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Not too long ago, tourism in South Africa was punted under the slogan ‘A World in One Country’. These days, ‘A World on One Website’ might be more appropriate.
Well, 2 websites, actually, but they are among the premier showcases for international travel and with the 2010 Soccer World Cup looming large on the global events calendar, the partnerships between South African Tourism, National Geographic and MS Expedia comes at just the right time.
Prime Time Experiences
For 7 successive nights in October, television viewers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands could swim with sharks, hunt with leopards, go down the world’s deepest working gold mine and take a whirlwind tour of Cape Town, all from the comfort of their armchairs. Seven half-hour documentaries were screened in prime time by the National Geographic channel in recognition of South Africa Week.
Documentaries to Dedicated Pages
Now anyone with access to a computer can visit National Geographic’s dedicated South Africa pages, explore the country and stand a chance to win a trip for two. The interactive page not only features the documentaries flighted in Europe but also offers a selection of stunning snapshots by the likes of award-winning photographer Peter Magubane, showing South Africa’s diversity of landscapes, wildlife, people and places. Users can scroll around a map to learn more about such unusual attractions as the Owl House at Nieu Bethesda, play games and download wallpaper and screensavers depicting typical South African scenes.
The 7 documentaries that can be viewed are:
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Chasing Time in Cape Town: As part of National Geographic’s global travel reality series, London-based Mark Soanes and Lisa Cobbinah set out to accomplish eight challenges in 12 hours. Armed with a mobile phone, map and phrase book, they had to beat the clock in order to win a holiday in Cape Town. The trail took them to the top of Table Mountain, The Boulders, the exotic fish and flower markets, Robben Island and Mandela Park, where they sampled the local township brew before ending their quest at sunset on the beach below Chapman’s Peak.
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Megastructures: Tau Tona – City of Gold: Thousands of people go to work daily more than three kilometres underground in the world’s deepest gold mine. To get there, they ride the fastest elevators on earth, travelling at 16 metres per second.
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Nights with Leopards: For more than a year Kim Wolhuter, whose grandfather was the Kruger National Park’s first ranger, spent almost every night filming a young male leopard he calls Tjololo. Summer brought the first hard rains in 10 months and Kim and fellow filmmaker Dale Hancock had to struggle through a week of heavy downpours to stay on Tjololo’s tail.
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Base Jumper (Cheating Death): Israel’s top extreme sports athlete, Omer Mei Dan, took part in the Extreme and Air competition near Cape Town. Four teams vied for the honours in a gruelling test that combined extreme sport challenges including diving, rock climbing, skydiving and base-jumping.
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Great White Shark: Go Wild!: The Kratt brothers spent two weeks on a boat off the South African coast documenting the hunting habits of the Great White. They braved the depths to cage-dive with the predators and observe their behaviour off Seal Island, home to more than 60 000 Cape fur seals.
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Stalking Leopards: Another episode in Kim Wolhuter’s adventures with Tjololo, a four-year-old leopard, filmed as the youngster learnt to stalk and hunt in the wild.
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African Mega Flyover: Explorer and conservationist J Michael Fay’s epic adventure mapping the African continent from the air.
The Ultimate Trip to Go
The SA microsite and product store on Expedia, which launched at the recent World Travel Market, allows users to create ‘the ultimate’ South African trip on-line. A wealth of information, ranging from the country’s rich history and culture, famous natural beauty, and exciting activities to traveller’s tips, can be browsed. All aspects of your customised itinerary can be researched and booked, from flights to tours, to accommodation and activities, making it a convenient one-stop travel shop for your first or next South African visit.
Links:
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