Exploring travel and tourism to RETOSA countries in Southern Africa

JOHANNESBURG, HI, USA, February 1, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Both the young and the young-at-heart, also known as families, will find a myriad of things to see, explore, and discover in the diverse region of Southern Africa. There are fifteen countries that make up this region - Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Here, we look at a number of them to see what they offer to the family looking for an adventurous holiday in Africa.

Accommodation can be found from a tented camp to a luxurious lodge, or maybe even a houseboat or a treehouse. Families will have to opportunity to learn how to identify wildlife, and perhaps even visit schools and assist with charitable projects. Visits can also be found to homes of the people that live in these countries and experience life first hand, and children on holiday can play with the children that live there.

Parents and children will learn how to identify the signs of the bush and animal tracks, and which flora are used to make toothbrushes or cure illnesses. Everyone will become familiar with reading the stars in the night sky or may go on a fishing expedition, and, of course, on an animal photo safari. Family holidays offer hands-on opportunities to learn how to make bows and arrows, fires, and jewelry, and here are classes in basket weaving and fun activities such as face painting, dancing, and drumming.

There are many other activities for the whole family as well, from riding horses, camels, and elephants, to quad biking, archery, and hiking. And that’s not all – there’s zip lining, golf, tennis, and even microlight flying in a fixed-wing ultralight aircraft. If you’re looking for some water activities, how about water rafting, canoeing, and boating, sailing, kite surfing, and snorkeling, or perhaps even fly fishing?

Let’s take a look at what some of these countries have to offer that are unique to themselves.

Botswana

Specific places of interest for the family in Botswana include the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert where meerkats can be viewed at close proximity. Families may spend time with the San or Bushmen people and learn about their culture.

Madagascar

There are two must-do attractions on Madagascar. The first is the lemurs, of which some are habituated, which means that they will come to you and sit on your shoulder for a ride through the forest. Also waiting to be discovered are all sorts of chameleons, insects, frogs, snakes, and butterflies. A second major place of interest is the Pangalanes, which is just like a delta. Here families can take boat trips and visit the Masoala Biosphere. Then in Ile Sainte-Marie the humpback whales return in July and August, and the sea turtles can be explored with actual researchers.

Malawi

Malawi is an extremely rewarding country to visit for those searching for a slightly different family holiday. It’s impossible not to start off by mentioning the people with their broad smiles and friendly nature. The family can visit Nkhotakota and try throwing pottery and bring home a one-of-a-kind souvenir. For the active family, there is climbing on Mount Mulanje, and biking at the Zomba Plateau where everyone must stop to visit the falls and the local markets. And there are water activities galore on Lake Malawi as well as exploring village life in Nyika, Liwonde, and Mkulumadzi.

Mozambique

Waiting to be discovered in Mozambique is the Quirimbas archipelago – full of natural beauty and wildlife. On Ibo Island, fishermen build dhows around the boatyards, and with so much beautiful coastline, family members can practice snorkeling, scuba diving, and canoeing, to name a few wet and wild things to do.

Namibia

Namibia is most known for its beauty, rugged scenery, and activities from the deserts to the coast. Here, the Damaraland/Kaokoland regions are just waiting to be explored, including the Namib Desert. There is game viewing in Etosha National Park, visiting with the Ova Himba tribe and learning about their culture, going to see the Cape Cross seal colony where one can also take a boat ride to see dolphins and penguins, and exploring the Fish River Canyon and Popa Falls, or perhaps even sand-boarding in Swakopmund.

Tanzania

In Tanzania, families can explore areas from the bush to the beach in the form of Zanzibar, Unguja, Pemba, and Mafia. There is so much to do here - in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Lake Eyasi, the Selous, and Ruaha. The family can also spend time with the Maasai people, learning about their culture, as well as learning about the Hadzabe tribe, and even go out on hunts with them.

South Africa

Here, the Drakensberg Mountains await families on holiday, as well as Table Mountain where families can visit by cable car, and Cape Town and KwaZulu Natal as well. Families can visit the battlefields and see the battles of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana re-enacted by captivating historians. There are wine lands where the family can visit goats’ cheese farms and learn cookery, a cheetah reserve to learn and spend time with this beautiful big cat, and visit caves with stalagmites and stalactites.

Zambia

There is so much diversity in Zambia, from canoeing along the famous Zambezi River, to discovering the Luangwa National Park, the Zambezi River, the town of Livingstone, and the famous Victoria Falls. Here, families may visit a school, learn how to drum, fly in a microlight aircraft for 2, and stay overnight in an African village.

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, Hwange National Park, offers thrilling opportunities for families to view lion and the rare wild dog. And that’s not all – there are baboons, impala, and buffalo. And Matusadona National Park provides the chance to see elephants and hippo, and be on the look-out for crocodiles, too. There is also the other side of Victoria Falls and perhaps even catching the lunar rainbow. For water activities, there is fishing for tiger fish on Lake Kariba, canoeing on the Zambezi River, and a visit to the Mana Pools.

About Retosa

The Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) is a Southern African Development Community (SADC) institution responsible for tourism growth and development. In part, the aims of RETOSA are to increase tourist arrivals to the region through sustainable development initiatives, improved regional competitiveness, and effective destination marketing. The organization works together with Member States’ tourism ministries, tourism boards, and private sector partners. For more information about RETOSA, go to www.retosa.co.za

Linda Hohnholz
eTN PR
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