Sands to Safaris

The largest city in the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi also gives its name to the largest of the United Arab Emirates. Created after the British pulled out of the Persian Gulf in 1971, the Emirates consist of seven sheikdoms formerly known as the Trucial States. During the 3rd millennium BC, the climate of this area was more temperate than today’s and a flourishing Bronze Age culture developed on Abu Dhabi’s coast and in the desert oasis are of AlAin/Buraimi. The remains of this ancient civilization have fascinated archaeologists since their discovery in 1960. Today you may imitate modern-day dwellers of the desert by going for an exciting desert safari in a specially-equipped 4WD vehicle.

Before the Dutch East India Company established a 17th-century victualling station on Table Bay’s pristine shore, the Cape Flats were hunted for hippopotami and other large game by the Khoi-Khoi and the San (Bushmen). With colonisation, the Cape of Good Hope established a lasting tradition of hospitality leading weary explorers and sailors to rename it The Tavern of the Seas. The sight of majestic Table Mountain and the people who live beneath it are as welcoming today as they were all those years ago, the looming crags a striking landmark providing a magnificent backdrop to the vibrant, friendly Mother City. Modern Cape Town, with its extended seafront, underground malls and soaring skyscrapers holds itself dear to its origins. Explore the many fascinating museums and historical buildings reflecting the cultures shaping the city and the province it serves.

Dubai is the Arabian Peninsula’s most cosmopolitan city-and the second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates. Unlike other Gulf statess, Dubai’s thriving economy is fueled not by oil, but by trade, which may explain its laissez-faire attitude. And if you like to shop this is THE PLACE, especially if you’re in search of electronics, gold, antiques and carpets. The souks in Dubai and nearby Sharjah vary from tiny stalls to covered malls. Don’t forget to haggle-it’s expected. More pastimes in Dubai are a dhow excursion on the tidal creek which winds through the city, a game of golf on the only real grass links in the Emirates, a tour of Sharjah, an evening safari inot the desert for a barbeque and traditional dancing and a thrilling demonstration of theancient Arabic art of falconing.

Durban is a big subtropical city in the north-eastern province of KwaZulu/Natal. It has been a major port since the 1850s and is home to the largest concentration of Indian-descended people in the country – Mohandas Gandhi arrived here as an indentured labourer in 1893. Today the city is better known as a holiday-makers’ fun parlour with a happening nightlife. The weather (and the water, thanks to the Agulhas current) stays warm year-round drawing the crowds to Durban’s long string of surf beaches.

Apart from the sandy strip, ‘Durbs’ has a fair bit to offer. The impressive city hall houses an art gallery which has a good collection of contemporary South African works and a patchy natural science museum (check out the cockcroach display). Also in the city centre, the local history museum has interesting displays on colonial life and the African Art Centre features exciting work by rural artists. The Indian area, to the west of the city centre, has a bustle and vibrancy that’s missing from most commercial districts in South Africa. The Victoria Street Market is the area’s focus, but other must sees are the Juma Mosque, the largest in the southern hemisphere, and the Alayam Hindu Temple, South Africa’s oldest and biggest.

Fujairah is a fast-growing seaport with an international airport making it a tourist attraction for the city life and natural life including beaches, mountains scenery, fortresses . . .

Mahe, the main island of the Seychelles, is also the least known. This 58 sq. mile island is a hidden paradise, well worth exploring.

Malé, city (1990 est. pop. 55,100), capital of Maldives.The Maldives are the vision of a castaway paradise with a garland of 2,000 coral atolls floating in the Indian Ocean. Their houses are built from blocks cut from the surrounding coral. Taste the golden coconut candy that is their passion, snorkel in the clear waters see an astounding variety of fish, or soar by helicopter to a nearby isle.

Mangalore is a beautiful port city in the southern most tip of the state of Karnataka. Due to its proximity to the Arabian Sea, Mangalore is incredibly picturesque, and quickly becoming a hub of activity and the fastest growing city in India.

The largest port on the coast of East Africa, Mombasa is hot, steamy and historical. This town of about half a million people dates back to the 12th century. A Muslim haven for centuries, it was attacked by the Portuguese in 1505 and burnt to the ground. It was quickly rebuilt only to be reduced to rubble again by an embattled Mombasan ruler during the
long fight against the Portuguese. Mombasa’s Old Town is testament to this tumultuous era. Filled with ornate wooden shopfronts and balconies, it’s a constant source of delight for the observant wanderer. The old quarter’s most prominent attraction is Fort Jesus, which dominates the harbour entrance. Begun in 1593 by the Portuguese, it changed hands nine
times between 1631 and 1875. Now a museum, the fort is a fascinating mixture of Italian, Portuguese and Arabic design.

Mombasa proper sprawls over Mombasa Island which is connected to the mainland both north and south of the city. The railway station is in the middle of the island, close to plenty of good hotels, restaurants and entertainment spots. A string of great beaches dominates the coast just south of the town. There are heaps of daily flights, trains and buses between Mombasa and Nairobi. There are also regular buses and ferries running between Mombasa and Tanzania.

In classic rags-to-riches fashion, Bombay grew from mud flats and marshland to the richest industral center in the country. Ten million people bustle through her streets daily. A study in contrasts, Bombay embraces Western-style skyscrapers at Nariman Point, historic building from the last century’s “Golden Period” around Bombay Fort, the festival atmosphere of contortionists and vendors at Chowpatty Beach and the reverence of numerous cultures and creeds. Bombay is India’s Hollywood–don’t miss a tour of the movie studios.

Muscat (mùs´kàt´) or Maskat, city (1993 pop. 329,842), capital of Oman, SE Arabia, on the Gulf of Oman. It has a fine harbor, dominated by two 15th-16th-centtury Portuguese forts, and exports dates, fish, and mother-of-pearl. Portugal held it from 1508 to 1648, and Persian princes until 1741, when it became Oman’s capital.

Zanzibar, (zàn´ze-bär´) region (1988 pop. 375,539), 950 sq mi (2,461 sq km), Tanzania, East Africa, consisting chiefly of the islands of Zanzibar and Tumbatu, in the Indian Ocean. The major city is also named Zanzibar. The economy of the region is almost entirely agricultural, and Zanzibar and the nearby island of Pemba produce a large portion of the world’s cloves. The Portuguese gained control in 1503, using the island as a base for territorial expansion on the African coast and for the slave trade. In 1698 Zanzibar and Pemba fell to the rulers of Oman. Under the Omani sultanate of Zanzibar (est.1840) Muslim traders pushed deep into Africa in search of slaves and ivory. The islands became a British protectorate in 1890 and an independent nation in 1963. In 1964 leftists deposed the sultan, and the two islands merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Zanzibar retains control of its internal affairs.