Veiled by the jungles and grasslands of South Africa are as many as 850 different species of birds. Far from the hustle and bustle of the nation’s great cities, the abundant birdlife make up a beautiful palette of colours and sounds that annually delight bird lovers from all around the world. While South Africa’s economic makeup is making the nation more attractive to international companies, one of the country’s strongest industries is still tourism. While there are many channels of South African tourism, bird watching has quickly become one of the biggest tourist attractions.

While the Drakensberg area is teeming with nearly 300 species of birds, one of the most fascinating birds to behold in South Africa has got to be the endangered Bearded Vulture, also known as the Lammergeier. This massive bird has a wing span of three meters and has been seen soaring as high as 24,000 feet. Most incredible to observe is when the Bearded Vulture drops the bones of his prey from a staggering height in order to break the bones on the rocks. He then scoops down to eat the bone marrow which makes up nearly ninety percent of his nutritional needs. It comes as no surprise, for that reason, that people now often call him “bone-breaker.”

Bird lovers who are spending some time in KwaZulu-Natal must make their way to the Tembe Elephant Park which specializes in migratory birds. The Steppe Eagle, for example, travels every winter from as far as Russia and Romania all the way down to South Africa. While in the park you are likely to get a glimpse of the Steppe Eagle enjoying the warm African climate while he feasts on rodents, partridges and rabbits. During your stay in the park, be sure to spend some time near the marshlands where you’ll find the African Marsh-harrier as well as the stunning Lemon-breasted Canary.

If you’re looking to see an abundance of birdlife which is native to South Africa, the Wakkerstroom Birding Park in Mpumalanga is a great choice. Located between Swaziland and Mozambique, the park exhibits many endemic birds in their natural habitat such as the Yellow-breasted Pipit. The details of this bird have remained a bit of a mystery because of how challenging it can be to see one. Those seeking the Pipit are usually required to give an entire day to waiting patiently in the cold and damp plains for his appearance. It’s become absolutely necessary to hire a guide when bird watching in the Wakkerstroom because much of the park is privately owned, and guides have been given special permission to bring you into the area.

For those bird lovers who are able to make their way down the infamous Garden Route in the Western Cape, the Birds of Eden aviary will prove to be the experience of a lifetime. This is not only the biggest aviary in South Africa but in the entire world. The beautiful Blue Crane, one of the most sought-after birds in the nation, is South Africa’s national bird and has sadly become an endangered species. The Blue Crane is the only crane species that does not have even a speck of red on his coat. Since he isn’t able to use the colour red to get rid of predators, you may see the Blue Crane choosing to mock his enemies by ruffling his feathers and dancing belligerently towards his threat. As you can imagine, this is quite an entertaining act to see!

When planning a bird watching trip to South Africa, be sure to pack plainly-coloured clothing that will help you blend in with the backgrounds of the bush. Steer clear of bulky clothing that will be noisy as you move through the savannahs. Protect yourself from insects by wearing boots and leech socks, and whatever you do, don’t forget your binoculars and camera. Remember that the best time in South Africa for bird watching are the warm months which extend from September to March. Don’t hesitate to take a guide with you on your journey to make your time more worthwhile. You can find more interesting articles on nature on the Kondowe website.

Last December, Kia Portugal and Kia Argentina jointly sponsored a team from the Portuguese automotive monthly publication TT Magazine for an expedition to Argentina and Chile on a trip considered as a rehearsal, or an unofficial ‘recce’, of the route to be undertaken by competitors in the 2011 Dakar Rally*, one month later. Anticipating the Dakar 2011 route, three Portuguese nationals ( journalist Alexandre
Correia, photo-journalist Paulo Calisto and the biologist Paula Goncalves ) and one Kia vehicle went to visit the scenes and landscapes where the competition would take place early in the new year. They made a wide range of detailed notes and shot many photos of the most
interesting spots along the Rally’s itinerary. Their plan was to publish accurate travel information to encourage readers to take up the Dakar challenge for themselves, to experience a personal adventure later during 2011 – identical to the genuine rally. From Buenos Aires, in Argentina, the three journalists drove 7,436 kilometers during a
unique driving experience with a Kia Sorento 4WD provided by Kia Argentina, passing through Bolivia and the north of the Atacama
desert in Chile. The adventure was a huge success and showed the Kia Sorento to be a high quality vehicle, ideally suited to this kind
of travelling experience. After 19 days of driving, crossing 10 borders
( 4 in Argentina, 4 in Chile and 2 in Bolivia ), and consuming 985 liters of fuel, the Kia Sorento survived completely undamaged during the
entire trip – except for a single flat tire. Thanks to the dramatic impact of the expedition, which is captured by some magnificent photos,
Kia Portugal decided to share the story with its customers and enthusiasts, and highlight the quality of its products, by posting it on Facebook and a local website, with daily progress updates and images of the journalists’ unique expedition. The impact of the sponsorship and the interest of the web fans lead Kia Portugal to promote a road show throughout its dealer network, after the successful conclusion of the adventure. For the road show, a replica of the Sorento was built and displayed in dealer’s showrooms along with a photo exhibition with the best images from the trip. All dealers have expressed interest in hosting this particular Sorento display and best photo exhibition. For more than 6 months both the Sorento and its supporting photo panels were displayed in many different dealerships from the north to the south of Portugal. SPORTING WORLD

