The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, covering area of 4035 sq km. An island has total population of  (most of creole ethnicity) about 500,000, with its capital city Praia accounting for a quarter of its citizens. Cape Verde is a developing nation actually and it has stable democratic condition, with notable economic growth and improvements of living conditions and has international recognition by other countries as well.

Cape verde, the islands contain a remarkable profusion of landscapes, from Maio’s barren flats to the verdant valleys of Santo Antão. And Fogo, a single volcanic peak whose slopes are streaked with rivers of frozen lava. The beaches of Sal and Boa Vista increasingly attract package-tour crowds, but Cape Verde remains a destination for the connoisseur – the intrepid hiker, the die-hard windsurfer, the deep-sea angler, the mornodevotee.

Tourism has increased in recent years. Large hotels have been built across the country in an effort to boost tourism. In particular, on the islands of Boa Vista (Club Hotel Riu Karamboa (750 rooms)), and Sal (Club Hotel Riu Funana/Garopa (1000 rooms)–the largest hotel in all of West Africa).  Our stats mentioned that in 2010, about 382,000 tourists visited the archipelago.

If you want to enjoy beauty of beaches, nartural scenery, vibrant cultures and have a sense of adventure then Cape Verde will surely not disappoint.

The residential real estate market in Cape Town, South Africa, is currently a classic buyers’ market in with properties taking 19 weeks on average to sell and then with only 15 % of vendors achieving their asking price, a new report reveals.

This is good news for foreign buyers who account for almost 7% of total sales, by far the highest proportion of sales in any South African city, with the British a prominent force, according to the Cluttons South Africa first quarter 2011 report.

It reports a lengthening in the average time homes spent on the market before selling, from 15 weeks and six days in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 19 weeks and one day. Nevertheless, in Cape Town, the occasional big high price sale has supported confidence, even through the market’s toughest period, it shows.

Over 80% of properties in Cape Town sold for over R6 million (£550,000) were to cash buyers. City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard properties have fetched biggest prices. Between June and December last year the average price of apartments in the City Bowl, where 327 apartments were sold last year, jumped 15.2% to R1.53 million (£140,000).

The Cluttons South Africa report added that since the bottoming out of the recession in 2009 when market values had dropped in most areas by 12 to 15%, there has been a marked increase in property transactions in the lower end of the market, R1 million to R4 million (£90,000 to £365,000) and in the upper end where prices are R10 million (£900,000) plus.

It says that the lower end has benefited from the loosening of banks lending criteria and the upper end records most sales as cash sales. This is particularly true for British buyers, where cash is used or borrowed from UK banks at interest rates far below those currently available in South Africa.
‘British buyers can benefit from substantial discounts by shopping around. It is important to look for quality and prime locations,’ said Jacques Ellis, managing director, Cluttons South Africa.

The prime areas in Cape Town are the Atlantic Seaboard and the Constantia Valley. The Atlantic Seaboard includes the V&A Waterfront, Green Point, Sea Point, Fresnaye, Bantry Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay, the last four being the most prime and expensive areas. Hot spots in these areas are Upper Green Point and Upper Sea Point. Value can still be had in these areas with many properties being fully renovated or demolished and rebuilt either as single family homes or small blocks of apartments, according to Cluttons.

In Constantia Valley, the prime areas include Bishops Court, Constantia, Upper Constantia and Steenberg. All of these areas have potential and offer larger homes with excellent views of False Bay. There is a large number of estates around Steenberg that are near the best schools, the report adds.

Most of the appeal for the British buyer is that English is the most widely spoken language, the over night flights to the city are easy and have just a one hour time difference. Also, compared to popular Mediterranean destinations, prices for similar properties are up to 50% less.

‘The British have always been a prominent force in the purchasing of properties in the Cape region. We have recently concluded a number of sales to British buyers in the R5 million to R18 million range (£450,000 to £1.6 million). We also feel that the bottom of the market has been reached and the middle and luxury end of the market offers substantial opportunity for price increases over the next few years,’ explained Ellis.

The report also points out that it is straight foward for foreigners to buy in South Africa. There are no restrictions. The property laws are very strong and follow Roman Dutch Law. You may borrow 50% of the purchase price in rand from a local bank; the remainder needs to be brought in. There is no restriction on taking funds out again or profit from a property as long as all the forex rules are followed. There is capital gains tax of 10% on property, quite low compared to other countries.

