Sindhudurg was built by Shivaji in 1664 AD and it is believed that he personally selected this site for the construction of this ocean fort. The fort was built with the help of 500 stone splitters, 200 blacksmiths, 3000 laborers and hundreds of skilled artists who worked very hard to complete this fort in three years. The fort has magnificent architecture. The presence of liquid lead in the 3km long and 10km high outer wall was built in an impenetrable manner. It was built in such a zigzag way that it was visible from every direction which helped the Maratha soldiers trace their enemies during war. The Shri Shivarajeshwar temple at Sindhudurg fort is dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji. The other attractions are the Hanuman and Jarimari mandir, Goddess Bhavani Temple, Shambhu Mahadev temple, Jirimiri and Mahapurush temple. There is also a unique coconut tree inside the fort which comprises of two branches. Vijaydurg Fort, also known as the victory fort, is three walled fortress comprising of umpteen towers and an awesome sized interior building. A board at the entrance states its history. The Vijaydurg Fort stretches out into the sea and is best viewed from the Jetty. About one kilometer from the fort is the Vijaydurg Beach. With its wonderful scenic beauty the views of the Vijaydurg Fort lays down the legacies of the great Maratha rulers. Padmadurg , also known as Kasa fort , is a fort in Maharashtra , India . It was built by the great Maratha ruler King Shivaji to the northwest of the fort Janjira . It was built mainly to conquer the fort Janjira, although it is not as big as Janjira. Due to incomplete construction, and bombardment from Janjira during its construction, only ruins of the Padmadurg fort remain. Many parts of the fort are now inaccessible and there are no direct ferryboats to Padmadurg. This fort is under a seal by Indian Government as it has been claimed that the drugs were smuggled there. It was built by king Sambhaji - son of the great Maratha ruler king Shivaji. Although it is not as big as Janjira but still a sea fort that can be visited upon permission by Indian Customs\Navy. It looks great from Janjira. When Shivaji the Great decidied to take on the Siddis of Janjira, his admiral, Daulat Khan, built this fort on an island next to Janjira. The rock, on which the fort was built, was called Kasa and the fort was named Padmadurg. The fort has six bastions, some of them devastated by gun attack from the famous 'kalal bangdi' gun in Janjira. Kasa was soon overpowered by Siddis and used as a Jail
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Sindhudurg was built by Shivaji in 1664 AD and it is believed that he personally selected this site for the construction of this ocean fort. The fort was built with the help of 500 stone splitters, 200 blacksmiths, 3000 laborers and hundreds of skilled artists who worked very hard to complete this fort in three years. The fort has magnificent architecture. The presence of liquid lead in the 3km long and 10km high outer wall was built in an impenetrable manner. It was built in such a zigzag way that it was visible from every direction which helped the Maratha soldiers trace their enemies during war. The Shri Shivarajeshwar temple at Sindhudurg fort is dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji. The other attractions are the Hanuman and Jarimari mandir, Goddess Bhavani Temple, Shambhu Mahadev temple, Jirimiri and Mahapurush temple. There is also a unique coconut tree inside the fort which comprises of two branches.
Vijaydurg Fort, also known as the victory fort, is three walled fortress comprising of umpteen towers and an awesome sized interior building. A board at the entrance states its history. The Vijaydurg Fort stretches out into the sea and is best viewed from the Jetty. About one kilometer from the fort is the Vijaydurg Beach. With its wonderful scenic beauty the views of the Vijaydurg Fort lays down the legacies of the great Maratha rulers.
Padmadurg, also known as Kasa fort, is a fort in Maharashtra, India. It was built by the great Maratha ruler King Shivaji to the northwest of the fort Janjira. It was built mainly to conquer the fort Janjira, although it is not as big as Janjira. Due to incomplete construction, and bombardment from Janjira during its construction, only ruins of the Padmadurg fort remain. Many parts of the fort are now inaccessible and there are no direct ferryboats to Padmadurg. This fort is under a seal by Indian Government as it has been claimed that the drugs were smuggled there. It was built by king Sambhaji - son of the great Maratha ruler king Shivaji. Although it is not as big as Janjira but still a sea fort that can be visited upon permission by Indian Customs\Navy. It looks great from Janjira. When Shivaji the Great decidied to take on the Siddis of Janjira, his admiral, Daulat Khan, built this fort on an island next to Janjira. The rock, on which the fort was built, was called Kasa and the fort was named Padmadurg. The fort has six bastions, some of them devastated by gun attack from the famous 'kalal bangdi' gun in Janjira. Kasa was soon overpowered by Siddis and used as a Jail
The first battle of Panipat saw emergence of the Mughals, mightiest power in Indian History.
