Beaches, Bush, Berg My Selection Of Three Best Places
Option four: Again thinking about your own country, what are the three best features, places or attractions you would promote to someone visiting for the first time and why. week 74: Which Country
A country rich in nature, spoiled by years of strife, anguish, inequality, many wrongs that require being put right, mostly a friendly warm people offering rich rewards when you listen to stories handed down through generations.
Being born African one cannot easly be moved, it runs through ancestral veins in battles and defeat, we strive to be one still living within unique identities.
Whether as a nation we ever achieve the goals will take time to reveal. Today it about why I would invite you here to South Africa.
Speaking only of my own Province KwaZulu-Natal where I reside and move freely, consider travel between destinations can be tricky depending of the mood of the people at the time of visit.
Beaches
I have shared many posts about iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, close proximity to Hluhluwe/iMfolozi National Park, good driving conditions from King Shaka Airport both around 2 hours 30 minutes.
iSimangaliso with untamed wilderness showcasing savanna, swamp forests, golden dunes, vegetated dunes, untouched beaches both rocky and white sandy beaches with coral reefs, caves, hidden adventure to explore plenty in wildlife both on land and under the waves in this remote corner.
Plan a few days stay in town of St Lucia to enjoy remote corner doing day drives, tar and gravel roads both suitable to normal cars, 4 x 4 not necessary take advice from locals about conditions and follow the signs.
Bush life within iSimangaliso offers plenty of wildlife, not only superb beaches!
Bush
An hours drive away from iSimangaliso head on into the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Parks, South Africa's oldest protected reserve and home to big five, self-drive or guided safari drives on offer. Park offers second largest population of rare white rhino, other being largest population in Kruger National Park.
My personal advice is to travel between May and July, cooler days although shorter going into winter, heat in the region with added discomfort of humidity in mid-summer may not suit many who venture here.
Berg
Drive time from King Shaka Airport to the Central Drakensberg takes around 2 hours 30 minutes, roads may have potholes, another region to enjoy.
Hidden caves with bushman paintings depicting animals and life found in the region hundreds of years ago. San people lived here long before white settlers or bantu settlers arrived, some regions do offer guides to ensure you get to find what you looking for.
Escarpment (Barrier of Spears) rises more than 11 400 feet in places (3 475 metres) for avid climbers or hikers to enjoy to the full, be aware of sudden change in weather when climbing. Some places offer guided hikes which is more advisable than going it alone in a region you don't know.
Remain in the valleys below, clean clear rivers flow starting the path toward the sea, unwind watching the eagle at play, reconnect with nature. Valley walks you will find many plants not seen elsewhere, many flowers and plants put to use by local people for medicinal purposes.
The dramatic broken landscape of the escarpment and the harsh climatic conditions of the highland of Lesotho account for the remarkably diverse plant life with about 2200 species and almost 400 endemics (plants found only on this area and no where else in the world)". - Elsa Pooley
Turbulent times, still great to add to places to visit bucket list, our fiat currency is exceptionally weak compared to most other places affording one the availability of landing, renting a vehicle and self-driving, finding guides where required to ensure your safety.
So we end in poetry of deep yearning.
Credit to:- Poetry by Wayne Visser, Paul Cheneour on Flutes, Lennie Charles on Percussion, Photography by Bob Webzell, Video edited by Andi Beqiri. Music recorded during a live performance on 16 November 2013 in London. The poem, African Dream, is published in "I Am an African: Favourite Africa Poems" and "African Dream: Inspiring Words & Images from the Luminous Continent". Copyright 2014 Wayne Visser
Thought for Today: Return to old watering holes for more than water; friends and dreams are there to meet you. -
African Proverb
Places to Enjoy On Hive: #lifestylelounge @hive-114105, #qurator @hive-102880, #featheredfriends @hive-106444, #wednesdaywalk @hive-155530, #amazingnature @hive-127788, #alwaysaflower @hive-154065, #feelgood community @hive-19093, #theterminal @hive-101265 and #ladiesofhive @hive-124452
Beautiful posts Joan, we are truly fortunate to live in such a gorgeous landscape with such rich natural heritage.