Source: PropertyWire

In addition a $66.2 million aid grant from the United States to reform water, sanitation and land management is expected to increase growth even further as infrastructure improves.

‘Cape Verde is a nation on a rapid up.  It has halved its 1990 poverty level and in 2008 officially graduated from Least Developed to Middle Income Country status.  Much of this positivity stems from one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the world and active encouragement of substantial foreign investment,’ said Adam Cornwell, managing director of Feltrim International which promotes real estate on the islands.

He explained that as the country has scant natural resources and little rainfall, the aid flows have been needed to make the necessary improvements to cope with the influx of tourists. The five year agreement with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation announced this week will focus on specific projects to help Cape Verde sustain its growing tourism industry.

Some $41.1 million will help make Cape Verde’s national regularity institutions financially sound and transparent and transform utilities into high performing commercial organisations. The islands’ households and businesses will benefit from better quality water and sanitation services.

Then $17.3 million will be used to refine Cape Verde’s legal and institutional environment to make it more attractive for large and small investors. Land information will become more reliable, land rights strengthened and land transactions made more efficient.

Experts believe that real estate development and tourism will increase as a direct result and around 13,000 jobs will be created.

According to the latest official statistics, tourist arrivals continue growing at a rate of 20% per annum with 219,000 arriving in the first half of 2011, an increase of 27.5% against the same period in 2010. It is projected that Cape Verde will reach half a million tourists annually by 2015 and one million by 2020.

The number of hotel beds is also increasing year on year. Spanish chain Riu has five hotels across the islands four of which are five star and rival Spanish company Melia opened its five star hotel on the island of Sal in 2011. Cape Verde ranked third on Skyscanner’s list of emerging destinations in 2011 proving there is now a strong winter sun rival to the Canaries in the mid haul market from the UK.

New on the island of Boa Vista is the 1,140 unit Santa Mónica Beach Resort and Spa which combines a five star hotel with luxury one and two bedroom apartments and two to five bedroom villas each with private pools. The beachfront resort has a range of gourmet seafood, oriental and fine dining restaurants, childcare services and a range of leisure pursuits from on site tennis coaching to mountain biking, big game fishing, diving, windsurfing, sailing and 4×4 safaris in the local vicinity.  A championship standard golf course is planned.

The beach at Santa Mónica is well known as one of the world’s key turtle nesting sites as well as being a breeding ground for humpback whales and home to many native and migrating bird species. Boa Vista itself is renowned for its world leading beaches and much is protected by law as natural park thus preventing overbuilding.

Hotel occupancy, according to the government, is currently 90% and there is no low season due to average daily temperatures consistently hovering between 21ºC and 30ºC which is warmer and more reliable than even the Canary Islands.

Boa Vista’s International Airport now takes direct five and a half hour flights from Glasgow, Gatwick and Manchester and flights from Bristol and Stansted are to be added giving UK visitors greater flexibility. Direct flights to Cape Verde are also in place from Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Frankfurt, Brussels, and Boston. Passenger traffic across the islands’ seven airports rose 11.2% year on year in 2011, from 1.6 million to 1.78 million.

For a limited time there are early investor discounts of 30% for cash buyers with prices starting from €83,300 for a one bedroom apartment and €325,500 for a detached three bedroom villa.

Finance options of up to 90% are available making ownership of a one bedroom apartment achievable with a €11,900 deposit. There are also rental and leaseback plans offering up to 7% fixed income with allowances for personal use.

Property at the resort also qualifies for SSAS and SIPP purchase via fully managed hotel suites from €85,000 with 10 year guaranteed 7% rental income. Licenses and planning permission have been granted and construction is underway on site with phase one scheduled for completion in the middle of 2013.

In addition a $66.2 million aid grant from the United States to reform water, sanitation and land management is expected to increase growth even further as infrastructure improves.

‘Cape Verde is a nation on a rapid up.  It has halved its 1990 poverty level and in 2008 officially graduated from Least Developed to Middle Income Country status.  Much of this positivity stems from one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the world and active encouragement of substantial foreign investment,’ said Adam Cornwell, managing director of Feltrim International which promotes real estate on the islands.

He explained that as the country has scant natural resources and little rainfall, the aid flows have been needed to make the necessary improvements to cope with the influx of tourists. The five year agreement with the US Millennium Challenge Corporation announced this week will focus on specific projects to help Cape Verde sustain its growing tourism industry.