According to legends it was the oldest Indian battles to have used gunpowder firearms and field
artillery. The battle was fough between two mega-powers. Babur, then ruler of Kabul and Ibrahim
Lodhi, king of Delhi Sultanate. It was fought near Panipat (present day Haryana).
Although Babur had a fighting Army of 8,000 soldiers and Lodhi had around 40,000 soldiers along
with 400 war elephants, yet the main element that proved an ace-card for Babur for the use of
field artillery. Apart from fighting and defeating men, the artillery was powerful to scare elephants and
cause havoc amongst them. In the end, it was Baburwho emerged victorious and established
the Mughal Empire, while Ibrahim Lodhi perished in the Battle.
Second Battle of Panipat (1556)
The Second battle of Panipat marked the beginning of Akbar’s reign in India, as it was in the first year
of his holding the throne. The battle was fought between Akbar (Ruler of Mughal Dynasty) and
Muhammad Adil Shah (ruler of Pashtan Suri Dynasty), along with his Prime Minister Hemu.
In the year 1956, Akbar had successfully taken up the throne of his father when Mughals had spread
across Kabul, Kandahar and parts of Delhi and Punjab. Hemu (Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya)
was the military chief of Afghan Sultan Mohammad Adil Shah, who was the ruler of Chunar at that
point. Adil Shah was on a trail to remove Mughals from India.
Taking the advantage of Humayun’s death he was successful in capturing the reigns of Agra and
Delhi without much difficulty. This victory of Adil Shah and Hemu didn’t last much as Bairam Shah,
who was the chief Minister and guardian of Akbar proceeded with a large army towards Delhi.
The battle was fought at Panipat with strong competitors on both sides. Hemu had a large army along
with 1500 War elephants. Hemu was struck with an arrow in his eye and subsequently the army got
panicked seeing their unconscious leader. The battle concluded with Mughals crowned with victory.
The head of Hemu was chopped and the torso was made to travel to Delhi to celebrate the grand
victory of Mughals. Thus, it was this ferocious battle that reestablished the strong Mughal
Empire which had a powerful reign of Akbar to create history.
Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
The third battle of Panipat was fought between the Afghans and the Marathas. The battle was
significant as it marked the end of Maratha dominance in India. At the time of this battle Afghans were
under the leadership of Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas under the leadership of Peshwas had
established control across Northern India. During the eighteenth century the parallel decline
of Mughal Empire and defeat of Marathas in the battle of Panipat saw a new beginning of the colonial
ruleinIndia.
In the world, there are certain civilizations that have taken place over time. One of these civilizations happened in Egypt and it is called the Egyptian civilization. This civilization took place in the eastern part of North Africa along the lower parts of the Nile river. Also, the civilization happened at around 3150 BC, during the reign of the first pharaoh when the upper and the lower Nile were united. Moreover, the ancient Egypt civilization took place as a succession of stable kingdoms that were separated by the intermediate periods. These kingdoms include the Old Kingdom, Early Bronze Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, Middle Bronze Kingdom and the New Kingdom.
There are certain factors that led to the civilization in Egypt these include: the availability of River Nile, the fertile banks of the river and powerful kings. River Nile was very instrumental in the development of Egypt because it enabled agricultural activities to take place. During the rainy seasons, the river would flood hence carrying and depositing silt at its banks (David 56). Secondly, the fertile banks of the river were instrumental in encouraging many agricultural activities in the region. Therefore, the Egyptian wealth mostly emanated from the agricultural activities that were facilitated by the availability of the fertile plains of river Nile.
