Incredible photographs of the Namibian landscape.

Tinted orange by the morning sun, a soaring dune is the backdrop for the hulks of camel thorn trees in Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia.

Desert-dwelling elephants follow the contours of the ancient Huab River Valley, wending their way through the Torra Conservancy - one of 60 areas overseen by local communities.

Quiver trees stand like eerie sentinels under the stars in the Namib Desert.

Pink flamingos mass on the water in Sandwich Harbour, once a secluded spot for whalers the lagoon is now renowned for its bird life with more than 100 species recorded.

The photographs are the work of photographer Frans Lanting, who took the incredible images on behalf of National Geographic magazine.

Appearing in the June 2011 edition of the famous magazine, the photos accompany a feature by Alexandra Fuller, who tells the story of how animals are thriving in Namibia since it became one of the world's first nations to write environmental protection into its constitution following its independence in 1990. She explains how the eco-minded nation treasures its land and feels responsible for it.

Click here for the full article in the Daily Mail.

TripAdvisor votes Cape Town No. 1

According to the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards 2011, Cape Town is the world’s best destination. The planet’s most popular travel website placed Sydney (Australia) in second place and Machu Picchu (Peru) in third.

“Cape Town is clearly the destination to beat,” said TripAdvisor spokesperson, Emma O’Boyle. “With beautiful scenery, great wine and gorgeous weather, it’s easy to see why Cape Town, which also played host to last year’s World Cup, has topped this year’s list.”

The Travelers' Choice Destinations awards honour top travel spots worldwide based on 45 million real and unbiased opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. Award winners were determined based on a combination of travelers' favorite places and overall destination popularity.

The Top 10 destinations in the world for 2011, according to TripAdvisor are:

1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
4. Paris, France
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. New York City, New York
7. Rome, Italy
8. London, United Kingdom
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Hong Kong, China

For full article click here.

Joe's Beerhouse - Windhoek, Namibia

Tanja

Joe’s beerhouse, a legendary & unique slice of Namibian hospitality & cuisine, offers a wide range of local yet exotic flair & sumptuous meals to satisfy even the most conservative to experimental palates.

Originally founded in 1986 by Joe & his partner, upon arrival from Germany to Namibia, they started the Kaiserkrone restaurant, which after a few years was later to become Joes Beerhouse, the legend still surviving to this day.

Situated on the iconic 160 Nelson Mandela avenue in the capital Windhoek, Joes bursts onto the scene with African relics old & new, each with its own unique story, inscribed in detail on every facet of the building’s interior. It sports three thatched bars, strewn with toilet seat bar stools, a lapa, and beer garden an outside boma with fireplace, & a quality stocked wine cellar. Riddled with prize heads of game & filled to the brim with Namibian earthy tones & natural wonder, Joes offers this unique experience in quite a neat package.

Joe’s menu is littered with scrumptious exotic but local dishes offered with flair of excellence & generous memorable experiences to excite even the most critical of food connoisseurs. Their menu covers it all from a wide variety of game, chicken & beef. Joes also offers a sizable choice of vegetarian & salad dishes. The locally brewed draught is a beer best enjoyed before, during or after your meal; take into account that they are also the highest consumer of Jagermeister in all of Namibia.

The list of specialty dishes goes on with classics such as Pork schnitzel & the traditional German “Eisbein” or also known as pork knuckle served with sauerkraut & mustard, are a must. More to the travelers delight dishes such as the Zebra steak & Devils Ribs are not to be missed. All this & more can be enjoyed with a finale of exquisite deserts such as the aptly named Parfait of Namibian Prickly Pears or a modest Amarula (African cream liqueur) Dom Pedro.

So there you have it a unique, exciting & memorable dining & drinking experience that can only be better described by the owners themselves, “ it’s good food, superb company, unique experience & is locally & internationally known as a must see Namibian attraction.”

Le Quartier Francais No 36 in Top 50 Restaurants 2011

Royal highlands trout ballotine, squid ink, avocado.

Pickled aubergine and buffalo labne roulade.

Le Quartier Français has been included, for the 7th consecutive year (and 8th year overall), in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants.

This year saw the Tasting Room, the only South African restaurant included in the 2011 Top 50 Restaurants, placed no 36 overall and best restaurant in Africa & The Middle East.

