The Bamboo Guest House - Hermanus

This weeks accommodation feature is the recently opened Bamboo Guest House, located in the seaside town of Hermanus, one of the top land based whale-watching destinations in the world.

The Guest house is perfectly situated, close to the town centre, beaches, the 27 hole golf course and a stones through form the beautiful cliff paths. This also makes it the perfect base to go shark cage diving at Gaansbaai, an hours drive away.

The entire guest house has been furnished in hand crafted Bamboo furniture which has been custom designed and purpose made by Bamboo Living. Floors are Bamboo and towels are 50% Bamboo/Cotton mixed fibre.
A beautifully landscaped garden and pool area with a custom built bar will reward you with hours of entertainment and relaxation in the Overberg sun.

All rooms at The Bamboo Guest House are spacious with either sea or mountain views. Each en-suite room is furnished with hand crafted Bamboo furniture and equipped with flatscreen LCD televisions, bar fridges, hospitality trays and executive desks. Bathrooms are spacious with luxuriously appointed showers and baths.

The Bamboo Guest House offers great value for money, with affordable rates of between R 450 and R 550 per person per nigh sharing.

For bookings and more information.

Adventure Hikes in the Cape Peninsula

Adventure Hikes in the Cape Peninsula has been written for the adventurous hiker or mountaineer, from keen beginners to rock climbers wanting a day off from their ropes and 'friends'. Whatever your background, following a route description is an adventure.

Here are more than 30 tried and tested hikes, with detailed descriptions illustrated with more than 450 colour pictures to help you find you way. The routes are classified into three sections: easy, moderate and difficult. The guide includes additional information about the flora and history, as well as and safety and conservation tips.

Adventure Hikes in the Cape Peninsula is the ideal guide to carry in a rucksack, whether a beginner, moderately fit or experienced hiker, or just curious.

This is Karen Watkins second book; the first was Adventure Walks & Scrambles in the Cape Peninsula, published by Double Storey in September 2003. She has been leading day hikes and trails, including to wilderness areas for people of all ages, for more than 18 years. She is involved with many hiking organisations and has been a volunteer for the Table Mountain National Park for ten years.

At present the book is available at R130 (pre book launch price) from the author at karen.watkins@inl.co.za or call 076 543 7266. It will also be available at R150 at independent bookshops such as The Book Lounge in Roeland Street, Bay Bookshop in Hout Bay, Book Shoppe in the Pick 'n Pay Centre in Tokai, Folio Books in Main Road Rondebosch, Kalk Bay Bookshop, Kirstenbosch book shops and others.

Dewani arrested in Britain

British millionaire Shrien Dewani was arrested in London on Tuesday night for suspected involvement in his wife Anni's murder, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

He was arrested at 11pm London time at the request of South African authorities on suspicion of conspiring to kill her, Scotland Yard told the broadcaster.

Speaking to reporters on the court steps afterwards, an emotional Vinod Hindocha, Anni's father, expressed his gratitude to South Africans.

"I'd like to say thank you to the South African people for their support and thank you for the whole world for the condolence messages to our family," said Hindocha, who had flown out from Sweden for the hearing.

"And I hope... no, I have nothing more to say. Thank you all. Thank you."

Namibia in Top 10 Best Value Destinations for 2011

Lonely Planet has announced its top 10 list of Best Value Destinations for 2011. Here at Finding Africa it comes as no surprise that Namibia is ranked at number 5.

Namibia is a land of unique and contrasting landscapes offering the wild rugged skeleton coast, the solitude of the mighty dunes in the Namib Desert, great game-viewing in the Etosha National Park and of course the colonial German architecture from a bygone era. Namibia is well geared towards backpackers and tours aimed at budget travellers, but if you go up a price bracket you can eat and sleep well in excellent midrange value-for-money options. Namibia has become a photographer’s and outdoor adventure enthusiast’s paradise. View this amazing video of a flight over the Namib Desert.

Bangladesh topped the Lonely Planet list at number one.

World Aids Day: A fighting chance

This battle is being won. With global co-operation, we can give hope back to the helpless, writes Elton John.

This World Aids Day marks the beginning of a fourth decade living with a global killer. I understand that many of you have just picked up your morning paper and may not want to think about disease, death, and devastation. I understand that you may think Aids is too complicated and too persistent for us to solve. I understand that you likely have a dozen other issues clamouring for your attention – global warming, poverty, world peace, just to name a few – and the day has only just begun.

