81-Day Coral Coast, Seychelles & Exotic Islands

When the early colonists began building Adelaide they built with stone, constructing a solid, dignified city that is civilised and calm in a way that no other Australian state capital can match. The solidity goes further than architecture, for Adelaide was once regarded as a city of wowsers and was renowned chiefly for its disproportionately large number
of churches. But there is no denying that the city has a superb setting-the centre is surrounded by green parkland, and the metropolitan area is bound by the hills of the Mt Lofty Ranges and the waters of Gulf St Vincent.

Accommodations
Ranging from camping grounds to up-market hotels but whatever your budget make sure you book well ahead if you intend to be in town during the Adelaide Arts Festival. Most hostels are in the south-eastern corner of the city centre; Hindley St in the city has mid-range options, North Terrace has the top-end hotels. Adelaide is famous for its focus on food and wine and has more restaurants per head of population than any other city in Australia. Its huge variety of cuisines and wide range of local wines make dining a culinary adventure. Rundle St, Hindley St and North Terrace are the main food centres.

Environment
The streets of Adelaide’s central business district follow a grid pattern which makes it very easy for visitors to find their way around. Victoria Square sits in the centre of the grid. The River Torrens separates the city centre from North Adelaide, and a green belt of parkland surrounds both areas. Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate with maximum temperatures averaging 28 degrees centigrade between November and March. In winter, temperatures can fall below 10 degrees.

Attractions
The South Australian Museum, which has a huge whale skeleton in the front window, is one of Adelaide’s landmarks. The museum has a good collection of Aboriginal artifacts, including an Aboriginal Dreamtime exhibition. Looking uncannily like a squared-off version of the Sydney Opera House, the Festival Centre is the home of the Adelaide Festival. Inside, there is a variety of performance spaces and galleries, and there are free rock concerts in the outside amphitheatre on Sundays
during summer. One of the most pleasant aspects of the Festival Centre is its riverside setting; people picnic on the grass out the front and paddleboats can be hired nearby. Tandanya is an Aboriginal cultural institute containing galleries, arts and crafts workshops, performance spaces, a cafe and a gift shop. On Friday nights there are performances of plays and traditional music in the cafe. The East End Market is the place to head for alternative clothes and jewelry. The Orange Lane Market is Adelaide’s answer to Petticoat Lane, with Indian fabrics, second-hand clothes, tarot readings, antiques and even massages on offer. Glenelg is one of the most popular of the beaches which stretch in a long chain south of Adelaide. It is also one of the oldest parts of Adelaide, so there are a number of places of historic interest. A vintage tram runs from Victoria Square in the city centre to Glenelg Beach, taking about 30 minutes.

Albany is the oldest European settlement in Western Australia and was a major whaling station, and coal shipping port. There is also a large amount of Aboriginal evidence from earlier times in Albany.

There are fantastic views over the town of Albany, and the fantastic coastal scenery from the top of both Mt Clarence and Mt Melville. Mt Clarence is to the east of the town, and can be reached along Apex Drive. Mt Melville is to the west of the city and can be reaches from Serpentine Road. For other great views, and an interesting place to visit head to the Princess Royal Fortress on Mt Adelaide.

Located on an island in the Gambia River where it flows in to the Atlantic Ocean, Banjul is the country’a capital and largest city. It was founded by the British in 1816 as a trading post.

The airport for Puerto La Cruz in northeast on the Caribbean. Isla de Margarita is off the coast.

In Northwest Australia on the Indian Ocean, where the desert meets the sea.

Located in southwest corner of Australia just south of Perth

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.

Of all the cities in all the world, Hollywood chose this one to immortalise as the classic exotic colonial outpost. Those looking for a latter-day Humphrey Bogart round every corner will be disappointed. This is no sleepy dive. Morocco’s largest city and industrial centre, it’s a huge brash metropolis where traditional Moroccan burnouses (cloaks) seem out of place among the natty suits and designer sunglasses.

Cotonou, the Center de Promotion de l’Artisant is a lively spot where you can bargain for everything thats produced
in Cotonou.

Dakar, (dä-kär´) largest city (1988 pop. 1,447,642) and capital of Senegal, on Cape Verde Peninsula, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is an economic center for a market-gardening region, and its expanding industries produce food products, fertilizers, cement, and textiles. The city is the busiest port in W Africa, also serving Mali and Mauritania, and is linked by rail and air with other Senegalese cities. Dakar became the capital of French West Africa in 1902 and was occupied by U.S. forces in World War II. The modern city is an educational and cultural center.

Denpasar is the capital of Bali and the island’s largest urban community, often lending a drab, overcast ambiance to an otherwise delightful and interesting trip. Tour the Kumbasari Market for exotic Asian fruits while transvestites dance for handouts from local merchants. Visit the temples of Pura Jagatnata and the Museum Bali, for a taste of Balinese art from prehistoric to modern times. Check with the tourist center for a list of upcoming festivals on the island. And don’t forget the Denpasar Art Center and Performing Arts University.

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.

This island is Australia’s third largest, only a short flight or ferry trip from the mainland. The abundance of native flora and fauna are unthreatened due to its remoteness. Sea lions basking in the sun and penguins promenading are a spectacle to see. Pirates were the first to arrive before the settlers. The wrecks of 40 ships remain.

Lome is the pearl of West Africa to which French and German travellers flock in the winter.

Melbourne, (mèl´bern) city (1991 est. pop. 3,153,500), capital of Victoria, SE Australia, on Port Phillip Bay, at the mouth of the Yarra R. Australia’s second largest city, it is a commercial and industrial center with such manufactures as ships, automobiles, farm machinery, textiles, and electrical equipment. The city was settled in 1835 and named (1837) for the British prime minister, Lord Melbourne. It was the seat of the Australian federal government (1901-27). The population,
once primarily British, has changed since World War II with immigration from E and S Europe. Melbourne was the site of the 1956 Olympic games. The Melbourne Cup Race is run annually.

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.

Padang is the third largest city and the capital of West Sumatra. It is the biggest seaport along its west coast, and is a center of business and government. The terrain of the city is mostly flat, and the name Padang actually means “plain.” But if you venture outside of the city limits, the scenery is quite lovely going towards the neighboring city of Solok.

The fairy penguin parade is one of the main attractions on the island.

Home to the oldest botanical garden in the Americas, St. Vincent is energized by rushing rivers and waterfalls and is fast becoming an “in” resort area. Volcanic in origin, St. Vincent features an active volcano, mountainous terrain, and a rainforest.

Semarang, (se-mär´äng) city (1990 pop. 1,250,971), capital of Central Java prov., N Java, Indonesia, at the mouth of the Semarang R. An important port, it is one of Java’s major commercial centers. There are textile and shipbuilding industries, and tobacco, sugar, rubber, coffee, and kapok are exported.

A booming city of over 3 million, Surabaya offers many good hotels, shopping centers and entertainment. Its well stocked zoological garden include several species of Indonesian fauna like “orang utan”, komodo dragon and a collection of nocturnal animals.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales, is Australia’s largest city, chief port, and main cultural and industrial center. Manufactures include ships, refined oil, chemicals, textiles, and automobiles. Sydney Harbour and Port Botany are the main ports. Founded as a penal colony in 1788, Sydney is Australia’s oldest settlement. Its population surged during the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s. Sydney replaced Melbourne as the nation’s largest population center after World War II. Landmarks include the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1932); the Gladesville Bridge (1964); the modernistic Sydney Opera House complex (1973); and the Centrepoint Tower (1981), Australia’s tallest building. The city has several universities and museums, including the National Gallery of Art and the Australia Museum.

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.