The Cenotes (literally meaning sinkholes) of the Yucatan peninsula (located just south of Cancun, Mexico) are extremely popular with visitors, swimmers, snorkelers and divers.

The entire Yucatan peninsula was once a reef beneath the ocean until the water receded, causing the sea life to be fossilised into the walls of deep holes thus forming a subterranean universe of caverns, karst tunnels and sink holes-some hundreds of feet deep. There are four types of Cenotes – those completely underground, semi-underground, land-level Centotes like a lake or pond, and those that are open wells.

Cenotes were sacred to the Maya both for drinking, irrigation and in religious ceremonies. They also considered to be one of the best cavern diving spots in the world.

Incredible Diving

Diving enthusiasts around the world flock here because of the amazing underwater scenery and crystal clear water. Divers can swim through thousands of stalagmites and stalactites formed over 65 million years ago and sunlight penetrates multiple openings making the whole experience unforgettable. The Cenotes, located all through out the Riviera Maya are filled with rain water so the visibility while diving is over five hundred feet.

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South Africa is a beautiful and exciting country; it boasts a wonderful mix of beaches, mountains and fantastic wildlife with in excess of 2500km of coastline. Come June 2010 football fans from all over the globe will flood the country for the World Cup.

Like any country of South Africa’s size, there are many things to do. South Africa is famous for its gold and diamonds. The locals love their sport, especially rugby, if you get the chance go and see the Springboks in action, it will give you a real understanding of passion. It’s also famous for it’s other outdoor pursuits, sand boarding was a personal favourite of mine!

After thinking about South Africa’s top travel destinations I selected my top ten:

1 Table Mountain

Photo: pet r

Table Mountain is a key tourist attraction for all visitors to South Africa; it’s a flat topped mountain overlooking Cape Town. There are a couple options for getting to the top; you can either take a cable car or alternatively the more adventurous of you can hike to the top. Once at the summit the views are spectacular. The most common animals found here is the rock hyrax which looks a like a mix between a squirrel and a mouse, (these feed off food tourists leave behind illegally) and porcupines, mongooses, snakes and tortoises as well as cheeky monkeys who are on the hunt for food.

2 Robben Island

Photo: ixtla

Robben Island is seven kilometres off the coast of South Africa, it’s 3.3km long and 1.9km wide. Robben Island holds the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 18 years (1964-1982). Whilst the tour was fascinating it was very sad seeing how the prisoners lived, when you arrive at Nelson Mandela’s 7ft by 7ft cell you find a replica chair, mat, bowl and blanket plus outside you also see a list of the food served, there were different menus for Black South Africans, mixed race/Asians and White South Africans. Also check out the memorial laid by Nelson Mandela and all surviving South African political prisoners in 1995.

3 Garden Route

Photo: jknutzen

The Garden Route is a very scenic stretch on the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It starts at Mossel Bay and finishes at Storms River, there are various excellent stop offs including two off my top ten (Knysna and Oudtshoorn). The Garden route has ten different nature reserves which boast lots of dolphins and seals as well as being home to the endangered Southern Right Whale. As well as the marine life there are almost 300 species of beautiful multi-coloured birds.You can hire a car or travel on Africa’s last remaining passenger steam train the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe. Whilst the train doesn’t stretch the entire length of the Garden Route it’s still worth checking out. The Baz Bus is a good budget option.

4 Knysna

Photo: slack12

Knsyna is a charming town in the middle of the Garden Route which deserves a special mention because it’s a great place to have fun, relax and enjoy some great food. Whilst in Knysna be sure to enjoy their wonderful oysters, I was lucky enough to visit during the Oyster Festival. Kynsna is a big pull for artists due to the lovely views and relaxing atmosphere. An area that appeals to both artists and water sport fanatics is Knysna Heads where you can find a lagoon which is perfect wave jumping (a sport I would highly recommend) and it also provides incredible sunsets for the artists and tourists alike. I found Knysna as a perfect place to stop off and relax for a few days, whenever I meet South Africans I always tell them how much I liked Knysna and they all agree it’s one of the country’s gems.