Some $41.1 million will help make Cape Verde’s national regularity institutions financially sound and transparent and transform utilities into high performing commercial organisations. The islands’ households and businesses will benefit from better quality water and sanitation services.

Then $17.3 million will be used to refine Cape Verde’s legal and institutional environment to make it more attractive for large and small investors. Land information will become more reliable, land rights strengthened and land transactions made more efficient.

Experts believe that real estate development and tourism will increase as a direct result and around 13,000 jobs will be created.

According to the latest official statistics, tourist arrivals continue growing at a rate of 20% per annum with 219,000 arriving in the first half of 2011, an increase of 27.5% against the same period in 2010. It is projected that Cape Verde will reach half a million tourists annually by 2015 and one million by 2020.

The number of hotel beds is also increasing year on year. Spanish chain Riu has five hotels across the islands four of which are five star and rival Spanish company Melia opened its five star hotel on the island of Sal in 2011. Cape Verde ranked third on Skyscanner’s list of emerging destinations in 2011 proving there is now a strong winter sun rival to the Canaries in the mid haul market from the UK.

New on the island of Boa Vista is the 1,140 unit Santa Mónica Beach Resort and Spa which combines a five star hotel with luxury one and two bedroom apartments and two to five bedroom villas each with private pools. The beachfront resort has a range of gourmet seafood, oriental and fine dining restaurants, childcare services and a range of leisure pursuits from on site tennis coaching to mountain biking, big game fishing, diving, windsurfing, sailing and 4×4 safaris in the local vicinity.  A championship standard golf course is planned.

The beach at Santa Mónica is well known as one of the world’s key turtle nesting sites as well as being a breeding ground for humpback whales and home to many native and migrating bird species. Boa Vista itself is renowned for its world leading beaches and much is protected by law as natural park thus preventing overbuilding.

Hotel occupancy, according to the government, is currently 90% and there is no low season due to average daily temperatures consistently hovering between 21ºC and 30ºC which is warmer and more reliable than even the Canary Islands.

Boa Vista’s International Airport now takes direct five and a half hour flights from Glasgow, Gatwick and Manchester and flights from Bristol and Stansted are to be added giving UK visitors greater flexibility. Direct flights to Cape Verde are also in place from Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Frankfurt, Brussels, and Boston. Passenger traffic across the islands’ seven airports rose 11.2% year on year in 2011, from 1.6 million to 1.78 million.

For a limited time there are early investor discounts of 30% for cash buyers with prices starting from €83,300 for a one bedroom apartment and €325,500 for a detached three bedroom villa.

Finance options of up to 90% are available making ownership of a one bedroom apartment achievable with a €11,900 deposit. There are also rental and leaseback plans offering up to 7% fixed income with allowances for personal use.

Property at the resort also qualifies for SSAS and SIPP purchase via fully managed hotel suites from €85,000 with 10 year guaranteed 7% rental income. Licenses and planning permission have been granted and construction is underway on site with phase one scheduled for completion in the middle of 2013.

Source: PropertyWire

Canary Islands are a major tourist destination, with over 12 million visitors each year and most visited of all the Canary Islands are – Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The archipelago’s beaches, climate and important natural attractions, especially Teide National Park and Mount Teide are the main reason for the popularity of this fantastic part of world.

Without a surprise you can have a wonderful holiday at Canary Islands any time of the year. And its only four hours away from UK.

Tourists from all over the world have loved these beautiful Spanish Islands for a long time now and they are still popular when it comes to a winter break, because of its warm weather all year round.

Burundi, often called “Heart of Africa” has a “moderate” tropical climate with average temperatures between 23 and 24ºC. This is a gift from nature to have such an average near the Equatorial area known for its heat and humidity. In Bujumbura city where it is hotter, average temperatures are about 25ºC. By religion, The majority of Burundians are Christian (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%). The rest are Muslim (10%) and indigenous beliefs (23%)

Facts about Burundi

• Time: GMT/UTC +2
• Population: 8 million
• Borders: DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania
• Seasons: Wet (mid-March to mid-May, October-January); dry (mid-May to mid-October, mid-December to mid-March)
• Telephone: Country code 257; international access code 00
• ATMs: There are no ATMS; come with cash
• Budget: US$20 a day
• Visas: Required by all; US$40 for one month
• Capital: Bujumbura
• Languages: Kirundi, French
• Area: 27, 830 sq km
• Money: Burundi franc; US$1= BFr1040

Ouagadougou, also known as Ouaga (pronounced “Wa-Gha”), is the capital city, located in the center of the country, in the area known as the Mossi Plateau. Other major cities in Burkina Faso includes Banfora, Bobo-Dioulasso- (the country’s second largest city, located in the south-west). Burkina is a great place to visit if you are interested in West African drumming culture, music and art.

