What is your FAVOURITE kind of HOLIDAY?
Let us know in the comments.....
Can we let you in on a SECRET? ......๐
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South Africa can offer you ALL your favourites!
Hello SEPTEMBER, Welcome to Tourism Month!
It doesn't matter how you travel, โ๏ธ ๐ ๐ ๐ โด ๐ฒ๐ถ, as long as you travel..... somewhere.
On the 27th of September we will be celebrating the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Day. World Tourism day inspired the annual celebration of Tourism Month in South Africa. The focus of the celebration being to highlight the importance of the industry to the South African Economy. The Tourism industry, both locally and abroad, has great social, cultural, political and economic value, and could play a big part in reaching the United Nationโs Sustainable Development Goals.
Tourism Month encourages South Africans to travel domestically in order to support the recovery of tourism. At Afri-Centric we also want to encourage our travellers abroad to come and experience South Africa with us! Together we can make a difference. #RestartTourism for ALL!!!
....and should that not be possible, we still want to encourage you to travel locally and make a difference at home.
When will you be joining us for dinner?
This year alone, South Africa is home to 3 restaurants on the list of top 100 restaurants in the world.
Cape Town's FYN Restaurant came in at number 37, featuring under Theworlds50best.com AND also winning the title of Best Restaurant in Africa.
Cape Town's, La Colombe Restaurant came in at number 56, with Paternoster's Wolfgat on the West Coast, at number 90 on the list.
Our proudly South Africans hearts are bursting with pride. Congratulations to all the teams for their hard work, all well deserved! We can't wait to see what you dish up next!
You will HATE going home.
With Afri-Centric as your travel partner, we'll make your experience so memorable, you wont want to go home.
Afri-Centric is a boutique travel company that specialises in curating travel experiences, immersing travellers in authentic African experiences.
We GUARANTEE your WORST experience will be having to go home.
#DayofEightBillion by 15 November 2022 - UN forecast
#Worldpopulationday was inspired by the public interest in The Day of Five Billion, observed on July 11, 1987, the day the world population reached 5 billion.
The 1st official #worldpopulationday was celebrated by more than 90 countries in 1990. Today we celebrate #worldpopulationday in a landmark year, with the world population about to cross the 8 million mark.
The theme of World Population Day 2022 is:
โA world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all- Harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for allโ.
The forecast by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs also confirmed that the world's population is growing at its slowest pace since 1950, with more than half of the future rise in the world's population concentrated in eight countries, four of which are African - Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.
TIPS & TRICKS for your TRIP to the FREE STATE, ZA.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Bram Fischer International in Bloemfontein works best for most routes
or
OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg is an hours drive from the Lion route
WHEN TO GO?
Autumn (April/May) or Spring (September/October) when the temperatures are more moderate and tolerable.
HOW TO GET AROUND?
The roads can be a challenge in some areas, rent a SUV-type vehicle, stick to daylight driving and take out comprehensive insurance coverage.
LANGUAGE?
Most of the locals understand English but might have difficulty replying
(Afrikaans and Sotho is the spoken language in the area)
FACTS for CONSIDERATION
Not all small towns have restaurants, hotels and B&Bโs, let us help with planning your itinerary
Business hours are 8am to 5pm
....but in some smaller towns some businesses close for lunch between 13h00 and 14h00.
Mobile phone reception becomes spotty the closer you get to the Maluti mountains of Lesotho and en route between small towns.
EMERGENCIES
Not all towns have a resident medical doctor or hospital. Take a basic first-aid kit with you.
ADVICE
While you are in the Free State, perhaps extent your trip to Lesotho....
The scenery is spectacular, donโt rush your trip as each route will offer up their own gems, be prepared to want to linger.
And that's a wrap, Folks!
The Free State covered via 5 tourism routes, named after popular South African animals and birds.
Afri-Centric wants to share the Free State's stories with you. Get in touch with us if you want to see more of this beautiful province in South Africa!
(Eagle photo credit: Derek Keats from Johannesburg)
The Gariep Dam is the largest dam in South Africa. With 'Gariep' being an ancient San word for 'great water'. It was completed in 1971.
Besides being responsible for irrigation, domestic and industrial water use it is also used for power generation. Gariep is a 360MW hydro power project.
The Dam has become a popular stop over destination, largely catering for the adventurous, curious and game loving among us. you can enjoy, Dam Wall and other historical Tours, the Gariep Nature Reserve, Sunset Cruises on the dam, Hiking Trails and 4ร4 Routes.
Less than 10kms from Gariepdam you will find Waschbank River Lodge where you can enjoy game drives, Bird Watching and Fishing.
This video was taken in January 2022, when the dam was at 110% capacity and overflowing.
Quiz night!
Do you know what Prince William and Tigers in Africa have in common?
Let us know in the comments, or follow us to find out tomorrow.
๐ the answer can be found along the Springbok route in the Free State...