Two other South African restaurants -Rust-en-Vrede and La Colombe – were recognized and included in the S.Pellegrino World's Top 51-100 Best Restaurants rankings; reaffirming our belief that South Africa, as a food destination, continues to impress on a global scale.

The Tasting Room, situated in the French Huguenot valley of Franschhoek, in the Cape Winelands, serves course after course of exquisitely presented culinary delights showcase chef Margot Janse and her team's award-winning talent. You can indulge in a surprise 9 course menu - African inspired - or a five course choice menu. Both options can be enjoyed with a wine pairing. Bookings essential. Dinners Only - Mon - Sun.

5 Course Menu
Almond, cucumber & green grape consommé, dill granita, fennel pollen

Beetroot and liquorice terrine, apple puree, pickled walnut

Lesotho royale highlands salmon trout, squid ink, avocado, wasabi

Crisp skinned cape salmon, pearl barley ragout, miso, soya, celery

Joostenberg vlakte pekin duck breast, confit leg tortellini, pea parfait,butternut, juniper and pomegranate

Coffee roasted warthog loin, potato fondant, garlic puree,bone marrow and currant vinaigrette

Eastern cape blue wildebeest, leek and buchu ash, lentils, celeriac

Swissland chevre ash mousse, plum, pickled turnip, cocoa pepper

Whipped kimilili tulbagh blue, mustard pear, pistachio sable

Mulberries, bitter chocolate ganache, lemon thyme and buffalo yoghurt sherbet

Cashew nut savarin, coconut sorbet, passion fruit, banana, curry

Cape Town in for a Beautiful Weekend

Photo of Table Mountain taken this morning from the V&A Waterfront.

Go on, Buy a Penguin a Home.

The African Penguin was moved to the Endangered list in May 2010 because of a decline of almost 100 birds a week over the last 30 years.

Dyer Island is a critically important breeding colony – one of the largest remaining in South Africa – but African penguin numbers are rapidly declining. In 1979 Dyer Island had a penguin population of about 23,000 breeding pairs. This dropped to 1,200 pairs in 2010 – a more than 90% drop in numbers in 30 years.

During the 19th and 20th centuries the island was stripped of guano for use as an agricultural fertilizer. This has had devastating effects on the penguins. The safest place for penguins to breed is in burrows, which they used to dig into the soft guano enabling the birds to make their nests and sheltering them from the heat of the sun.

During the 19th and 20th centuries the island was stripped of guano for use as an agricultural fertilizer. This has had devastating effects on the penguins. The safest place for penguins to breed is in burrows, which they used to dig into the soft guano enabling the birds to make their nests and sheltering them from the heat of the sun.

When guano was removed, penguins were forced to nest in the open on the rocky island surface. Here they are at the mercy of the elements and of predators. On hot days adults incubating in the open overheat and often leave their nests to go down to the sea. As soon as eggs and small chicks are left unattended on the surface,they too can overheat and die, or more likely fall prey to the ever watchful Kelp Gulls.

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust, in partnership with CapeNature, has embarked on a programme to introduce artificial nests providing vitally important shelter for breeding penguins. Fibre glass nests were specially designed to mimic natural guano burrows.

Download the brochure and help us conserve the remaining breeding colonies by purchasing a nest - only ZAR 400 (USD55 EUR45 GBP35) each or by making a donation to our world class research.

Leopard and Python Tug-of-War

A massive snake may not be the average feline's choice of chew toy. But there was no stopping these leopards having a tug of war with one unlucky python. The six-and-a-half-ft (2m) long African rock python became the unwilling 'rope' in the game, after being captured by a female leopard in the long grass.

But as she dragged it, still wriggling, along behind her, she was ambushed by her over-zealous son who wanted to land the kill for himself. The young male snatched the end of the enormous snake in his powerful jaws, and tried to tug it away from his mother. The two big cats fought ferociously over their prey for half an hour, in front of stunned guests at the MalaMala game reserve, South Africa.

The brutal battle was only ended when the female leopard gave up, retreating to a tree while her son tucked in to his prize. But he only ate a morsel before deciding it was not to his taste, and discarding the snake's body in the long grass. The unusual scene was caught on camera by American photographer Josh Scheinert.

Photo of Table Mountain on St Patricks Day

Original image via tvcritics

Top of de Mountain to Ye!

