National Geographic: Cape Town named second best beach city!

Cape Town has been ranked second-best in the world on National Geographic's latest Best Beach Cities list. According to NatGeo, only Barcelona in Spain tops Cape Town as the world's best beach city. Honolulu on Hawaii (USA) was named third-best beach city, followed by Nice in France.

#CampsBayBeach #CapeTown #Nature #GoodCompany @phathutshezo @tshepo_bogatsu @genemuthambi

Ein von Masikhwa Awelani (@ma_c_qua) gepostetes Foto am 24. Jan 2015 um 10:46 Uhr

Here is what National Geographic had to say about Cape Town:

The African capital of cool sprawls on a peninsula that divides the icy Atlantic from the warmer Indian Ocean, putting some 20 beaches within striking distance. The Clifton beaches, known for the posh homes that overlook them and stellar sunset-viewing, are sheltered from the region's strong trade winds by a mountainous ridge. Further north, the breeze is unleashed at surfing sweet spots Milnerton and Blouberg. Families favor the eastern False Bay coast for warmer water and tot-friendly tidal pools.

National Geographic's Top 10 Beach Cities:

1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Cape Town, South Africa
3. Honolulu, Hawaii (USA)
4. Nice, France
5. Miami Beach, Florida (USA)
6. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7. Santa Monica, California (USA)
8. Sydney, Australia
9. Tel Aviv, Israel
10. Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

National Geographic to host a live Google+ Hangout from the Okavango Delta!

National Geographic is going to host a live Google+ Hangout from the Okavango Delta in Botswana at 10:00 a.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. UTC, 3:00 p.m. CET, 4:00 p.m. SAST) on Friday, 22 August 2014. South African conservationist Steve Boyes, Adventurers & Scientists for Conservation founder Gregg Treinish, big data analyst and artist Jer Thorp, and engineer and ocean conservationist Shah Selbe will be there and invite us to be a part of the conversation and to experience the Okavango Delta. For more info, pls see http://on.natgeo.com/1sC4A53!

South Africa: 12 "Through the Lens" short films

Back in February 2013 we told you about South African Tourism's & National Geographic Channels' "Through the Lens" campaign, which follows the journey of 3 award-winning National Geographic to 3 iconic South African destinations: Cape Town, Durban and the Drakensberg. It took us, for some reasons, some weeks to find out that the three vignettes are actually part of a series of short videos which already started in 2008. Anyway, in meantime the "Through the Lens" campaign consists of 12 one-minute videos. Here we go:

1. Stephen Alvarez - Drakensberg
2. Lola Akinmade Akerström - Durban
3. Heather Perry - Cape Town
4. Mattias Klum -  iSimangaliso Wetland Park
5. Karen Kasmauski - Nieu Bethesda (Karoo)
6. Peter Magubane -  traditional Ndebele homestead in Mthambothini
7. Kim Wolhuter - Kgalagadi National Park
8. David Doubilet - Cape Town
9. Landon Nordeman - Johannesburg
10. Jodi Cobb - Johannesburg
11. Joel Sartore - Madikwe Game Reserve
12. Annie Griffiths Belt - Townships of Cape Town

Video: South African Tourism's & National Geographic Channel's "Through the Lens" campaign

South African Tourism teamed up with National Geographic Channels International and three renowned National Geographic photographers to launch their latest promotional "Through the lens" promotional campaign. The campaign, which is getting aired on National Geographic Channels around the globe since January 2013, aims to take the viewer on a journey, delving into three of South Africa's most landmark destinations: Drakensberg, Durban and Cape Town.

The three short films are made by National Geographic Channel and photographers Lola Akerstrom (Durban), Stephen Alvarez (Drakensberg) and Heather Perry (Cape Town). Kudos & enjoy!