What is in a name?
BBQ, Braai, Shisanyama.....
Meat cooked over hot coals by any other name would still taste as good.
We all enjoy the same things, how we cook our meat and our independence.
Happy Fourth of July to our US travellers from the Afri-Centric Team!
But First Coffee
Koffiefontein (translates to Coffee Fountain) was a stopover for transport riders traveling between the coast and the mines to the north. The name is a reference to the strong brew made by grinding their own coffee beans with a spoon and using the water of a natural spring.
You'll find a large sign and an oversized old-fashioned coffee kettle, similar to those used by the transport riders, at the entrance to the town.
The coffee stop quickly developed into a town after one of the transport riders discovered a diamond in 1870. The diamond mine established by De Beers was acquired by Petra Diamonds Official in 2007 and is still in operation. In fact it is one of the world's top diamond mines by average value per carat and known for exceptional quality and clarity.
There are also many examples of San rock art in the area and the murals painted by and Italian POW during WWII.
But do they serve good coffee?
You'll have to be the judge of that.
FREEDOM!
In South Africa we celebrate Nelson Mandela during the month of July, as his birthday falls in July. In the US, you celebrate your Independence. To kick off the 2nd half of the year, we echo Madiba's sentiment:
"Tread softly, breath peacefully, LAUGH hysterically."
Happy July from the Afri-Centric team
The Springbok Route connects the Free State with the Northern Cape, following the original diamond prospectors running along the towns of Jacobsdal, Koffiefontein, Jagersfontein, Bethulie, Gariep Dam and Philippolis.
Follow us as we explore the route over the next couple of days or listen to OFM, The Sound Of Your Life Business Hourโs Olebogeng Motse in converstation with the Springbok Route ambassador Kefiloe Molefe-Mofokeng about the route, here: https://www.ofm.co.za/article/business/308615/-ofmbusinesshour-discover-the-free-states-springbok-route
The word WELKOM is Afrikaans and Dutch for welcome. The town emerged after the discovery of gold in the area.
Mark Shuttleworth , the first African in space was born in here.
Ernest Oppenheimer - diamond, gold mining and financial entrepreneur, and founder of the Anglo American - played a significant role in the development and design of Welkom. Welkom was completely pre-planned with the traffic flow designed around traffic circles. It has therefor earned the nick name Circle City"
Phakisa Freeway in Welkom was the host to the South African Grand Prix since it's return in 1999 to 2004. Valentino Rossi VR46 Official won the inaugural MotoGP race here in 2004, after a classic duel between Rossi and his arch nemesis Max Biaggi and went on to win the World Championship.
Still in Welkom, the Gold Museum showcases the fascinating history of gold mining.
QUIZ night!!!!
Can you guess what these 3 men have in common?
If you figure it out, let us know in the comments. Otherwise watch this space for the reveal tomorrow... ๐
PSSST..... the answer is along the flamingo route in the Free State.
โYou can be my flamingo, because pink is the new kind of lingo.โ
- Aerosmith, 'Pink'.
The Flamingo Route runs through the Lejweleputswa District, a maize and gold-producing area. This "off the beaten track" route makes for some unique experiences - motor sports, gold mining and rum tasting?!?! with history on top.
We've got you covered when it comes to something different!
For more listen to Olebogeng Motse from Business Hour on @OFM interviewing Dineka Lephowani, the Flamingo Route ambassador, here:
https://www.ofm.co.za/article/business/310042/-ofmbusinesshour-discover-the-free-state-flamingo-route
We'll always have Parys....
Yes, Paris with a "y", Parys, Free State - the Afrikaans translation of Paris.
Named by the German surveyor, who found the location next to the Vaal river reminded him of Paris on the River Seine. It goes without saying that you'll find an Eiffel Tower there, a 9m tall replica of the real tower in Paris, France. Naturally a popular photo opportunity for tourists!
Parys is a hotspot for the adventurous among us, with a range of experiences for all ages. River rafting on the Vaal River, Sky diving from a plane, Hot Air Ballooning and hiking to name a few. Whilst also catering for those of us that like to take things a bit slower, offering a choice of art galleries, antique shops, pubs, delis, spas and restaurants. You can even taste their very own wine at Pont de Val
DON'T LOOK UP!
Look down - preferably from an airplane, as you jump out of it or from a hot air balloon - at the the biggest and oldest visible impact crater on earth. An impact the size of the Vredefort event is exactly the kind of global catastrophe referred to in the movie Don't look up.
Luckily at the time of the Vredefort event (about 2 billion years ago) the only forms of life on earth were bacteria, and they survived.
The resulting crater consists of a "core" known as the Vredefort Dome, and three rings. The remains of the innermost ring, called the "collar", have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The structure is named after the town closest to the centre, Vredefort.
If you want to encounter this historic event, Afri-Centric can make that happen with a variety of experiences to choose from.