Facts about Burkina Faso:

• Time: GMT/UTC
• Population: 11.9 million
• Seasons: Wet (June to October), dry (November to February), hot (March to June)
• Telephone: Country code226, international access code00
• Budget: US$15 to US$25 per day
• Capital: Ouagadougou
• Visa: Available at borders (CFA10, 000) or Burkina Faso embassies (up to CFA30, 000)
• Languages: French, Moré, Fulfulde and Lobi
• Area: 274,122 sq km
• Money: West African CFA franc; US$1 = CFA498

Botswana experiences extremes in both temperature and weather. In the winter (late May through August), days are normally clear, warm and sunny, and nights are cool to cold. In summer (October to April), wildlife is harder to spot and rains can render sandy roads impassable.

You can visit these places in Botswana

• Chobe National Park
• Gaborone
• Kasane & Kazungula
• Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans National Park
• Maun
• Northern Botswana

Porto-Novo is the capital of Benin. It covers an area of 42.5 square miles and has an estimated population of 223,552. The largest city of Benin is Cotonou. It is an important cultural and political center. The language spoken in the country is French as the official language and other languages spoken are Beninese languages, including Yoruba.

Some attractive destinations of Benin in which you might be interested to visit are:

• Cotonou- Filled with restaurants, the shopping center of Grand Marche de Dantokpa.
• Porto Novo: The Musee Ethnographique de Porto Novo is a storehouse of Yoruba artifacts.
• Musee Historique d’Abomey: This museum has on its display thrones and other royal items of the Ghezo anf Glele kings.
• Parc National de Pendjari: This is a national park in the northern part of Natitingou where one will come across leopards, lions, baboons, elephants and other animals.

CAPE TOWN

Clifton: South Africa’s most glamorous beach is a 10-minute cab ride from downtown. Skimpy designer swimwear, high-fashion sunglasses, a well-toned body and loads of attitude are de rigueur at this see-and-be-seen chill-out zone for self-styled beautiful people where the beach is a series of coves.

Camps Bay: A white-sand strip a few more minutes’ drive, similarly oozing affluence but not as crassly as at Clifton. Good restaurants thrive nearby. Regulars include surfers (as at Clifton) and families with kids. Be warned: the Atlantic can be chilly.

Sea Point: Between Clifton and the city, this isn’t really a beach at all (though there’s a swimming pool). It’s more hang-out territory for seafront promenading. Sea Point has many restaurants (with particularly good seafood ) and bars along with vibrant nightlife.

Blouberg: Also an Atlantic beach, it’s far less pretentious than Clifton. Splendid Table Mountain views attract professional photographers. Popular for swimming and surfing, its water is wonderfully cool on hot summer days.

Muizenberg: Faded grandeur lingers from 1960s trendiness. A long white-sand strip, with gaudily-painted “beach huts”, still attracts big weekend crowds. On the Cape Peninsula’s warmer-water False Bay side, Muizenberg has charming Indian Ocean neighbours: St James, Fish Hoek, Hout Bay (a fishing village renowned for swimming and kayaking) and Kalk Bay (with calm water and shallow tidal pools in a family-friendly setting).

Boulders: Alongside False Bay’s Simonstown naval base – with quaint pubs, art galleries, souvenir shops and an English seaside ambience – is the Boulders, home of an African penguin colony which waddles ashore at dusk while watched from tourist boardwalks. By day, gigantic smooth-surfaced rocks create sheltered coves.

Strand: “Strand” is Afrikaans for beach. This 5km False Bay white-sand strip is reminiscent of Queensland’s Surfers Paradise. A 40-minute drive from downtown, it’s one of the safest near Africa’s southern tip. Water sports include kayaking. Beginner surfers are numerous. The next beach, curved Gordons Bay, also pulls large crowds.

