OR Tambo International Airport – the busiest airport of Africa

The OR Tambo International Airport, formerly known as Johannesburg Airport, is located at the Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng. It is only fourteen miles (22 km) away from Johannesburg and this makes it the one of the closest airport to the Johannesburg city. The OR Tambo International Airport serves more the 28,000, 000 travelers every year and that makes it one of the busiest airports of Africa. The OR Tambo International Airport is the main airport for the domestic and international travelers. It’s also a home of South African Airways and many other small local and private airlines.

The OR Tambo International Airport went through major changes and development for the FIFA world cup 2010. There were number of things which were entirely reconstructed or newly added in the airport. This includes the expansion in the new central terminal wing, latest parking lots, new hotels at the airports and a station on the new Gautrain network (Railway network). These new changes gave the airport a completely new look and makes it more compatible to fulfilled millions of passengers.

There are two terminals at the OR Tambo International Airport and there is a bus shuttle service available for the tourists who get off from Johannesburg flights. These bus shuttles run between the two terminals and the car parking lots at the airport.

People coming from Johannesburg to OR Tambo International Airport to pick up their friends and families should take the Route 24 to the airport from Pretoria and then get on the Route 21 to reach the airport. There is nothing to get worried about because once you are on the R24 & R21 you can see all the sign board on roads giving directions towards the OR Tambo International Airport.

OR Tambo International Airport added new car parking lots in the airport area to facilitate the bulging passengers during the FIFA World Cup 2010. So now travelers can see all types of car parking lots underground, shaded and outdoor car parking space. All of these parking lots offer long or short term parking space. The best thing is that there is a 24/7 bus shuttle service available from both terminals to the parking lots, so it has become really convenient for passengers to park their cars and get to the terminals as soon as possible. Right across the domestic terminal at the OR Tambo International Airport, passengers can find many companies offering the car renting facility. There are number fo companies working successfully at the airport like Tempest, Sizwe, Nationla, Khaya, Imperial, Hertz, EuroCar, Budget and Avis.

Tourists coming from European countries on cheap flights to Johannesburg will found OR Tambo International Airport very convenient and helpful. There are hundreds of facilities available for the European passengers to make them relax. Tourist can easily find the Money exchanger, phone booths, a left-luggage facility, shopping malls, restaurants & bars and hotels. The shopping malls provide facilities for the disabled or handicaped passengers plus for the business men there is a business center and a premier conference center which provide them faxing, telephonic and secretarial services.

With these facilities the OR Tambo International Airport has become one of the most trusted and convenient airports in Africa.

Flying to Harare: directly or indirectly

Harare is a capital of Zimbabwe and it is considered as the economic and financial center of the country. Being a central place of the biggest business market of Zimbabwe, every year lots of business men take flights to Harare and visit here for the business purposes. The weather conditions in Harare are tropical. Harare is the main commerce center for tobacco, cotton, maize and citrus fruit. The manufacturing industries in Harare include steel, chemicals, textiles and gold mined in the city. The largest university of Zimbabwe is also in the city of Harare and the famous suburban cities in Harare are Borrow dale, Warren Park, Mount Pleasant, Tyndale, Avon dale, Marlborough and the largest and second oldest suburb “High field” of Zimbabwe

In recent times the world is running on a fast phase so in this situation saving the valuable time is the most precious thing. People around the world get in to the direct flights to Harare because it is the main hub of the business activities in Zimbabwe. After coming to Harare people started to realize that it’s not only a business market but Harare has lot of other activities as well. Harare offers plenty of tourist’s destinations like museums, beaches, waterfalls and ancient preserved building etc. tourists who are traveling from United Kingdom to Harare, for them getting the direct Harare flights are not a problem. In United Kingdom, Edinburgh, Glasgow, New Castle, Manchester, Birmingham and London are the cities from where, businessmen can easily book direct flights. All of these cities have wonderful airports from where getting on the flights is not a time consuming task. It is their efficient air services because of which tourist can save valuable time.

The national Airline of Zimbabwe is the only airline that constructs a direct connection between Harare and United Kingdom. The Air Zimbabwe provides affordable and direct flights to Harare. Air Zimbabwe is famous around the world because of its efficient air services. Air Zimbabwe staffs is friendly and very co-operative regarding any matter concerning their passengers. From Heathrow airport it takes 10 hours on Air Zimbabwe to reach Harare and time spends so quickly in friendly and helpful environment on the flight.

There are also some indirect flights which go to Harare city. These are other world-class airlines, which provide indirect flights. Lufthansa, Ethical airline, British Airways, and Qatar Airways are some of the airlines, which provide cheap flights to Harare. Many major airports of UK run these airlines so no matter either you are in new Castle or London you can book your budget flights to Zimbabwe.