5 Stellenbosh

Photo: Pietrolambert

Stellenbosh is South Africa’s second oldest town having been established in 1679 and it’s highlight is the incredible wine route which has 44 cellars. There is a vast range of wines produced in the area, whilst it is classed as ’Cabernet country’ my personal preference would be Pinotage (but each to their own!) As you travel from cellar to cellar you will find the area very visitor friendly, each cellar’s entrance is clearly signposted and many of the cellars offer tours as well as fantastic lunches in beautiful gardens or restaurants – naturally you will have the chance to enjoy one or two bottles of local wine!

6 Oudtshoorn

Photo: Astrid Walter

Oudtshoorn maybe an unusual choice and not one of South Africa’s most famous towns but it one that I would definitely recommend. If you’ve ever fancied riding an ostrich then Oudtshoorn is the place to visit! It’s known as the Ostrich Capital of South Africa and here you can actually ride one (which is an interesting experience to say the least!) Most hostels/hotels also serve Ostrich eggs for breakfast, the eggs are naturally rather large and very rich in flavour. Meat-eaters might fancy trying the Ostrich sausages and steaks which are readily available. Oudtshoorn isn’t just about the Ostriches, it also popular with cyclists and it’s a great spot to wind down after the madness of Cape Town.

7 Durban

Photo: Rouzeh

Durban is South Africa’s third or forth main city but it’s also the friendliest. Durban is famous for its “Golden Mile” which is a string of beaches filled with surfers plus it’s a shark free zone (which is always a bonus!). After a relaxing time at the beach head to Durban’s Promenade where you can find various hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops and the impressive Marine World Aquarium. Durban is also well known for having a large Indian population who’ve set up Victoria Indian Street Market which makes for an interesting trip. Here you can see mosques, temples, exotic shops and restaurants where you try some delicious Indian cuisine.

8 Kruger National Park

Photo: Arno & Louise

No trip to South Africa would be complete without visiting the Kruger National Park. The Park is Africa’s oldest having been founded in 1898. The Kruger is located five hours north of Johannesburg and has a huge variety of wildlife including the famous  “Big Five” which includes buffalo, elephants, leopards, lions and rhino. When visiting you can hire a 4×4 and drive round yourself, should you take this option there are plenty of places to stay including bungalows, caravans, chalets, cottages or campsites. Personally I opted to go on a tour; this allowed me to be taken around by professionals who knew every area of the park and wildlife living there (as opposed to me heading into the park on my own-where I could potentially be eaten by a lion!)

9 Soweto

Photo: ironmanixs

Whilst Soweto is not the best looking location it’s classed as one of the most important and educating sights in the country. Soweto is a huge township where more than 3.5 million people live and it covers 90 square miles. The area is broken into three different areas – the rich, middle class and the poor. There are vast areas covered by shanty huts, all of which would have been made by people who occupy them. A tour of Soweto is very humbling and should really be witnessed, plus it’s the safest way to visit a township. I was introduced to one of the residents in his own home and taken to a shebeen (once illegal drinking holes in South Africa) where I got to sit down and have a chat with locals. I was also taken to Nelson Mandela’s old house and to the Hector Pieterson Memorial.

10 The Drakensburg Mountains

Photo: Neonman

The Drakensburg Mountains stretches for approximately 600 miles along the entire length of KwaZulu-Natal’s western boundary. It’s an incredible location where you can hike, bird/game watch, horse ride or go on a safari. There is also the opportunity to follow 4×4 trails, go quad biking, rock climbing or white water rafting. Also try and visit the Royal Natal National Park which is rated as one of the most beautiful parts of the Drakensberg, It is the host of Mont-aux-Sources (one of the highest mountains in the Drakensberg) and the stunning Tugela Falls. The park is ideal for hikers, horse riders and rock climbers. Try the eco-tour Karkloof Canopy who offer a steel cable tour 30metres above the forest floor allowing you to witness the incredible scenery and bird-life.

South Africa is an incredible and diverse country that has a lot to offer visitors, hopefully my top ten will help you plan your trip. After I left I remembered how true the Big Five Safari website description of the South Africa expereince is. In it’s opening paragraph is states: “Be warned – once you have visited our country, you WILL spend the rest of your life longing to return!”.

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