Video: How African rock pythons hunt & eat Springbok

The African rock python is one of the largest snakes in the world and Africa's largest snake. Specimen can get as long as 6 m (20 ft). Subspecies of the snake can be found throughout the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia and Somalia west to Senegal and south to Namibia and South Africa. The nonvenomous snake is usually found nears sources of water in a variety of habitats, including savanna woodland and grassland, forest, savanna, semi-desert, rocky areas. If you ever wondered how and what African rock pythons hunt, watch the video below. Kudos National Geographic!

Video: Saving the endangered Cape Parrots in the Eastern Cape

The Cape Parrot, the only parrot endemic to South Africa, is Africa's most endangered parrot. Only between 800 - 1000 adult Cape Parrots are currently left in their natural habitat, which is stretching from the coastal escarpment near sea-level to the midlands at around 1000m in eastern South Africa.
Dr. Steve Boyes, a South African ornithologist and a National Geographic Expeditions Expert, is the Project Coordinator of the Cape Parrot Project in Hogsback in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. He has commited his day-to-day activities to saving the highly endangered parrot from two major threats: capture for the wild-caught bird trade, and disease. Learn more about his work and about the Cape Parrots in the video below, presented by National Geographic.

National Geographic Wild: Red Hartebeest vs. Cyclist

Do you remember that collision at Albert Falls Dam in KwaZulu Natal in which mountain biker Evan van der Spuy got taken out by a Red Hartebeest?
A team from TV channel Nat Geo Wild's series "Caught in the Act" spoke with Evan, his friend Travis Walker, who filmed the accident with his gopro-camera, and a zoologist from the Johannesburg Zoo, who is trying to explain why the Hartebeest took Evan out.
The full interviews, as well as the video footage of the collision, will get aired in the US on 17 April 2012 (Caught in the Act: Psycho). Watch the video below for some extracts from the show.

Video: Dung Beetle trivia

Dung Beetles are not only the world's strongest creature, but also famous for recycling as they feed partly or even exclusively on feces! The bugs eat dung excreted by omnivores and herbivores, which means that they do not need to eat or drink anything else, because the dung provides all the necessary nutrients... Anyway, watch the following video produced by National Geographic for some interesting facts about the Dung Beetle.

Frans Lanting: Jewel of Namibia (video, 25min)

If you got about 25min of time, join famous wildlife photographer and National Geographic photographer-in-residence Frans Lanting and his wife Christine Eckstrom on a wild desert journey through Namibia, watch their incredible photos of country's landscapes and wildlife and listen to their facts and stories about the south west African country of Namibia. Kudos to Christine Eckstrom and Frans Lanting!

 Namibia protects its entire coastline as one National Park >>

Namibia launched ambitious conservation initiative >>

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden voted one of the world's top 10 picnic spots

According to the National Geographic Traveler Magazine, Cape Town's Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the world’s best picnic spots.
Other top spots in the list of ten included the Milford Sound on New Zealand's South Island, Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome and Aran Islands in Ireland!


View Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in a larger map

National Geographic Travelers's World's Top 10 Best Picnic Spots:

• Huayna Picchu, Peru
• Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand
• Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome, Italy
• Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore
• Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, California, USA
• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa
• Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, France
• Haleakala National Park, Hawai, USA
• Aran Islands, Ireland
• National Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., USA

WorldNomads: Travel Photography Scholarship 2011 - South Africa

WorldNomads.com and National Geographic Channel are giving one exceptional individual the chance to go on assignment with renowned wildlife photographer Jason Edwards to South Africa!
This is your chance to photograph in Kruger National Park on an 8-day trip with Gap Adventures. Step into the heart of Big 5 game country with lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo, as well as zebra, giraffe, kudo and monkey...to name a few. You'll also photograph Cape Town in all its vibrant colour and visit a pre-school community project on the outskirts of Cape Town, offering you a well rounded view of modern South Africa, courtesy of South African Tourism. 



A selection of your best photos will be published on National Geographic Channel where they will be viewed by thousands of travellers worldwide, offering you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get your foot in the door of one of the most revered exploration organisations in the world!
Highly regarded for his wildlife and remote landscape photography, Jason Edwards is represented by National Geographic Image Collection.

