Safari activities during your World Cup stay (Part 1)...
Jambo rafiki!;) The football fever is mounting high among soccer fans as we are slowly but surely approaching next year's biggest sporting event: the FIFA World Cup 2010 (hosted for the first time on African soil yeah)!:) Since a lot of you guys will be travelling to South Africa for the occasion, I thought I'd give you a list of some of the safari activities available around the major 2010 stadiums (and host cities).
Green Point Stadium, Cape Town (Western Cape) One of the two semi-final venues for the FIFA World Cup! Gross Capacity: 70 000.
Groups Concerned: A, C, E, F, and G.
Safari Activities: - Aquila Game Reserve.
Big 5 Safari & Malaria Free Area! - Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, near Simon's Town.
- Cape Point Ostrich Farm (Cape Point Road).
- Clara Anna Fontein Game Reserve.
Private game reserve and country lodge in the Durbanville wine valley, only 20 minutes from Cape Town city centre.
- De Hoop Nature Reserve.
Contains seven ecosystems! - Fairy Glen Game Reserve.
Nearest African Big 5 Safari to Cape Town! - Inverdoorn Game Reserve.
An endlessly fascinating place! - Rondevlei Nature Reserve.
Hippos and birds on a wetland reserve! - Sanbona Wildlife Reserve.
Spa and Big Five in the Western Cape! - Shark Cave Diving (Gansbaai) & Whale Safaris in Hermanus.
- Table Mountain National Park (formerly Cape Peninsula National Park).
South African jewel, international tourism icon and Natural World Heritage Site.
Durban Stadium, Durban (Kwa Zulu Natal) Will host one of the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup! Gross Capacity: 70 000.
Groups Concerned: B, D, E, G & H.
Where to Go: - Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve.
Largest Black and White rhino concentration in the world! - Ithala Game Reserve.
A wildlife experience second to none! - Ndumo Game Reserve.
One of KZN's finest game reserves! - Royal Natal National Park.
World Heritage Site & Horseback Safaris! Ellis Park Stadium & Soccer City, Johannesburg (Gauteng) Ellis Park, home of the 1995 Rugby final won by the South African Springboks.
Will host one of the quarter-finals matches.
Soccer City, previously named the FNB Stadium, is inspired by the iconic African pot known as the calabash.
Venue for the World Cup 2010 Final! Gross Capacity: 61 000 and 94 700, respectively.
Groups Concerned: B, C, F, G & H (Ellis Park); A, B, D, E & G (Soccer City).
Safari Highlights: - The Lion Park.
Terrific up close views and other exciting interactions with a large variety of predators and large herbivores indigenous to Africa! - The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve.
Privately owned Gauteng game reserve, covering on average 1 200 hectares of land.
General "Must-See" Attractions: - Apartheid Museum.
- Constitution Hill.
- Cradle of Humankind.
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria (Tshwane, Gauteng) One of the oldest stadiums in South Africa, and home to one of the country's best rugby sides; the Blue Bulls! Gross Capacity: 50 000.
Groups Concerned: A, C, D, E, & H.
Best Safaris in the Area: - Dinokeng.
Viewed as the place where the world's largest diamond was discovered.
- Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve.
Rich with abundant fish, bird life and wildlife.
- Tswaing Nature Reserve.
Place of a 220 000 year old crater, resulting from an impressive meteorite impact.
- Wonderboom Nature Reserve.
Named after the wild fig "Wonderboom".
Other Areas of Interest: - Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary.
- Hatfield Market.
- National Cultural History Museum.
- Pioneer Museum Silverton.
- National Zoological Gardens.
- Pretoria Botanical Garden.
- Transvaal Museum of Natural History.
- Union Buildings.