Your wildlife photos are superb, that Rhino with the baby is a memento of a population not many will see. Lets hope SA opens up soon to tourism again, it will be most welcome.
Have a wonderful week and well done on winning the Weekend Engagement as well.
Ranger Andy
Thanks so much for kind words, we have always been fortunate in Rhino sightings in the region.
No money in the world can replace our natural heritage, we have to make sure others don't try!
Grim reminder how many are being poached, this has since been removed..., I think it should have stayed!
I am convinced - I'd visit for the beaches, the wild, the flowers and I hopefully get to meet you too :D
Slightly unstable at the moment, hopefully all things come to pass, a beautiful country and people of that I have no doubt. It would be lovely to have people visiting again from overseas, enjoying everything Africa has to offer.
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the person sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.
SA is beautiful isn't it?
I can't help but relate to that, funny though.
Am yet to visit Drakensberg, I've been told it's a beauty, I could only see from afar when am driving to KZN.
You really have to get to the Drakensberg, so much to do when young enough to get up those mountains and enjoy the views!
Driving is without a doubt the most risky part of any trip 😌
Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!
Hopefully I get to visit before I leave SA
That is what saddens me most, our youth are all leaving (not that I blame them), many have not seen this land they call home. Take every opportunity, get to the mountains rustic accommodation and hike, parks board gets you into some brilliant places. Tendele will take you to second highest water fall in the world, Giant Castle had massive rock paintings. Injisuthi one of my favourites for hiking when young!
Fit in at least one visit before you go and I will only wish you God speed and safety wherever you land up.
You probably are not aware am a Nigerian, been in SA 13 years now.
My main frustration of wanting to leave is because of resident permit.
My permanent resident permit have been sitting with Home Affairs since 2019 without an outcome for it.
They are not willing to renew work permit, it's either they reject an application or just let it sit while rendering an individual useless.
I feel frustrated @joanstewart very frustrated!
I was in North West Waterkloof on Friday for ATM antenna installation, the local guy greeted me which I responded back in English, he carried on in the local language, I paused him to say "I don't understand, I only speak English" he said in English "I don't speak English"
So you can see the mentality there, very sad when a fellow black discriminates again a fellow black.
Am weighing my options on a country I can relocate to, peaceful, a country that can fit my career as RF Technician, I've been digging on Botswana, New Zealand, Australia.
SA is beautiful I wish situation is slightly better.
My sons have arrived at a cross roads, made the decision after July riots to try move to New Zealand where my husbands sister lives. Not many options available one sitting without employment, the other running an extremely small home business repairing computers.
Botswana has been relatively stable for some time, who knows when leaders change what other changes will happen.
Most countries after five years you are able to obtain citizenship, alas Home Affairs as with most other government run entities have friends of friends earning not wishing to work, this country had so much promise yet it is fast going/gone down the drain.
As long as people sit playing the blame game nothing will be fixed, many local people no longer wish to work being given grants and all other hand outs, no pride left!
Jealousy runs rife, if you have something, the next person wants to take it from you, I can only hope you do find somewhere to work and live in more settled conditions.
WOW the beauty there is astounding and so varied from the wide beaches through the wonder of nature with the animals birds and fauna
I would want to see them all
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk :), I truly enjoy exploring the world virtually each Wednesday seeing walks from all around the globe and feeling I am there and experiencing it all myself, such as I did in your post just now :)
One can never see enough or say they have seen everything, my love of home country runs deep.
Fortunately many fight to protect the wildlife appreciating the land, hopefully one day it is nature that we heal the wounds of forefathers, politicians and bad decisions made.
Thanks for visiting and kind comments.
We can learn so much from nature how it can heal itself how many animals can coexist and share resources
Nature us all around us and a great teacher but sadly mankind has a lot to learn and is slow to learn
Thankfully many are learning to appreciate nature, looking after what we have.
Sadly a minority, hopefully in time things will change, where wealth is seen in nature not by how many children one can breed into poverty.
I think we have to try and keep hope that the change ion the thought process and respecting and protecting nature is far better than making as much monsy as one can
Some regions are learning an expensive lesson with flooding due to upsetting nature.
Ours in one such town where open land is built up with tar roads, parking lots, shopping malls, absolutely nowhere for water to soak into the ground, this creates perfect flood conditions when rains do arrive.
We really need a re-think on how we build, stop building in green zones, keep wetlands, smart farming there is much to be done or suffer the consequences.
There are areas that aren’t well planned here that suffer bad with flooding also
You think planners would have learned by now but it doesn’t seem to be
Hello dear friend @joanstewart good afternoon
I appreciate very much that you share all this information and the suggestion of the best months of visits; The places that you show us are really very beautiful, without a doubt I would like to know
I take this opportunity to wish you a splendid weekend
Each country offers places of beauty, we are fortunate having much close to hand, yes our Spring and Autumn are the times I feel better suited to heat conditions for travel.
Thanks for visiting and kind comment @jlufer
Africa is beautiful, even though it is only offered for a safari ride. I have never seen these beaches before, you show them from your point of view, not from the usual trade. I was amazed by the fauna and the wilderness of that country. Of course I would accept your invite @joanstewart, hehe.
Wildlife does roam outside of parks, when people visit they normally wish to see the big five where a safari tour is normally easier with guides knowing where the animals may be.
Plant life in both these areas very diverse offering bush and blooms to enjoy.
It would be wonderful for you to be welcomed here with many tours offering the cultural visits in rural areas as well.
Nice story. I like this.
Thanks for visiting and appreciating with me @afridany1
beautiful images friend, unfortunately it has been a culture that has suffered a lot for a long time, when its brothers were exploited and enslaved, beautiful places and exotic flora and fauna
Every continent has been through different types of trials and tribulations over the years, through wars, enslaving people, tribal differences, here the biggest to lose out were the San people or Bushman as many refer to.
A place where protected wildlife and nature still prevail in massive parks for all to enjoy.
Thanks for visiting and enjoying @mirequena78
@joanstewart those are beautiful places that will be very nice for outdoor outing most especially the beaches...thanks for sharing
Hopefully one day nature will bring people to enjoy what they have, many countries have much to offer and should thrive, without wicked leaders.
Desire that one day soon all will bask in the sunlight of enjoyment!
I totally agree with you,many countries have all the natural and human resources to become great but leadership is hindering the growth...
Sad fact is how greed has taken the world in many places to abject poverty for many more.
That is true..
Wow, these places are definitely amazing and I can't tell you which I would prefer, love them all 😍
Beaches and wildlife are beautiful and a visit on the Drakensberg would be definitely a must for me.
!BEER and !PIZZA - nice 😃
!invest_vote
Places I enjoy visiting, away from filthy city life, a sanctuary I hope and pray remains in tact and looked after.
I truly could not choose as to which is best, it all depends on mood as to hiking mountain paths or the joy viewing animals.
!LUV the visit and comment.
!BEER and !PIZZA for the weekend engagement.
That's true, it also depends on the mood and what you want to do to choose where to go, but the decision would be hard 😁
Wish you a nice Sunday 🌞
!BEER and !PIZZA - nice 😃
!invest_vote
Have a great Sunday and hopefully a not too bad week ahead!
!WINE
Congratulations, @joanstewart You Successfully Shared 0.100 WINEX With @johannpiber.
You Earned 0.100 WINEX As Curation Reward.
You Utilized 1/1 Successful Calls.