I am compelled not by despair but by hope. I'm heartened by the recent statistics from UNAIDS that tell a promising story – 5 million people on treatment and a 25 per cent drop in new infections across the worst-affected countries since 2001. I'm motivated by the progress that Aids has quite unintentionally moved forward, rather than the destruction it has left in its wake.

For the rest of the article on World Aids Day

Amazing Wildlife Photographs

These dramatic pictures show a clash of the titans as a protective elephant mum and a ferocious crocodile get in an epic tug of war in Zambia. The female elephant and her baby were drinking from the Luangwa River in the South Luangwa National Park when they were attacked. Leaping out of the murky waters a vicious crocodile bit down on the female's trunk.

Water gushes from the mum's trunk as she finally shakes the croc, with her baby momentarily tripping over the predator before the pair made off safely. They were seen feeding from the river later in the day.

South Luangwa National Park is well-known for its mighty elephant herds of up to 70 individuals. Measuring 9000 square kilometers, the park has 60 animal species including baboons, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, leopards, lions and hippopotamus.

Hippo Help

This might be the first ever recorded rescue of a baby zebra and wildebeest by the same hippo on the Mara River.

Both were rescued within space of 10 minutes as they crossed over from the Lamai side. The photos and videos were captured by Michael Yule and other guests as they were watching a major wildebeest crossing at the time.

The hippo was watching as the wildebeest herd swam past. As soon as the calf jumped in, the hippo swam up to it and pushed it along all the way across until it had reached safety on the other side.It then went back and did the same for a zebra foal just minutes later.

The wildebeest and zebra are now moving down in large numbers from the Masai Mara across the Lamai plains and crossing the Mara River. Guests of Lemala Camp are witnessing crossings every day.Some of the herds have arrived north of Lobo.

http://www.findingafrica.com/

Table Mountain Cable Car Half Price Special!

Table Mountain Cableway’s famously popular Sunset Special starts on Monday November 1 this year and runs until the end of February 2011. Adults pay R90 per person return while children under 18 years pay R45 per person return after 6pm. Tickets can only be purchased at the Cableway’s Ticket Office from 6pm. Click for more info.

The Cableway operates weather permitting. For information call (021) 424 8181 or visit http://www.tablemountain.net/

“A world in one country”

South Africa has been billed as 'a world in one country', offering a taste of the African experience with the chance to visit traditional tribal villages, game reserves and sprawling townships. At the same time it also offers all the pleasures of a first world holiday experience, with luxury hotels, sophisticated shopping, exciting theme parks and clean beaches.

It is not only cultural diversity that makes South Africa magical. The country has a wealth of animal and plant life scattered across its varied climactic zones from desert to snow-covered mountains, forests to grasslands and mangrove swamps.

Click for the full article on South Africa.

Some great wildlife photo's

Vist http://www.findingafrica.com/ for safari holidays in Southern Africa and taylor made photographic trips to Namibia.

Win a 10 days holiday in South Africa for 2!

For more information on this prize click HERE.

Shelly Point - West Coast

Shelley Point is located on a private peninsula and fringed by three bays – Stompneus, Shelley and Britannia - with beaches, world-class surf and clear water in one of the calmest bays on the West Coast. There is a golf course and spa at the four-star Shelley Point Hotel, Spa & Country Club.

Next door is Britannia Bay, named after the British ship Britannia that struck a reef in October 1826. The bay is fringed with 4km of sandy beach. Also nearby is SAS Saldanha where there is a choice of four nature trails from 4km to 14.5km. Each one is colour-coded and clearly marked however finding them is the difficult part.

Bird-watching: the best place to observe the waders is at low tide from the bird hides at Geelbek located in the West Coast National Park. From Geelbek’s bird hide it is possible to spot long-legged godwits, whimbrels and curlews, knot, sanderling, little stint, ruff, marsh, terek, curlew sandpiper and many others. There is also the chance of seeing osprey and chestnut banded plovers. Geelbek was home to the Khoi people who lived here thousands of years ago. This Cape Dutch building was renovated three times since it was first built in 1744.

For the rest of this article please click on Finding Africa.