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Exercise sounds so dull when compared to the latest gadgets, video games, smart phones, television programs and computers. Hiking outdoors is one great way to get exercise together as a family. Apart from the fresh air and excercise, they will also be able to learn a thing or two about nature.

Before a family decides to take hiking up as a sport, they should be equipped with the right gear. That means going out and getting the correct shoes, water bottles and proper clothing. Most families already possess these items and that is what makes hiking such a fine sport for any family. You don’t always need to buy expensive hiking shoes, you just have to ensure that the shoes you use when hiking has a good tread. It is also advisable that the shoes support the ankles. Covering the legs with light clothing protects the skin from scrapes.

Choosing a hiking trail in the woods offers many advantages. Not only is the temperature lower among the trees, there is a lot of shade and a gentle wind to cool off the active family. Taking more than enough water and keeping to the shaded areas of the hiking trail will make the exercise outdoors bearable if the temperature is high.

Young people and adolescents usually pretend that they are not amused by what they see and experience on a hiking trail. To make the hike appealing the family can engage in a hunt to look for items that are both interesting and admirable. These items can include different types of leaves, moss, tree mushrooms, ferns, different types of rocks and anything else that might be common to the area. Trying to find these items on route will provide the whole family, especially the children, with laughter and fun.

Stay focused on your aim of increasing your family’s health and providing quality family time. The sunlight, fresh air and exercise are what we all need more. Longer hiking trails with steep climbs might not be a good idea at first. Instead, consider plain and simple hiking trails that do not take hours to complete. As the family gets used to the idea and as they get fit, you can introduce more interesting hikes that take a bit longer. Not only will your family be spending quality time together, but they be healthier. For more information on fun in the outdoors and off road traveling visit Echo 4×4.

I just can’t go on vacation and just sit around. I want to see and experience the kinds of things I would never see and experience at home. So I think I may have found the kind of holiday for me: adventure tourism. These adventure tours are usually packaged for groups and usually involve a country in Africa, Asia or South America. This deep, dark unknown is what creates the intrigue and adventure.

A trip that I looked at recently which really interested me was an African Safari. The advert explained how one gets close to the kind of animals that I would only normally see in the zoo or on National Geographic. This holiday was planned for the country of Zambia and was relatively safe, or as safe as a wild safari can be. I was able to look at some video footage of one of the tours and it looked like tons of fun. Perhaps it is not ideal to take my children on this type of trip, but what an opportunity for me to discover a new part of the world.

In another brochure advertising Adventure Tourism I saw, was a trip to the Yukon territory. I found this idea simply enthralling. Again, it would be discovering a part of the world with which I am not at all familiar with. One would have to enter and survive the harshest conditions, something that most people never experience and only Inuits ever encounter. I consequently spoke to a friend who had gone on a trip to the Yukon Territory and he said that it was most definitely not for the fainthearted.

Adventure Tourism is also huge in the Australian Outback. A large part of this exciting continent is uninhabited and inhospitable for living in. I used to love to watch Steve Erwin and how he hunted crocodiles and snakes in the outback. He was fearless and made it look like so much fun that you almost might forget how dangerous it actually is.

This kind of vacation is not for everybody and I have not yet taken advantage of an adventure package like this. I know that the more I consider it the temptation will eventually be so strong that I will not be able to resist. When I do make the leap, I imagine one of two things happening: I realize that it is not for me and I never go on another vacation like that again, or I become hooked and can’t see doing any other type of holiday. For an adventure holiday experience, go to Kondowe’s site and book your holiday now!