Furthermore, the availability of very powerful kings in Egypt played a key role in contributing to civilization. One of these kings is the first pharaoh who was the ultimate source of control in Egypt. The pharaoh was also in charge of the country’s wealth, the military commander and the head of state (David 85). With the help of the religious leaders, elite scribes and the administrators, pharaoh was able to unite the Egyptians basing on the religious beliefs. This in turn facilitated a tremendous success in the country’s development activities. Additionally, pharaoh’s representative; Vizier also played a big role in supervising the country’s projects, surveys, treasury, legal system and archives.
In addition, the country’s development was accelerated by the availability of the temples that were used religiously. The fact that the temples were used as a place for collecting and storing the country’s wealth aided civilization in the country (Hobbs 57). Egyptian civilization was also facilitated by the peaceful social status in the country. The Egyptian society was highly divided with the farmers forming most of the population though the farm produce was owned by the state, temple and noble families that had farms (David 87). The craftsmen, artists and the farmers contributed to economy by paying taxes to the government.
The Egyptian civilization was also affected by the country’s geographical features. First, the country has the world’s longest river running across it. The availability of river Nile facilitated many agricultural activities that boosted civilization in the country (Shaw 85). The Egyptian farmers used river Nile’s water for irrigation since most parts of the country are dry. Moreover, the banks of river Nile were fertile due to the deposits caused by floods. The deposits were made of silt, a rich mineral that is instrumental in improving the countries agricultural activities.
Egyptian civilization faced a lot of challenges based on geographical factors. Since the Egyptian farmers cultivated along the banks of river Nile, they experienced a lot of problems due to floods. During the rainy season, the river would swell hence carrying away the farmers’ crops. As a result, this could slow down development since agriculture was the country’s backbone (Shaw 91). However, when the Aswan High Dam was built, these problems greatly reduced; hence enhancing development in the country.
Another limitation to the Egyptian civilization is the dry climate since Egypt is a desert. Farming activities were at times slowed down because of the unavailability of water that is highly essential for any effective agriculture (Bongo 74). Additionally, the farmers who lived far away from the river were disadvantaged in that they could not access the adequate water from the river. However, the problem was minimized by the invention of irrigation since farmers were able to carry out their activities successfully.
The question of the origin of Egyptian civilization lies on the fact that the Egyptians civilized themselves. However, the civilization borrowed some ideas from the neighboring civilizations including the Greek and Mesopotamia (David 94). For instance, the Egyptians borrowed the iron technology from Meroe in Sudan along side their own inventions. Moreover, the Egyptian literature had some aspects borrowed from the Greek, for instance, they started using the Greek alphabet and some Demotic symbols.
Besides, Egyptian civilization had a lot of reactions with other civilization at separate times. One of the neighboring civilizations was the Mesopotamia that happened in the ancient Greek. In this civilization, the interaction that took place happened peacefully; hence the exchange of ideas. In fact, the peaceful coexistence of Egypt facilitated the consistent development in the country (Bongo 78).
There are certain economic factors that also enhanced Egyptian development. One of these factors is that Egypt had many natural resources that included gold, copper, lead, decorative stones and semiprecious stones. These resources are significant in promoting development in the country since they were used by the Egyptians construction of the
GAUTENG TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Pretoria, South Africa
PRETORIA, South Africa
Known as the Jacaranda City for all the purple blossom-bedecked trees, which line its thoroughfares, Pretoria is a lovely, quiet city. It has a long, involved and fascinating history. Here you will find significant old buildings and fascinating museums. The Transvaal Museum has natural history displays and is the home of Mrs Ples, the australopithecine fossil found at Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind. Also worth visiting are theCultural History Museum and Smuts Museum in Irene, outside Pretoria.
Sedate, leafy Pretoria tends to endure a Cinderella complex when compared with the neighbouring city of Johannesburg. When it comes to world class cities, Johannesburg is one of the most ‘happening’ cities on the African continent and the city gleams with the glamour of money. Pretoria has been left to shrug off its former association with the apartheid government in a relative state of slumber, lying as it does in a warm, sheltered valley surrounded by the hills of the Magaliesberg range that ensure that temperatures here are invariably a few degrees warmer than Johannesburg.
But don’t let the sleepy nature of the pretty city lull you into a false perception. Pretoria has a beauty all of its own, and the slow pace of life is regarded as a bonus by its residents. Many Jo’burgers seek a quieter existence in Pretoria, prepared to commute daily rather live in the comparative rat race. Wall flower the city is not. When in full bloom in October, Pretoria literally comes alive with blossoms and leaves no one in doubt as to the origin of its nickname - Jacaranda city.
