Condé Nast Traveller: "South Africa scenery the best in the world"! Agree?

Question

http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/holiday/conde-nast-traveller.htm

The locals have long known it, and now UK visitors agree: South Africa is the most beautiful country on earth. In the 2006 Reader's Travel Awards by UK magazine Condé Nast Traveller, South Africa's scenery scored 97.8% - the highest in the world - with the country being voted the world's fifth-best tourist destination.

Now in their ninth year, the awards come out of a comprehensive survey of readers' favourite hotels, spas, cities, countries and more, based on a range of criteria that are then compiled into a score out of 100. In the country category, South Africa's overall score was 94.2% - putting it ahead of other destinations such as Thailand, France, the US, Greece and Malaysia.

This is the sixth year in a row that South Africa has been ranked as one of the world's top 20 destinations...

South Africans living overseas... How beautiful is SA compared to other countries? We live in paradise, don't we? :D

Another poll about the most beautiful country in the world: http://www.bestandworst.com/r/85560.htm - SA came out tops again! SA's growth in the tourism industry is double that of the rest of the world and readers of Travel & Leisure Mag (in their 2006 survey) readers voted Cape Town the 6th best city (attained a better score than all cities in the USA) in the world, we have 4 hotels in the top 100 (amongst other the best in the world)... the list goes on.

If SA can sort out its crime rate, we'll probably emerge as the best tourist destination in the world. Where else do you get wild animals, a stunning coastline, amazing winelands, mountains, incredibly diversity (4 ethnic groups, 12 culture groups).. We have more mammals than North and South America combined... Table Mountain alone has more plant species than UK... Tourism has the ability to sort out many (most?) of our unemployment problems, but our crime rate scare off visitors (although SA is relatively safe for tourists...)

Unreal hero... I think you joke lol, but for the record: tourists visit places such as the Waterfront that attracts 22 million visitors (local and international) per year. If it was a 'warzone' why would 22 million people visit it? Table Mountain get 4 million visitors per year and the Kruger National Park about 1.3 million. 7.4 million tourists visit SA per year (1.5 million from Europe and North America). SA is relatively safe for tourists, otherwise no one would've visit SA. Do tourists visit the Cape Flats? No, they don't. Do they engage in gang fights? No. They visit the famous tourists spots. Now I don't say no tourists are victims of crime here. Sure there is... like in any other country, including Australia (3 sex attacks in September on foreign tourists) which people regard as safe. SA is a more 'dangerous' destination than other countries, but still, we got a score of 94,7% amongst the readers of Condé Nast Traveller and one of the criteria was safety.

The reasons why I referred to the amount of visitors is because you said SA is a warzone.I don't think Iraq's tourism industry is growing at about 15% per year.Relatively was the wrong word, sorry (I'm Afrikaans ;).What I meant was... SA is more unsafe that many other destinations,but it's safe enough and can be regarded as safe to visit.The reason why I mentioned the sex attacks in Aus,is because ppl ten to refer to individual incidents and say "SA is unsafe!"eg. when a tourist was raped at a beach in Durban.And it made headlines.It wasn't just a small article in the corner of the newspaper: http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=2953&fDate=2006-12-08&fEdition=3 I've done some research on tourist murders.No Australian has been murdered in SA in 8 years.In contrast 158 Australians was murdered in other countries.Nyanga can be classified as a warzone,but does tourists visit it?No.So the question is:Is the tourists areas (Kruger Park,T Mountain,Garden Route,Hermanus) war zones?

Ok sorry... maybe you don't think SA is a warzone. (Remember, I said SA is relatively safe for the tourist, not the average South African who lives in poor conditions) You maybe just wanted clarification about the country I compare it to - so if that's the case, I apologize for my comments.

Answer 1

for sure we do...............and the world cup will be a success too and we will win the fight against crime..............after that everyone who ran away from the country will be begging to come back

Answer 2

Parts of SA - like the KZN and Cape coastlines - are truly stunning.

Other areas are horrendous - the landscape ruined by squatter camps where people struggle to maintain even a basic existence, and litter and filth clogging city centres.

For all round beauty - mountains, sea, cleanliness and stunning views in every direction - I've found that it's hard to beat Canada.

Answer 3

I like the High veld especially. It's green here because of all the rain, not a place you want to be though in the winter,they burn all the grass,hiding the wonderful scenery under a black curtain.
Then I like Jeffery's Bay as well . There is alot of shells on the beach,it's kind of a collection(see how many shells you have that's unique).
Then the Lowveld..you know Sabie, Graskop...all those places.
(Sigh) amazing.I think God did a great job.

Answer 4

I will most certainly agree that SA has some of the most beautiful natural features in the world. However, "living in paradise"? Not too sure about that if you check what's going on in SA.

*Edit*

Hi Malan,

Tourists "are relatively safe" ?
Relative to what? A warzone?
hehe

*Edit*
Can you please stop with the old tirade that other countries have crime too - "including Australia (3 sex attacks in September on foreign tourists) ".
SA is incomparable to other countries with regards to crime. Those sex attacks in Australia would make news headlines across the country. In SA, it would be lucky to have a small article in the middle of a newspaper since it is almost a norm.

You babbled on about the tourist figures which was not necessary. I was pointing out that your use of the word "relative" needed a greater degree of explanation. In case you do not know, it means "in comparison" so can you tell me tourists are safe in comparison to which country?

I never denied that many people visit SA and in fact I mentioned in my original answer that SA is indeed beautiful. I am however critical of the fact that SA crime is atrocious to say the least and it is grossly magnified by individuals such as the SAFETY AND SECURITY minister telling South Africans to get out the country!

You further mention that tourists "will not go to gang fights" and the "cape flats" but will "visit famous tourist spots". Oh, so then they should be safe? I doubt that very much. Criminals deliberately target these areas so your comment is indeed laughable.

If you to respond, could you please stick to what I said this time?

Answer 5

I guess it depends on your personal taste, but generally speaking SA has great natural beauty and diversity. The whole of Southern Africa for that matter. Politicians and other criminals are trying their best to make it a worse place for evryone, but fortunately Mother Nature don't let these fools dictate to her.
It is truely beautiful. But you know this, Malan, coz you live here!

Answer 6

Conde Nast is the worst excuse for a magazine I have ever seen. I don't deny that S Africa is a beautiful place but just in general - its a crappy mag.

Answer 7

It is beautiful but it is also a violent place with one of the highest rape and aids rates per capita in the world. So much beauty marred by human ugliness. Do you think that's changing?

Answer 8

Yes.
South Africa is very beautiful!

Answer 9

yes south africa has some beautiful scenery but it depends on what you like. if you have travelled alot youll agree that each country has its own unique scenery.