The Republic of South Africa is a country of 50 million, the capital is Pretoria. 80% of the population is Black, the most important tribes are the Bantu and Zulu. Pretoria is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as administrative and national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. The main airports are or Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, Durban International Airport. You can choose from car hire offers in the Johannesburg airport. Famous South Africans are known worldwide, including politician Nelson Mandela and environmentalist Dr. Austin Stevens.
Cape Town is a popular destination for tourists from October to March. Tourism is an important economic opportunity for the city and surrounding suburbs. The most popular attractions include Table Mountain, as well as the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and the Victorian part of the port, with its boutiques, restaurants, museums, the Nobel Square. The Two Oceans Aquarium offers tourists a lot of interesting sights. The city centre offers a variety of museums and historic buildings like the castle (Castle of Good Hope), the oldest surviving building in South Africa. It was constructed in 17th century, following the style of baroque fortresses, however, was never involved in combat operations. Other interesting places are the City Hall, built in 1905, the St. Georges Cathedral, seat of the Anglican Archbishop, the National Gallery and National Museum. Long Street is one of the busiest streets of the city. Here you will find bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The former prison is a tourist magnet, the Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Since 1999, the island has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was used by the apartheid government as a camp for political prisoners. Driving around Cape Town is easy. There are many options for your car hire in South Africa. Car rental at Cape Town airport is the most convenient way to start the south african adventure.
Whale watching is popular amongst tourists: Southern Right Whales and eye-popping Humpback Whales are watched on the coast during the breeding season (in Autumn and early Winter) and Bryde's Whales and Killer Whale can be seen any time of the year. The nearby town of Hermanus is known for its mind-boggling Whale Festival, but whales can also be seen in False Bay. Heaviside's dolphins can be seen from the coast north of Cape Town; Dusky dolphins live along the same coast and can occasionally be seen from the ferry to Robben Island. Speaking of animals, take a half day trip to Boulders Bay in Simon's Town and enjoy watching penguins.
South Africa has more than 20,000 different plants, what is 10% of all the known species of plants on Earth, making it particularly rich in plant biodiversity. The most widespread living habitat in South Africa is the grassland, particularly on the Highveld. The grass and thorn savannah turns into a bush savannah towards the north-east of the country, with denser growth. There are significant numbers of baobab trees in this area, near Kruger National Park. These is a great number of venomous and other kinds of snakes, which hide in the grass and under stones. They bite people oblivious of the their presence. Transvaal Snake Park presents vipers, boas, pythons.
The most popular areas for visitors to stay include glamorous Camps Bay where you can easily bump into your favourite celebrity, Sea Point, the V&A Waterfront, the City Bowl, Hout Bay, Constantia, Rondebosch, Newlands, Somerset West, Hermanus and lovely Stellenbosch as well.