Pretoria functions as one of three capitals of South Africa with a population that exceeds a million people, the bulk of whom are government officials. The city centre is laid out in typical city fashion on a grid with wide roads, making getting around fairly simple.
Pretoria’s potential name change to Tshwane (the city lies in the greater Metropolitan municipality of Tshwane) was approved by the names’ council in 2005 but still lacks endorsement by the Minister of Arts And Culture, remaining ‘under consideration’, which may or may not have something to do with the hue and cry that ensued at the
onset of the name change
GAUTENG TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg is an African city of note. Johannesburg is characterised by contradiction and an apparent seamless combination of irreconcilable differences. The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg is also the wealthiest and, without doubt, the economic powerhouse of Africa.
Johannesburg is a booming, happening city and the emphasis is on making money - whether in business or on the streets - and has been since its beginnings when the world’s richest gold fields were discovered in Johannesburgduring the 1880s. To the first-time visitor Johannesburg, or Jozi as it’s more commonly known, can be a little daunting, more so because of the misrepresentation by the media of Johannesburg as something of a war zone. There is crime; you do need to keep your wits about you, but once bitten by the vibe of Jozi, you’re going to want to come back again.
The Johannesburg inner city, abandoned by an exodus of big business that transferred toSandton and, until recently, avoided by all except die-hard tourists, is undergoing a complete regeneration. The area close to City Hall and Newtown Cultural Precinct, which has completely transformed the Market Theatre and surrounds, now forms the heart of urban revival, and the Johannesburg inner city remains the largest employment centre in South Africa.
But it’s the sprawl of the leafy northern suburbs - there are over six million trees in Johannesburg - that draws the visitor: buzzing, trendy suburbs like Parktownand Norwood, with their restaurant-lined avenues that cater for the dining and décor set; the high street of Greenside that so easily dons the mantle of hip chic; fashionable Melville (forget venturing a little further to Yeoville - Jozi’s Greenwich Village it might have been but not any longer), and the sprawling malls of Sandton, all combine to make the city a great place to be.
Though not touted as an outdoor city, there are, nevertheless, a number of parks and nature reserves, like Emmarentia Dam and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, that are worth a visit. The Magaliesberg is just on your doorstep, and you’re extremely well placed for adventures a little further afield, like the Kruger National Park and the game parks of the Lowveld.
SOUTH AFRICA TRAVEL
KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
KwaZulu Natal Travel Guide / KwaZulu Natal's leisure options provide a multitude of choices to keep you endlessly entertained. From the city of Durban you can catch a shuttle toMargate, at the hub of the South Coast Golf Circuit. When you're not playing golf, fishing or lying on the beach, you can visit a crocodile farm, a nature reserve or follow an arts and crafts trail.
A short flight takes you to the historic city of Pietermaritzburg, gateway to the Natal Midlands and the charming Drakensberg resorts. No holiday in KwaZulu Natal would be complete without a visit to at least one of the KwaZulu Natal game reserves, renowned throughout the world. Appropriately enough, the Zulu name for Durban is Thekwini, meaning "The Place Where the Earth and the Ocean Meet". But apart from an effervescent ocean lined with golden beaches, KwaZulu Natal's capital city, Durban, offers a subtropical carnival atmosphere and summer sunshine all year round. From around the globe, day in, day out, pleasure-seekers converge on the city to play on the golden, palm-fringed sands. In addition to the attractions of sea, surf and sport, leisure options encompass an eclectic range.
At excellent one-stop shopping centres, you can buy anything from photographic equipment to couturier clothes and rare antiques. Flea markets and craft trails attract leisurely browsers, and discount stores offer quality merchandise at bargain basement prices. Within a stone's throw of the city centre, oriental bazaars, fragrant with
spice and incense, offer silks, saris, unusual jewellery and ornaments. Pubs, discos and action bars are firm favourites. KwaZulu Natal also caters for a wide spectrum of travellers and businessmen and the top hotels in KwaZulu Natal compare very favourably with the best hotels and resorts in the world. You will find an extensive selection of places to stay at KwaZulu Natal accommodation and KwaZulu Natal hotels.
