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I have recently been writing about some of the incredible hidden (and not-so-hidden) travel gems that adorn this amazing country of ours. Particularly since international airfares have risen so steeply, and Europe is still facing airport chaos at certain hubs and soaring temperatures, a road trip through good old SA is becoming an increasingly appealing prospect.
Speaking of road trips, it was with great satisfaction that I read a recent report, compiled from various articles, highlighting the wonderful distinction the UK’s Auto Trader awarded to our iconic Garden Route, naming it the #1 road trip in the world in its global index of the world’s best road trips. This ranking was derived from what was reportedly an extensive international study conducted by the automotive giant in partnership with senior meteorologist Jim R. Dale. In Dale’s own words: “The route consistently delivers what we all dream of when we hit the road… it is as close to perfect as driving weather gets.”
Of course, there was much more to it than that. The recognition was based on factors such as visibility, climate stability, and infrastructure quality, with the N2 being highlighted for its well-maintained surfaces, among many other attributes. At the end of the day, it was a great win, with the glorious 300 km stretch of the N2 running from Mossel Bay to Storms River Mouth scoring a staggering 90.6 out of 100 points, beating legendary global heavyweights such as America’s Route 66 and Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
What a triumph for SA! More importantly, it is long-overdue global recognition of just one of the many unique tourist hotspots we have to offer
More where that came from!
In my last article, I spoke about some of these remarkable destinations, and although some may be known internationally, they are certainly not recognised globally for their unique qualities. Two amazing tourist destinations immediately come to mind. Once again, these were featured in the excellent YouTube video I referenced, Rewiring Your View – The Astonishing Diversity and Unique Wonders of South Africa. They are the Hermanus Whale Nursery and the Addo Elephant National Park.
A Whale of an achievement, and ‘the big 7’ in one park!
Did you know that the Hermanus Whale Nursery is recognised by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) as the best land-based whale-watching destination on Earth? As the video narration explains: “Southern Right Whales come here to breed and raise their young in the sheltered bay. And you don’t need a boat, a wetsuit, or any special equipment to see them. You walk to the cliff’s edge, look down, and watch whales. That’s it.” It truly is one of the world’s greatest whale-watching experiences, and I believe it deserves far greater international recognition.
The Addo Elephant National Park is, as the aforementioned video explains, “the only national park on the planet that protects all of what’s called the Big Seven – not just the famous Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo), but also the Great White Shark and the Southern Right Whale. A single park, all seven, on land and in the water. No other place on Earth can say that!”
One has to ask, then, why something as unique as this is not globally recognised as the world’s premier land-and-sea conservation destination.
What are your hidden and not-so-hidden gems?
It would be fun and informative for me to know about some of the special, unique places you might have visited on or off the beaten track, which you believe should be added to our list of internationally recognised exceptional destinations. Leave them in the comments below and delight my readers with possibly more great places to vacation in this incredible ‘World in one’ that we are so blessed to share. Maybe it is also time that we started marketing some of our incredible vacation destinations more vigorously, to take some of the focus on overtourism issues (a massively growing problem in some areas) arising in Cape Town. Well, that is material for another article – so watch this space!
Lidia de Olim
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER