18 TRAVEL + LEISURE 201 7
CLOCKWISE: JEFF GREENBERG/UIG/GETTYIMAGES; GREATSTOCK/ALAMY; HEINRICH VAN DEN BERG/GETTYIMAGESWhat to Loo k For
IN THE CANGO CAVES, SEE
ANCIENT STALACTITES LINE
THE GREY-BLUE LIMESTONE
CEILING AS YOU MOVE FROM
Clockwise: A signboard affront the ONE CHAMBER TO ANOTHER.
Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of
Humankind; a tourist takes the Big Swing
plunge in Graskop, Mpumalanga; a family
inspects the Cango Caves.in Mpumalanga will take you from
zero to 160kmph in three seconds,
which is quite exhilarating as you
slide into the water.SELF-DRIVING ROUTE
Route 62 is a road less travelled.
It takes you through Wellington,
Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson,
and the Klein Karoo, to terraced
vineyards, quaint small towns, and
art galleries and museums. The
scenery changes from lush green
valleys to mountain passes to farm
lands and there are many adventures
you can stop for: canoeing, hiking,
ostrich riding, and paragliding.VOLUNTEERING
EXPERIENCES
Volunteering experiences are
becoming a trend among the
well-travelled. In South Africa,
from elephant rescues to shark
conservation, one gets anunderstanding of the enormous
efforts undertaken by the
South African government to
preserve natural habitats. SAVE
Volunteering’s four-week Predi-Cat
Project guides you through African
cat husbandry, with insight into
the predator’s life in quasi-captive
environment. The African Elephant
Project takes you through the Garden
Route on a learning experience
of the perpetual threats faced by
the ecosystems, besides elephant
conservation. Lastly, the Endangered
Species Project is a hands-on
involvement in the protection of
endangered species like the African
rhino and the cheetah.FOLLOWING THE
FOOTSTEPS
History enthusiasts with a voracious
appetite for a hands-on experiencecan follow the footsteps of Nelson
Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. The
Hector Pierterson Memorial and
Museum built near the spot where
12-year-old Pieterson was shot; the
Constitutional Hill in Braamfontein
which has served as the hallmark for
justice and democracy; the Union
Buildings and the Nelson Mandela
statue in Pretoria; Mandela House in
Soweto; Robben Island where
Mandela spent 18 years in prison; all
are stark reminders of his battle
against Apartheid. Mahatma Gandhi’s
legendary moments in South Africa
are commemorated by landmarks
such as the Pietermaritzburg
Station where he was racially
discriminated against and thrown off
a fi rst-class coach during the
Apartheid and Gandhi Monument
which was erected here in his honour;
Phoenix Settlement in Inanda where
Gandhi ran his printing press; the
Hamidia Mosque in Fordsburg where
he led 2,000 supporters against the
‘non-white’ inter-city passes. ▪WOW
EXPERIENCES