives roughly on time (off-the-beaten-track transport is more circumspect and unreliable), but there are few interesting places that you cannot reach without your own car, even if you have to wait for a few days. It’s also worth remembering that some of your most memorable and enjoyable travel experiences will take place en route between places – in Africa, the journey is the destination.]]>
-</overview>
-<train>
-<![CDATA[Where available, travelling by train is a wonderful way to get around Africa. Even the shortest rail journey can be a classic experience, full of cultural exchange, amazing landscapes and crazy stations where all kinds of food, drinks and goods are hawked at train windows. Train travel is safer and usually more comfortable than travelling by road, although outside southern and North Africa the trains are often very slow. Long delays while the train or track is repaired en route aren’t uncommon. Second-class fares weigh in about the same or less than the corresponding bus fare. More expensive (but still negligible by Western standards) are sleeping compartments and 1st-class or 2nd-class carriages, which take the strain out of long journeys and occasionally allow you to travel in style –some high-class train carriages are like little wood-panelled museums of colonialism. It’s worth noting that in many countries male and female passengers can only sleep in the same compartment if they buy the tickets for the whole compartment (four or six bunks), and even then you might be asked for evidence that you’re married! The flip side of train travel is that security and sanitation facilities on trains can be poor, especially in 3rd class, which, although novel and entertaining at first, soon becomes simply crowded and uncomfortable. Keep an eye on your baggage at all times and lock carriage doors and windows at night.]]>
-</train>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[The bulk of air traffic with Africa is to and from Europe, but there are a handful of direct flights between Africa and North America, the Middle East and Asia. A few flights link Australia with Africa, and there are flights between South Africa and Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Many North American travellers pass through a European ‘hub’ (airports located in London, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt for example) en route to Africa. For Australasian travellers it’s often cheaper to pass through a Middle Eastern and/or Asian hub before arriving, but these flights too often pass through a European hub as well. Wherever you’re coming from, the main thing to remember is that flying into one of Africa’s main hubs is going to be your cheapest option. Flights to the hubs can cost peanuts from Europe, and once you’re there the national carriers of the various countries can easily transport you to other destinations across Africa. These extra flights are known as ‘add-ons’ and are often best booked in conjunction with your main international ticket through a decent travel agent at home (tip: flights with add-ons or multiple stops are still almost always best booked with a real live reservations agent rather than through a website).The main gateway into East Africa is Nairobi (Kenya), although Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) is also busy. Johannesburg (South Africa) is the southern African hub offering the most options (flights arrive from the Americas, Asia and Australasia as well as Europe) and biggest bargains – also look out for cheap deals into Cape Town (South Africa). In West Africa, Accra (Ghana) and Lagos (Nigeria) are the busiest gateways (and receive flights from North America), but Dakar (Senegal) is often a cheaper option. In North Africa, flying into Casablanca (Morocco) and Cairo (Egypt) is the cheapest option. If you’re travelling from Europe, Tunis (Tunisia) is often the cheapest African city in which to arrive. However, it’s surrounded by Algeria and Libya, which can make for tricky onward overland travel. ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Wild climatic variations across Africa, and differing holiday seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres, means that it’s tricky to pin down the cheapest times to fly to Africa. Using mile-wide brush strokes it could be argued that flying from June to September or around Christmas (a ‘peak season’ that can last from November to March if you’re coming from Australasia) is going to hit your budget hardest. But you don’t need generalities if you’ve a well-defined trip in mind, so get the low-down on costs from a travel agent well in advance.If you’re planning a big trip consider open-jaw tickets, which allow you to fly into one city, then out of another, and can save you cash, time and hassle. All manner of combinations are available, enabling some great overland journeys: think about a ticket into Cairo and out of Cape Town (fares from here can be amazingly cheap), or into Nairobi and out of Cape Town, or even into Dakar and out of Cape Town. Another handy way of flitting around the continent are stopovers. Many flights to Africa stop at least once before arriving at the main destination, and on some tickets (sadly not always those at the cheapest end of the spectrum) you’ll have the chance to get off; on some happy occasions taking advantage of these stopovers can effectively save the cost of an internal flight. For example, a Kenya Airways flight from London to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) goes via Nairobi, allowing you to explore Kenya first. If you’re coming from North America or Australia, a stopover in Europe can be handy if you need to pick up an obscure visa in Paris or Amsterdam or just fancy finding your travel legs somewhere vaguely familiar. Jumping on a charter flight can sometimes save you a bundle if you’re travelling from or via Europe, especially if you pick something up at the last minute. Short-date returns are common, but there is sometimes some flexibility. From the UK charter flights leave for The Gambia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Kenya, destinations that are also serviced by French operators. Charter flights to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin also leave from France between November and May. Point Afrique (04 75 97 20 40; www.point-afrique.com in French) offers cheap flights (from €400 return) to these and other Saharan countries from Paris and Marseille. Heaps of other charter flights leave from across Europe; for instance, Italy is a good place to look for cheap charters to Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya).It’s not rocket science, but take your time, shop around, double-check all restrictions and date- or route-change penalties on your ticket, look out for credit-card surcharges and book well in advance. A couple of hours on the internet should give you an idea of the most useful travel agents; talk to as many as possible. Remember that although websites are great for straightforward return tickets, they cannot tell you about little add-ons and shortcuts or custom-build itineraries from a cluster of domestic and regional flights.If you’re under 26 or a student you’ll occasionally be able to turn up some juicy deals. There are many specialist student travel agents, but many ‘normal’ travel agents offer student fares, just as student travel agents can serve older travellers. STA Travel (www.statravelgroup.com) has hundreds of potentially useful offices and affiliates around the world, but service can vary and it’s vital that you shop around. Travel agents that recognise the International Student Identity Card (ISIC; www.isic.org) scheme are another possibility – the contact details of thousands of agents are available on its website. ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[On the cheapest round-the-world (RTW) tickets Nairobi and Johannesburg are the usual stops, but stopping in these major hubs will cut down your options once you leave the continent. If you want more stops within Africa look at the Global Explorer or oneworld Explorer RTW tickets offered by the oneworld alliance (www.oneworld.com), which includes Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas. Coming from Europe with British Airways can get you to a variety of interesting African destinations, but flights within Africa are limited to British Airway’s African franchises Regional Air (based in Nairobi) and Comair (based in Johannesburg), essentially limiting travel to East and southern Africa.The trick with RTW tickets is to decide where you want to go first and then talk to a travel agent, who will know the best deals, cunning little routes and the pitfalls of the various packages. If you’re departing the UK, you could also try the handy interactive route planner at www.roundtheworldflights.com.]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Flights to Africa from North America are not cheap, but direct flights to Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), Banjul (The Gambia), Cairo (Egypt), Casablanca (Morocco) and Johannesburg (South Africa) are possible. The latter two destinations are serviced by Royal Air Maroc (www.royalairmaroc.com) from New York and Montreal, and South African Airways (www.flysaa.com) from New York respectively and are reliable options. As well as efficient trans-African networks, both these carriers have good connections inside the USA. Accra, Banjul and Lagos are serviced by rather flaky national carriers, but Egypt Air’s Cairo flight (from New York or Montreal) is worth considering. Although ‘through’ ticketing via Europe is a very popular option it might be cheaper to get a supersonic deal across the Atlantic and then a separate ticket to Africa.South African Airways has a flight between Johannesburg and São Paulo (Brazil) that continues to various South American destinations on Brazilian airline Varig. LonelyPlanet.com (www.lonelyplanet.com) Includes links to a US RTW fare generator from Airtreks.OneTravel.com (www.onetravel.com) Comprehensive North American fare generator.STA Travel (800-781-4040; www.statravel.com) The biggest student/under-26 flight agent in North America.Travel Cuts (1-866-246-9762; www.travelcuts.com) Canada’s primary student and discounted travel agent. ]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Most flights head to Africa via the Middle East, often with Emirates (www.emirates.com) or Gulf Air (www.gulfairco.com); direct to Johannesburg with Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) or South African Airways (www.flysaa.com); and even via Mauritius with Air Mauritius (www.airmauritius.com) from Sydney and Perth. Other fares go via Europe. Many of these flights, including those going via the Middle East, often allow a nice Southeast Asian stopover. Of course, you could head straight to Europe and then root around for a bargain to Africa (or sort it out over the internet first), but either way, you’ll go via a combination of airlines so it may be worth considering a RTW ticket. In Southeast Asia flights go to Africa from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Most of these only fly into Johannesburg. However, Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com) runs services from Bangkok and Hong Kong to Nairobi, and you can fly to Cairo with Egypt Air (www.egyptair.com.eg) from Bangkok or Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeairlines.com) from Singapore.Flight Centre Australia (133 133; www.flightcentre.com.au); New Zealand (0800 24 35 44; www.flightcentre.co.nz)Ninemsn (http://travel.ninemsn.com.au) Good internet booking engine. STA Travel Australia (134 782; www.statravel.com.au); New Zealand (0800 474 400; www.statravel.co.nz)]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[If you are coming from Europe, then Africa is your oyster. London, Paris and Amsterdam probably have the greatest selection of flights, but whatever country you start from there’s almost nowhere that a good travel agent can’t get you into.Africa Travel Centre (0845-450 1520; www.africatravel.co.uk) Experienced UK operator offering flights and tours.Air Fair (0900-7 717 717; www.airfair.nl) Well-respected Dutch travel agent.Nouvelles Frontières (0 825 000 747; www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr) Good French option with adventure tours and charter flights.STA Travel Germany (069-743 032 92; www.statravel.de); UK (0871 2 300 040; www.statravel.co.uk) There are loads of other offices across Europe. Trailfinders (0845-058 5858; www.trailfinders.com) Reliable UK travel agent with competitive prices.]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[There is a stack of traffic between Mumbai (Bombay) in India and East Africa; flights to and from Nairobi can be pretty darn cheap. Many other Middle Eastern carriers (such as Gulf Air via Muscat and Emirates via Dubai) service North and East Africa. ]]>
-</air>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Getting yourself into Africa can be as simple as booking a direct-flight ticket from a major European hub, or as adventurous as hitching a lift on a car ferry then jumping onto a cargo truck. However you choose to do it, it pays to put aside some research time in advance to make sure you don’t blow unnecessary bucks or time. Flights, tours and rail tickets can be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel_services.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Most tourists tie in their trip with Africa’s dry seasons. This is because travel is easier, especially once you get off the main roads; dirt tracks become a sea of mud when it rains. And it’s also because lounging on the beach in a downpour just doesn’t cut the mustard. There are regional variations, but essentially it goes like this: East Africa has two dry seasons – December to February/March and June to October – with rainy seasons in between. In southern Africa it’s dry from May/June, gets really hot in October, then rains November to April/May. In West Africa the dry season is October/November to April/May, and it gets very hot at the end of this period. In Central Africa, June to September is the dry time. In North Africa, rain isn’t the main issue – it’s temperature. The best time to travel is the cooler period from October to March. Although dry seasons are usually the popular times, don’t automatically avoid the rainy season everywhere. In some countries it only rains for a few hours each day (often at night) and then the air is crystal clear, views go on for ever, and photographers soon run out of film. It’s also a good time for bird-watching, if that’s your thing. Hotel rates are cheaper and popular tourist haunts are much quieter too. And generally the local people are also happier because good rains mean good crops, so traditional festivals are often held at this time.]]>
-</climate>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The equator cuts Africa in half, which not only means that water goes in opposite directions down the plughole in the north and the south, but the continent experiences huge climatic variation. Watch out for the wet or rainy seasons, which can turn dirt roads into rivers and curtail travel to remote regions. Just as uncomfortable can be the searing hot season in some countries, which can make moving around during the day nigh on impossible.Late October to February is a great time to visit the Sahara and arid Central Africa (although be prepared for cold nights) and you can also enjoy the warm summer days of southern Africa or beachcomb along the West African coast. By around January or February, East African wildlife is concentrated around diminishing water sources and is therefore easier to spot. In contrast, the usually arid lands of North Africa spring into life between March and May. ]]>
-</overview>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<work_live_study>
-<work>
-<business>
-<![CDATA[Across Africa, official places like embassies, tourist bureaus and travel agencies open from around 8am or 9am to around 4pm or 5pm, Monday to Friday (although most embassies are only open to the public during the morning – so that’s when you need to apply for visas). In most countries throughout Africa, shops keep similar hours and are usually open on Saturday too (as are some travel agencies). Smaller shops and market stalls do not keep strict business hours at all. When there are customers around, the shopkeepers are behind their counters ready to serve, and when everyone is asleep in the heat of the afternoon, they are snoring round the back. In most cities, many shops and supermarkets stay open until late in the evening and on Saturday too, although only the largest are open on Sunday.In East and southern Africa, shops and offices close for an hour or so around noon. In North, West and Central Africa, the noon break can be two to four hours long, and businesses may stay open until 7pm or 8pm, sometimes later. Places like phone and internet bureaus keep much longer hours. Banks in most African countries are open Monday to Friday from 8am or 9am to around 2pm or 3pm. Some banks will even shut at noon. In Islamic countries, businesses (especially banks and embassies) may close all day on Friday, or have an extended lunch break (prayer-break, actually). During the Islamic fasting period of Ramadan, many businesses shut up shop at lunchtime and don’t reopen.Most cafés and smaller restaurants offer lunch from around noon to 2pm (for locals it’s the main meal of the day) and dinner in the evening from around 5pm to 7pm. Larger restaurants catering for more affluent locals and tourists keep the same lunch hours, but open later in the evening, usually from around 7pm to 10pm or later. Many restaurants open all day.]]>
-</business>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[It’s hard for outsiders to find work in most African countries, as high unemployment means a huge number of local people chase every job vacancy. You will also need a work permit, and these are usually hard to get as priority is rightly given to qualified locals over travellers.If you’re skilled in computing/web design, healthcare professions, engineering, teaching, journalism or safari guiding you’ll have a good chance of picking up a job eventually, but it’s likely to be a long and bureaucratic process. You’re unlikely to see many jobs advertised, so the best way to find out about them is by asking around among the expatriate community.]]>
-</overview>
-</work>
-</work_live_study>
-</destination>
-
-
-
-