Umhlanga, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Theatres and concert halls present classical, avant-garde and ethnic programmes, and art galleries display works created by the internationally famous and up-and-coming local talents. KwaZulu Natal's restaurants represent every facet of the city's cosmopolitan nature and cater for every palate and pocket.
FREE STATE DESTINATIONS
Bloemfontein, Motheo Region
Bloemfontein, Free State
Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, serves as something of an oasis, lying as it does plum in the middle of the Free State and indeed the country. The only major city for miles around, it is also the sixth largest city in the country, the Judicial Capital ofSouth Africa, and it lies on the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town, often functioning as a stop off to break the major journey between the two cities.
Despite being situated in an area of dry grassland, Bloemfontein more than lives up to its name - spring of flowers. Thousands of rose bushes line the city; more than 4000 rose trees have been planted in the rose gardens in Kings Park, and many homes, still minus the ubiquitous six metre wall of other major cities in South Africa, boast colourful gardens littered with flowering plants and trees. Bloemies, as the locals fondly call her it, is a city of little stress and very few residents buy into the rush, rush syndrome typical of a major city. The city centre is lined with historical buildings, including the beautiful tree-lined President Brand Street - a national monument - its pavements home to several graceful museum buildings, right in the centre of the CBD.
Naval Hill, a little nature reserve of 192 odd hectares, set right in the city, is worth a drive through. Set on a hill as it is, it not only provides a welcome respite from all things city, but also gives a bird’s eye view over the city. And the extremely modern Orchid House, which lies at the western foot of Naval Hill in Hamilton Park, lays claim to the world’s largest collection of orchids. There is also a fragrance garden for the blind close to Orchid House.
For holiday makers (or even those stopping off here on business trips),accommodation in Bloemfontein is plentiful. Hotels and B&B's abound and those who prefer to self cater will find that Bloemfontein accommodation is reasonably priced and accompanied by true South African hospitality.
There is no shortage of Things to Do in Bloemfontein: The Art in the Park, held in Kings Park on the first Saturday of every month is an extremely popular event amongst residents; Loch Logan Waterfront offers a series of restaurants, shops, pubs and entertainment, and the Oliewenhuis Art Gallery - a beautiful neo-Cape Dutch house with frequent exhibitions and sprawling lawns - has gardens under shade trees that provide a wonderful space in which to picnic or simply enjoy tea at the little garden tea house.
Upington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the
banks of the Orange River. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and
then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by
Reverend Schröder. The mission station now houses the town museum, known as the Kalahari
Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey statue, which recognises the enormous
contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the
19th century.
The elevation of Upington is 2742 feet (835 metres). It is the closest large centre to the Augrabies
Falls, arguably the greatest of South African waterfalls. The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile
and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The area is best known for its export-quality
grapes, raisins and wines, which are cultivated on the rich flood plains of the Orange river
Wine Industry
Upington's most famous wines are produced by an organisation generally known as Orange River
Wine Cellars (OWC). The organisation has six depots in the area (all of them on the banks of the
Orange River) at Upington, Kanoneiland, Grootdrink,Kakamas, Keimoes and Groblershoop. The
wines from OWC are exported, inter alia, to Europe and the USA. Dig a little deeper and you'll find
privately owned cellars, producing quality red and white wines as well. Bezalel Dyasonsklip offers a
variety of local treasures, such as low tanin red wines, 5-year old Pot-stilled brandy, a mampoer range
and liqueurs. The Upington region accounts for more or less 40% of South Africa's grape exports.
[edit]Famous Upington people
Alice Krige – South African Actress
Scotty Smith – South African Bandit, "Robin Hood of the Kalahari"
Shaleen Surtie-Richards – South African Actress
Margot de Klerk – South African Explorer, Part Time Model
Chris Steytler - South African Astronaut, Nobel Prize winner
[edit]Transportation
Upington has a modern airport with scheduled flights provided by SA Airlink (an affiliate of South
African Airways).[3] The airport's runway, spanning 4900m,[4] is one of the longest in the world and the
longest in Africa. Until the 1960s, the airport was also the site of the annual gliding world
championships[citation needed].
In the first half of the 20th century there was a passenger train service from Cape Town to Upington.
