Greetings fellow travelers, On 11/11/11, our beautiful, majestic, spiritual Table Mountain was announced as one of the provisional "New7Wonders of Nature". Hoerikwaggo ("Mountain of the Sea" in the lo
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Cat:Middle East and AfricaForum:0EE6B362
Cat:Middle East and AfricaForum:0EE6B362Discussion:3944f6bc-4a64-4cbc-ab4d-50e1324eeedc
On 11/11/11, our beautiful, majestic, spiritual Table Mountain was announced as one of the provisional "New7Wonders of Nature". Hoerikwaggo ("Mountain of the Sea" in the local Bushman dialect) now sits proudly on a list that includes some of Mother Nature's most wondrous creations such as Vietnam's Halong Bay, the Amazon, Jeju Island in South Korea, Indonesia's Komodo National Park, Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Phillipines, and Argentina's Iguazu Falls. Based on popular vote, the voting process is now being formally checked and validated before the official announcement of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in early 2012. Table Mountain was declared a World Heritage Site in 2004, and at around 360 millions years old is one othe oldest mountains on earth. It lies within the Cape Floristic Region, the smallest and richest of the world's six floral kingdoms, and is home range to 8,200 rare and endangered plant species. Table Mountain is also the only terrestrial landmark to have a constellation named after it - the southern "Mensa" constellation was originally named in 1754 as "Mons Mensae", Latin for "the table mountain", in recognition of its terrestrial namesake's navigational importance for sailors rounding the Cape of Good Hope. It's perhaps also worth noting that of the seven provisional winners, Table Mountain is by far the most accessible, located within the heart of lively, historic, tourist-friendly Cape Town. ...and I'm so lucky to live here! Come visit to see for yourself.
Thanks for the advance notice. Are you aware of any reasonably priced escorted tours to South Africa. When is a good time to visit weather-wise? Thanks Fern Smith
South Africa encompasses quite a few different geographical, vegetation and climatic regions, which therefore impacts on the "best" time of year to visit. To be very broad, our cooler months (May-September) is a good time to view wildlife in the north and east of the country (including the Greater Kruger NP area) but the weather can sometimes be wet and/or cold down in the southern and western regions (including Cape Town). Conversely, the warmer months (October-April) can bring tropical-type humidity and rain to the north and east, and clear skies and sun to the south and west (strong winds can also be encountered around the Cape area during this time).
I'm sure you will be inundated with posts from fellow travelers who have their own favorite tour companies. However I feel that South Africa can easily be explored "D.I.Y." and unless you specifically wish to travel within a group, I recommend an itinerary that combines a range of guided day/multi-day experiences with quality accommodations, using pre-booked personalized transport/transfers, perhaps also with a bit of time for personal non-guided exploration?
Congratulations on the new recognition for Table Mountain! We were fascinated by how this mountain dominates the scenery in Cape Town, and how the fog and clouds swirl around it so frequently. It is as memorable as Kilimanjaro or Mt. Everest and worthy of the recognition.