-<destination atlas_id="3556111" asset_id="9931-1" title="South Africa" title-ascii="South Africa">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1910 the Union of South Africa was created, which gave political control to the whites. Inevitably, this prompted black resistance in the form of strikes, and political organisations were formed. Despite the moderate tone of these early resistance groups, the government reacted by intensifying repression.The Afrikaner National Party won the election in 1948. It went even further in excluding nonwhites from having any political or economic power, and the security forces brutally enforced its laws. Violence was a routine method of reaction to any opposition or protest. The suppression of black resistance ranged from the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the shooting of school children in Soweto in 1976, to the forcible evacuation and bulldozing of squatter settlements and the systematic torture – even murder – of political activists, such as Steve Biko.One of the most important organisations to oppose the racist legislation was the African National Congress (ANC). As it became obvious that the white rulers were unwilling to undertake even the most cosmetic reforms, guerrilla warfare became the preferred option for the ANC. In the early 1960s, many ANC leaders were arrested, charged with treason and imprisoned for long periods; the most famous of those was Nelson Mandela.The system of apartheid was entrenched even further in the early 1970s by the creation of the so-called Black homelands of Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana and Venda. These were, in theory, ‘independent’ countries. By creating the homelands, all blacks within white-designated South Africa were deemed foreign guest-workers and as such were without political rights. Any black person without a residence pass could be ‘deported’ to a homeland.Meanwhile, South Africa was becoming an isolated case in the face of successful liberation struggles in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which brought Marxist-leaning governments into power. As a result, a war psychosis came to dominate government thinking, and resulted in the invasion of southern Angola by South African armed forces. The South African Government also gave encouragement to counter-revolutionary guerrilla groups in both Mozambique and Angola, and refused to enter into genuine negotiations for the independence of Namibia.The international community finally began to oppose the apartheid regime, and the UN imposed economic and political sanctions. The government made some concessions, including the establishment of a farcical new parliament of whites, coloureds (people of mixed race) and Indians – but no blacks.The ‘reforms’ did nothing to ease sanctions. After the 1989 elections the new president, FW de Klerk, instituted a program that was aimed not only at dismantling the apartheid system, but also at introducing democracy. The release of political prisoners on 11 February 1990 (including Nelson Mandela), the repeal of the Group Areas Act (which set up the homelands), and the signing of a peace accord with the ANC and other opposition groups all opened the way for hard-fought negotiations on the path to majority rule.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The country’s first democratic elections took place in 1994, and across the country at midnight on 26–27 April, Die Stem (the old national anthem) was sung and the old flag was lowered. A new rainbow flag was raised and the new anthem, Nkosi Sikelele Afrika (God Bless Africa), was sung. In the past people had been jailed for singing this beautiful anthem.In the first democratic election in the country’s history, the ANC won 62.7% of the vote; 66.7% would have enabled it to overrule the interim constitution. The National Party won 20.4% of the vote, enough to guarantee it representation in cabinet. Nelson Mandela was made president of the ‘new’ South Africa.In 1999, after five years of learning about democracy, the country voted in a more ‘normal’ election. Issues such as economics and competence were raised and debated.There was some speculation that the ANC vote might drop with the retirement of Nelson Mandela. However, the ANC’s vote increased to the point where the party came within one seat of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution. The National Party lost two-thirds of its seats, losing its official opposition status to the Democratic Party. Thabo Mbeki, who took over leadership of the ANC from Nelson Mandela, became president in the 1999 elections. While Mbeki is viewed with far less affection by the ANC grass-roots than the beloved ‘Madiba’ (Mandela), he has proven himself a shrewd politician, maintaining his political pre-eminence by isolating or co-opting opposition parties. The 2004 national elections were won decisively by the ANC with 70% of the votes, with Mbeki at the helm, and today continues its dominance in daily political life.Yet it has not been all clear sailing. In the early days of his presidency, Mbeki’s effective denial of the AIDS crisis invited global criticism, and his conspicuous failure to condemn the forced reclamation of white-owned farms in neighbouring Zimbabwe unnerved both South African landowners and foreign investors. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In the coming years – in addition to choosing a successor for Mbeki, who has announced that he will step down in 2009 – attention is likely to focus overwhelmingly on crime, economic inequality, overhauling the education system and, especially, AIDS. With an estimated 4.5 million South Africans affected – more than in any other country in the world – this scourge threatens to eclipse all of South Africa’s other problems. In many ways the real work of nation building is only now beginning. While the political violence that was threatening to engulf the country in the early 1990s has for the most part disappeared, racial and cultural divisions remain entrenched. Monuments, museums and other cultural heritage sites giving tribute to black South Africans and other previously excluded groups have been springing up across the country and filling a long vacant gap. Yet many have served to re-spark old tensions, and debate continues on all sides about which version of history is the ‘real’ one.Perhaps the biggest attention grabber in South Africa’s ongoing struggle to define itself as a nation has been Freedom Park – a multimillion dollar venture on the outskirts of Pretoria that is intended to give a sweeping overview of South African history. When finished, it will span the millennia from humankind’s earliest beginnings up to the present, including a memorial to apartheid-era freedom fighters. The park, which has been lauded by President Mbeki as the country’s most important national monument, is set directly opposite the Voortrekker Monument –for years an icon for most Afrikaners and a despised symbol of colonial-era injustices for many other South Africans.What’s the next step? While almost all South Africans agree that things are better than before, no-one has quite been able to agree on which way forward will best balance out the diversity that is the country’s greatest asset, as well as its biggest challenge. There has been talk of building a road joining Freedom Park and the Voortrekker Monument. If this road ultimately comes to be seen by those on all sides as a symbol of a united path into the future, then it will have truly captured the emerging spirit of the new South Africa and the country will be well on its way to rebuilding itself as a ‘rainbow nation’.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The earliest recorded inhabitants of this area of Africa were the San (Bushmen) and the closely related Khoikhoi (Hottentots). The next arrivals were Bantu-speaking tribes who, by the 11th century, had settled the northeast and the east coast and, by the 15th century, most of the eastern half of South Africa. These tribes were pastoral but had trade links throughout the region. They were Iron Age peoples, and the smelting techniques of some tribes were not surpassed in Europe until the Industrial Revolution.The Dutch East India Company established the first European settlement in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. The settlers developed a close-knit community with their own dialect (Afrikaans) and Calvinist sect (the Dutch Reformed Church). Slaves were imported from other parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.Over the next 150 years, the colonists spread east, coming into violent contact with Bantu tribes. In 1779 the eastward expansion of the Boers (Dutch-Afrikaner farmers) was temporarily halted by the Xhosa in the first Bantu War.Further Boer expansion was hastened after the British annexed the Cape in 1806. The abolition of slavery in 1834 was regarded by the Boers as an intolerable interference in their affairs, and led to migration across the Orange River two years later. This became known as the Great Trek.Pressure on the Bantu from both the Boers and the British caused political and social changes among the tribes of the Natal area, resulting in the rise of the Zulu king, Shaka, in the early 19th century. His policy of total war on neighbouring tribes caused immense suffering and mass migration in a period known as the difaqane (the scattering).The Boers came into this chaos in search of new lands, and the British were not far behind them. The Zulu were eventually defeated, but relations between the Boers and the British remained tense – particularly after the formation of the Boer republics of the Free State and the Transvaal.Diamonds were discovered in 1867 at Kimberley, followed by the discovery of gold in 1886 on the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (Jo’burg). The Boer republics were flooded with British capital and immigrants, which created resentment among Boer farmers.The British imperialist Cecil Rhodes encouraged a rebellion among the heavily taxed – but nonvoting – English-speaking miners in the Transvaal, with a view to destabilising the Boer republics and encouraging British intervention. The resulting tensions led to the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War.The war ended with the defeat of the Boer republics and the imposition of British rule over the whole country. Britain had pursued a scorched-earth policy to combat Boer guerrillas, destroying homes, crops and livestock. During this time more than 26,000 Afrikaner women and children died in the world’s first concentration camps.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travel Alert: Crime is a problem throughout South Africa; see the Health & Safety section for details.It’s no wonder that South Africa draws more visitors than anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa. World-class wildlife-watching, cosmopolitan cities like the great big beating heart of Johannesburg, stunning natural panoramas from Table Mountain National Park and vibrant cultures make the country appealing to almost every taste and budget. Geographically, its extremes include the arid semidesert of the Karoo, the snowcapped peaks of the Drakensberg Range, the lush subtropical coast of KwaZulu-Natal and the fertile temperate valleys of Western Cape. Within the space of a day, you can journey from vineyard-clad hillsides in the Western Cape to the vast open spaces of the Kalahari; from waterfront chic in Cape Town to isolated Zulu villages; from elephant-spotting in Kruger National Park to the sublime seascapes of the coast.
-
-While it’s easy to focus on the glitz and developed infrastructure, you’ll only get below the surface by seeking out the country’s other face – most visible in the sprawling townships where far too many people live stalked by the shadows of hunger, poverty and one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world. Behind its incredible natural beauty, South Africa is the stage for the daily drama of one of the world’s greatest  experiments in racial harmony. The intensity of this drama surrounds you wherever you go, and is likely to be one of the most fascinating and challenging aspects of your travels.
-
-Make it happen
-
-Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
-
-
-take a tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town visiting Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Zululand, Transkei and the Garden Route.
-see the best of South Africa on this spectacular 8-day family tour
-go the long haul and travel from  Cape Town to Nairobi
-
-
-Want more? Choose from a wide selection of similar trips South Africa ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Crime is the national obsession and, apart from car accidents, it’s the major risk that you’ll face in South Africa. However, try to keep things in perspective, and remember that despite the statistics and newspaper headlines, the majority of travellers visit the country without incident. The risks are highest in Jo’burg, followed by some township areas and other urban centres. Daylight muggings are common in certain sections of Jo’burg, and the city’s metro train system has had a problem with violent crime. No matter where you are, you can minimise the risks by following basic safety precautions, remaining alert and exercising common sense.If you are a victim of crime in South Africa, it's most likely to occur at an ATM. There are dozens of scams that involve stealing your cash, your card or your personal identification number (PIN) - usually all three. Thieves are just as likely to operate in Stellenbosch as in downtown Jo'burg and they are almost always well-dressed and well-mannered men. The ATM scam you're most likely to encounter involves the thief tampering with the machine so your card becomes jammed. By the time you realise this you've entered your PIN. The thief will have seen this, and when you go inside to report that your card has been swallowed, he will take the card - along with several thousand rand. Choose the ATM you use carefully, and try to avoid using them at night and/or in secluded places.
-
-
-]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[South Africa’s currency is the rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents. There is no black market. The coins are one, two, five, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and R1, R2 and R5. The notes are R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. There have been forgeries of the R200 note, and some businesses are reluctant to accept them.The best currencies to bring are US dollars, euros or British pounds in a mixture of travellers cheques and cash, plus a Visa or MasterCard for withdrawing money from ATMs.There are ATMs in all cities in South Africa, most of which give cash advances against cards belonging to the Cirrus network. Credit cards are widely accepted in South Africa, especially MasterCard and Visa. Nedbank is an official Visa agent, and Standard Bank is a MasterCard agent – both have branches across the country.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visas for Namibia are not issued at the border, though many nationalities don’t require one. Visas for Zimbabwe and Mozambique are available at the borders. (South African nationals don’t need a visa for Mozambique.) For Mozambique it’s cheaper to arrange your visa in advance at the Mozambican High Commission in Mbabane, or in Nelspruit. Both issue express visas in 24 hours.If you’ll be arranging your visa in advance: Zimbabwean visas take at least a week to issue in South Africa; those for Namibia take two to three days; and those for Botswana take between four and 14 days. Nonexpress Mozambique visas take one week.]]>
-</other>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Visitors on holiday from most Commonwealth countries (including Australia and the UK), most Western European countries, Japan and the USA don’t require visas. Instead, you’ll be issued with a free entry permit on arrival. These are valid for a stay of up to 90 days.If you aren’t entitled to an entry permit, you’ll need to get a visa (also free) before you arrive. These aren’t issued at the borders, and must be obtained at a South African embassy or consulate. Allow up to several weeks for processing. South Africa has consular representation in most countries. The website of the South African High Commission in London (www.southafricahouse.com) has an overview of visa requirements, and lists the nationalities that require visas. ]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[In addition to being the international flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA; 0861-359 722, 011-978 5313; www.flysaa.com) is the main domestic carrier, with an extensive and efficient route network to major cities. Its subsidiaries, SAAirlink (011-978 5313; www.saairlink.co.za) and SA Express (011-978 5577; www.saexpress.co.za), also service domestic routes. Domestic fares aren’t cheap. In addition to SAA and its affiliates, airlines flying domestically include the following:1time (0861-345345; www.1time.co.za) No-frills flights linking Jo’burg with Cape Town, Durban and East London, George and Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town and East London. Also offers car rentals.Comair (0860-435 922, 011-921 0222; www.comair.co.za) Operates British Airways flights within Africa, and has flights linking Cape Town, Durban, Jo’burg and Port Elizabeth.Kulula.com (0861-585 852; www.kulula.com) Operates no-frills flights linking Jo’burg, Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth and Mpumalanga. Also offers airport transfer services and car rentals.Nationwide Airlines (0861 -737 737, 011-344 7200; www.nationwideair.co.za) Operates in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, and has flights linking Jo’burg, Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth, Sun City and Nelspruit.]]>
-</air>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Buses in South Africa aren’t the deal that they are in many other countries. However, together with the less-appealing minibus taxis, they’re the main form of public transport, with a reliable and reasonably comfortable network linking all major cities. Note that many long-distance services run through the night. A good alternative to standard bus lines is Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com), which caters almost exclusively to backpackers and other travellers. It offers hop-on, hop-off fares and door-to-door service between Cape Town and Jo’burg via the Northern Drakensberg, Durban and the Garden Route. It also has a loop service from Durban via Zululand and Swaziland to Jo’burg, passing close by Kruger National Park. Point-to-point fares are more expensive than on the other major bus lines, but can work out to be more economical if you take advantage of the hop-on/hop-off feature. Along with the main long-distance bus operator Translux (011-774 3333, 0861-589 282; www.translux.co.za), Greyhound (083-915 -1200; www.greyhound.co.za), Intercape Mainliner (0861-287 287, 021-380 4400; www.intercape.co.za) and SA Roadlink (011-333 2223; www.saroadlink.co.za) have services connecting most of the major cities. In partnership with Translux, City to City (011-774 3333, 0861-589 282; www.translux.co.za) has taken over the routes that once carried people from the homelands to and from the big cities during the apartheid regime. Prices rise during school holidays; all lines offer student and senior-citizen discounts, and Intercape has backpacker discounts. Also inquire about travel passes if you’ll be taking several bus journeys, and always check with the bus companies to see if they are running any specials, which can sometimes save you up to 40%.For the main lines, reservations should be made at least 24 hours in advance (72 hours in advance for Intercape Mainliner, and as much in advance as possible for travel during peak periods). It’s sometimes possible to get a seat at the last minute, but this shouldn’t be counted on.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Cape Town, Jo’burg, Pretoria and several other urban areas have city bus systems. Fares are cheap, and routes, which are signposted, are extensive. However, services usually stop running early in the evening, and there aren’t many buses on weekends.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[South Africa is ideal for driving, and away from the main bus and train routes, having your own wheels is the best way to get around. If you’re in a group, it’s also often the most economical. Most major roads are in excellent condition, and off the main routes there are interesting back roads to explore. Driving is on the left-hand side of the road, as in the UK, Japan and Australia. Petrol costs around US$0.70 per litre, and must be paid for in cash. There is no self-service. An attendant will always fill up your tank for you, clean your windows and ask if the oil or water needs checking, and should be tipped between US$0.30 and US$0.70. Along main routes in South Africa there are plenty of petrol stations, many open 24 hours. South Africa has a horrific road-accident record, with the annual death toll around 10,000 (although some estimates place it at over 15,000). The N1 between Cape Town and Beaufort West is considered to be the most dangerous stretch of road in the country. The main hazards are your fellow drivers, though animals and pedestrians on the roads are another hazard, especially in rural areas. ]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Car rental is relatively inexpensive in South Africa. Rates start at about US$40 per day, including insurance and 200km free per day. Rental of a 4WD starts at about US$60. For cheaper rates and unlimited mileage deals, it’s best to book and prepay through your agent at home before coming to South Africa. Around About Cars (0860 422 0422; www.aroundaboutcars.com)Avis (0861-113 748, 011-923 3660; www.avis.co.za)Budget (0861-016 622, 011-398 0123; www.budget.co.za)Europcar (0800-011 344, 011-574 4457; www.europcar.co.za)Hertz (021-935 4800, 011-312 9700; www.hertz.co.za)Local car-rental companies are usually less expensive, though they tend to come and go. Several are listed below, all with agents in major cities. Also check with backpacker hostels; many can arrange better deals, from around US$25 per day or less.Imperial (0861-131 000, 011-574 1000; www.imperialcarrental.co.za)Tempest (0860-031 666, 011-396 1080; www.tempestcarhire.co.za)]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Minibus taxis run almost everywhere – within cities, to the suburbs and to neighbouring towns. They leave when full and, happily, ‘full’ in South Africa isn’t as full as it is in many neighbouring countries. Most accommodate 14 to 16 people. Driving standards and vehicle conditions often leave a lot to be desired, and there are many accidents. There are also isolated outbreaks of gangster-style shoot-outs between the various companies competing for business. Although things have settled down in recent years, minibuses in some areas and on some routes are still considered highly unsafe, and reports of muggings and other incidents remain a regular feature. Always ask for local advice on lines and areas to avoid before using minibus taxis as transport.]]>
-</local_transport>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[South Africa’s Shosholoza Meyl passenger trains are run by Spoornet (011-773 2944; www.spoornet.co.za), and offer regular services connecting major cities. These are a good and safe, albeit slow, way to get around, and are more comfortable than taking the bus.On overnight journeys, 1st- and 2nd-class fares include a sleeping berth, but there’s an additional charge for bedding hire. Alternatively, you can hire a private compartment (which sleeps four in 1st class and six in 2nd class) or a coupe (which sleeps two in 1st class and three in 2nd class) – these are a good way of travelling more securely. Meals are available in the dining car.Tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance (you can book up to three months in advance). Bookings for anywhere in the country can be done at any individual station, or through the Shosholoza Meyl Reservations Centre (0860-008 888, 011-774 4555). Sample 1st-/2nd-/economy-class fares include: Jo’burg–Durban (US$34/22/13), Cape Town–Pretoria (US$70/47/31), Jo’burg–Port Elizabeth (US$49/33/20). Return fares are double the one-way fares. It’s possible to put a vehicle on board the Trans Karoo for an extra US$180.]]>
