Imagine thinking that South Africa has nine World Heritage sites that have ‘outstanding universal value to humanity’. Around the world some of them include the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon etc., … so we are providing value to you.
From the 9 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, our tours visit:
Robben Island
Famous as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 jail years, 11 km off the shore of Cape Town – a small island where most tourists to the city visit the Robben Island Museum. Still existing is the tomb of Hadije Kramat, a village of administrative buildings that include a chapel and parsonage, and a lighthouse, a church that is all that remains of the leper colony, and the stark security prison of the Apartheid period. Its cultural value rests in the buildings’ tribute to history, and its symbolism as a triumph over oppression. See our Best of Cape Town & Winelands tour.
Cape Floral Region
This is one of the richest areas in the world for plants. It stretches from the Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape. The incredible diversity, density and examples of endemic plants are among the highest in the world. The areas on our tours include Table Mountain and the Boland mountain complex, which includes Cape Point, part of the Table Mountain National Park. Not only does this region have remarkable plant diversity, but 31.9% of the plants are endemic to the area – the highest on the planet. See our Cape Town, Winelands, Garden Route & Addo National Park tour.
The fossil hominid sites of Sterkfontein, known as the Cradle of Humankind.
This region straddles parts of Gauteng and the North West Province, having one of the richest concentrations of hominid fossils that provide evidence of human evolution over the last 3.5 million years. In the 47 000 hectare area there have been excavations of ancient forms of animals, plants and hominids – our early ancestors and their relatives. More than 950 hominid fossils have been uncovered here. See our Cradle of Human Kind, North–West & Pilanesberg tour.
uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park
The combination of Africa’s highest mountain range south of Kilimanjaro, high altitude grasslands, river valley and rocky gorges makes this a place of incredible beauty. On our tours we see many marvels of the Drakensberg, while exploring the nearby Battlefields Routes. The diversity of natural habitats protects many endemic and threatened species. See our Kwazulu-Natal Drakensberg, Battlefields Route & Midlands Meander tour.
Besides this, a tentative List also exists which basically is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination. We have a tour going along the Barberton “Geo Trail”: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5456/, and is described as:
". . the rocks in the Barberton belt provide a unique view of the early Earth that is quite literally unavailable anywhere else." Prof Don Lowe, Stanford University. See our 7 day Panorama Route, Kruger Park & Swaziland tour.
Other sites from the tentative list we visit includes the:
Liberation Heritage Route: Robben Island, Nelson Mandela Sites such as Qunu, Constitution Hill, Hector Peterson Memorial and Liliesleaf Farm.
Human Rights, Liberation Struggle and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites:
Union Buildings and Freedom Park National Memorial Site Pretoria, Howick Nelson Mandela Capture Site in KZN, Vilakazi Street Soweto.
Early Farmsteads of the Cape Winelands: Groot Constantia (http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6049/)
All you have to do now is to book a tour. Hope to see you soon.