Until the 1950s a narrow-gauge railway line (two-foot gauge) ran from Upington
to Kakamas and Keimoes, two nearby towns.
Columbia (Republic of)
History of Relations | Diplomatic Representation | Travel Info | Health Requirements | Climate Info | Currency Info | Trade Info | Visits and Meetings | Agreements | Interest Groups/ Organisations
History of Relations
South Africa and Colombia established full diplomatic relations on 12 April 1994. Colombia opened an Embassy in Pretoria in April 1995 and the first Colombian Ambassador to South Africa took up his post in Pretoria in July 1995. The South African Ambassador in Brazil was accredited as non-resident Ambassador to Colombia in February 1996. However, following the opening of the South African Embassy in Venezuela in 1998, Ambassador-designate T Luthuli- Gcabashe received agrément from Bogota. Towards the end of 1991 South Africa appointed an honorary representative in Bogota.
Diplomatic Representation
South African Representation in Colombia
The South African Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela is responsible for Colombia:
H E Ms X N Ngwevela Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
H E Mr M Gonzalez Lopez Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Embassy of Colombia
FNB Building - 3rd Floor1105 Park StreetHatfieldTel: 012 342 - 0201Fax: 012 342 - 0216
Travel Info
Visa Requirements for South Africans
For more information contact the Colombian Embass y in Pretoria or visit the the web site of theColombian Embassy in Washington DC, USA.
Health Requirements
Yellow fever certificate.
Malaria - risk exists if travelling below 1 500m.
Tetanus - immunisation recommended.
Hepatitis B certificate
For further information go to Travelers' Health.
Climate Info
Tropical in coastal areas; rainy season from May to November; cool weather along interior mountain ranges where the largest cities are situated.
For up-to-date weather information click here
Currency Info
Colombian Peso.
For up-to-date information click here
State and Official Visits / Bilateral Meetings
No Information
Bilateral Agreements
If you have any queries with regard to treaties please contact the Treaty Section at 012 351 0872/0851/0837
Trade Info
Exports fall chiefly into the categories of chemical products, base metals, wood pulp and transport equipment. Imports fall mainly into the categories of vegetable products, textiles and chemical products.
For current information on trade statistics between South Africa and Afghanistan, visit the web site of the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa
Interest Groups and Information
Bitterfontein is a village in the Knersvlakte, the northernmost area of the Western Cape province of South Africa, 320
kilometres (200 mi) north of Cape Town. It is the railhead of a line from Cape Town; ore from the copper mines at Okiep is
transferred there from road transport to the railway. It is also located on the N7 (Cape Town–Namibia) national road; the
distance from Cape Town is 386 kilometres (240 mi) by road and 465 kilometres (289 mi) by rail.[2]
Bitterfontein is located in the Matzikama Local Municipality, which is part of the West Coast District Municipality. According to
the 2001 Census, it had a population of 906 in an area of 1.77 square kilometres (0.68 sq mi).[1] It is served by a police station,
[3] a primary school,[4] a library,[5] and a satellite health clinic.[6]
[edit]Trivia
The South African country singer Ruben Lennox wrote a song about Bitterfontein
For travelling to or from Bitterfontein, the most reliable mode of transport is the minibus taxis that run daily
between Springbok and Cape Town. The fares are reasonable and they will pick you up at your doorstep and drop you at the
address of your destination. To get hold of one phone enquiries (1023) and ask for Bezuidenhout's, Van Wyk's, Lucian's, Titus
or JK Taxis' number. If you want to explore the area in more detail, the best way is to arrive with your own transport, preferably
a sturdy sedan car or a "bakkie" (light utility vehicle) The six surrounding villages are all within an hour's drive from Bitterfontein.
The Orange River is 320 kilometres to the north.
[edit][add listing]See
Bitterfontein is situated in the Knersvlakte, which forms part of the Succulent Karoo biome, with over a 1000 succulent species.
In the smaller villages, where the lifestyle is very rural, you can still see people baking bread in outside clay ovens, driving
donkey carts and herding goats in the traditional manner. Various landscapes present themselves, like the Bushmanland with
its wide grassy plains and stately quiver trees. To the west there are great granite domes surrounding the picturesque Roman
Catholic mission station of Rietpoort. The landscape has gently rolling hills and in spring time (August to September) is