Contact Us : WINEX Token Discord Channel
WINEX Current Market Price : 0.303
Don't remind me that I have to go back to work tomorrow 😭😂
!LUV
Cheers and !BEER
!invest_vote
Oops, sorry..... Take it easy soon it will be Christmas break once again sure to have a couple of weeks off!
Psst: Snow photography to cool me down will be coming soon, heat and humidity dial going up here!
!BEER
Haha, never mind 😉
During Christmas and the end of the year there's always a lot to do, but a few days off will certainly be possible :)
I'm not sure if I have posted this photo yet:
!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote
@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !
<><
@joanstewart, you've been given LUV from @johannpiber.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (2/4)
View or trade
BEER.Hey @johannpiber, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @joanstewart for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !
<><
@johannpiber, you've been given LUV from @joanstewart.
Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (1/5)
@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !
PIZZA Holders sent $PIZZA tips in this post's comments:
papilloncharity tipped joanstewart (x1)
joanstewart tipped johannpiber (x5)
@johannpiber(6/20) tipped @joanstewart (x13)
joanstewart tipped papilloncharity (x1)
Learn more at https://hive.pizza.
@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !
I have never been to that part of Africa, and I would love to see it, especially the rhino and all the wildlife, from a distance. :) No matter how many times I see these majestic creatures, it is never enough.
When I was a child, I envied those that were in Africa, so exotic, full of adventure and natural, unspoiled beauty. So much the same, yet, such a different beast now.
I hope the situation becomes brighter, so that we may come once again. Thank you for the incredible beauty, Joan. xo
Many rhino are being de-horned for safety reasons, these photographs now treasured seeing the last of them in their majestic beauty.
Africa is beautiful of that there is no doubt, pity it has been put into the turmoil it now endures, only finding peace when paying to go to protected areas.
50% of middle class who managed to achieve in early years under ANC have now been lost sliding back into way worse conditions than ever witnessed.
For me it is home, one way or another make it work for long as we are able. The sooner tourism opens a better chance for rural areas to be employed and develop.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful new week Denise.
I forgot about the rhino being de-horned. Isn't that a shame? Those photographs are treasures, for sure.
I was so hopeful when Africa made the change, a new beginning. It surely didn't last as long as I thought it would and you are right. It is way worse than I ever imagined. I worry for the safety of those I know and I feel the same way as my country slides into corruption and being woke. :( I want to run for the hills, but, this is home.
You have a great week too!
We saw many Rhino on last trip up, all without horns except this Mamma, Pappa and Baby still OK, a hidden corner grazing peacefully, given time they too will be de-horned.
All were hopeful when change arrived in 1994, time has proven us all wrong. Woke thing is here as well, one sometimes feels we have landed in a familiar place that is foreign to us.
Hugs and hoping for a better future!
Sensational post @joanstewart what a beautiful mixture you have got some nice beaches over there 👍
Stunning places to visit, hopefully we see you here one day soon. Thanks for visit and kind comment @kohsamui99
It is on my bucket list @joanstewart do hope i can get there in the near future 👍
Look forward to you getting here one day in the near future, have a lovely day where you are for now.
Thank you @joanstewart i am really hanging out for a vacation.
Congratulations @joanstewart! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
Your next target is to reach 29500 replies.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out the last post from @hivebuzz:
Thanks for update @hivebuzz always appreciated!
You're welcome @joanstewart, that's well deserved! Have a nice weekend 😊👍
What an awesome tribute to South Africa, specifically our beloved KZN! Someone once said to me that once you've lived in Africa, it will always be in your blood, and it's so very true. Despite the problems we face, we still have the richest countryside and sights!
We're currently in the central Berg, a reminder why we come back here time and time again, it's pure magic!
Enjoy time in the Berg I hardly touched my phone last time up there and never used my laptop, was just too busy letting go and being one with nature. That was straight after first hard lockdown.
Playing dodgems with rolling blackouts on Level 4 currently so not sure when you find time to connect up there.
