Meeting News - November 10, 2008 - (Page 4H)

SOUTH AFRICAN South Africa’s Provinces: Nine Worlds in One Country rom bustling cities to utter wilderness, where the only sound is the roar of a distant lion, from broad beaches and pounding waves to rolling grasslands and the sheer topography of the steep mountain escarpments, South Africa truly offers a world in one country. Each of its nine provinces provides different, and very special, attractions. EXPERIENCE B OTS WANA Mmabatho Z I MB AB W E LIMPOPO Pietersburg/ Polokw ane KRUGER NA TIONAL PARK MO Z AMB I Q U E S un C ity Pretoria / Ts hwa ne MPUMALANGA Louieville Mbabane Johannesburg NORTH WEST Klerksdorp GAUTENG Standerton Victoria W est SWAZILAND F N AMI B I A Upington FREE STATE Kimberley Bloemfontein Ladysmith KWAZULU-NATAL Okiep NORTHERN CAPE LESOTHO Pietermaritzburg Durban Port Shepstone Victoria W est I NDI AN OCE AN S OUTH AT L A N T I C OCE AN Beaufort W est EASTERN CAPE Bisho East London EASTERN CAPE is known for its 500 miles of serene coastline—its pretty city of Port Elizabeth alone boasts 25 miles of sandy beaches. The surfing and sailing are great, and game watching is available at a number of reserves and parks. Another must visit: The Nelson Mandela Museum. Cape T own W orcester WESTERN CAPE Port Elizabeth S wellendam FREE STATE, a largely rural region in the country’s heart, offers a delightful blend of cultures. Visitors can choose among 80 parks and nature and game reserves. Groups can stop in the artsy town of Clarens or hike in Golden Gate National Park to see dramatic ochre and gold outcroppings and search for fossils. GAUTENG is home to bustling Johannesburg, home of the Apartheid Museum; Soweto, the former black township under apartheid (visit the Nelson Mandela House, Regina Mundi Church, where Desmond Tutu often preached, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial); and Pretoria, with its pretty parks and 50,000 jacarandas. The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is packed with fossils and artifacts. ular beach resort and convention destination, and some of the country’s best beaches line the Natal coastline. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park is famous for rhino conservation and “big five” sightings (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino). Kalahari. The five-million-acre Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (shared with Botswana) is one of the largest protected natural ecosystems in the world. The Kimberly Mine Museum, with its famous Big Hole, gives a glimpse of early diamond mining. LIMPOPO, known as the “Great North,” straddles northern Kruger Park and is the base for many safaris. This game-rich land includes the world’s highest concentration of leopards. The province is also known for its Stone Age and Iron Age relics, ancient treasures, and legends. MPUMALANGA is packed with choices for adventurous groups. The “big five” roam through Kruger Park, elegant game lodges dot Sabi Sands Private Reserve, the fishing is great, the Blyde River Canyon offers spectacular scenery (and great hang gliding), and hot air balloons punctuate the skies in early morning. NORTHERN CAPE, the largest province and least-populated, is home to the last San (“bushmen”) people in the NORTH WEST, home to the Pilanesberg and Madikwe game reserves, is “big five” country. By contrast, North West is also home to Sun City, with its Las-Vegasstyle hotels and good meeting facilities. Visit the Lesedi Cultural Village to learn the traditions of South Africa’s many people, and see the king cheetahs at the De Wildt Cheetah Farm. WESTERN CAPE, on Africa’s southwestern tip, is home to handsome Cape Town, the dramatic Cape of Good Hope, long strands of golden beaches, and the lush Winelands region—where wineries, fine restaurants, and upscale lodgings abound. Visitors can ride the scenic Garden Route, where sheer cliffs drop to the Indian Ocean and charming villages delight, and can visit Oudtshoorn, the center of ostrich farming. ● NOVEMBER 2008 KWAZULU-NATAL (the Kingdom of the Zulu) blends African, European, and Indian cultures. Tropical Durban is a pop- 6

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Meeting News - November 10, 2008

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