Hello dear friends and fellow travelers,

In this issue of Africa Travel, we take you from one side of Africa to the other; from the ancient man-made wonders of the pyramids in Egypt to the natural phenomenological magic of the flowers of Namqualand in South Africa.

Egypt.... the mere word to me used to conjure up images of desolate deserts, camels with mysterious riders with covered faces and flowing garb, silhouetted against undulating vermilion horizons and ancient, watchful and silent statues and tombs of magnificent and mighty kings and queens.

We travelled along the mighty Nile to the playground of Hurghada on the Red Sea and finally ended up in Cairo with its pyramid of Giza and The Sphinx lying adjacent - large, defiant and silent for thousands of years.

On the opposite end of the continent, another phenomenon, unique in the world, takes place for only two months of the year. During early August and September, seemingly overnight, the dusty valleys of Namaqualand on the west coast of South Africa are transformed into a wonderland, carpeted with wildflowers. With its winter rainfall, Namaqualand is home to the richest bulb flora of any arid region in the world and more than a 1,000 of its estimated 3,500 plant species are found nowhere else on earth.

Escape to the land of contrasts, where the rigorous climate has created a myriad of life forms superbly adapted to their specific habitat. Fields of flowers, star studded nights, quiver trees, enormous granite outcrops and the icy Atlantic are but a few wonders that await the visitor to what is truly the Creators' playground.

In this issue, we also chat to the inimitable Annie-Claude Bergonzoli. In 2001, she was appointed General Manager for Southern, East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands at Relais and Châteaux. The Group is set to concentrate on growing its property numbers outside of South Africa and she tells us what constitutes a unique luxury African vacation.

And last but not least, we visit the breathtaking Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in South Africa. Since 1979 Sabi Sabi has hosted visitors from all over the world. Situated in the world-renowned 65,000-hectare Sabi Sand "Wildtuin" in the Southwestern section of the Kruger National Park, it is a veritable wildlife oasis.

We hope you enjoy this issue of ChinAfrica Travel and if you have any questions, suggestions or advertising queries, please don't hesitate to email chinafrica1@hotmail.com

Until next time, bon voyage!

Jo