-</local_transport>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[The major air hub for South Africa, and for the entire surrounding region, is Johannesburg International Airport (JIA or JNB; 011-921 6262; www.worldairportguides.com/johannesburg-jnb). Cape Town International Airport (CPT; 021-937 1200; www.airports.co.za) receives numerous direct flights from Europe, and is becoming an increasingly important gateway. The smaller Durban International Airport (DUR; 031-451 6758; www.airports.co.za) handles several regional flights, as does Mpumalanga Kruger International Airport (MQP; 013-753 7500; www.kmiairport.co.za) near Nelspruit and Kruger National Park. South African Airways (SAA; airline code SA; 0861-359 722, 011-978 5313; www.flysaa.com; hub JIA) is the national airline, with an excellent route network and safety record. In addition to its international routes, it operates regional flights together with its subsidiaries South African Airlink (SAAirlink; 011-978 5313; www.saairlink.co.za) and South African Express (011-978 5577; www.saexpress.co.za). Some other international carriers flying to/from Jo’burg (except as noted) :Air France (AF; 0860-340 340; www.airfrance.fr) Hub: Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris.British Airways (BA; www.britishairways.com) Jo’burg (011-441 8600); Cape Town (021-936 1200) Hub: Heathrow Airport, London. Also serves Cape Town.Cathay Pacific (CX; 011-700 8900; www.cathaypacific.com) Hub: Hong Kong International Airport.Egyptair (MS; 011-312 2202, 011-880 4126/9; www.egyptair.com.eg) Hub: Cairo International Airport.Emirates Airlines (EK; 011-883 8420; www.emirates.com) Hub: Dubai International Airport.Kenya Airways (KQ; 011-881 9795, 011-571 8817; www.kenya-airways.com) Hub: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.KLM (KL; 0860-247 474, 011-881 9696; www.klm.com) Hub: Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. Also serves Cape Town.Lufthansa (LH; 0861-842 538, 021-415 3506; www.lufthansa.com) Hub: Frankfurt International Airport. Also serves Cape Town.Qantas (QF; 011-441 8550; www.qantas.com.au) Hub: Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney.Singapore Airlines (SQ; www.singaporeair.com) Jo’burg (011-880 8560); Cape Town (021-674 0601) Hub: Singapore Changi Airport. Also serves Cape Town.Virgin Atlantic (VS; 011-340 3400; www.virgin-atlantic.com) Hub: London. Also serves Cape Town.]]>
-</air>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[From Jo’burg/Pretoria, Intercape Mainliner (0861 287 287, 021-380 4400; www.intercape.co.za) runs daily buses to Gaborone (US$20, six hours). A cheaper, but less safe and less comfortable, alternative is one of the minibuses that run throughout the day between Jo’burg and Gaborone (about US$1.40, six hours) via Mafikeng (North-West Province). In Jo’burg, departures are from Park Station. To do the trip in stages, take a City Link bus from Jo’burg to Mafikeng, from where there are direct minibuses over the border to Lobatse (1½ hours). ]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[Big Sky Coaches (www.bigskycoaches.co.za) runs two buses daily in each direction between Bloemfontein and Maseru Bridge (US$4.70, three hours). Via minibus taxi, the quickest connections are from Bloemfontein to Botshabelo (US$4, one hour), and then from there to Maseru (US$2, 1½ hours). There are also at least three buses weekly between Jo’burg and Maseru (six to seven hours). Other useful connections include a daily minibus taxi between Mokhotlong (Lesotho) and Underberg (South Africa) via Sani Pass; and several taxis daily between Qacha’s Nek (Lesotho) and Matatiele (South Africa; about US$2, 45 minutes). ]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[Several large ‘luxury’ buses run daily between Jo’burg/Pretoria and Maputo via Nelspruit and Komatipoort (US$20 to US$38, eight to nine hours). These include Greyhound, Intercape Mainliner, Panthera Azul and Translux. Panthera Azul connects Durban and Maputo (US$31, 8½ hours).Alternatively, the Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) links Jo’burg/Pretoria, Nelspruit and Durban with Manzini (Swaziland), from where you can get a minibus taxi to Maputo. The daily (except Saturday) Komati train operated by Shosholoza Meyl (0860-008 888, 011-774 4555) links Jo’burg and Komatipoort via Pretoria and Nelspruit (1st/2nd/3rd class from US$25/17/9, 13 to 14 hours). Once at Komatipoort, you can change to the Mozambican train to Maputo (Mtc15, 000, economy class only, five hours), but it’s better to take a minibus (US$3.50, 1½ hours). Visas for Mozambique are available at the borders. (South African nationals don’t need a visa for Mozambique.) It’s cheaper to arrange your visa in advance at the Mozambican High Commission in Mbabane, or in Nelspruit. Both issue express visas in 24 hours. Nonexpress Mozambique visas take one week.]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[Intercape Mainliner (www.intercape.co.za) runs four times weekly between Cape Town and Windhoek via Upington (US$65, 20 hours). It’s also possible to travel between Jo’burg and Windhoek with Intercape Mainliner (US$83, 25 hours) on these same days, with a change of buses in Upington.]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[The best connections are on the Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com), which runs from Jo’burg/Pretoria to Manzini via Nelspruit, and between Durban and Manzini via the KwaZulu-Natal coast.Minibus taxis run daily between Jo’burg (Park Station), Mbabane and Manzini (US$0.90, four hours), between Manzini and Durban (US$16, eight hours), and between Manzini and Maputo (Mozambique; US$4.50, 2½ hours). ]]>
-</land>
-<land>
-<![CDATA[At the time of research, bus services between Jo’burg and Zimbabwe were suspended, due in part to fuel shortages. ]]>
-</land>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[South Africa has been favoured by nature with one of the most temperate climates on the African continent, and can be visited comfortably any time. Winter (June to September) is cooler and drier, and ideal for hiking and outdoor pursuits. Because vegetation is less dense, and thirsty animals congregate around water sources, winter is also the best time for wildlife-watching. Summer (late November to March) brings rain, mists and – in the lowveld – some uncomfortably hot days. Along the Indian Ocean coast, conditions are sultry and tropical, with high humidity. More of a consideration than weather are school holidays. From mid-December to January, waves of vacation-hungry South Africans stream out of the cities, with visitors from Europe and North America adding to the crush. The absolute peak is from Christmas to mid-January, followed by Easter. Accommodation in tourist areas and national parks is heavily booked, and prices can increase by more than double. Spring (mid-September to November) and autumn (April and May) are ideal almost every­where. Spring is also the best time to see vast expanses of Northern Cape carpeted with wildflowers.]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<wildlife>
-<animals>
-<mammals>
-<![CDATA[ South Africa is home to an unparalleled diversity of wildlife. It boasts the world's largest land mammal (the African elephant), as well as the second largest (white rhino) and the third largest (hippopotamus). It's also home to the tallest (giraffe), the fastest (cheetah) and the smallest (pygmy shrew). You probably have a better chance of seeing the Big Five - the black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard and lion - in South Africa than anywhere else. There's also a lesser-known 'Little Five' - the rhinoceros beetle, buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise and ant lion - if you're looking for a challenge.   The best time for wildlife-watching is the cooler, dry winter (June to September) when foliage is less dense, and animals congregate at waterholes, making spotting easier. Summer (late November to March) is rainy and hot, with the animals more widely dispersed and often difficult to see. However, the landscape turns beautiful shades of green around this time and birdlife is abundant. ]]>
-</mammals>
-</animals>
-<birds>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[ South Africa hosts over 800 bird species, including the world's largest bird (the ostrich), its heaviest flying bird (Kori bustard), and vividly coloured sunbirds and flamingos. Also here in abundance are weavers, who share their huge city-like nests with pygmy falcons, the world's smallest raptors. Bird-watching is good year-round, with spring (August to November) and summer the best.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</birds>
-<endangered_species>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[ The black rhino is the highest profile entry on South Africa's threatened species list (good places to spot these include Mkhuze Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. The riverine rabbit is the country's most endangered mammal (the only place in the world it is found is near rivers in the central Karoo). The wild dog (seen with luck in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park) is also endangered, as is the roan antelope.
-Endangered bird species include the graceful wattled crane and the blue swallow. The African penguin and the Cape vulture are considered threatened.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</endangered_species>
-<overview>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[South Africa encompasses one of the most diverse landscapes on the entire continent, with habitats ranging from verdant forests, to stony deserts and soaring mountains, to lush grasslands and classic African savannahs. It is home to penguins and flamingos, great white sharks and ponderous African elephants, and many more animals that will surprise and amaze visitors. There are over 700 publicly owned preserves (including 19 national parks) and about 200 private reserves, with Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park being the largest. ]]>
-</overview>
-</overview>
-<plants>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[ Over 20,000 plant species sprout from South Africa's soil - an amazing 10% of the world's total, although the country constitutes only 1% of the earth's land surface.  Dozens of flowers that are domesticated elsewhere grow wild here, including gladiolus, proteas, birds of paradise and African lilies. South Africa is also the only country with one of the world's six floral kingdoms within its borders.  In the drier northwest, there are succulents (dominated by euphorbias and aloes), and annuals, which flower brilliantly after the spring rains, and are one of Northern Cape's major tourist attractions.  In contrast to this floral wealth, South Africa has few natural forests. They were never extensive, and today only remnants remain. Temperate forests occur on the southern coastal strip between George and Humansdorp, in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and in Mpumalanga. Subtropical forests are found northeast of Port Elizabeth in the areas just inland from the Wild Coast, and in KwaZulu-Natal. In the north are large areas of savanna, dotted with acacias and thorn trees.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</plants>
-</wildlife>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556121" asset_id="1542-52" title="Cape Town" title-ascii="Cape Town">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Bush fires may be a natural part of Table Mountain's life cycle, but that doesn't make them any more welcome. In January 2006 a cigarette butt allegedly tossed by an English tourist set off a fire on the northern flank of Table Mountain that eventually engulfed a 700-hectare area from Devil's Peak to Lion's Head. A 65-year-old British tourist died from smoke inhalation but, although hundreds of people were evacuated, no homes were damaged.In contrast, regular blazes throughout the year lay waste to hundreds of shacks in the townships, leaving thousands with nothing other than the clothes they stand in. The clearly overstretched fire brigade complains of underpay and poor working conditions - some members hadn't even received a new uniform since the time of apartheid.Fires of quite another type were also snuffed out on Clifton Beach No 2 in late January 2006. Audiences of around 1000 were attending the Monday-night drumming circle on the beach, accompanied by the pyrotechnics of a group of fire dancers. The well-heeled residents of Clifton complained, prompting a squadron of police to raid the beach, snuffing out spectators' candles, searching bags for alcohol (illegal on the beach) and other substances, and generally being spoilsports.Also messing up Cape Town's life was the troubled Koeberg nuclear power station, which at full capacity provides just under half of the Western Cape's peak electricity demand. On Christmas Day 2005, one of Koeberg's two generation units was shut down due to damage caused by a loose bolt left behind during routine maintenance. Intermittent power cuts followed and became more frequent when Koeberg's second power unit failed a couple of months later. There was chaos as the robots (traffic lights) failed and cash registers and computers seized up. Sales of generators soared.The power cuts, combined with charges of corruption and cronyism levelled at the city's African National Congress (ANC) -controlled council, led to the party narrowly losing out to the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the municipal elections of March 2006. Although the third-placed Independent Party refused to work with the DA, negotiations with other smaller parties secured the DA's Helen Zille as Cape Town's new major. That same day the country's last white president, FW de Klerk, celebrated his 70th birthday at a party in the Mount Nelson Hotel where Nelson Mandela was the surprise guest of honour on a list that read like a who's who of modern South Africa.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[South Africa lays strong claim to being the cradle of mankind. At Langebaan Lagoon (north of Cape Town), the discovery of 117, 000-year-old fossilised footprints prompted one researcher to speculate that 'Eve' (the very first human, the common ancestor of us all) lived here.Little is known about these first humans, but there are signs that they conducted funerals, an indication of at least basic culture. Academics don't know whether the earliest-recorded inhabitants of South Africa - the San people - are direct descendants or if they returned to the area after aeons of travel anything between 40, 000 and 25, 000 years ago.The term Khoisan is used to describe both the San who were nomadic hunters and gatherers, and the Khoikhoi (also known as Khoekhoen, possibly meaning 'Men of Men') who were seminomadic hunters and pastoralists. It is believed the Khoikhoi developed from San groups in present-day Botswana. For centuries, perhaps even millennia, the San and the Khoikhoi intermarried and coexisted, so the distinction was by no means clear.Culturally and physically, the Khoisan developed differently from the Negroid peoples of Africa, although it's possible that they came into contact with pastoralist Bantu-speaking tribes as, in addition to hunting and gathering food, they became pastoralists, with cattle and sheep. The Khoisan migrated south, reaching the Cape of Good Hope about 2000 years ago. It was not uncommon for impoverished Khoikhoi to revert to a hunter-gatherer existence, or for the San to acquire domestic animals.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The first recorded Europeans to sight the Cape were the Portuguese, who passed by on their search for a sea route to India and for the most precious of medieval commodities: spices. Bartholomeu Dias rounded the Cape in 1488, naming it Cabo da Boa Esperança (Cape of Good Hope), but didn't linger long, as his sights were fixed on the trade riches of the east coast of Africa and the Indies.The Portuguese had no interest in a permanent settlement. The Cape offered them little more than fresh water, since their attempts to trade with the Khoisan often ended in violence, and the coast and its fierce weather posed a terrible threat to their tiny caravels.By the end of the 16th century, English and Dutch traders were beginning to challenge the Portuguese, and the Cape became a regular stopover for their scurvy-ridden crews. In 1647 a Dutch vessel was wrecked in Table Bay; its crew built a fort and stayed for a year before they were rescued.This crystallised the value of a permanent settlement in the minds of the directors of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie; VOC). They had no intention of colonising the country, but simply wanted to establish a secure base where ships could shelter and stock up on fresh supplies of meat, fruit and vegetables.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Jan van Riebeeck was chosen by the VOC to lead an expedition of 80 company employees - mainly poorly educated soldiers and sailors - charged with building a fort, bartering with the Khoisan for meat, and planting a garden. He reached Table Bay on 6 April 1652, built a mud-walled fort not far from the site of the stone Castle of Good Hope that survives today, and planted the gardens now known as the Company's Gardens.The Dutch were not greeted with open arms by either the San (later to be called Bushmen by the European settlers) or the Khoikhoi (likewise called Hottentots); intermittent hostilities broke out. In 1660, in a gesture that took on an awful symbolism, Van Riebeeck planted a wild almond hedge to protect his European settlement from the Khoisan. The hedge ran around the western foot of Table Mountain down to Table Bay, and a section of it can still be seen in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The irony was that contact between the Europeans and the Khoisan would prove far more dangerous for the locals, who were mortally vulnerable to the guns and diseases of the colonists.The Khoisan proving uncooperative, the Cape settlement was soon suffering a chronic labour shortage. From 1657 Van Riebeeck started releasing VOC employees, allowing them to farm land independently, thus beginning the colonisation process of Southern Africa and giving birth to the Boers. The following year he began to import slaves from West Africa, Madagascar, India, Ceylon, Malaya and Indonesia, among other places. By the time the slave trade was ended in 1807, some 60, 000 slaves had been brought to the Cape, laying the foundations for the unique mix of cultures and races found here today.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The process of colonisation kicked off a series of wars between the Khoikhoi and the Dutch in which the locals were obviously no match for the well-armed and organised Europeans. The Dutch, who were keen to bolster their numbers, allowed some 200 Huguenots, French Calvinists fleeing persecution by King Louis XIV, to settle on the Cape in 1688.There was a shortage of women in the colony, so female slaves and Khoisan women were exploited both for labour and for sex. In time, the slaves intermixed with the Khoisan, too. The offspring of these unions form the basis of sections of today's coloured population.Under the VOC's almost complete control, Kaapstad (the Dutch name for Cape Town) provided a comfortable European lifestyle for a growing number of artisans and entrepreneurs servicing ships and crews. By the middle of the 18th century there were around 3000 people living in the riotous port, known as the 'Tavern of the Seas' by every navigator, privateer and merchant travelling between Europe and the East (including Australia).]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[As the 18th century progressed, the global power of the Dutch was waning and under challenge by the British. The fourth Anglo-Dutch War was fought between 1780 and 1783. French regiments were sent to Cape Town to help the Dutch defend the city, but the British eventually prevailed at the Battle of Muizenberg in 1795 and took control of the Cape from the VOC, which by then was bankrupt.The Treaty of Amiens (1803) had the British cede the Cape back to the Dutch, but this proved just a lull in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1806 at Bloubergstrand, 25km north of Cape Town, the British again defeated the Dutch. The colony was ceded to the British on 13 August 1814.The British abolished the slave trade in 1808 and the remaining Khoisan were finally given the explicit protection of the law (including the right to own land) in 1828. These moves contributed to Afrikaners' dissatisfaction and their mass migration, which came to be known as the Great Trek, inland from the Cape Colony.Despite outlawing slavery, the British introduced new laws that laid the basis for an exploitive labour system little different from slavery. Thousands of dispossessed blacks sought work in the colony, but it was made a crime to be in the colony without a pass - and without work. It was also a crime to leave a job.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The British introduced free trade, which greatly benefited Cape Town's economy. Cape wines, in particular, were a huge hit, accounting for some 10% of British wine consumption by 1822. During the first half of the 19th century, before the Suez Canal opened, British officers serving in India would holiday at the Cape.Capetonians successfully managed to stop the British government's attempt to turn the colony into another Australia when their governor, Sir Harry Smith, forbade 282 British prisoners from leaving the ship Neptune when it docked in Cape Town in 1849. The Neptune continued to Tasmania and the Capetonians, who had challenged the might of the empire, became bolder in their demands for self-government.In 1854 a representative parliament was formed in Cape Town, but much to the dismay of Dutch and English farmers to the north and east, the British government and Cape liberals insisted on a multiracial constituency (albeit with financial requirements that excluded the vast majority of blacks and coloureds).In 1860 construction of the Alfred Basin in the docks commenced, which finally provided Cape Town with a stormproof port. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 dramatically decreased the amount of shipping that sailed via the Cape, but the discovery of diamonds and gold in the centre of South Africa in the 1870s and '80s helped Cape Town maintain its position as the country's premier port. Immigrants flooded into the city and the population trebled from 33, 000 in 1875 to over 100, 000 people at the turn of the 20th century.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[After the Great Trek, the Boers established several independent republics, the largest being the Orange Free State (today's Free State province) and the Transvaal (today's Northern Province, Gauteng and Mpumalanga).When the world's richest gold reef was found in the Transvaal (a village called Johannesburg sprang up beside it), the British were miffed that the Boers should control such wealth and precipitated war in 1899. The Boers were vastly outnumbered but their tenacity and knowledge of the country resulted in a long and bitter conflict. The British finally defeated them in 1902.Cape Town was not directly involved in any of the fighting but it did play a key role in landing and supplying the half a million imperial and colonial troops who fought on the British side. The Mount Nelson Hotel was used as headquarters by Lords Roberts and Kitchener. Bubonic plague in 1901 gave the government an excuse to introduce racial segregation, even though the disease had actually arrived in the Cape on a ship from Argentina. Blacks were moved to two locations, one near the docks and the other at Ndabeni on the western flank of Table Mountain. This was the start of what later would develop into the townships of the Cape Flats.After the war, the British made some efforts towards reconciliation, and instituted moves towards the union of the separate South African provinces. In the Cape, blacks and coloureds retained a limited franchise (although only whites could become members of the national parliament, and eligible blacks and coloureds constituted only around 7% of the electorate), but did not have the vote in other provinces.The issue of which city should become the capital was solved by the unwieldy compromise of making Cape Town the seat of the legislature, Pretoria the administrative capital, and Bloemfontein the judicial capital. The Union of South Africa came into being in the year of 1910.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Afrikaners were economically and socially disadvantaged when compared with the English-speaking minority, which controlled most of the capital and industry in the new country. This, plus lingering bitterness over the war and Afrikaners' distaste at having to compete with blacks and coloureds for low-paying jobs, led to strident Afrikaner nationalism and the formation of the National Party (NP).In 1948 the National Party came to power on a platform of apartheid (literally, 'the state of being apart'). In a series of bitter court and constitutional battles, the right of coloureds to vote in the Cape was removed (blacks had been denied the vote since 1910) and the insane apparatus of apartheid was erected.Mixed marriages were prohibited, interracial sex was made illegal and every person was classified by race. The Group Areas Act defined where people of each 'race' could live and the Separate Amenities Act created separate public facilities: separate beaches, separate buses, separate toilets, separate schools and separate park benches. Blacks were compelled to carry passes at all times and were prohibited from living in or even visiting towns without specific permission.The Dutch Reformed Church justified apartheid on religious grounds, claiming the separateness of the races was divinely ordained. The volk (literally, the 'people', but it really meant just Afrikaners) had a holy mission to preserve the purity of the white race in its promised land.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[A system of Homelands was set up in 1951, whereby the proportion of land available for black ownership in South Africa increased very slightly to 13%. Blacks then made up about 75% of the population. The Homelands idea was that each black group had a traditional area where it belonged - and must now stay. The government defined 10 such groups, which were based largely on dubious 19th-century scholarship. The area around Cape Town was declared a 'coloured preference area', which meant that no black person could be employed unless it could be proved that there was no coloured person suitable for the job.Apart from the inequity of the land allocation, not to mention the injustice of making decisions for and about people who were not allowed to vote, this plan ignored the huge numbers of blacks who had never lived in their 'Homeland'. Millions of people who had lived in other areas for generations were forcibly removed and dumped in bleak, unproductive areas with no infrastructure.The Homelands were regarded as self-governing states and it was planned that they would become independent countries. Four of the 10 Homelands were nominally independent by the time apartheid was demolished (they were not recognised as independent countries by the UN), and their dictators held power with the help of the South African military.Of course, the white population depended on cheap black labour to keep the economy booming, so many black 'guest workers' were admitted to South Africa. But, unless a black had a job and a pass, they were liable to be jailed and sent back to their Homeland. This caused massive disruption to black communities and families. Not surprisingly, people without jobs gravitated to cities such as Cape Town to be near their husbands, wives and parents.No new black housing was built, and as a result, illegal squatter camps mushroomed on the sandy plains to the east of Cape Town. In response, government bulldozers flattened the shanties, and their occupants were dragged away and dumped in the Homelands. Within weeks, inevitably, the shanties would rise again.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1960 the ANC and the Pan-African Congress (PAC) organised marches against the hated pass laws, which required blacks and coloureds to carry passbooks authorising them to be in a particular area. At Langa and Nyanga on the Cape Flats, police killed five protesters. The Sharpeville massacres in Gauteng were concurrent and resulted in the banning of the ANC and PAC. In response to the crisis, a warrant for the arrest of Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders was issued. In mid-1963 Mandela was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. Like many black leaders before him, Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island, in the middle of Table Bay. He remained here until 1982 when he was moved to Pollsmoor Prison south of Constantia on the Cape. His final place of incarceration was Victor Vester Prison near Paarl.The government tried for decades to eradicate squatter towns, such as Crossroads, which were focal points for black resistance to the apartheid regime. In its last attempt between May and June 1986, an estimated 70, 000 people were driven from their homes and hundreds were killed. Even this brutal attack was unsuccessful in eradicating the towns, and the government accepted the inevitable and began to upgrade conditions. Since then vast townships have sprung up across the Cape Flats. No-one knows exactly how many people call them home, but it could be more than 1.5 million. ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Apartheid's divide-and-rule tactics - favouring coloureds above blacks - stoked the animosity that lingers between the Cape's coloured and black communities today. Even so, coloureds did suffer under apartheid, and none more so than those living in the poor inner-city area known as District Six.In its time District Six, immediately east of the city centre, was the suburb that, more than any other, gave Cape Town its cosmopolitan atmosphere and life. Every race lived there and the streets were alive with people, from children to traders, buskers to petty criminals. Jazz was its life blood and the district was home to many musicians, including the internationally renowned pianist Dollar Brand (now called Abdullah Ibrahim).In 1966 District Six was classified as a white area. Its 50, 000 people, some of whose families had been there for five generations, were gradually evicted and dumped in bleak and soulless townships like Athlone, Mitchell's Plain and Atlantis. Friends, neighbours, and even relations were separated. Bulldozers moved in and the multiracial heart was ripped out of the city, while in the townships, depressed and dispirited youths increasingly joined gangs and turned to crime.The coloured Cape Muslim community of the Bo-Kaap, on the northeastern edge of Signal Hill, was more fortunate. Home to Cape Town's first mosque (the Owal Mosque on Dorp St dates back to 1798), the district was once known as the Malay Quarter because it was where many of the imported slaves from the start of the Cape Colony lived with their masters.In 1952 the entire Bo-Kaap region was declared to be a coloured area under the terms of the Group Areas Act. There were forced removals, but the residents of the community, which was more homogeneous than that of District Six, banded together in order to successfully fight for and retain ownership of their homes, many of which were declared National Monuments in the 1960s (so, fortunately, at least they were saved from the bulldozers). ]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In the 1980s the apartheid regime began to crumble amid deepening economic gloom caused by international sanctions and the increasing militancy of black opposition groups (which began with the Soweto student uprising in 1976).In 1982 Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders were moved from Robben Island to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town. (In 1986 senior politicians began secretly talking with them.) In 1983 the United Democratic Front (UDF) was formed when 15, 000 antiapartheid activists gathered at Mitchell's Plain in the Cape Flats. At the same time the state's military crackdowns in the townships became even more brutal.In early 1990 President FW de Klerk began to repeal discriminatory laws, and the ANC, PAC and Communist Party were legalised. On 11 February Nelson Mandela was released. His first public speech since he had been incarcerated 27 years earlier was delivered from the balcony of City Hall to a massive crowd filling the Grand Pde.From this time onwards virtually all the old apartheid regulations were repealed and, in late 1991, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) began negotiations on the formation of a multiracial transitional government and a new constitution extending political rights to all groups.Months of negotiations and brinkmanship finally produced a compromise and an election date, although at considerable human cost. Political violence exploded across the country during this time, some of it sparked by the police and the army. Despite this, the 1994 election was amazingly peaceful.The ANC won 62.7% of the vote, less than the 66.7% that would have enabled it to rewrite the constitution. In Western Cape, though, the majority coloured population voted in the NP as the provincial government, seemingly happier to live with the devil they knew than with the ANC.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[During the 1990s drugs and the associated crime became such a problem in the Cape that communities, and in particular the coloured community, began to take matters into their own hands. People against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) was formed in 1995, as an offshoot of the Islamic organisation Qibla. The group saw itself as defending the coloured community from the crooked cops and drug lords who allowed gangs to control the coloured townships.At first the police tolerated Pagad, but their vigilante tactics turned sour in 1996 with the horrific (and televised) death of gangster Rashaad Staggie. A lynch mob burned then repeatedly shot the dying gangster. Other gang leaders were killed but Cape Town really began to worry when bombs, believed to have been planted by the more radical of Pagad's members, began to go off around the city. One of the worst was in 1998 at Planet Hollywood at the Waterfront, although by 2000 many other explosions had happened at police stations, synagogues and a gay nightclub. In September 2000 a magistrate presiding in a case involving Pagad members was murdered in a drive-by shooting.Although Pagad leader Abdus Salaam Ebrahim was imprisoned in 2002 for seven years for public violence, no-one has been convicted, let alone charged for the Cape Town bombings, which thankfully seem to have stopped. Pagad, now designated a terrorist organisation by the government, keeps a much lower and quieter profile.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In December 1997 Mandela stepped down as ANC president and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Two years later South Africa held its second free elections. There had been speculation that the ANC vote might drop, but in fact it increased, putting the party within one seat of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to alter the constitution.In the Western Cape elections in 2000, however, the ANC fared worse. The pact between the old NP, restyled as the New National Party (NNP), and the Democratic Party (DP) to create the Democratic Alliance (DA), brought them victory not only in the provincial elections but also in the metropolitan elections. Two years later, in a previously unthinkable alliance, the NNP ditched the DP to join forces with the ANC, putting the ANC in control of Cape Town for the first time and bringing the city its very first black female mayor, Nomaindia Mfeketo.Conscious of their core vote in the Cape Flats the ANC-led city council vowed to improve the lot of township folk by upgrading the infrastructure in the informal settlements and investing more in decent low-cost housing, such as the N2 Gateway Project along the motor corridor linking the city with the airport. Urban renewal projects were also announced for Mitchells Plain, one of the most populous coloured areas of the city. Meanwhile, the City Bowl and surrounding areas continued to benefit from increased security and the development of ritzy, loft-style apartments in grand, old structures such as Mutual Heights.Full integration of the city's mixed population, though, is a long way off, if it's achievable at all. The vast majority of Capetonians continue to live in the bleak, impoverished communities of the Cape Flats, split along racial lines and suffering horrendous economic, social and health problems.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA['Today, praise be the Lord, wine was pressed for the first time from Cape grapes.'Jan van Riebeeck, 2 February 1659Although the founder of the Cape Colony, Jan van Riebeeck, planted vines and made wine himself, it was not until the arrival of Governor Simon van der Stel in 1679 that wine-making began in earnest. Van der Stel created Groot Constantia, the superb estate on the flanks of Table Mountain, and passed on his wine-making skills to the burghers who settled around Stellenbosch.Between 1688 and 1690, some 200 Huguenots arrived in the country. They were granted land in the region, particularly around Franschhoek (which translates as 'French Corner'), and, although only a few had wine-making experience, they gave the infant industry fresh impetus.For a long time, Cape wines other than those produced at Groot Constantia were not in great demand and most grapes ended up in brandy. The industry received a boost in the early 19th century as war between Britain and France meant more South African wine was imported to the UK.Apartheid-era sanctions and the power of the Kooperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereeniging (KWV; the cooperative formed in 1918 to control minimum prices, production areas and quota limits) didn't exactly encourage innovation and instead hampered the industry. Since 1992 the KWV, now a private company, has lost much of its former influence.Many new and progressive wine makers are leading South Africa's reemergence onto the world market. New wine-producing areas are being established away from the hotter inland areas, in particular in the cooler coastal areas east of Cape Town around Mossel Bay, Walker Bay and Elgin, and to the north around Durbanville and Darling.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Good-looking, fun-loving, sporty and sociable. If Cape Town was in the dating game that's how her profile would read. And - for once - it's all true. The Mother City of South Africa occupies one of the world's most stunning locations, with an iconic mountain slap-bang in her centre.As beautiful as the surrounding beaches and vineyards can be, it's the rugged wilderness of Table Mountain, coated in a unique flora, that grabs everyone's attention.Long before the Dutch took a fancy to the Cape Peninsula in the 17th century, the land was home to the Khoisan people who valued the spiritual power of the mountains and their life-providing water. While the European immigrants, and the slaves they brought here, have all shaped the physical environment of South Africa's third-largest city, Table Mountain - now protected within a national park that covers some 75% of the peninsula - remains at Cape Town's heart. This ever present backdrop is the city's adventure playground, as well as a source of legend and continuing spiritual nourishment. Under the Khoisan name of Hoerikwaggo - meaning 'Mountain in the Sea' - the national park is promoting a new series of trails that will allow visitors, for the first time, to sleep on the mountain top while hiking a world-class trail from Cape Point to the City Bowl.Complementing the mountain's natural beauty is Cape Town's eye-catching way with design and colour in everything from the brightly painted façades of the Bo-Kaap and the Victorian bathing chalets of Muizenberg, to the contemporary Afro-chic décor of the many excellent guesthouses, restaurants and bars. The city is crammed with galleries displaying amazing artworks and shops selling wonderfully inventive craftwork. It's also getting a reputation as the fashion nexus of South Africa. This creativity seems to spring naturally from the city's multiethnic population, proof of South Africa's status as the rainbow nation and a visual record of the country's tumultuous recorded history of over 350 years.For all the city centre's visual harmony and cosmopolitan atmosphere, you don't need to be in Cape Town for long to realise that the scars of modern South Africa's violent birth and apartheid adolescence still run deep. The wealth of Camps Bay and Constantia sits side by side with the ingrained poverty of townships, such as Khayelitsha, and the deprived coloured suburbs, home to the vast majority of the city's citizens. Friendly as Capetonians can be to visitors, among themselves suspicions and misinterpretations endure, and if you take one of the deservedly popular trips into the townships you'll be a step ahead of the vast majority of locals.Seeing life in the townships may shock and upset, but you'll also discover it's not a one-note story of grim survival. There are huge differences in lifestyle and many great examples of civic pride and optimism to balance against the shocking crime and HIV/AIDS statistics. And there's ubuntu, true African hospitality and care for fellow human beings. Look across the city and you'll also see people of all skin colours working together to make Cape Town a better place for everyone. Discovering the Mother City's true diversity and spirit is all part of getting the most out of a visit here.Reality check aside, Cape Town is an old pro at showing visitors a good time. There may not be game parks on Kruger's scale, but there are plenty of great wildlife-spotting opportunities, from the penguins at Boulders to the antelopes, buffaloes and black rhino at Solole Game Reserve. The restaurants and bars compare favourably with those of other cosmopolitan cities. There's a lively cultural scene, particularly when it comes to music, which pervades every corner of the city, and if outdoor activities and adrenaline buzzes are your thing, you've come to the right place. As local troubadour David Krammer's sing-along anthem for the Cricket World Cup has it, 'Welcome to Cape Town/Enjoy the party/Come in and have some fun/Cape Town's number one'.The capital of Western Cape province and the parliamentary capital of the republic, Cape Town works in a way that so few cities on the African continent do. Historic buildings have been saved, businesses are booming, inner-city crime is coming under control and you'll seldom be stuck for a parking space. Factor back in those stunning mountains, magnificent surf beaches and outstanding vineyards and you'll soon discover - like many before you - that it's easy to lose track of time while exploring all the wonders of this unique Southern African city. Now don't you think it's time you made a date with Cape Town?
