Now there are more reasons than art, culture, and struggle heritage to draw you into Soweto – South Africa’s most famous and vibey township - the Orlando Towers bungee jump…

Officially launched yesterday as part of the 350 carbon awareness campaign, you can now do the world’s only bungee jump between 2 concrete cooling towers! Never mind that the distinctive artwork alone is the coolest you’ll ever come across on a cooling tower, capturing real township rhythm and soul.

The Orlando Towers are approx. 100 metres high, giving a spectacular 360 degree panorama of sprawling Soweto from a viewing platform.

The adventure centre launched in 2008 with a 100m power swing jump between the towers. For those who’d rather jump into the concrete towers [yeah, there are people who would LOVE to do that and they know who they are], rap jumping and the ominous sounding ‘The Abyss’ are on offer… base jumping too can be organised by appointment.

We have over 200 Top 10 lists for you to choose from and make your own – these lists were advised by experts in their respective fields and include award-winning places and activities, so you know you’re up for top-of-the-range experiences!

Choose from anything ranging from Top 10 diving adventures to Top 10 places to people-watch. Main categories include: The Great Outdoors, Urban vibe, Culture and heritage, Fun and relaxation and Trips and getaways. Go explore!

Here is my Top 10 favourite Top 10 lists:
1. Top 10 Natural Attractions in the Western Cape
2. Top 10 Mountain Bike Rides
3. Top 10 Photogenic Spots
4. Top 10 Road trips in and around Mpumalanga
5. Top 10 Extreme Adventures
6. Top 10 Golf Courses
7. Top 10 South African Township Restaurants
8. Top 10 Unique stays
9. Top 10 Live Music Venues
10. Top 10 Bush Spas

So, whether you do bucket lists [to do before you kick the bucket, i.e. die], life lists, or must-do, must-see lists - have fun finding yours and then enjoying the ultimate satisfaction of having the best experiences out there whilst ticking things off your list…

Many exciting events happen across the country throughout the year, but no season is as prolific, when it comes to hosting events, as spring. Some must-do spring events include Magoebaskloof Spring Festival, Wild flower shows, Simon’s Town Penguin Festival, Hermanus Whale Festival, Aardklop, ABSA Soweto Festival, King’s Reed Dance and King Shaka Celebrations.

To get some ideas of where you can go in each of South Africa’s magical seasons, and what you can expect, make sure you get a copy of newly released South Africa through the seasons, which doubles up as a great souvenir.

For events to attend, take part in, experience… look no further than our great events section and start shopping for sunscreen!

Today, the District Six Museum houses the stories, sentimentality, thoughts, images and urban building blocks of District 6. More than a museum, it is a safe place for the displaced community’s memories and closely linked myths in the making. Because as with District 9, there is a space where reality and non-reality merge and become something of its own kind. What remains is the impact of the story that needs telling, over and over, until we, as humans, learn to see ourselves as one. We are still so transfixed on our own differences, that District 9’s aliens had no chance when they sought refuge on earth.

District 9’s director, Neill Blomkamp, set the movie in Johannesburg, where he says the realness, visual richness and unique African flavour “would be incredibly difficult to replicate” anywhere else in the world. Born in and inspired by Johannesburg, it is no surprise that Blomkamp has produced a film that breaks new ground. The city, and indeed the country, seems to be the setting for doing just that - evident when you visit the District Six Museum.

The fact that South Africa has 11 official languages has been bandied about for a while – but what’s so great about that? I mean in Papua New Guinea over 850 languages are spoken…

It means that here in Mzansi, 10 of our indigenous languages, as well as the globe’s business language, English, has been given equal rights in our world-acclaimed Constitution, not only serving our culturally diverse communities, but preserving them too.

The National Language Policy Framework, which is being phased in progressively, is guided by the following principles: promoting and protecting linguistic and cultural diversity; supporting democracy through the entrenchment of language equity and language rights; asserting the view that multilinguism is a resource and encouraging the learning of other South African languages. Where government is required to communicate comprehensive information, documents are published in all 11 official languages.