There are many traveling agencies which helps tourist by giving best yet low cost travel consultancy. People can consult them through their phones numbers or E-mail addresses. People who are willing to travel to Harare can also get register themselves with these traveling agencies on their website, which is the easiest way to book your Harare flights.

Now Harare has become a major tourist destination not only in Zimbabwe but in Africa as well.

Johannesburg: Explorations on Wheels

Johannesburg maybe the wealthiest city in Africa but its public transportation system still needs an improvement. However, traveling in Johannesburg can be made easy if tourists choose self-driving or hire a taxi from a notable company. It is a must that tourists grab a free map of Johannesburg which is widely available at its Tourist Centre (located in the airport). This is important because the city is very big and a newbie would easily get lost in its gigantic suburbs.

Driving in Johannesburg:

Unfortunate for the citizens, the public transportation system is simply not adequate. Most of the people have to face some problems while touring the city. However, the smart locals and tourists tend to rent a car from reputable car-hire company and tour the grand metropolitan with ease and comfort. Tourist must keep this in their minds that it is the left-hand side of the road where the car is to be driven in Johannesburg.

Tourists are also facilitated by the car-hire companies at the airports. Tourists will find many desks where special car renting packages are being offers. Hertz is the city’s renowned car-hire company that has been catering tourists for years. With their brilliant and efficient services, they have been considered as the best deals in the city. Traveling on the camper vans will be the best way of touring the city. These can be rented from Britz Africa’s firm which specializes in providing tourists with the best camper vans.

Riding on the Taxi:

Just like any other city, one must be careful while choosing the taxis in Johannesburg as well. Tourists must only travel on taxis which are operated by well-known companies such as Maxi, Roses, Rixi or SA. These taxis are hard to find on the roads and markets, therefore, you will have to call a taxi company which will send a taxi at your desired destination. This is an easy and simple way of booking the best taxis in Johannesburg.

Save Money – Get On The Bus:

Saving money is the best thing to do especially when tourists are in Johannesburg. Saving money would allow them to explore the city’s captivating suburbs precisely and comfortably. Most tourists save money by taking cheap flights to Johannesburg, but they can also save a good amount of money if they manage to travel around via buses. These are served by the Metrobus system. Without spending too much of the cash, one can explore the beautiful places of the area by these buses.

Where to Travel:

Johannesburg is a bustling destination and tourists from many parts of the world tend to visit this superb metropolitan. The city is famous for having many museums which proves that it is both historically and culturally rich. Although it is not considered as an “official” tourists’ destination in South Africa but still, many tourists book Johannesburg flights as it is the perfect point that connects them with Cape Town and other prominent destinations. Anyhow, most of the tourists visit the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. For those who reach the top of the building are actually on the top of Africa as it is the tallest building in the entire continent. Johannesburg Art Gallery and the Apartheid Museum are the perfect venues for art admirers

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Tourists are advised to grab the latest edition of Johannesburg travel guide book and explore the city without being lost. Visit Johannesburg now and explore the wealthiest terrain of Africa.

Accra: the Capital City’s History

Accra is the capital city of Ghana and its named is derived from the word “Nkran” which means “ants”. It is interesting but peculiar at the same time that how can a big cosmopolitan be named after tiny insects. The city was name after ants because of the great number of anthills which existed around Accra. Nkran which is an Akan word explains that ants and the city somewhere had a strong association.

The people from Ga tribe were the first to settle in Accra. They migrated from their early settlement which was at Ayawaso. According to the Ga people, Accra was a perfect site for starting a new colonization as they never had an opportunity to flourish back in their original settlement due to their rivals, Akawamu people. At the beginning, Accra’s economy was not as prosperous as it should have been. It did not have a prominent trading center but the early settlers lived a better life. Ports at Prampram, Ada, Dodowa and Akusa were well-known in the region. Nonetheless, Accra became a popular slave trade center amongst the Europeans who has established forts near the city. These forts were Ussher Fort and James Fort. However, the area became a popular slave trade center until 1807 when the salve trade ended. By the end of 17th century, the city saw a great change as the foreigners include Danish, British, French, Dutch, Swedish and Portuguese settled and built forts in the town.

It was somewhere in 1850s when the Dutch vended their castles as well as Christiansborg to the British. The Asante people of central Ghana and the British never admired each other or supported each other. Tensions and conflicts did exist. Consequently, the British attacked and destroyed Kumasi which was the capital of Asante. Soon after invading the city, the British formerly declined Ghana a crown colony. Then the British plotted to capture Accra and so they did in the year 1874 and three years later it became the capital city after replacing Cape Coast.

In the year 1908, the decision of linking the both cities Accra and Kumasi with railway was set. This is said to be the most significant decisions made in the history of Accra. The capital city, Accra, which was the chief port during that era, was to be connected with the country’s main cocoa producing regions. It was the year 1923 when the railway was completed. One year later, Ghana became the largest exporter of cocoa.