See Table Mountain light up in green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, from 20h00 on March 17, 2011. Photo courtesy dkeats

Various St Patrick’s Day 2011 celebrations will be held in Cape Town on Thursday, March 17. Table Mountain will be illuminated with green lights in the evening, in recognition of the work done by Irish charities in the Mother City, as well as to commemorate the links between Ireland and Cape Town.

It is fitting that these celebrations take place on a Thursday, which has become the official “Vote for Table Mountain” day. Table Mountain has been shortlisted as a New7Wonder of Nature, but needs your vote if it is to achieve this status. You can play your part by sending the word “TABLE” via cellphone text message to 34874, or by casting your vote online.

Here are a few places that will be celebrating the green spirit in Cape Town on Thursday 17th March 2011:

The Dubliner

Quintessentially Irish, be sure to expect a huge celebration at The Dubliner bar in Long Street on 17 March. Leprechaun lookalikes will serve you green beer, while the live music pays homage to shamrock ‘n roll! Be sure to arrive early for a few fun giveaways and, of course, to avoid the line.Long Street City Bowl +27 (0)21 424 1212

Perseverance Tavern

This traditional Irish bar will celebrate St Paddy's with Guinness hats, Irish music and Guinness Draught specials. 83 Buitenkant Street Gardens +27 (0)21 461 2440

The Royal Oak

The bar ladies will be dressed in green and black, serving Draught Guinness and Kilkenny for R23 a pint. The evening will also be full of fun games with scratch cards given for every pint bought where each customer can win a free pint, a hat or some other item. Harvan Centre Marine Circle Cape Town +27 (0)21 557 0354

Twankey Bar at The Taj

St Patrick’s Day at Twankey Bar

O'Driscolls

This popular spot will have Guinness prizes up for grabs and a chance to possibly win a trip to Ireland for you and a friend. Of course, there will also be entertainment and lots of drinking... and did we mention drinking?33 Hout Street City Bowl +27 (0)21 424 7453

South Africa Outperforms 2010 Global Tourism Market

South Africa recorded a remarkable 15% increase in tourist arrivals to the country in 2010 – outperforming the global average by 8%. And while the Fifa World Cup in June and July played a role in the increase, tourist arrivals were buoyant all year round.

Last year saw just over eight million (8 073 552) tourist arrivals compared to slightly over seven million (7 011 865) in 2009, comparing well with international standards.

Figures from the UN World Tourism Organisation showed that global tourism arrivals were estimated to have grown by 6.7% in 2010. This meant that South Africa outperformed the global market by 8%.

For the full story, on SouthAfrica.info click here.

Is Google Able to Increase Airfares?

Online travel companies say Google's proposed $700 million acquisition of flight information company ITA Software.company acquisition will drive up airfares.

Members of the FairSearch.org coalition are urging the US Justice Department to block the Google-ITA deal - just as it did in November 2008 with the Google-Yahoo! advertising agreement.

They are claiming that Google's purchase of ITA would give the Internet search giant too much control over the online travel sector and lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.

"You're taking the dominant flight search engine company, which is ITA, and you're combining it with the dominant online search company, which is Google," Thomas Barnett told AFP.

For the full article on iafrica, click here.

Lake of Fire

Do not panic, there is not another ash cloud emergency over Europe. In June 2010, a team of scientists and intrepid explorers stepped onto the shore of the lava lake boiling in the depths of Nyiragongo Crater, in the heart of the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Members of the team had been dazzled since childhood by the images of the 1960 documentary "The Devil's Blast" by Haroun Tazieff, who was the first to reveal to the public the glowing red breakers crashing at the bottom of Nyiragongo crater. Photographer Olivier Grunewald was within a meter of the lake itself, giving us a unique glimpse of it's molten matter. Paula Nelson

The view from the volcano’s rim, 11,380 feet above the ground. At 1,300 feet deep, the lava lake has created one of the wonders of the African continent.

The permanent lava lake of the Nyiragongo is the biggest in the world, an estimated 282 million cubic feet of lava. In 1977 and 2002, the lava lake breached the crater, destroying a large part of the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At night, the base camp is illuminated by the light of the lava lake.

Franck Pothé approaches the lava. For such a close encounter, the wind must be at his back, pushing the heat away. Pothé is constantly informed of the swirling winds via radio contact with other members.

Marc Caillet is the first member of the team to reach the lake’s rim.

For more images click here.