Photos
of
Travel Tips
Cape Town Minstrel
Carnival
(Photo courtesy Cape Town Routes Unlimited)
Feral horses in the
Southern Namib Desert, Namibia
|
Sasendle's 'Travel
Tips':
Jun to
November 2008 - page 1 /
Dec 2008 to
Mar
2009 - page 2
Apr to Jun
2009 - page 3
2008-Dec/2009-Jan:
Travel Tip #8
Western Cape Festivals - January to April
The Cape Town Minstrel
Carnival takes place during the month of January each year. It is an
enormous, all inclusive event, run by the city’s black and Malay population.
Shiny Satin suits, multi-coloured face paints, polished trumpets, "twangy"
banjos and natty marching drills are the order of the day at Cape Town's century
old Kaapse Klopse celebrations. Every weekend, the troupes strut their
stuff in a series of parades and concerts, while competition judges weigh up
their musical skills and showmanship. The festival culminates in a colourful
jazz parade in the city streets, at the end of the month.
The Cape Country Picnic
Festival takes place from 13-15 February 2009 at the beautiful Bien Donne
Farm in Simondium, on the R45 halfway between Paarl and Franschhoek.
Visitors will be accommodated on the large lawns surrounded by oak trees, where
one finds an arts & craft market and food stalls. Live background music staged
by local performers provides a relaxing atmosphere. Toddlers may enjoy the
kiddies corner and young and old will be entertained by organised games and
activities.
One of the most popular
festivals takes place every year in April, in Lamberts Bay (around 21-24th
April): At the Lambert's Bay Kreeffees (Crayfish Festival) one
gets to feast on fresh crayfish and other seafood while attending a popular rock
concert that featuring some of South Africa's favourite musicians. There's also
bungee jumping, aerial displays, a half-marathon, beer tents and more
entertainment and fun for the whole family.
Travel Tip #9
Feral Horses of the Namib
Sasendle’s Scheduled Tour
Cape-Namibia Explorer
spends 2 nights in the Southern Namib area to
explore some of its highlights.
One of these is a natural phenomena:
In the undulating open scenery between Aus and Lüderitz, one finds a fascinating
natural phenomena - wild horses roaming the Namib Desert. In this barren habitat
these amazing creatures have managed to adapt to the harsh conditions, over a
period of approximately one hundred years and are nowadays a famous tourist attraction. In spite of
numerous theories and persistent local tales, their origin is
still shrouded in mystery. Early assumptions of being a separate
species or sub-species could not be verified. They are far more
likely to be the descendents of domesticated horses, which makes the
existence of today's population all the more intriguing.
The Feral Horses of the Namib, numbering around
150 individuals of all ages, freely roam an area of approx. 350 square
kilometres and cope with adverse climate
conditions like heat, drought, sandstorms and sub-zero winter temperatures.
Visitors find comprehensive information on the horses on display at the Aus
Information Centre, which also houses a lovely coffee-shop.
2009-Feb/Mar:
Travel Tip #10
Medicinal Plants in the Western Cape
Buchu (boegoe in Afrikaans - see
Boegoeberg in SAT's "West Coast" excursion)
is native to South Africa but sold worldwide. The medicinal use of this plant's
dried leaves is part of the cultural heritage of the San and Khoi people, since
times untold.
The anti-inflammatory properties of Buchu were first discovered by European
immigrant settlers in the Western Cape, some 400 years ago. Since than extensive
research has been done on the humble white or pink flowered shrub. The findings
concluded that Buchu has a variety of therapeutic purposes, from the treatment
of the digestive system and urinary tract, to prostate problems and kidney
stones. It is also used for treating respiratory disorders, colds, gout,
flatulence, cystitis and to normalise blood sugar levels. Buchu is considered
nature’s ideal remedy for sportsman and weary hikers, providing potent
anti-inflammatory action on the musculoskeletal system.
When mixed with oil, the leaves make a powerful perfume.
All species of Buchu belong to the Rue (Rutaceae) family - the same family as
citrus fruits - and are rich in minerals and nutrients. The plant is
particularly adapted to dry climate conditions and can be cultivated on sunny
hillsides where other crops will fail.
Rooibos, South Africa’s famous “red bush", is a herbal plant primarily
cultivated in the Cederberg/Clanwilliam area of the Western Cape Province and
grows nowhere else in the world.
The Khoi and San people used it to make tea and for many medicinal purposes, for
hundreds of years already.
The organic Rooibos Tea, - nowadays also widely exported -, is an excellent
source of antioxidants and possesses cancer-fighting and anti-ageing agents. It
is used in the treatment of skin conditions, hay fever, asthma, eczema, to
soothe heartburn, ease the pain of stomach ulcers and relieve nausea. Rooibos
tee has very low tannin content, contains no caffeine, colorants, additives or
preservatives, but is packed with potassium, iron, zinc, and other vitamins and
virtually kilojoule-free.
The plant grows up to 1,5 m high, possesses fine pine needle- like leaves and
needs sandy ground for ideal growing conditions. It can be harvested when 2
years old, in South Africa’s late summer months between January and March.
In the village of Wuppertal, located in the eastern Cederberg Mountains, - a
semi-arid landscape of high rocky plateaus on the southern boundary of the Great
Karoo -, the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of the Khoi and San tribes formed
the Wuppertal Tea Association in 1998 with a membership of 170 farmers. The
farmers are extremely proud of their enterprise and about 50 members are
exporting cultivated and wild Rooibos to the European and U.S. markets. In the
meantime, many different rooibos-based products have emerged, from liqueur to
beauty products, making the plant a truly versatile organic native of South
Africa.
Learn more about these medicinal plants
during Sasendle's
3-day/2-night "West
Coast" & "Cederberg
Mountains/Kagga Kamma" tours that
visit Buchu and Rooibos plantations, amongst
other places of interest.
These two short tours may be combined, on request.
Continue reading SAT's Travel Tips
on pages 1
/ 2 /
3
|
News Topics
Inside Sasendle
-
Company
Profile
-
Inside News
on team,
memberships, shows,
& other topics - pages:
1 /
2 /
3
Newsletter
Archive
Photos
-
Namibia
-
South Africa
-
South Africa
Tour Brief
-
Scheduled
Tours
-
Excursions
& Short
Tours from/to CPT
-
Combo Tours
Tour Highlights
1-5
/ 6
Tours & Equipment
-
Safaris &
Prices 2010
-
Safaris & Prices
2011
Travel Tips
1-7
/
8-10
/ 11- ..
What our safari guests had to say
Customer
Feedback
4x4 Club Activities
(dedicated page
to follow) |