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-Make it happen
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-Ready to go? These recommended partners make it easy:
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-explore  ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Cape Town is one of the most relaxed cities in Africa, which can instil a false sense of security. People who have travelled overland from Cairo without a single mishap or theft have been known to be cleaned out in Cape Town - generally when doing something like leaving their gear on a beach while they go swimming.Paranoia is not required, but common sense is. There is tremendous poverty on the peninsula and the 'informal redistribution of wealth' is reasonably common. The townships on the Cape Flats have an appalling crime rate and unless you have a trustworthy guide or are on a tour they are not places for a casual stroll.Stick to the roads when you walk around the city, and always listen to local advice. There is safety in numbers.Swimming at any of the Cape beaches is potentially hazardous, especially for those inexperienced in surf. Check for warning signs about rips and rocks and only swim in patrolled areas.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Follow the rules listed below and you'll cut your chances of becoming a crime statistic while withdrawing cash from an ATM:Avoid ATMs at night and in secluded places. Rows of machines in shopping malls are usually the safest.Most ATMs in banks have security guards. If there's no guard around when you're withdrawing cash, watch your back, or get someone else to watch it for you.Watch the people using the ATM ahead of you carefully. If they look suspicious, go to another machine.Use ATMs during banking hours and if possible take a friend. If your card is jammed in a machine then one person stays at the ATM and the other seeks assistance from the bank.When you put your card into the ATM press cancel immediately. If the card is returned then you know there is no blockage in the machine and it should be safe to proceed.Don't hesitate to be rude in refusing any offers of help to complete your transaction. If someone does offer, end your transaction immediately and find another machine.Carry your bank's emergency phone number, and if you do lose your card report it immediately.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Medical services are of a high standard in Cape Town. In an emergency contact the police (10111) to get directions to the nearest hospital. Many doctors make house calls; they're listed under 'Medical' in the phone book, and hotels and most other places to stay can arrange a visit.Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital (021-480 6111; www.netcare.co.za; 181 Longmarket St, City Bowl) The best private hospital; reception is on the 8th fl.Groote Schuur Hospital (021-404 9111; www.capegateway.gov.za/gsh; Main Rd, Observatory) In an emergency, you can go directly to its casualty department. ]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[SAA-Netcare Travel Clinic (021-419 3172; 11th fl, Picbal Arcade, 58 Strand St, City Bowl; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) For vaccinations and travel health advice.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<costs>
-<![CDATA[Western Cape accounts for about 15% of the country's total GDP, and many of South Africa's petroleum, insurance and retail corporations have their base in Cape Town. Viticulture, clothing, textiles, agriculture and fishing are all important sectors of the local economy, as is tourism. The opening of the Cape Town International Convention Centre has given a significant boost to this sector of the economy, and several high-profile hotel developments are under way, including an ultraluxury hotel complex at the Waterfront by entrepreneur Sol Kerzner of Sun City fame.Cape Town's economy has been on a roll over the last few years, and is rapidly catching up with similar cities abroad. This in turn means that the city's not quite the bargain that it used to be. There have been accusations that Capetonian businesses have been overcharging, particularly at the high end of tourism where some hotel prices have shot up in excess of international levels. In some respects, Cape Town's prices are just catching up with those of equivalent cities in the world - what still makes the city decent value is the high quality of products and services you get for your cash.Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has become the watchword of Cape Town's economy, with many white-owned businesses scrambling to find either black or coloured partners or investors in the wake of the enactment of the BEE Bill in January 2005. Economic charters and codes of good practice to redress the imbalances in South Africa's economy have been drawn up and all businesses now should be implementing BEE strategies. At the same time, the government is also pushing a 'buy South African' policy with the Proudly SA campaign (www.proudlysa.co.za) - look out for the colourful logo in the national-flag colours on local products.Most visitors will find eating and drinking very good value in Cape Town compared to elsewhere in the world; in contrast telephone charges, particularly for mobile phones, are pricey. If you're on a backpacker budget, you'll be looking at spending a minimum of R200 a day, while four-star travellers should reckon on R1000 to R1500 per day.]]>
-</costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[If your card belongs to the worldwide Cirrus network you should have no problem using ATMs in Cape Town. However, it pays to follow some basic procedures to ensure safety.]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Credit cards, especially MasterCard and Visa, are widely accepted. Nedbank is an official Visa agency and Standard Bank is a MasterCard agency - both have branches across the country. For lost or stolen cards contact the following:Amex (0860 003 768)Diners Club (021-686 1990)MasterCard (0800 990 418)Visa International (0800 990 475)]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[The unit of currency is the rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents (¢). The coins are 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 20¢and 50¢, and R1, R2 and R5. The notes are R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. The R200 note looks a lot like the R20 note, so check them carefully before handing them over. There have been forgeries of the R200 note; some businesses are reluctant to accept them. Rand is sometimes referred to as bucks. For exchange rates, see the inside front cover. ]]>
-</money>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Value-added tax (VAT) is 14%. Foreign visitors can reclaim some of their VAT expenses on departure. This applies only to goods that you are taking out of the country; you can't claim back the VAT you've paid on food or car hire, for example. Also, the goods have to have been bought at a shop participating in the VAT foreign tourist sales scheme.To make a claim, you need your tax invoice. This is usually the receipt, but make sure that it includes the following: the words 'tax invoice'; the seller's VAT registration number; the seller's name and address; a description of the goods purchased; the cost of the goods and the amount of VAT charged; a tax invoice number; and the date of the transaction.For purchases over R2000, your name and address and the quantity of goods must also appear on the invoice. All invoices must be originals, not photocopies. The total value of the goods claimed for must exceed R250.At the point of your departure, you will have to show the goods to a customs inspector. At airports make sure you have the goods checked by the inspector before you go and check in your luggage. After you have gone through immigration, you make the claim and then pick up your refund cheque - at the airport in Cape Town you can then cash it straight away at the currency-exchange office (usually in rand or US dollars).To save time, there's a VAT desk in the Clock Tower Centre (021-405 4545; 9am-8.30pm) at the Waterfront, which can take care of the paperwork, or at Cape Town Tourism (021-426 4260; www.tourismcapetown.co.za; cnr Castle &amp; Burg Sts, City Bowl; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun Dec-Mar, 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun Apr-Nov) in the City Bowl.You can also make your claim at the international airports in Jo'burg and Durban, at the Beitbridge (Zimbabwe) and Komatipoort (Mozambique) border crossings and at major harbours.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Visitors on holiday from most Commonwealth countries (including Australia and the UK), most Western European countries, Japan and the USA don't require visas. Instead, you'll be issued with a free entry permit on arrival. These are valid for a stay of up to 90 days. But if the date of your flight out is sooner than this, the immigration officer may use it as the date of your permit expiry unless you request otherwise.If you aren't entitled to an entry permit, you'll need to get a visa (also free) before you arrive. These aren't issued at the borders, and must be obtained at a South African embassy or consulate in your own country. Allow several weeks for processing. South Africa has consular representation in most countries. The website of the South African High Commission (www.southafricahouse.com) in London has a helpful overview of visa requirements, and listings of which nationalities require visas.For any entry - whether you require a visa or not - you need to have at least two completely blank pages in your passport, excluding the last two pages.You can apply for a South African visa extension or a reentry visa at the Department of Home Affairs (021-465 0333; www.samigrationservices.co.za; 56 Barrack St; 8.15am-3.15pm Mon-Fri).]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[There are many direct international flights into Cape Town, although sometimes you'll have to change planes at Johannesburg (Jo'burg). Useful online ticket sellers include the following:Cheap Flights (www.cheapflights.co.uk)Flight Centre(www.flightcentre.com)STA Travel (www.statravel.com)Travel.com.au (www3.travel.com.au/home.html)Zuji (www.zuji.com)]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Air Mauritius (021-671 5225; www.airmauritius.com; Sanclaire Bldg, 21 Dreyer St, Claremont)Air Namibia (021-936 2755; www.airnamibia.com.na; Cape Town International Airport)British Airways (in Jo'burg 011-4418600; www.ba.com)KLM (0860 247 747; www.klm.co.za; Slade House, Boundary Terraces, 1 Mariendahl Lane, Newlands)Lufthansa (0861 842 538; Cape Town International Airport)Malaysia Airlines (021-419 8010; fax 021-419 7017; 8th fl, Safmarine House, 22 Riebeeck St, City Bowl)SAA (021-936 1111; www.flysaa.com; Cape Town International Airport)Singapore Airlines (021-674 0601; 3rd fl, Sanclaire Bldg, 21 Dreyer St, Claremont)Virgin Atlantic (021-934 9000; Cape Town International Airport)]]>
-</air>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Cape Town International Airport (021-937 1200; www.airports.co.za) is located 20km east of the city centre. There is a tourist information office and Internet access in both the international and domestic departure/arrival halls.]]>
-</air>
-<bicycle>
-<![CDATA[The Cape Peninsula is a terrific place to explore by bicycle, but there are many hills, and distances can be deceptively large - it is nearly 70km from the centre to Cape Point. Unfortunately, you are not supposed to take bicycles on suburban trains.The following places in Cape Town offer bicycle hire: Atlantic Tourist Information Centre (021-434 2382; 243 Main Rd, Sea Point; bicycle/scooter per day R85/195)Cape Info Africa (021-425 6461; www.capeinfoafrica.co.za; 32 Napier St, Waterkant; per day R85)Downhill Adventures (021-422 0388; www.downhilladventures.com; Orange St, Gardens; per day R100) Homeland Shuttle &amp; Tours (021-426 0294, 083 265 6661; www.homeland.co.za; 305 Long St, City Bowl; per day R80)]]>
-</bicycle>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Interstate buses arrive at the bus terminus at Cape Town Train Station, where you'll find the booking offices for the following bus companies:Greyhound (021-505 6363; www.greyhound.co.za)Intercape Mainliner (021-380 4400; www.intercape.co.za)SA Roadlink (021-425 0203; www.saroadlink.co.za)Translux (021-449 3333; www.translux.co.za)Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) is aimed at backpackers and travellers, offering hop-on, hop-off fares and door-to-door service between Cape Town and Jo'burg via the Northern Drakensberg, Durban and the Garden Route.For local bus services the main station is the Golden Acre Terminal (Grand Parade, City Bowl). From this station Golden Arrow (0800 656 463; www.gabs.co.za) buses run, with most services stopping early in the evening. Buses are most useful for getting along the Atlantic coast from the city centre to Hout Bay (trains service the suburbs to the east of Table Mountain). When travelling short distances, most people wait at the bus stop and take either a bus or a shared taxi, whichever arrives first. A tourist-friendly alternative is the City Sightseeing Cape Town bus service.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Be prepared for the sometimes-erratic breaking of road rules by fellow drivers, and drive with caution. Breath testing for alcohol exists but given the lack of police resources and the high blood-alcohol level permitted (0.08%), drunk drivers remain a danger. It's highly unlikely that the police will bother you for petty breaches of the law, such as breaking the speed limit. This might sound like a pleasant state of affairs, but after you've encountered a few dangerous drivers, strict cops seem more attractive.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[Major local and international car-hire companies in Cape Town include the following:Avis (086 102 1111; www.avis.co.za; 123 Strand St, City Bowl)Budget (086 001 6622; www.budget.co.za; 120 Strand St, City Bowl)Hertz (021-400 9650; www.hertz.co.za; cnr Loop &amp; Strand Sts, City Bowl)CABS Car Rental (021 386 5500; www.cabs.co.za; 14 Montreal Ave, Airport Industria)
-A friendly local firm is Around About Cars (021-422 4022; www.aroundaboutcars.com; 20 Bloem St, City Bowl; 7.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-noon Sat &amp; Sun). This company offers one of the best independent deals in town with rates starting at R169 per day for a Mazda 323 with a R4000 excess on any claims (R210 for no excess). Many backpacker hostels can also arrange deals from around R200 per day or less.South Africa is a big country but, unless you're a travel writer on a tight schedule, you probably don't need to pay higher rates for unlimited kilometres. For meandering around, 400km a day should be more than enough, and if you plan to stop for a day here and there, 200km a day might be sufficient.However, if you're hiring with an international company and you book through the branch in your home country, you'll probably get unlimited kilometres at no extra cost. At peak times in South Africa (mainly in summer), even your local branch might tell you that unlimited-kilometre deals aren't available. Your travel agency may be able to get around this.When you're getting quotes make sure that they include value-added tax (VAT), as that 14% slug makes a big difference.One problem with nearly all car-hire deals is the excess: the amount you are liable for before the insurance takes over. Even with a small car you can be liable for up to R5000 (although there's usually the choice of lowering or cancelling the excess for a higher insurance premium). A few companies offer 100% damage and theft insurance at a more expensive rate. You may also be charged extra if you nominate more than one driver. If a non-nominated driver has an accident, then you won't be covered by insurance. Always make sure you read the contract carefully before you sign.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[The following places hire out motorcycles or scooters:Café Vespa (083 448 2626, 083 646 6616; www.cafevespa.com; 108 Kloof St, Tamboerskloof; 9am-midnight) New 150cc Vespas from R110 per day, including insurance and helmet, depending on how long you hire it for.Harley-Davidson Cape Town (021-424 3990; www.harley-davidson-capetown.com; 45 Buitengracht St, City Bowl; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat) Hires out a Harley 1340cc Big Twins or an MG-B convertible sports car for R1150 per day.Le Cap Motorcycle Hire (021-423 0823; www.lecapmotorcyclehire.co.za; 43 New Church St, Tamboerskloof; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) Motorcycle hire from R360 per day.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<car_and_motorcycle>
-<![CDATA[It costs R22 to drive along Chapman's Peak Dr.]]>
-</car_and_motorcycle>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Consider taking a nonshared taxi at night or if you're in a group. Rates are about R10 per kilometre. There's a taxi rank at the Adderley St end of the Grand Pde in the city, or call Marine Taxi (021-434 0434), SA Cab (0861 172 222; www.sacab.co.za) or Unicab Taxis (021-447 4402).]]>
-</local_transport>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Shared taxis cover most of the city with an informal network of routes. They're a cheap and efficient way of getting around. Useful routes are from Adderley St, opposite the Golden Acre Centre, to Sea Point along Main Rd (R3) and up Long St to Kloof Nek (R2).The main rank is on the upper deck of Cape Town Train Station and is accessible from a walkway in the Golden Acre Centre or from stairways on Strand St. It's well organised, and finding the right rank is easy. Anywhere else, you just hail shared taxis from the side of the road and ask the driver where they're going.]]>
-</local_transport>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Flights, tours and rail tickets can all be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/travelservices.]]>
-</overview>
-<train>
-<![CDATA[Metro commuter trains are a handy way to get around, although there are few (or no) trains after 6pm on weekdays and after noon on Saturday. For more information contact Cape MetroRail (0800 656 463; www.capemetrorail.co.za).Metro trains have first- and economy-class carriages only. The difference in price and comfort is negligible, though you'll find the first-class compartments to be safer on the whole. The most important line for visitors is the Simon's Town line, which runs through Observatory and around the back of Table Mountain through upper- income white suburbs such as Newlands, on to Muizenberg and the False Bay coast. These trains run at least every hour from 5am to 7.30pm Monday to Friday (to 6pm on Saturday), and from 7.30am to 6.30pm on Sunday. (Rikkis meet all trains and go to Boulders.) Some trains have Biggsy's, a restaurant carriage and rolling wine bar. There's a small extra charge to use it.Metro trains run some way out of Cape Town, to Strand on the eastern side of False Bay, and into the Winelands to Stellenbosch and Paarl. They are the cheapest and easiest means of transport to these areas; security is best at peak times.Some economy/first-class fares are Ob- servatory (R4.20/5.50), Muizenberg (R5.50/8.50), Simon's Town (R7.30/12), Paarl (R8.50/14.50) and Stellenbosch (R7.50/12).The African Vintage Rail Tours (021-419 5222; www.vintagetrains.co.za) runs occasional trips to the Spier wine estate using a steam locomotive, as well as two-hour sunset train trips to Milnerton.]]>
-</train>
-</getting_there_and_around>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[If you've spent time in the Mediterranean then you've experienced Cape Town's climate. The summers are generally warm and dry, while winters tend to be wet and cool, the rains brought on by fierce northwesterly gales. Neither season experiences extremes of temperature, thanks to prevailing winds.Be prepared though for 'four seasons in one day'. The peninsula's shape creates microclimates, so you can be basking in the sun on one side of the mountain and sheltering from chilly rain and winds on the other. It's no accident that Newlands is so lush in comparison to Cape Point - the former receives four times as much rain annually as the latter.]]>