The majority languages per province are: Western Cape & Northern Cape (Afrikaans); Eastern Cape (isiXhosa); KwaZulu-Natal & Gauteng (isiZulu); Free State (Sesotho, also known as Southern Sotho); Limpopo (Sesotho sa Leboa; also known as Northern Sotho); Mpumalanga (Siswati); North West (Setswana). Three other official languages include isiNdebele (Mpumalanga), Tshivenda and Xitsonga (both in Limpopo).

So when next you are in any of these provinces, try and learn a few words in the local languages – you’ll find the people very friendly and eager to teach you their mother tongue!

Did You Know: Although isiZulu is the most spoken South African language, English is the most widely understood and the second language of the majority of South Africans.

Get away from it all, give yourself a treat, boost your mojo, go for a health or beauty makeover, find yourself or go on a spiritual retreat – it’s all within your field of pure potentiality with our new Health & Wellness section!

You now have about 40 articles to peruse during your lunchtime and find the perfect treat, treatment or retreat, right here in South Africa – where we know how to look after your body, mind and soul…

Experience royal African rituals, indigenous therapies, wildlife wisdom, star-strewn spafaris and our rejuvenating spaces, with the help of our specialist doctors, beauticians, therapists, artists and alternative healers.

Somewhere there is a ticket and treatment with your name on it… when you find it, let me know

Image courtesy and copyright of Royal Malewane

For 67 years, Mandela has worked unwaveringly towards a better life, a dignified life, for those who are suffering - can you give 67 minutes of your life in honour of this great man’s contribution?

On 18 July it’s Madiba’s birthday, and as part of global Mandela Day, we ask you to pledge a mere moment of your life, a single lunch hour, to make a positive difference to the lives of one or many. To follow his great example and serve humanity in any way you can imagine.

Personally, I’ve made myself available to the new Nkosi’s Haven Village for 67 minutes. With the help of a few colleagues, we were given the task of sorting out clothes – it doesn’t sound like a significant task, but when you see the mountain of clothes, linen and toys, with kids going back to school and looking for uniforms, then finding those specifics become a worthwhile challenge.

To see our photos and videos of our visit to Nkosi’s Haven Village and the tributes to Madiba that we captured, visit our Flickr Stream and our YouTube channel.

Let me know how you plan to spend your 67 minutes, today or in the coming week, by posting a comment to this blogpost.

If you need some ideas, read any of the stories on our homepage or under our Best of Sout Africa/Responsible Tourism section or help Nkosi’s Haven Village – they need lots of help over the next 3 weeks so that 100 women and 183 children suffering from HIV/AIDS can move in!

I love Jozi. He has a gamut of costumes, faces, accents, quirks, moves. And like all interesting people, a past. Which, from the gold rush to the freedom struggle, makes for fascinating stories and places with captivating atmosphere.

I found just such a place when I set off to explore my adopted hometown recently. Imagine visiting an artist and his wife on their farm, their kids playing by the river, the plumber arriving to fix a leaking pipe, the gardener raking leaves in the driveway, where an overland tourist truck is parked… now peep under the cloak of normalcy and find a family façade, top revolutionary leaders, one destined to become world-revered, having covert meetings, planning guerrilla warfare with truckloads of AK47’s being delivered – and you are thrown into the layers of Liliesleaf Farm - there for you to pull apart, investigate, experience.

The farm is where the apartheid government’s police force cracked open the core of the insurgent wing, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) on 11 July 1963, which led to the Rivonia Trial, which in turn sentenced Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Elias Motsoaledi, Andrew Mlangeni, Dennis Goldberg, Raymond Mahlaba and Ahmed Kathrada to life imprisonment.

An enlightening experience, one that I have to say I approached with trepidation, but one that has intrigued (not haunted) me since – thankfully, on leaving you get a ticket with your trial date on it, allowing you to return and continue your journey, mahala (free) this time!

Read more on Liliesleaf Farm. Image copyright of Liliesleaf Farm.

Explore the unique beauty of the Northern Cape on the website and pay this province a visit - it’s one of South Africa’s best-kept tourism secrets!

Image copyright: Chris Marais, www.karoospace.com