Eastern Cape – The Land of The Great Karoo

Filled with sunshine the whole year around, the Eastern Cape is one great place to go for a vacation. If it is the seaside you are searching for or beautiful greenery and unspoiled areas of natural beauty then, the Eastern Cape is the place for you. A great hit amongst people wanting to get away from hurried, strenuous city life, the Eastern Cape serves as a respite with its innumerable mountains, game reserves, beaches and beautiful landscape. It is the second largest of South Africa’s nine provinces with world famous leaders like Nelson Mandela born here.

Port Elizabeth

Friendly City, Port Elizabeth

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The capital city of Eastern Cape is called so because it offers fun and attraction for families interested in a nice vacation filled with wildlife, nature trails and plenty of water sports. Port Elizabeth is the largest city on the coast between Cape Town and Durban.

Karoo Heartland

‘Dry heart’ of South Africa

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The large open spaces, the mountains, the towns and villages embedded with history and tradition and the beautiful sunsets personify all that is Eastern Cape in South Africa. The beauty of the rocky mountains and the succulents apart from the varies animals make a visit to Karoo Heartland a great experience.

Things to do

Don’t miss out on East London, the only river port city here filled with wide unending stretches of white beaches. The place boasts of its African lineage very harmoniously revealing its English and German connections too. People are very friendly here adding to your holiday pleasure.

Do visit Sunshine Coast that is filled with beaches, water sports, sheltered coves and the nature reserves. Its main charm is that it is yet to get commercialized unlike other tourist destinations.

Visit the Addo Elephant Park which also contains the Sundays River Valley a, crook formed within the Elephant Park.

Visit the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu which gives you an insight into the life of the man who freed mankind from the shackles of discrimination. See the Bhunga Building in Umtata, Mvezo, the birthplace of Mandela and Qunu, a village where the Youth and Heritage Center stands today.

Don’t miss Tsitsikamma which is a splendid piece of land surrounded by ancient trees and homes of wild animals. Gorges carve their way out through the mountains and trickle into clean streams, pools and even waterfalls. The Storms River is one such river. Canopy tours are available here.

Play with real lion cubs in the Seaview Lion Park in Port Elizabeth. Other animals like the giraffe, zebra, duiker monkeys and other species walk freely in this natural reserve.

Tstisikamma - place of abundant water

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How to get there

The airports are at Port Elizabeth and East London. When you get into Eastern Cape, moving around in a car is the best option especially between cities and towns. Minibuses are also available for longer distances. The train service is best suited for areas like the Wild Coast for the beautiful scenery otherwise; road travel is the best here.

The Swiss Connection in Switzerland

 The Land of the Alps, Switzerland is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the entire world. It is bordered by countries like Germany, France, Austria and Italy and offers some of the most panoramic views giving you ample opportunities to ski, fish, hunt and do some boating. No wonder, people rush to Switzerland for a grand holiday, with many movies shooting some of their best shots here. It is also one of the richest countries in the world with numerous people having Swiss accounts. There is plenty that you can see in Switzerland so you need to plan your visit beforehand. Here are some of the places you just cannot not miss.
Chillon Castle

Chillon Castle

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It is one of the most famous castles in Switzerland located on the shore of Lake Geneva. It has around 100 buildings and all date way back to the 11^th century related to the Savoy nobility.
Piz Gloria atop Schilthorn Mountain

Piz Gloria

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2970 m above sea level
The Piz Gloria is a revolving restaurant atop the Schilthorn Mountain in the Swiss Alps. Apart from its unique location and structure, it is well known for having been used as the shooting site for one of James Bond’s movies, ‘On Her Majesty’s Service.’ The restaurant gives you a 360 degree view of the entire place even as you dine. It is definitely, one of the most spectacular sights in Switzerland.


Chalet in Switzerland

Chalet

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No stay or visit in Switzerland is complete if you haven’t stayed in a chalet which is a traditional wooden house. It makes you feel very cozy and comfortable.
Geneva Jet D’eau

Geneva Jet D’eau

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Considered as a symbol of the land, the fountain is located in the heart of one of the main cities in Switzerland and projects water as high as 140 meters.
What not to miss out on in Switzerland
Mountain sports are one of the most popular pastimes in Switzerland. So, don’t miss out ice climbing, ski touring, glacier walking and snowboarding.
Do take a ride in one of the world’s highest aerial cable cars up the Little Matterhorn at Zermatt.
Enjoy some of the country’s street parades or theatre performances.
Go lake cruising or ferrying on lakes like Lake Zurich, Lake Geneva, or Lake Constance.
Travel by the Glacier Express, one of Europe’s greatest rail journeys.
Traveling in Switzerland
Traveling in Switzerland is one of the smoothest and comfortable things that you will ever experience here. The public transport is clean, clear and punctual. You can get discount options on tickets for buses, trains or bike rentals. Driving by car is also one of the best ways to explore the country.
Currency

All ATMs accept foreign cards so getting cash is no problem. Although Switzerland is not part of the European Union, almost all public places like restaurants, supermarkets and the like accept Euro. Of course, the currency basically used here is the Swiss franc.
Best Known Products

If you are here in Switzerland how can you not have a look or purchase some of the world’s best known Swiss watches (Rolex, Omega), the famous Swiss chocolates (Nestle is a Swiss company by the way), the delicious Swiss cheese and of course the impressive Swiss knives!