-</climate>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Climate change is a serious threat to the ecosystems that humans rely upon, and air travel is the fastest-growing contributor to the problem. Lonely Planet regards travel, overall, as a global benefit, but believes we all have a responsibility to limit our personal impact on global warming.Flying &amp; Climate ChangePretty much every form of motorised travel generates carbon dioxide (C02; the main cause of human-induced climate change), but planes are far and away the worst offenders, not just because of the sheer distances they allow us to travel, but because they release greenhouse gases high into the atmosphere. The statistics are frightening: two people taking a return flight between Europe and the US will contribute as much to climate change as an average household's gas and electricity consumption over a whole year. Carbon Offset SchemesClimatecare.org and other websites use 'carbon calculators', which allow travellers to offset the level of greenhouse gases they are responsible for with financial contributions to sustainable-travel schemes that reduce global warming - including projects in India, Honduras, Kazakhstan and Uganda. Lonely Planet, together with Rough Guides and other concerned partners in the travel industry, support the carbon offset scheme run by Climatecare.org. Lonely Planet offsets all of its staff and author travel.For more information check out our website: www.lonelyplanet.com.]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<work_live_study>
-<work>
-<business>
-<![CDATA[Banking hours vary but are usually from 9am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 11am Saturday. Post offices are usually open from 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 8am to noon Saturday.Most shops are open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 1pm Saturday. Major shopping centres, such as the Waterfront and Canal Walk, are open daily, often to 9pm.Cafés generally open from 7.30am to around 5pm daily. A few places (more usually in the City Bowl) are closed on Sunday or occasionally Monday. Restaurants open for lunch from 11.30am to 3pm, with dinner usually kicking off around 7pm and last orders at 10pm.]]>
-</business>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Because of high unemployment and fears about illegal immigration from the rest of Africa, there are tough penalties for employers taking on foreigners without work permits. So far this doesn't seem to have stopped foreigners getting jobs in restaurants or bars in tourist areas, but this might change. Don't expect decent pay, something like R10 to R20 per hour plus tips (which can be good) is usual. The best time to look for work is from October to November, before the high season starts and before university students begin holidays. ]]>
-</overview>
-</work>
-</work_live_study>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556131" asset_id="" title="Table Mountain National Park" title-ascii="Table Mountain National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Covering some three quarters of the peninsula, Table Mountain National Park (www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain) stretches from flat-topped Table Mountain to Cape Point. For the vast majority of visitors the main attraction is the 1086m-high mountain itself, the top of which can easily be accessed by the Cableway (424 5148; www.tablemountain.net; adult one-way/return US$8/16, child US$4/6; 8.30am-7pm Feb-Nov, 8am-10pm Dec &amp; Jan), which runs every 10/20 minutes in high/low season. The views from the revolving cable car and on the summit are phenomenal. The Cableway doesn’t operate when it’s dangerously windy, and there’s little point going up if you are simply going to be wrapped in the cloud known as the ‘tablecloth’. The best visibility and conditions are likely to be first thing in the morning or in the evening. Hikers can take advantage of over 300 routes up and down, but bear in mind that the mountain is over 1000m high, conditions can become treacherous quickly and it’s easy to get lost. Unprepared and foolhardy hikers die here every year. In 2005 Table Mountain National Park launched the first of its planned suite of three Hoerikwaggo Trails (www.tablemountainpark.com/parks/table_mountain/ht) designed to allow visitors, for the first time, to sleep on the mountain, and eventually to hike 80km or so from the City Bowl to Cape Point.If you don’t have your own transport, rikkis will drop you at the cable car from the city centre or take a nonshared taxi.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556141" asset_id="" title="Free State" title-ascii="Free State">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[This is a place where farmers in floppy hats and overalls drive rusty bakkies full of sheep over bumpy roads; where giant fields of sunflowers languish by brightly painted Sotho houses. It’s true that Free State doesn’t hold any trump cards when it comes to South Africa’s not-to-be-missed attractions. In this staunchly Afrikaans region the line between the colours is stark, and dreams of an Afrikaner Arcadia live on. While there’s no question that Free State has a long way to travel on the road to racial harmony, even in the smallest rural villages, the once-impenetrable barrier between black and white is beginning to break apart. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556151" asset_id="" title="Bloemfontein" title-ascii="Bloemfontein">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[As the provincial capital of the Free State, and South Africa’s judicial capital, tourism in Bloem (as the locals call it) is generally business oriented. But it’s also a university town, so when school’s in session, nightlife is raging. There’s no real reason to go out of your way to visit Bloem, although it has a few interesting sights if you are in the neighbourhood. Commemorating the 26, 000 women and children who died in British concentration camps during the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War, the National Women’s Memorial depicts a bearded Afrikaner, setting off on his pony to fight the British, bidding a last farewell to his wife and baby, who are to perish in one of the camps. It’s a powerful image and one still buried in the psyche of many Afrikaners.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Both SAAirlink (433 3225) and Nationwide Airlines (011 344 7200; www.flynationwide.co.za) connect Bloemfontein with Cape Town (US$160) and Jo’burg (US$135), in addition to other destinations.Translux and Greyhound run daily buses to Durban (US$20 to US$31, nine hours), Jo’burg/Pretoria (US$20 to US$27, five hours), East London (US$24, seven hours), Knysna (US$36, 12 hours) and Cape Town (US$43 to US$48, 10 hours). Big Sky Buses (www.bigskycoaches.co.za) runs to Maseru in Lesotho (US$4.70, three hours) twice daily Monday to Friday.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556161" asset_id="" title="Gauteng" title-ascii="Gauteng">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Fast, bustling and a cabaret of contradictions, Gauteng (pronounced ‘how-teng’) covers just 1.5% of the country’s land surface, yet accounts for 34% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and, perhaps more extraordinarily, 10% of the GDP of the whole of Africa. The laid-back, friendly atmosphere of Pretoria, the country’s administrative capital, belies a turbulent past. Fifty or so kilometres down the M1 motorway away is Johannesburg, the provincial capital and third-largest city on the continent. Sprawling and booming, it’s a strange conurbation of opulent suburbs set alongside some of the country’s starkest urban poverty. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556171" asset_id="1531-20" title="Johannesburg" title-ascii="Johannesburg">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travel Alert: Crime is a serious problem in Johannesburg; see the Dangers & Annoyances section for details.Jo’burg, or ‘Jozi’ as it’s more commonly known, is without a doubt the great big beating heart of South Africa, and has long played a Jekyll-and-Hyde role in the global consciousness. Often the stage on which the epic of this extraordinary nation has been played out, the colossus of Jo’burg – with all its thrills and foibles – is today a fascinating, multitudinous city, where all the ups and downs of 21st-century South Africa can be witnessed in three, multicolour dimensions.In the past, the city’s darker personality proved the most enduring. The Jo’burg of the newsflash was a city where fear and loathing reigned supreme; a city where spiralling gun crime and poverty had manifested itself in a society where one half of the population stagnated, while the other looked on impassively through coils of razor wire.As ever, there is an element of truth to the stereotypes. Jo’burg does bear scars of South Africa’s turbulent 20th century, and many will take time to heal. Stark inequalities persist, but armed with a new self-confidence – ironically most pronounced in the infamous township of Soweto – Africa’s giant hub is beginning to introduce itself to a healthier diet of urban renewal and social regeneration. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Pay careful attention to your personal security in Jo’burg. Daylight muggings in the city centre and other inner suburbs, notably Hillbrow, are not uncommon and you must be constantly on your guard. You’d be crazy to walk around central Jo’burg at night – if you arrive after dark and don’t have a car, catch a taxi to your final destination.Crime is a big problem, but it is important to put things in perspective: remember that most travellers come and go without incident and that much of the crime afflicts parts of the city you would have little reason to stray into. It’s when using ATMs that you’re most vulnerable. Seek local advice, listen to it and remain aware of what’s going on around you.]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[AIDS line (0800-012 322)Fire (10111)Rape Crisis Line (116 1888)SA Police Headquarters (10111; Main Rd)]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Johannesburg General Hospital (011-488 4911; M1/Jubilee Rd, Parktown) Jo’burg’s main public hospital.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[There are banks with ATMs and change facilities at every commercial centre. American Express and Rennies Travel (an agent for Thomas Cook) have branches at the airport and in major malls.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[JIA is located about 25km east of central Johannesburg in Kempton Park. Between 5am and 10pm, buses run every half hour between JIA and Park Station (US$11, 45 minutes). The area immediately around Park Station is confusing and known for muggings. The Airport Link (884 3957) is a reputable airport shuttle. Taxis are expensive at around US$43 one way to the northern suburbs. Most hostels will collect you from the airport.Metropolitan Bus Services (Metrobus; 375 5555; www.mbus.co.za; Gandhi Sq) runs services covering 108 routes in the Greater Jo’burg area. Fares work on a zone system, ranging from zone one (US$0.50) to zone eight (US$1.40).If you do take a minibus taxi into central Jo’burg, be sure to get off before it reaches the end of the route and avoid the taxi rank – it’s a mugging zone. US$0.70 will get you around the inner suburbs and the city centre, and US$1.20 will get you almost anywhere.Taxis operate meters if they work. It’s wise to ask a local the likely price and agree on a fare at the outset. From the taxi rank at Park Station to Rosebank should cost around US$10. There has been a very serious problem with violent crime on the metro system, mostly on those lines connecting with black townships. The Jo’burg–Pretoria metro line should also be avoided.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[South Africa’s major international and domestic airport is Johannesburg International Airport (JIA; 921 6262; www.acsa.co.za).All regular flights to national and regional destinations can be booked through SAA, which also has offices in the domestic and international terminals of JIA.Smaller budget airlines, including Comair, Kulula, 1Time and Nationwide, also link Jo’burg with major destinations and often have much cheaper fares.]]>
-</air>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[A number of international bus services leave Jo’burg from the Park Station complex for Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.The main long-distance bus lines (national and international) also depart from and arrive at the Park Station transit centre, in the northwest corner of the site, where you will also find their respective booking offices. Translux, City to City, Greyhound, SA Roadlink, Greyhound and Intercape service major and minor destinations. With the exception of City to City buses, which commence in Jo’burg, all services that are not heading north commence in Pretoria at the Pretoria station. Some sample fares are Cape Town (US$51 to US$63, 19 hours), Durban (US$17 to US$28, eight hours), Nelspruit (US$11 to US$25, five hours), East London (US$43, 15 hours) via Bloemfontein (US$20, seven hours), and Plettenberg Bay (US$42, 18 hours).Baz Bus (021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) now services backpackers from Jo’burg. ]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556181" asset_id="" title="Pretoria" title-ascii="Pretoria">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[At once the ‘Afrikaner Jerusalem’, former headquarters of the apartheid state, and site of the presidential inauguration of Nelson Mandela, the pretty, laid-back city of Pretoria – the administrative capital – carries a remarkable amount of history for its age. Ironically, the city that for so long was a byword for white domination is now home to Thabo Mbeki, the liberated country’s black president.It’s just 50km from Jo’burg, and is expected within 15 years to form part of a megalopolis of 20 million people. Yet Pretoria moves at a slower pace than its giant neighbour and remains Afrikaans culturally. Military and educational institutions associated with the capital remain, while the tens of thousands of university students drive Pretoria’s vibrant nightlife.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Hatfield Clinic (012-362 7180; 454 Hilda St) A well-known suburban clinic.Pretoria Academic Hospital (011-354 1000; Dr Savage Rd) The place to head for in a medical emergency.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[There are banks with ATMs and change facilities across town:American Express (346 2599; Brooklyn Mall; 9am-5pm)Nedbank (cnr Burnett &amp; Festival Sts) Next to Hatfield Galleries.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Get You There (346 3175) operates shuttle buses between JIA and Pretoria, day and night about every hour, charging US$13 to/from hostels and hotels. If you call ahead, most hostels, and many hotels, offer free pick-up.There’s an extensive network of local buses. Fares range from US$0.70 to US$0.90, depending on the distance. There are taxi ranks on the corner of Church and Van der Walt Sts, and on the corner of Pretorius and Paul Kruger Sts. ]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Most interprovincial and international bus services commence in Pretoria, unless they are heading north. Translux, Greyhound and Intercape fares from Pretoria are identical to those from Jo’burg. If you only want to go between the two cities, it will cost about US$6. Minibus taxis leave from the main terminal by the train station and travel to a host of destinations including Jo’burg (US$4). Because of high incidents of crime, we don’t recommend taking the metro between Pretoria and Jo’burg. Baz Bus (Cape Town 021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) will pick up and drop off at Pretoria hostels.Long-distance minibus taxis leave from near the railway and bus stations just off Scheidling St.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556191" asset_id="" title="KwaZulu-Natal" title-ascii="KwaZulu-Natal">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Rough and ready, smart and sophisticated, rural and rustic, KwaZulu-Natal is as eclectic as its cultures, people and landscapes. It has its metropolitan heart in the port of Durban and its nearby historic capital, Pietermaritzburg. The beaches along this coast attract local holiday-makers, and to the north is Zululand, home to some Africa’s most evocative traditional settlements and cultural sites. The region also boasts alluring national parks and isolated, wild coastal reserves. The province’s border in the far west, the heritage-listed uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountain range, features awesome peaks, unforgettable vistas and excellent hiking opportunities. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556201" asset_id="" title="Durban" title-ascii="Durban">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Stretching along a swathe of butter-yellow sand, South Africa’s third-largest city offers a lively, if slightly tacky, prepackaged seaside holiday. The beachfront, with its multi-km stretch of high-rise hotels and snack bars, remains a city trademark, and the city centre, peppered with some grandiose colonial buildings and fascinating Art Deco architecture, throbs to a distinctly African beat. Home to the largest concentration of people of Indian descent in the country, Durban also boasts the sights, sounds and scents of the subcontinent. While the beachfront is still a favourite spot, many visitors, wary of the city’s increasing reputation for crime, base themselves in the suburbs, which are chock-a-block with accommodation, shopping malls, funky bars and stylish eateries.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<while_youre_there>
-<![CDATA[Entabeni Hospital (031-204 1200, 24hr trauma centre 031-204 1377; 148 South Ridge Rd, Berea) The trauma centre charges US$80 per consultation.Travel Doctor (031-360 1122; durban@traveldoctor.co.za; International Convention Centre, 45 Ordnance Rd; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat) For travel-related advice.]]>