In 1928, Accra saw a drastic change in its economy as it became the main exporter of cocoa. Another influential factor about the city was the good water pipeline system which, as a result, brought in many migrants. In the 20th century, the city saw development which strengthened its roots in Ghana making it one of the significant destinations. The city saw even more prosperity under the rule of Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg. He introduced several reforms, built bridge athwart the Korle Lagoon and established schools and hospitals. The city today provides a good living standard compelling a large number of migrants to board Accra flights.

Currently, Accra is one of the tourists’ destinations in Ghana. Some of the main attractions in the city include the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archives of Ghana and many more. Tourists who grab cheap flights to Accra also admire touring Ghana's central library, the National Theatre, Accra Centre for National Culture, a lighthouse and the National Sports Stadium.

Ghana: the Next Hub of Tourism, Education and Business

Ghana is situated in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. It shares its borders with Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo in north, west and east respectively. In the south, Ghana enjoys its border with Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean and this is where the country’s major river, Volta River drains. The capital of Ghana is Accra which is home to the country’s primary airport, known as Kotoka International Airport. Hence flights to Accra are what it takes to explore the wonderments of Ghana.
Ghana spans up to 238,500 km2 where around 672km2 north to south and 536km2 east to west land is highly mineral rich. Diamond, gold, bauxite, manganese, salt, iron ore and many types of clay are commonly found in these mineral rich areas. In addition, the country has been bestowed with heavy forestation which provides tropical hardwoods. A big proportion of Ghanaian population is dependant on agriculture, thus agricultural products from Ghana are widely exported to many countries. Fishing is another business in Ghana, however, not on a very large scale. Those who survive on fishing do not have very good income but they manage to survive on it. However, the country’s 24 million populations are unevenly spread around with heavy densities in developed areas, especially in the south. The most densely populated area of Ghana remains the Golden Triangle which includes the cities of Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi. These urban settlements mainly depend on cocoa production.

Ghana is home to over 100 different ethnicities, all of which live peacefully in the country. Ethnic differences have raised civil wars and political riots in many countries, but Ghana remains one of those where no such violence has ever erupted. Rather, Ghanaian ethnicities give the country many different cultures which draw tourists towards it. Akan, Ewe, Ga, Mole-Dagbon, Guan, Gurunsi, Mande-Basunga and Gurma are some of the major ethnicities of the country. The highest population in the country is that of the Christians followed by that of Muslims. A small population of those practicing aboriginal beliefs is also found in Ghana. The festivals, foods, traditions, dances and celebrations originating from these ethnicities keep Ghana alive with energy all year round. Thus finding cheap flights to Ghana is easy at any time of the year.

Beautiful landscaping, golden beaches, pleasant sunshine and cool breezes of Ghana couple up with moderate temperature all year round. This makes the climate of the country, tourist friendly, so as to invite millions of tourists all year round. Ghanaian landscapes provide beautiful and scenic locations for picnics that make Ghana an ideal holiday resort, away from the hardships of life. These sites are indeed, one of the biggest gifts of Ghana flights. Such topography has allowed for innumerable species of birds, plants and animals to inhabit the country, which in turn led to bestow Ghana with remarkable natural parks. Adds to this, the history of Ghana when; the British, French, Dutch, Danes, Portuguese and Swedes settled in the country. Owing to these colonial times, Ghana is home to over 40 forts and grand constructions which now stand to draw history lovers from around the globe.

With prospering economy and consistent developmental schemes, Ghana is fast developing all of it major tourist attractions as well as many up to the mark educational institutes. There are already many primary, secondary and tertiary institutes in the country which not only offer fine education, but have managed to attract international students.

Johannesburg; Past and Present

Johannesburg is the capital of the richest province of South Africa, Gauteng. It is one of the most affluent cities in the world and home to Africa’s largest stock exchange. Today, Johannesburg is ranked amongst world class cosmopolitan cities finely blending in many cultures and accepting mass migrations. Also, it is one of the largest metropolitan centers in the world. It is these characteristics that have led Johannesburg flights to become a competitive business for airlines around the world.

In the past, however, Johannesburg was never the way it is now. According to historical evidence, the region where now Johannesburg stands was first inhabited by the San Bushmen. These were hunter-gatherers who came to the region somewhere in 1200s. By the 18th century, a Bantu speaking tribal group known as Sotho-Tswana had abundant population in the region. Hence they took over the land but their rule did not last very long. However, the clan, Sotho-Tswana was a powerful one and its kingdom has spread all the way from present day Botswana up till South Africa. They were more advanced than San Bushmen and practiced cattle farming and mining. Smelting of iron, tin and copper were also amongst their economic practices.