Hermanus: Whale-watching (of Southern rights) draws June-December crowds. An all-year lure: cage-diving among great white sharks. The less daring choose from several operators offering shark-spotting trips. One recent boatload watched a frenzied fish leap from the water with a seal in its jaws. Other Hermanus diversions: seal colonies, beach horse-riding. Several beaches entice swimmers; nearby Onrus is arguably the Cape Town area’s number-one surfing destination.

DURBAN

Margate: South of Durban (127km), this tranquil holiday choice has abundant accommodation in all price categories. Swimming, body-boarding, surfing, fishing and undemanding beach-lazing are lures in a hideaway less frenetic than Durban itself.

North Beach, South Beach: Durban is one of the few cities boasting downtown beaches. Cross hotel-studded O.R. Tambo Parade to reach the Golden Mile’s band of sand – just beyond footpath vendors of Zulu handicrafts.

Suncoast Beach: Nearby Suncoast is decidedly trendier than its downtown rivals. Some call it Durban’s best. Tropical Durban – with weather similar to southern Queensland’s – promotes year-round swimming but beaches do get chilly in winter.

Umhlanga Rocks: Ten minutes’ drive north is an up-and-coming district with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a beach liked by South Africans and tourists. Families congregate at calm areas. Surfers insist Umhlanga is unrivalled along KwaZulu-Natal province’s coast.

La Lucia: Between Durban and Umhlanga Rocks is La Lucia with pristine beaches, safe Indian Ocean swimming and reasonable surfing. Upscale suburbia, it’s a winner for diverse cheaper-than-Australia mall shopping. (Only electronics are more expensive.)

PORT ELIZABETH

Humewood Beach: Among many Algoa Bay beaches in and near Port Elizabeth. it attracts locals, solo travellers, holidaying couples and families with children. It’s safe for swimming and recommended for surfing (which aficionados describe as reasonable rather than outstanding).

Bluewater Bay: A suburb of car-manufacturing Port Elizabeth, this beach is handy for city workers who throng here before or after work. to the city. Both swimming and fishing are evident during my weekday visit – with many people sprawled on the sand (some with laptops). Surfing isn’t a drawcard here.

Blue Horizon Bay: 45kms from Port Elizabeth, this Indian Ocean area is awash in worthwhile choices including Maitland Beach (with 5kms of coastal dunes), Hobie Beach (great for body-surfing), Paradise Beach (with hotels, shopping and uncrowded sands) and Pollock Beach (with sheltered, shallow rock pools trapping sea life at high tide; I’ve beachcombed happily here, hopping between rocks and peering into rock pools – a pleasant postscript to several hours’ snorkelling). A good side-trip is Addo Elephant National Park, a pachyderm habitat with other beasts also roaming free.

EAST LONDON

Orient Beach (in suburban Quigney), Nahoon Beach (where surfing contests are regularly held) and Gonubie Beach (25kms north, with a boardwalk across indigenous vegetation) are this laid-back Eastern Cape city’s best.
And then there’s Coffee Bay, also on the Wild Coast.

Coffee Bay: It’s an East London-area gem, arguably South Africa’s supreme surfing spot and a flourishing tourist destination (particularly for backpackers). Some lodgings offer transfers for the 197kms from East London. There’s surprisingly little at Coffee Bay where rolling green pastures slope towards the sea – except splendid beaches, glorious surf, numerous backpacker lodgings, upmarket B&Bs and good tourist hotels, along with several restaurants.

“The surf here is absolutely spectacular,” a backpacker from Adelaide tells me, emerging from the sea. “So are the sharks,” jokes Xhosa-speaking tour guide William Ross. Top side-trip: tiny Mvezo village – birthplace of Nelson Mandela, father of South African democracy.

When we come to climate conditions, there are of course hot and humid conditions in Angola, especially in the eastern parts of the country where the land meets the Congo and Zambezi Rivers. This means temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius or more and mostly around 20 degrees at night. Thanks to a year-round warm climate, anytime is a great time to duck to the beach. The water on the other hand can be somewhat colder in the south, due to the cold Benguela current.

Facts about Angola:

• Capital: Luanda
• Visa: Almost all national need a visa prior to arriving in Angola
• Language: Portuguese is the official language of Angola. African languages Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo and Bantu are spoken by most of the population.
• Calling Code: Country calling code to Angola is 244
• Electricity: 220 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs are of the European-style round two-pin type.

You can comment us your traveling experience of Angola.