-</while_youre_there>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[There are banks with ATMs and change facilities across the city. These include Standard Bank, FNB and Nedbank.American Express Central Durban (301 5541; 11th fl, Nedbank Bldg, Durban Club Place; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9-11am Sat); Musgrave Centre (202 8733; FNB House, 151 Musgrave Rd, Musgrave) Rennies Bank Central Durban (305 5722; grd fl, 333 Smith St); Musgrave Centre (202 7833; Shop 311, Level 3, Musgrave Centre; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30-11.30am Sat)]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The Airport Shuttle Bus (465 1660) departs the airport regularly to the beach and city centre’s major hotels (US$4). Some hostels run their own taxi shuttle services. The main bus terminal and information centre for inner-city and metropolitan buses is on Commercial Rd. Durban Transport (309 5942) runs the bus services Mynah and Aqualine. Mynah covers most of the beachfront and central residential areas. Trips cost around US$0.40. The larger Aqualine buses run through the outer-lying Durban metropolitan area.A taxi between the beach and Florida Rd, Morningside costs about US$4.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Durban International Airport is off the N2, 18km south of the city. Several airlines link Durban with South Africa’s main centres. The popular and useful Baz Bus (304 9099; www.bazbus.com; 1st fl, Tourist Junction; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-noon Sat) has an office next to Durban Africa. Long-distance buses leave from the bus stations near the Durban train station. It’s safest to enter from NMR Ave, not Umgeni Rd. All of the major companies have daily departures to Jo’burg (US$26 to US$30, eight hours), Cape Town (US$63, 22 to 27 hours), Port Elizabeth (US$44, 15 hours) and Pietermaritzburg (US$12, one hour), among other destinations. Buses also run to Gaborone (via Jo’burg; US$47, 15½ hours) and Maputo (via Jo’burg; US$31, 15 hours). Some long-distance minibus taxis running mainly to the south coast and the Wild Coast region of Eastern Cape leave from around the Berea train station. To Jo’burg it costs US$18. The areas in and around the minibus taxis’ ranks are unsafe and extreme care should be taken if entering them. Durban train station (0860-008 888) is huge. Use the NMR Ave entrance, 1st level. Even hardy travellers report feeling unsafe on the local inner-city and suburban trains. Long-distance services are another matter – they are efficient and arranged into separate male and female sleeper compartments for Jo’burg (1st/2nd class US$34/22, 12½ hours).]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556211" asset_id="" title="Pietermaritzburg" title-ascii="Pietermaritzburg">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Billed as the heritage city, and KZN’s administrative and legislative capital (previously shared with Ulundi), Pietermaritzburg’s (usually known as ‘PMB’) grand historic buildings hark back to an age of pith helmets and midday martinis. By day, the city is vibrant: its large Zulu community sets a colourful flavour and the Indian community brings echoes of the subcontinent to its busy streets. A large student population adds to the city’s vitality.Pietermaritzburg is where you need to book most of the accommodation and walks for KwaZulu-Natal Parks. The KZN Wildlife Headquarters (845 1000; www.kznwildlife.com; Queen Elizabeth Park, Duncan McKenzie Dr; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) is a long way northwest of the town centre.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Pietermaritzburg airport, also known as the Oribi airport, is 6km southeast of the city and private taxis are available. SAAirlink (386 92861), with an office at the airport, flies to Jo’burg daily (US$114). Bus companies Greyhound, Translux, SA Roadlink, Luxliner and Intercape offer similar prices depending on the level of onboard services. Destinations offered include Jo’burg (US$17 to US$27, six to seven hours), Cape Town (US$54, 22 hours), Pretoria (US$26, seven to eight hours), Port Elizabeth (US$42, 15 hours) and Durban (US$7 to US$24, 1½ hours).Cheetah Coaches (342 4444) runs daily (US$8) between Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Durban International Airport. Sani Pass Carriers (701 1017; spc@y.co.za) runs buses up into the southern Drakensberg. The Baz Bus (in Durban 031-304 9099; www.bazbus.com) travels between Durban and Pietermaritzburg twice a week.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556221" asset_id="" title="Mpumalanga" title-ascii="Mpumalanga">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Unassuming Mpumalanga (Place of the Rising Sun) adheres to a quieter pace of life. This inland province, South Africa’s smallest, is where the plateaus of the highveld begin their spectacular tumble onto the lowveld plains at the dramatic Drakensberg Escarpment. Many travellers zip through on their way to Kruger National Park, but it’s well worth setting aside a few days to explore the historic towns, roaring waterfalls and some of the best hiking trails in South Africa. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556231" asset_id="" title="Kruger National Park" title-ascii="Kruger National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Try to imagine a national park the size of Israel, with huge tracts of acacia, sycamore figs and bushwillow interrupted by open savannah, rushing rivers and the occasional rocky bluff. Now fill it with lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffaloes and black rhinos (the Big Five), plus cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and many species of smaller animals, and you’ll start to have some notion of what it’s like to visit Kruger National Park.The park has an extensive network of sealed roads and comfortable camps, but if you prefer to keep it rough, there are also 4WD tracks, and mountain bike and hiking trails. Even when you stick to the tarmac, the sounds and scents of the bush are never more than a few metres away.Additionally, as long as you avoid weekends and school holidays, or stick to areas north of Phalaborwa Gate and along gravel roads, it’s easy to travel for an hour or more without seeing another vehicle.Southern Kruger is the most popular section of the park, with the highest animal concentrations and the easiest access. Kruger is at its best in the far north. Here, although animal concentrations are somewhat lower, the bush setting and wilderness atmosphere are all-enveloping.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Several domestic airlines link Jo’burg (US$160, one hour), Cape Town (US$300, 2¼ hours) and Durban (US$190, 1½ hours) with Mpumalanga Kruger International Airport (MKIA) near Nelspruit (for Numbi, Malelane and Crocodile Bridge Gates), and with Kruger Park Gateway Airport in Phalaborwa (2km from Phalaborwa Gate). Nelspruit is the most convenient large town near Kruger, and is well served by buses and minibus taxis to and from Jo’burg. Numbi Gate is about 50km away, and Malelane Gate about 65km away. Phalaborwa, in the north on the edge of Kruger, is the gateway for northern Kruger. Most visitors drive themselves around the park, and this is the best way to experience Kruger. Avis (013-735 5651; www.avis.co.za) has a branch at Skukuza, and there is car rental from the Nelspruit, Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa airports.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_around>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556241" asset_id="" title="The Drakensberg" title-ascii="The Drakensberg">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The tabletop peaks of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg range, which form the boundary between South Africa and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, offer some of the country’s most awe-inspiring landscapes. This vast 243, 000-hectare sweep of basalt summits and buttresses are so recognisably South African that they’ve become tourist-brochure clichés. If any landscape lives up to its airbrushed, publicity-shot alter ego, it is the jagged, green sweep of the Drakensberg.The Drakensberg (or the ‘Berg’, as it’s often called) is usually divided into three sections, although the distinctions aren’t strict. The northern Drakensberg runs from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the Royal Natal National Park. Harrismith and Bergville are sizeable towns in this area.The central Drakensberg’s main feature is Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, the largest national park in the area. Northwest of Giant’s Castle is the Cathedral Peak wilderness area. The towns of Bergville, Estcourt and Winterton are all adjacent to the central Drakensberg.The southern Drakensberg runs down to the Transkei. This area is less developed than the others, but is no less spectacular. There’s a huge wilderness area, and the Sani Pass route into southern Lesotho.There’s no single road linking all the main areas of interest so you’re better off selecting one (or a few only) places rather than spending most of your time behind a wheel in search of sights. In general, you must book all KZN Wildlife accommodation (except camping) in advance through either the Pietermaritzburg or Durban KZN Wildlifebranches. There are also several local information offices:Central Drakensberg Information Centre (036-488 1207; www.cdic.co.za; Thokozisa; 9am-6pm) Based in the Thokozisa complex, 13km outside Winterton on Rte 600, this private enterprise is extremely helpful. Okhahlamba Drakensberg Tourism (036-448 1557; www.drakensberg.org.za; Tatham Rd, Bergville; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) Covers the northern and central Drakensberg. Southern Drakensberg Escape Tourism Centre (033-701 1471; www.drakensberg.org; Clocktower Centre, Old Main Rd, Underberg; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat) Covers the southern region from Underberg, Himeville and Sani Pass.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556251" asset_id="" title="Royal Natal National Park" title-ascii="Royal Natal National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Spanning out from some of the range’s loftiest summits, the 8000-hectare Royal Natal Park (438 6310; www.kznwildlife.com; adult/child US$3.40/2; 5am-7pm) has a presence that far outstrips its relatively meagre size, with many of the surrounding peaks rising as high into the air as the park stretches across. With some of the Drakensberg’s most dramatic and accessible scenery, the park is crowned by the sublime Amphitheatre, an 8km wall of cliff and canyon equally spectacular from below or from up on high. Looming up behind is Mont-aux-Sources (3282m), so called because the Tugela, Elands and Western Khubedu Rivers rise here; the last eventually becomes the Orange River and flows all the way to the Atlantic.The park’s visitors centre (8am-12.30pm &amp; 2-4.30pm) is about 1km in from the main gate. There’s also a shop selling basic provisions. Fuel is available in the park. Except for the Amphitheatre-to-Cathedral (62km, four to five days) and the Mont-aux-Sources (20km, 10 hours) hikes, most of the 25-odd walks in Royal Natal are day walks. The park has become a mecca for climbers. You must apply for a permit from the KZN Wildlife office. If you plan to camp on the mountain, you should book with the QwaQwa tourist officer (058-713 4415). Otherwise there’s a basic hut on the escarpment near Tugela Falls. An overnight hiking permit costs US$4.Thendele (033-845 1000; chalet per person US$43-47), the park’s main camp has a variety of accommodation, including some reasonable two-bed chalets. There are also several places outside the park, including Amphitheatre Backpackers (438 6106; amphibackpackers@worldonline.co.za; camp site US$5.50, dm/d US$10/22), 21km north of Bergville. ]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556261" asset_id="" title="The Garden Route" title-ascii="The Garden Route">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[The Garden Route is perhaps the most internationally renowned South African destination after Cape Town and the Kruger National Park, and with good reason. Within a few hundred kilometres, the range of topography, vegetation, wildlife and outdoor activity is breathtaking. Roughly encompassing the coastline from Mossel Bay in the west to just beyond Plettenberg Bay in the east, it caters to all kinds of travellers and all manner of budgets.You can hike in old-growth forests, bike through wildlife reserves, commune with monkeys, chill-out on superb white beaches and canoe in lagoons. The towns most commonly used as bases are Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.Places are described west to east. Most travellers visit Oudtshoorn while traversing the Garden Route so, although this town is technically in the little Karoo, we’ve included it .]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556271" asset_id="" title="Oudtshoorn" title-ascii="Oudtshoorn">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[That it bills itself as the ostrich capital of the world is no overstatement. These birds have been bred hereabouts since the 1870s, and at the turn of the 20th century fortunes were made from the fashion for ostrich feathers. Oudtshoorn boomed, and the so-called ‘feather barons’ built the grand houses that lend the town its distinct atmosphere today.The town still turns a pretty penny from breeding the birds for meat and leather, and the ostriches also pay their way with tourists – you can buy ostrich eggs, feathers and biltong all over town – but more importantly Oudtshoorn is a great base for exploring the different environments of the Garden Route and the Karoo; the latter is a desolate and harsh landscape dotted with eccentric little towns.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Intercape (0861-287 287; www.intercape.co.za) has a service to Jo’burg (US$43, 14½ hours, daily). Otherwise you can take a Translux bus (021-449 3333; www.translux.co.za) to Mossel Bay (US$7, one hour, daily) and from there you can get to multiple destinations. The Baz Bus stops at George, from where you can arrange a transfer to Oudtshoorn with Backpackers’ Paradise (US$4.70).Every Saturday the Southern Cross train leaves for Cape Town at 5pm.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_around>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556281" asset_id="" title="Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park" title-ascii="Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[This park (adult/child US$11/6) protects 82km of coast between Plettenberg Bay and Humansdorp, including the area 5km out to sea. Located at the foot of the Tsitsikamma Range and cut by rivers that have carved deep ravines into the ancient forests, it’s a spectacular area to walk through. Several short day walks give you a taste of the coastline. The main information centre for the national park is Storms River Mouth Rest Camp, 68km from Plettenberg Bay and 8km from the N2. The park gate is 6km from the N2. It’s 2km from the gate to the main camp, which is open 24 hours. The 42km Otter Trail (per person US$70) is one of the most acclaimed hikes in South Africa, hugging the coastline from Storms River Mouth to Nature’s Valley. The walk, which lasts five days and four nights, involves fording a number of rivers, and gives access to some superb stretches of coast. Book the trail through SAN Parks (012-426 5111). The trail is usually booked up one year ahead. There are often cancellations, however, so it’s always worth trying. Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (012-428 9111; www.sanparks.org; camp site/forest hut/family cottages US$19/31/99) offers forest huts, chalets, cottages and ‘oceanettes’; all except the forest huts are equipped with kitchens, bedding and bathrooms. Another good option is Tsitsikamma Falls Adventure Park (280 3770; www.tsitsikammaadventure.co.za; Witelsbos; s/d incl breakfast from US$24/49), a family-run guesthouse about halfway between Nature’s Valley and Jeffrey’s Bay, and near a beautiful waterfall. Greyhound, Intercape and Translux buses run along the N2 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, from where it’s an 8km walk to Storms River Mouth.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556291" asset_id="23705-10" title="Sudan" title-ascii="Sudan">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1821 the viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, conquered northern Sudan and opened the south to trade, with catastrophic results. Within a few decades British interests were also directed towards Sudan, aiming to control the Nile, contain French expansion from the west and draw the south into a British-East African federation. The European intrusion, and in particular the Christian missionary zeal that accompanied it, was resented by many Muslim Sudanese.The revolution came in 1881, when one Mohammed Ahmed proclaimed himself to be the Mahdi – the person who, according to Muslim tradition, would rid the world of evil. Four years later he rid Khartoum of General Gordon, the British-appointed governor, and the Mahdists ruled Sudan until 1898, when they were defeated outside Omdurman by Lord Kitchener and his Anglo-Egyptian army. The British then imposed the Condominium Agreement, effectively making Sudan a British colony.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[Sudan achieved independence in 1956, but in a forerunner of things to come, General Ibrahim Abboud summarily dismissed the winners of the first post-independence elections. Ever since, flirtations with democracy and military coups have been regular features of the Sudanese political landscape. So has war in the mostly non-Muslim south, which revolted after its demands for autonomy were rejected.In 1969 Colonel Jaafar Nimeiri assumed power and held it for 16 years, surviving several coup attempts, and making numerous twists and turns in policy to outflank opponents and keep aid donors happy. Most importantly, by signing the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement to grant the southern provinces a measure of autonomy he quelled the civil war for more than a decade.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1983 Nimeiri scrapped the autonomy accord and imposed sharia (Islamic law) over the whole country. Exactly what he hoped to achieve by this is unclear, but the effect on the southern population was entirely predictable, and hostilities recommenced almost immediately. Army commander John Garang deserted to form the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), which quickly took control of much of the south.Nimeiri was deposed in 1985 and replaced first by a Transitional Military Council, then, after elections the next year, Sadiq al-Mahdi became prime minister. In July 1989 power was seized by the current president, Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir; however, Hassan al-Turabi, fundamentalist leader of the National Islamic Front (NIF), was widely seen as the man with real power.The government’s brand of belligerent fundamentalism, border disputes with half its neighbours and possible complicity in a 1995 assassination attempt on Egypt’s president soon cost Sudan all its regional friends.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The year 1999 was something of a watershed in Sudanese politics: in December, just when the country’s domestic and international situation seemed to be improving, President al-Bashir dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and imposed a three-month state of emergency; all as part of an internal power struggle with Al-Turabi. The subsequent elections in December 2000 were boycotted by opposition parties, giving al-Bashir an easy win, and in 2001 Al-Turabi and several members of his party were arrested after signing an agreement with the SPLA.By 2002 things were looking up again – the economy had stabilised and a ceasefire was called after President al-Bashir and SPLA leader John Garang met in Nairobi – but it seems good news in Sudan is always followed by bad. In February 2003 black African rebels in the western Darfur region rose up against the government they accused of oppression and neglect. The army’s heavy-handed response, assisted by pro-government Arab militias (the Janjaweed), escalated to what many have called genocide. The government’s scorched-earth campaign killed some 200,000 Sudanese and uprooted millions more.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[While Darfur spun out of control, peace crept forward in the south, and in January 2005 a deal was signed ending Africa’s longest civil war. It included accords on sharing power and wealth (including equal distribution of oil export revenue), and six years of southern autonomy followed by a referendum on independence. In July the beloved Garang became the first vice president in a power-sharing government, and president of the south, but was killed less than a month later in a helicopter crash. Garang’s No.2, Salva Kiir, took his place and has earned praise.By the middle of 2006 Sudan was at a crossroads. While a Darfuri peace accord with some rebel factions was signed in May, the killing got worse and al-Bashir, fearing they will arrest people on war-crimes charges, has refused to allow UN peacekeepers to replace the small and ineffective African Union force. Meanwhile foot-dragging on the implementation of key elements of the peace agreement threatens to derail the peace in the south.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Modern Sudan is situated on the site of the ancient civilisation of Nubia, which predates Pharaonic Egypt. For centuries sovereignty was shuttled back and forth between the Egyptians, indigenous empires such as Kush, and a succession of independent Christian kingdoms.After the 14th century AD the Mamelukes (Turkish rulers in Egypt) breached the formidable Nubian defences and established the dominance of Islam. By the 16th century the kingdom of Funj had become a powerful Muslim state and Sennar, 200km south of present-day Khartoum, was one of the great cultural centres of the Islamic world.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Travel Alert: The security situation in Sudan is highly unstable and several areas, particularly in and around Darfur, are no-go zones. Check Safe Travel for current government warnings.Sudan is the largest, yet one of the least visited, countries in Africa. Although various ongoing conflicts mean much of this vast nation remains off limits, travel is possible in the northeast, and in parts of the south, where Africa transitions into the tropics. The pyramids and other ancient sites littering the northern deserts may pale compared to the best Egypt has on offer, but you can usually experience these without another person in sight – and this sense of discovery often repeats itself in the towns, too, since Sudan’s tourist trail is still no more than a trickle. And while the solitude is a top draw, visitors invariably agree that the Sudanese are among the friendliest and most hospitable people on earth, with a natural generosity that belies their poverty, and this alone makes any trip worthwhile. Whether you rush through on a Cairo to Cape Town trip, or spend a slow month soaking up the history and hospitality, visiting Sudan is an eye-opening and rewarding experience.
