South Africa is an amazing natural destination in its own right, but when you discover that it plays host to the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, you also get a chance to see how nature and humans can co-exist.
Here is a look at what a biosphere reserve is and why the Kogelberg is a must-see for your eco-tourism bucket list.
“When you explore the Kogelberg
Biosphere Reserve, you get a chance to see
how nature and humans can co-exist.”
Protecting our ecosystem
You might be surprised to learn that there are currently over 650 biosphere reserves dotted around the world in 120 countries, and their status is internationally recognized.
A biosphere reserve is defined as a Science for Sustainability site and it is a designated area that is used for managing and understanding changes between social and ecological systems.
Their fundamental aim is to become a learning site for sustainable development and to help us understand how certain decisions can impact on our ecosystem, both in a positive as well as a negative way.
The core area of a biosphere reserve consists of a highly protected ecosystem that has been created to make a major contribution toward the conservation of species, landscapes, ecosystems and even managing genetic variation.
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Cape Town and the surrounding area is a natural draw for many visitors to South Africa and if you stay at somewhere like the Marriott African Pride Hotel at Arabella you will be well-placed to visit the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.
The reserve has gained an enviable reputation as an area of outstanding beauty and floral diversity and is considered to be probably the host to the most complex biodiversity you will see anywhere in the world.
That’s a bold claim for this designated 100,000 acre UNESCO site but the fact that you can see at least three times as many plant species here compared to the South American rainforest, gives you some idea of how impressive the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is.
A truly natural experience
What you will immediately notice when you visit a biosphere reserve like this is that these sites are a new concept and you won’t find fences to keep people out and spoil your view of the breathtaking landscapes in your line of sight.
The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is a spectacular location in its own right with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop and you can make your way along a narrow coastal plain that affords you views of the ocean and the large sandstone mountains looking inland.
Your task as you make your way through the reserve is to see if you can spot a few of the seventy-plus species that occur here exclusively and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.
It doesn’t take you long when you visit Kogelberg to appreciate why this UNESCO site is so prized by anyone with even a passing interest in our natural world and if you are interested in eco-tourism you simply have to put this amazing biosphere reserve on your list of places you have to see for yourself.
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