Very soon, the Zulus arrived and captured the land destroying the Sotho-Tswana settlement. This was another short lived kingdom which was replaced by the Dutch who had come in with the help of Sotho-Tswana. Soon after their arrival, the entire region, all the way from Pretoria to Johannesburg came under Dutch rule.

With the advent of 19th century, gold was discovered in the Berberton region which lies at a distance, nearly 400km from Johannesburg. Very soon after the discovery, it was found out that the main source of gold were the foothills of Witwatersand Range. Langlaagte was where gold was first discovered in Johannesburg. It was in the year 1886. The world got attracted to the city. With the increase in Johannesburg’s importance, strains between local and British government also increased. A series of battles took place and British gained control over the land.

Under the British rule, development of Johannesburg started in the 1930s. Around 1970s, the city had grown into an affluent metropolitan center, filled with high rise buildings and a very busy airport. Unfortunately, South Africa then saw Apartheid era which led to Johannesburg’s division into 11 authorities. 7 of these were given to whites and the rest 4 to colored or black populations. For many years, Johannesburg saw bloodshed and misery. With the end of Apartheid, Johannesburg was re-united and its vicinity increased adding in all the surrounding towns and even the poorer colonies.

Today, Johannesburg is home to a number of ethnicities, all living and working peacefully together. The city also boasts world class OR Tambo International Airport which is the busiest airport in Africa. Owing to its economic activities, flights to Johannesburg are in great demand and offered by almost every major international airline.

World class hotels, a spectacular skyline, never ending business activity, 5-star restaurants, thriving nightlife and Americanized luxury shopping malls are what characterize Johannesburg in the present world. Europe is the best place to find cheap flights to Johannesburg as from there tourists and business travelers can find many airlines servicing the city. All these airlines are in a great competition thus, the airfares that they offer are very low.

Unparalleled Splendor of Cape Town’s Beaches

Hawaii, Goa and Sao Paulo are some of the most popular beach destinations. Beach lovers tend to fly to these areas every holiday season to spend fun-filled and intimate times. Beaches in these areas have uniqueness owing to their exotic environments, picturesque nature and splendid offerings. Nevertheless, for an ultimate beach holiday, Cape Town is accredited for making South Africa a popular beach holiday destination. The city is becoming increasingly popular for beach holidaying as cheap flights to Cape Town are more readily available than those to any other tourist destination.

Some of the most popular beaches of Cape Town are Campus Bay, Clifton Beach and Llandudno Beach. These beaches not only provide with extreme water sport excitement but also are great places to relax and have luxury accommodations near by with panoramic views.

Campus Bay:

This beach leads Cape Town to be twinned with Miami. For over the centuries, the rolling waves and the beautiful golden sun over Table Mountain have invited people to this beach. The beach is preferred for; beach volleyball, surfing, sunbathing and scuba-diving. A long lawn stretches along the length of the beach making family picnics, a pleasure.

On walking distance from the beach, is located the Bay Leaf Hotel. It is located amidst shops, homely restaurants and trendy bars. A four bed-room guest house, Shell Cottage, is a great place to relax if the beach gets too sporty and tiring. Nearby, there is a tennis court for some exercise. The guest house is ideal for families and small groups.

Clifton Beach:

This beach is divided into 4 beaches by granite boulders. These provide with a shade making sun bathing in the beach safe; the white sands remain hot though. Viewing of rainbow-striped paragliders is very popular at this beach. The scenes these paragliders create are worth watching. The water of the beach is cold but the saga of the dreamy beach remains unhindered by yatch cruising in the shallow waters. The beach is, however, most popular for exposing and watching the exposed.

Colorful stalls lining the beach offer ice-cream, cold drinks and snacks make the beach more exciting. Clifton Eyrie, located on the slopes of Table Mountain offers exquisite living and views of Clifton Beach, worth capturing on the camera. Clifton Views can accommodate 12 people at a time. The outdoor Jacuzzi of the beach offers romantic views of the Atlantic. On the fourth beach, is the self catering Christine Beach Cottage sufficient for 6 people.

Llandudno Beach:

This beach is located 20km south of Cape Town. It has a rocky shore and recesses that create excellent opportunities for exploration. The beach is most popular for sheltered sunset picnics and sheltered sunbathing. Body boarding is also great fun at this beach. The beach has scenic views from every angle. The Llhandudno Beach apartments, located 4 minuets away, overlook the beautiful beach and provide luxury living.

The city has many other beaches. Boulders beach, Hout Bay and Fish Hoek Beach are some other awesome Cape Town beaches. Whether time on these beaches is spent water sporting in high energy, lazing out in the loved ones arms under golden sun shines and panoramic views or simply relaxing, Cape Town’s beaches provide an unforgettable experience. Such cities will, forever, keep on inviting cheap flights to Africa.