-]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<health_and_safety>
-<dangers_and_annoyances>
-<![CDATA[Any travel in Sudan should be approached with caution and many areas of the country are no-go zones. The security situation in northern and eastern Sudan can deteriorate rapidly and travellers should be cautious, particularly around the Eritrean border. Travellers should not visit Western Sudan and Darfur; heavy fighting is still taking place and the border with Chad is closed. Southern Sudan should also be avoided, kidnapping is common and armed rebels operate in areas bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is also tribal conflict in central Sudan's South Kordofan region. The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office website has a detailed rundown of Sudan's trouble spots. ]]>
-</dangers_and_annoyances>
-</health_and_safety>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[Sudanese money can be confusing when you first arrive. Although banknotes are in dinars, prices are almost always quoted in the old Sudanese pounds (1 dinar = S£10). Assume that the real price is minus a zero. Just to confuse matters further, some people drop the thousands, so ‘10 pounds’ means S£10, 000, ie SDD1000. In addition to this, the government has announced a new currency (also to be called the pound), but has not said when it will begin or what the rate will be compared to the dinar – expect even more dancing with zeroes.Private exchange offices have the same rates as banks, but longer hours. US dollars are the easiest to change (outside Khartoum you’ll be hard pressed to change anything else), though euros, British pounds and most Middle Eastern currencies are widely accepted in Khartoum and Port Sudan. The only way to change Egyptian pounds and Ethiopian Birr is on the black market, which is easy at the borders and a little risky in Khartoum.Money can be wired to Khartoum and Port Sudan (even from the US and Britain, though this could always change because of sanctions) with Western Union and Travelex. Credit cards and travellers cheques are useless.]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Everyone except Egyptians needs a visa (most people pay US$160, and if there is evidence of travel to Israel you will be denied) and getting one could be the worst part of your trip. Except in Cairo, where visas are often issued in a day or two (but not for Americans and Britons), you should expect a wait of at least two weeks and probably more (you should see the twinkle in the eye of the official in Addis Ababa when he tells you it will take one month!) and there is no guarantee it will ever come.If you won’t be in Egypt, it helps to let an agent arrange it. Most of the time they will get you a counter visa: they arrange everything at the Ministry of Interior in Khartoum and you pick it up at the airport. This service will likely cost around US$150 and if you are lucky can take as little as two days. The other option, used primarily by those crossing overland since it costs more, is an invitation visa, in which you are sent a number that you give the embassy or consulate, which should speed up the normal process. With either option, there is a good chance something will go wrong along the way, so get started as early as possible.]]>
-</other>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[You have to register within three days of arrival in Khartoum, Port Sudan, Gallabat or Wadi Halfa. In Khartoum, go to the Aliens Registration Office (al-Tayyar Murad St; 9am-3pm); the process costs SDD8700 and you need one photo and photocopies of your passport and visa (there’s a copier in the building). If you registered on entry at a land border (which only costs SDD6600), you need to do it again in Khartoum, but you don’t have to pay again. In many towns you will need to register with the police; this is free.]]>
-</other>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visa extensions are issued at the Aliens Registration Office (al-Tayyar Murad; 9am-3pm)in Khartoum. You need one photo and varying amounts of money and patience to get your extra 30 days.]]>
-</other>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visas for the following neighbouring countries are available from embassies in Khartoum.Central African Republic A one-month visa costs SDD13, 500; you’ll need two photos and it takes two days.Chad The embassy was closed at the time of research, but should reopen soon.Democratic Republic of Congo A one-month visa costs SDD15, 000; you’ll need two photos and the visa is ready in two days.Egypt This consulate is not the most organised place – arrive early to beat the worst queues. Most people pay SDD7500 and you’ll need two photos. The visa is ready the same day. It’s easier to get a tourist visa on arrival (which most but not all nationalities can do), especially if you’re flying.Eritrea One-month visas cost US$40 and are ready in three days, or pay an extra $10 for same-day service. You need two photos and a copy of your passport.Ethiopia Three-month visas cost US$20 and require two photos. You can pick it up the same day.Kenya A single-entry visa valid for three months costs US$50 and is issued the same day. You need one photo and photocopies of your passport and plane ticket.Libya Applications must go through a Libyan travel agent, but you can pick up the visa here.Saudi Arabia Visa applications are handled by travel agents (many of which surround the embassy), which can get you a transit visa in two days (perhaps one day if you go very early). You need two photos, a letter of introduction from your embassy and US$100.Uganda Single-entry visas valid for up to three months cost US$30 and are ready in two days. You need two photos and a letter of invitation from someone in Uganda, though this last requirement is sometimes waived.]]>
-</other>
-<permits>
-<![CDATA[A travel permit is required for most journeys outside Khartoum, excepting northern destinations. Take two photos, a copy of your passport and SDD8700 to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and expect to wait a day or two. Carry photocopies of this permit along with copies of your passport and visa to give to police.]]>
-</permits>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Half a dozen airlines connect Khartoum to all large Sudanese cities. Sudan Airways (83787103; al-Baladaya St; 8am-6pm Sat-Thu, 9-11am Fri) has the most flights, and, along with Air West (83742513; al-Barlman St), the fewest problems with cancellations and overbookings; though neither company will win a reliability award. There’s a domestic airport tax of SDD1500.]]>
-</air>
-<local_transport>
-<![CDATA[Sudan is undergoing a road-building frenzy and all significant towns northeast of El-Obeid will probably be linked by paved roads within the lifetime of this book. Fast comfortable buses, which already link Khartoum to Port Sudan, El-Obeid and Atbara, will replace most of the bokasi that bounce over the desert tracks. It’s best to buy bus tickets a day in advance. ]]>
-</local_transport>
-<train>
-<![CDATA[The only remaining practical passenger service is the Khartoum to Wadi Halfa run, though there is a monthly train from Atbara to Port Sudan and a western line to Nyala. Sleepers and 1st-class seats are expensive but comfortable; 2nd class is bearable and in 3rd class you really get what you paid for!]]>
-</train>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Khartoum is well connected to Africa and the world. Sudan Airways (83787103) has frequent flights to north and east Africa and the Middle East, though its competitors usually have similar prices and better service. African airlines connecting Khartoum to their capitals include EgyptAir (83780064), Kenya Airways (83781080) and Ethiopian Airlines (83762088). Lufthansa (83771322) and British Airways (83774579) fly to North America through Europe, while Emirates (83799473) and Gulf Air (83762381) go worldwide via the Middle East.]]>
-</air>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Sudan’s climate ranges from hot and dry in the north to humid and tropical in the equatorial south. September to April is the best time to visit. Northern temperatures can exceed 40°C year-round, but peak from April to July. The heaviest rains (rarely more than 150mm in Khartoum) in July and August (Port Sudan’s meagre rainy season is October to December) present few problems for travel in the north, though wreak havoc on roads in the Nuba Mountains. Fierce dust storms (the haboob) blow occasionally from July to August and November to January. In the slightly cooler south it rains year-round, but April to November is the wettest time.]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-<work_live_study>
-<work>
-<business>
-<![CDATA[Banking hours are 9am to 12.30pm, while most government, airline and similar offices are usually closed by 3pm. Most local shops stay open late, but might close briefly between 1pm and 5pm. Few places open on Friday. Breakfast, which most people take between 9am and 10am, is a Sudanese institution – don’t be surprised if that vital functionary isn’t at his desk.]]>
-</business>
-</work>
-</work_live_study>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556301" asset_id="" title="Eastern Sudan" title-ascii="Eastern Sudan">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Eastern Sudan includes Port Sudan where you can have a go at some of the best diving the Red Sea has to offer.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556311" asset_id="" title="Port Sudan" title-ascii="Port Sudan">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Sudan’s only major industrial port is the base for some of the Red Sea’s best diving. Port Sudan Tourism (0311-8-22927; www.portsudantourism.com) can put you in touch with local captains. On land, watching ships unload in the port is about as exciting as it gets in this sprawling but surprisingly laid-back city, though strolling the streets reveals some scattered colonial buildings. All the services you might need are here, including foreign exchange and fast internet access, but despite its prosperity, power and water are unreliable.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Minibuses (SDD250, 45 minutes) for Suakin leave from the city centre. The major bus companies serving Kassala (SDD3500, six hours) and Khartoum (SDD9000, 13 hours) have offices in the city centre and at the bus station (Souq esh-Shabi). Buses for Atbara (SDD4000, 10 hours) have their own bus station nearby. Minibuses (SDD50) from the city centre drop you nearly 1km away from the main bus station, so consider a taxi (SDD400).The train to Atbara (1st/2nd class SDD4300/3300) departs sometime around the 8th of each month, and there are daily flights to/from Khartoum (SDD21, 000, one hour). Sudan Airways’ Saturday flight to Cairo stops in Port Sudan on the way.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556321" asset_id="" title="Khartoum" title-ascii="Khartoum">
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Built where the two Niles meet, Khartoum is one of the more modern cities in Central Africa, with paved roads, high-rise buildings and all the services you might want or need. Some travellers consider it nothing but a dusty, congested and joyless (nightlife is nearly nonexistent) stopover. But those looking to uncover its culture will appreciate what they find when they start walking around. Besides, its people are hospitable, the riverside setting is attractive and it’s one of the safest cities in Africa – so for one reason or another most people end up liking it here.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Buses (SDD40 to SDD80) and minibuses (SDD100) cover most points in Khartoum and run very early to very late. Taxi prices (and if they have no passengers the minibuses work like taxis and often cost less) are negotiable: expect to pay around SDD400 to SDD500 for journeys within the city centre and SDD800 to destinations within greater Khartoum. For shorter trips (except in central Khartoum) there are also motorised rickshaws, which should cost no more than SDD300.The short ride by taxi from Khartoum airport to the city centre is unofficially fixed at SDD2500, though you can sometimes bargain this down. Better yet, try sharing the ride.]]>
-</overview>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Most road transport departs from one of four bus stations. Almost everything rolling south, east and west, including El-Obeid, Gederaf, Kassala and Port Sudan, goes from the modern and chaotic mina bary (land port) near Souq Mahali in southern Khartoum. The Sajana bus station serves Dongola and Wadi Halfa; Karima and Merowe buses use Omdurman’s Souq esh-Shabi; and the Atbara Bus Station is in Bahri.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-</destination>
-<destination atlas_id="3556331" asset_id="1524-33" title="Swaziland" title-ascii="Swaziland">
-<history>
-<history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The arrival of increasing numbers of Euro­peans from the mid-19th century brought new problems. Mswazi’s successor, Mbandzeni, inherited a kingdom rife with European carpetbaggers – hunters, traders, missionaries and farmers, many of whom leased large expanses of land.The Pretoria Convention of 1881 guaranteed Swaziland’s ‘independence’ but also defined its borders, and Swaziland lost large chunks of territory. ‘Independence’ in fact meant that both the British and the Boers had responsibility for administering their various interests in Swaziland, and the result was chaos. The Boer administration collapsed with the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War, and afterwards the British took control of Swaziland as a protectorate.During this troubled time, King Sobhuza II was only a young child, but Labotsibeni, his mother, acted ably as regent until her son took over in 1921. Labotsibeni encouraged Swazis to buy back their land, and many sought work in the Witwatersrand mines (near Johannesburg) to raise money.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[In 1960 King Sobhuza II proposed the creation of a legislative council, composed of elected Europeans, and a national council formed in accordance with Swazi culture. The Mbokodvo (Grindstone) National Movement, which was formed at this time, pledged to maintain traditional Swazi culture but also to eschew racial discrimination. When the British finally agreed to elections in 1964, Mbokodvo won a majority and, at the next elections in 1967, won all the seats. Swaziland became independent on 6 September 1968.The country’s constitution was largely the work of the British. In 1973 the king suspended it on the grounds that it did not accord with Swazi culture. He also dissolved all political parties. Four years later the parliament reconvened under a new constitution that vested all power in the king. Sobhuza II, at that time the world’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 1982. In keeping with Swazi tradition, a strictly enforced 75-day period of mourning was announced by Dzeliwe (Great She-Elephant), the most senior of his hundred wives. Only commerce essential to the life of the nation was allowed. And that didn’t include sexual intercourse, which was banned, punishable by flogging. Choosing a successor wasn’t easy – Sobhuza had fathered more than 600 children, thereby creating hundreds of potential kings. Prince Makhosetive, born in 1968, was finally chosen and crowned King Mswati III in 1986.]]>
-</history>
-<history>
-<![CDATA[The king continues to represent and maintain the traditional way of life and to assert his pre-eminence, for better and often for worse, as absolute monarch. Following his predecessor’s style, Mswati dissolved parliament in 1992 and Swaziland was again governed by a traditional tribal assembly, the Liqoqo. Since then, democratic reform has begun with the drafting – albeit restrictive – of a constitution. Despite the increasing agitation for faster change, even many reformers propose a constitutional king in a democratic system of government.Currently, Swaziland’s greatest challenge comes from the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the country has the world’s highest HIV infection rate (almost 39% for adults between 15 and 49 years of age), and life expectancy has fallen as a result from 58 to 33 years. It’s estimated that there are currently more than 70,000 AIDS orphans in the country, and by 2010 one out of six people will be a child under 15 who has lost both parents.]]>
-</history>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[In eastern Swaziland archaeologists have discovered human remains dating back 110, 000 years, but the ancestors of the modern Swazi people arrived relatively recently.During the great Bantu migrations into southern Africa, one group, the Nguni, moved down the east coast. A clan settled near what is now Maputo in Mozambique, and a dynasty was founded by the Dlamini family. In the mid-18th century increasing pressure from other Nguni clans forced King Ngwane III to lead his people south to lands by the Pongola River, in what is now southern Swaziland. Today, Swazis consider Ngwane III to have been the first king of Swaziland.The next king, Sobhuza I, withdrew under pressure from the Zulus to the Ezulwini Valley, which today remains the centre of Swazi royalty and ritual. When King Sobhuza I died in 1839, Swaziland was twice its present size. Trouble with the Zulu continued, although the next king, Mswazi (or Mswati), managed to unify the whole kingdom. By the time he died in 1868, the Swazi nation was secure. Mswazi’s subjects called themselves people of Mswazi, or Swazis, and the name stuck.]]>
-</overview>
-</history>
-</history>
-<introductory>
-<introduction>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Swaziland might be among the smallest countries on the continent and one of Africa's remaining monarchies, but there's more than novelty value on offer here. You can almost feel South Africa's undercurrents of tension fade away when you cross the border into friendly, easy-going ittle Swaziland, making it a relaxing stopover on the trip between Mozambique and South Africa. And it's surprising how much there is to do here - the royal ceremonies, excellent wildlife reserves and superb scenery should be more than enough reason to come. Try Hlane Royal National Park for an eyeful of white rhinos, lions and antelopes - camping options are available for overnight stays. You may not want to stay overnight in the somewhat dull Mbanane, but you may well pass through on your way to the Ezulwini & Malkerns Valleys, the former renown for its picturesque scenery and the latter for its handicrafts.]]>
-</overview>
-</introduction>
-</introductory>
-<practical_information>
-<money_and_costs>
-<money>
-<![CDATA[The unit of currency is the lilangeni; the plural is emalangeni (E). It is tied in value to the South African rand. Rands are accepted every­where and there’s no need to change them. Emalangeni are difficult to change for other currencies outside Swaziland. Only a few ATMs accept international credit or debit cards. The most convenient are at Standard Bank in Swazi Mall, Mbabane and inside the Royal Swazi Hotel’s casino. Nedbank and First National change cash and travellers cheques. Banking hours are generally from 8.30am to 2.30pm weekdays, and until 11am Saturday. Most banks ask to see the receipt of purchase when cashing travellers cheques. ]]>
-</money>
-</money_and_costs>
-<visas>
-<other>
-<![CDATA[Visas for Mozambique are available at the borders but it’s cheaper to arrange them in advance at the Mozambiquan High Commission (404 3700; Princess Dr, Mbabane) or Nelspruit (South Africa). Allow 24 hours.]]>
-</other>
-<overview>
-<![CDATA[Most people don’t need a visa to visit Swaziland. If you don’t need a visa to enter South Africa, you won’t need one for Swaziland. Anyone staying for more than 60 days must apply for a temporary residence permit from the Chief Immigration Officer (404 2941; PO Box 372, Mbabane) whose offices are in the Ministry of Home Affairs.]]>
-</overview>
-</visas>
-</practical_information>
-<transport>
-<getting_around>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[There are a few infrequent (but cheap) domestic buses, most of which begin and terminate at the main stop in the centre of Mbabane. Generally you’ll find minibus taxis are the best public transport, although they often run shorter routes. There are also nonshared (private hire) taxis in some of the larger towns. ]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<hitching>
-<![CDATA[Hitching is never entirely safe in any country, and we don’t recommend it. But in some parts of Africa there is often simply no other option to grabbing lifts on trucks, 4WDs, lorries or whatever vehicle happens to come down the road first. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. Hitching is easier here than in South Africa, as the skin colour of the driver and hitchhiker aren’t factors in the decision to offer a lift. You will, however, have to wait a long time.]]>
-</hitching>
-</getting_around>
-<getting_there_and_away>
-<air>
-<![CDATA[Swaziland’s main airport is Matsapha International Airport, southwest of Manzini. (Schedules and tickets often refer to the airport as Manzini.) Swaziland Airlink (518 6155/92; www.saairlink.co.za) flies daily between Swaziland and Johannesburg (US$127 one way). Swazi Express Airways (518 6840; www.swaziexpress.com) flies four times a week to Durban (US$63 to US$175) and twice a week to Maputo (US$21 to US$63) and Vilanculos (US$21 to US$197) in Mozambique.]]>
-</air>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[Generally speaking, Manzini has the main international transport rank for transport to Jo’burg, Durban and Mozambique. Less frequent departures are in Mbabane for the northern destinations of Gauteng and Mpumalanga (South Africa). ]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[The main border crossing between Swaziland and Mozambique is at Lomahasha–Namaacha (open 7am to 8pm). The border crossing between Mhlumeni and Gobahas is open 7am to 6pm.Inquire at the tourist office in Mbabane about bus services from Mbabane to Maputo (Mozambique). Minibuses depart Maputo daily in the morning for the Namaacha–L­omahasha border (US$2, 1½ hours) with some continuing on to Manzini (US$4.50, 3½ hours). Minibus taxis operate daily from Manzini to Maputo (US$10, 2½ hours).]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-<bus_and_tram>
-<![CDATA[The main border crossings with South Africa are: Josefsdal–Bulembu (open 8am to 4pm); Oshoek–Ngwenya (open 7am to 10pm); Emahlathini–Sicunusa (open 8am to 6pm); Mahamba (open 7am to 10pm); and Golela–Lavumisa (open 7am to 10pm). The Baz Bus (South Africa 021-439 2323; www.bazbus.com) runs from Jo’burg/Pretoria to Durban via Mbabane and Manzini three times a week, returning direct to Jo’burg/Pretoria on alternate days.Minibus taxis run daily between Jo’burg (Park Station), Mbabane and Manzini (US$20, five to six hours) and Manzini and Durban (US$21, six hours). On many routes, you’ll change minibuses at the border. Most long-distance taxis leave early in the morning.]]>
-</bus_and_tram>
-</getting_there_and_away>
-</transport>
-<weather>
-<when_to_go>
-<climate>
-<![CDATA[Summer sees torrential thunderstorms, especially in the western mountains, and temperatures on the lowveld are very hot, often over 40°C; in the high country the temperatures are lower and in winter it can get cool. Winter nights on the lowveld are sometimes very cold.Try to avoid visiting rain-soaked Swaziland during the rainy season (December to April). The best time to visit is in May–June or October, but bring something warm. ]]>
-</climate>
-</when_to_go>
-</weather>
-</destination>
-
 </destinations>