Enjoy yourself Lizelle soak up the magic, yes Africa runs in our veins and no one can take that away from us!
Ah yes, our beautiful beloved country and we are old enough to have seen all of the changes in it.
We have seen droughts with many animals dying and we have seen abundances of rain that released new life. We have faced severe struggles and beat them every time.
A hardy tough and friendly bunch we are.
But alas, we are slowly nearing the end of the line.
A great post here Lady Joan.
!BEER
Changes sometimes a very hard pill to swallow, somehow we endure and adapt to make the most of every day offered.
Rains have been superb this early summer season, hopefully goes throughout the summer to keep drought at bay, perhaps some dam development is in planning not just rolling blackouts.
Greetings and salutations!
!BEER
Oh yes, even if it was 50/50 good and bad, but some changes such as the broke municipalities, to take only one example makes the changes look more in the 30/80 ballpark.
But we endure and soldier on.
We will again have rain Wednesday next week and the dams here are full, but further inland the dams are still in a sorry state. I haven't heard or seen anything yet of new dam developments.
What I do know is that when Koeberg is shut down for a month or 2 in February, we will be in even deeper trouble with the power cuts.
!BEER
Liars and thieves, no matter how you sugar coat it we living in precarious times tethering on total bankruptcy as a country if the powers that be don't get their act together.
!WINE
Congratulations, @joanstewart You Successfully Shared 0.100 WINEX With @papilloncharity.
You Earned 0.100 WINEX As Curation Reward.
You Utilized 1/1 Successful Calls.
Contact Us : WINEX Token Discord Channel
WINEX Current Market Price : 0.350
That getting of their act together sounds like a pipe dream my friend.
As long as the thieves are left untouched the people will continue to suffer and things will get worse.
Too many fingers in the pie, too many wanting to get to the money pots and too much dissent.
A recipe for madness.
!BEER
Shows after all the municipality arguments, none want to work together, each has to be top brass allowing fingers into cookie jar with ease. No long work for the people, all about what is in it for me!
!PIZZA
Yes another sad state of affairs. Kill and murder, anything to get to the money pots.
The people are only seen as voting fodder. Prior to any voting session they try to pull a rabbit out of a hat by showcasing one or another great deed, such as a house for an old lady, or any other such.
They should be doing this every day, but once they have the vote, then it's the wait for another 5 years and false promises.
Someone even went as far as promising 500,000 new jobs. Hardly any materialized.
Suckers we all are.
!PIZZA
View or trade
BEER.Hey @joanstewart, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @papilloncharity for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.View or trade
BEER.Hey @joanstewart, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @papilloncharity for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.View or trade
BEER.Hey @papilloncharity, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @joanstewart for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.View or trade
BEER.Hey @joanstewart, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @papilloncharity for you. Enjoy it!Do you want to win SOME BEER together with your friends and draw the
BEERKING.The article is great. Looking at the animals there, I wish I could come and explore this interesting land 😃
Once in an area there is much to see, do and enjoy, perhaps one day Africa will welcome you to her shores.
I never went to Africa, but I always loved pictures and documentiations about this wild country.
Exciting place to visit, perhaps one day when things settle worldwide the opportunity will arise.
At the moment it sadly looks, that lockdowns will come again :-( but we will all see these days, when life will be free to go wherever one wants to go :-)
Talking next wave here mid December to January, who knows this could carry one forever... at the end of the day I do not believe things will ever go back to 'normal'!
I would love to experience South africa😍😍 there's really a lot to see and experience😍 sending love all the way from the Philippines😍
Plenty to see and do, this is a taste of one region, hopefully one day you make it here to enjoy something completely different @lifewithera
So beautiful. I hope can go there in future 😊
Hope people do visit, lot to see and do.
Beautiful images and nice story. Thank you for sharing with us 😍😍
Thanks for visiting and enjoying with me @daotam