For more info about the scholarship, how to apply for it & the t&c, visit World Nomad's website! Applications close 08 November 2011, at 2pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (GMT +11)

National Geographic: Interview with Frans Lanting

Famous wildlife photographer and National Geographic photographer-in-residence Frans Lanting discusses in the video how he adopts the view of his subject to get the best image. Great interview with one of the best wildlife photographers around!

Kruger National Park tours ex Johannesburg >>

Video: National Geographic presents some interesting facts about lions

National Geographic presents some interesting facts about lions in general and lioness "Ma di Tau" in particular in their promotional video for their movie "The Last Lions".
Example? Lions can devour 55lbs (25kg) of meat. That's the same as an average American adult eating 120 burgers in one sitting.

Video: Orcas are hunting dolphins...

Orcas, or killer whales, do not only feed on sardines during the annual Sardine Run, but also on dolphins. What used to be a rumour only, became confirmed through the sighting of an actuall kill of a dolphin through orcas some years ago offshore Port Elizabeth. Check the footage taken out of a National Geographic documentary:

"The Last Lions" film clip: Silver Eye vs Cubs

In "The Last Lions" filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert (also see TEDtalk: Beverly & Dereck Joubert - Life lessons from big cats) follow the epic journey of the lioness named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”) in the wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta as she battles to protect her cubs against the daunting onslaught of enemies to ensure their survival.



When Ma di Tau goes to hunt, she must leave behind her young cubs. This exposes them to many dangers - including other lionesses.

New trailer: "The Last Lions" (2011)

Filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert (also see TEDtalk: Beverly & Dereck Joubert - Life lessons from big cats) follow the epic journey of the lioness named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”) in the wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta as she battles to protect her cubs against the daunting onslaught of enemies to ensure their survival. The video below seems to be a new trailer for the movie, which is, to my knowledge, still not published outside the US...



btw - For every trailer viewing of the first trailer on YouTube (watching the one in this blog also counts in!), starting February 1, 2011, National Geographic will contribute $.10* to lion conservation in Botswana. Watch as many times as you want, and share with your friends and family. Let's get to 1 million views together!
*Contribution maximum is $100,000. For more details on this program, visit www.thelastlions.com

"The Last Lions" (2011)

Filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert (also see TEDtalk: Beverly & Dereck Joubert - Life lessons from big cats)  follow the epic journey of the lioness named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”) in the wetlands of Botswana’s Okavango Delta as she battles to protect her cubs against the daunting onslaught of enemies to ensure their survival.
This gripping real-life saga "The Last Lions" unfolds inside a stark reality: lions are vanishing from the wild. In the last 50 years, lion populations have plummeted from 450,00 to as few as 20,000. Dereck and Beverly Joubert weave their dramatic storytelling and breathtaking, up-close footage around a resonating question: are Ma di Tau and her young to be among the last lions? Or will we as humans, having seen how tough, courageous and poignant their lives in the wild are, be moved to make a difference?



Watch The Last Lions trailer - and make a difference for lions!
For every trailer viewing on YouTube (watching the one above also counts in!), starting February 1, 2011, National Geographic will contribute $.10* to lion conservation in Botswana. Watch as many times as you want, and share with your friends and family. Let's get to 1 million views together!
*Contribution maximum is $100,000. For more details on this program, visit www.thelastlions.com

To learn more about there the movie was filmed and see exclusive footage and photos from The Last Lions, visit http://www.facebook.com/BotswanaTourism.

New laser system to kill Mosquitoes

The new laser system in the slow-motion video can kill mosquitoes without harming other insects. Hopefully such laser technologies will make it one day to the countries actually threatened by Mosquito-transmitted deseases like malaria...

Safari Tips 101 - Malaria Advice: Travel Precautions to Take! >>