We woke up this morning at 7a.m. Colton felt a lot better after that long rest. We went down to Gazebo Restaurant which is inside our hotel. About 7:50a.m. we rented a car at the Bole Airport Car Rental.

We drove down to the Awash National park and Game Reserve. It took us about 2 and half hours to get there. Once we got there we reserved a camping ground, and set up camp. At 10:20a.m. when we finished unpacking we started hiking. Our first hike we took was to Filwoha which has hot springs oasis in its groves of palm trees. While on the trail we past so much wildlife. We saw some gazelles, wild pig, and even a cheetah out in the distance. On the second trail we past the Awash River gorge in the south of the park which had some amazing waterfalls near the park headquarters.

Once we finished with the hikes we went to a museum to look around, and then to a small bar to have some lunch which were both by the campsites. Once we finished there we went to some hot springs we heard about from these other tourist group. Once we finished up with that long hard day we learned that Awash National Park is the oldest and most developed wildlife reserve in Ethiopia. We got back to our campsite around 8:30p.m., and went to bed. Tomorrow morning we will have to get up pretty early to catch our flight to South Africa.

We woke up at 9a.m. and drove Hotel Aloe Ridge where we had a great breakfast. While we ate we had a great view of a river gorge with a pleasant-sounding little waterfall. Once we finished breakfast at 10:30a.m. we went to a Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. We drove throughout the reserve on a tour van with about 5 other people. We saw a bunch of rhino, lion, buffalo, hippo, wild dog, cheetah, and crocodile. Once we finished exploring the park at 3p.m. we stopped at the picnic tables at the park and we had lunch a great lunch. After lunch we drove around Johannesburg and neighboring cities for a while. While we were driving we were amazed at how in some places there were nice expensive homes, but then we went to another place where people had basically nothing at all. We were shocked at all the poverty. Once we got back to our hotel we got all showered and cleaned up because we got really dirty at the reserve. Once we were all cleaned up it was 6p.m., and we drove to Le Canard where we had dinner. Le Canard was a French Restaurant we discovered while we were driving around Johannesburg. When we finished dinner at 7:30p.m.we wanted to see what Johannesburg looks like at night. So we went to Carlton Panorama. Carlton Panorama is the 50th floor of the tallest building in Africa. It was amazing to look over the city at night. We could see forever it seemed like. Being at Carlton Panorama we should really see how Johannesburg has developed over the years. We finished looking around at Carlton Panorama at 8:30p.m., and then we drove to our hotel. We finally fell asleep at 9p.m. at our comfortable hotel.

We woke up today at 9a.m. to the sound of someone talking really loud in some weird language outside of our hotel room door. Later we found out that they were speaking Amarigna, and 32.7% percent of the population speaks it. Once we finished getting ready we walked to a small pub to grab breakfast. Then off we were around 10a.m. to go to Tiya witch is a little south of Addis Ababa. What we learned about Tiya was that it is among the most important of the roughly 160 archaeological sites discovered so far in the Soddo region. The site contains 36 monuments, including 32 carved stelae covered with symbols.

They are the remains of an ancient Ethiopian culture whose age has not yet been determined. We had such a great time. Neither of us has been to an archaeological site before. When we finally got back to our hotel it was 6p.m. While we were on the Tiya trip Colton drunk some water from a water fountain, and tourists aren't supposed to drink they're water or food. So Colton felt pretty sick, and we stayed in the hotel for the rest of the night. During that time we were in our hotel room we read books about Ethiopia, and we learned how Islam is the region's main religion. Also Orthodox Christianity being another main religion in the region. We finally fell asleep around 9p.m.

Straight after breakfast, which we ate on the stoep so that we could admire the view of mountains and wilderness all about us, we scrambled our way to the deep and silent pool where the river cuts through almost sheer rockfaces as it comes down from the Gamkapoort Dam. The going is particularly tough, so if you have not brought along all your hiking gear you can't really get very far, but the scenery and the silence was well worth a couple of hours out of the day. The old track southwards along the river towards Calitzdorp has largely been obliterated by flooding over the years but part of this is still visible and can still be followed by the more intrepid hiker.

However, before following the various hiking trails, which are quite well marked, we wanted to have a good look at the hidden valley itself. Before the present road was hacked through the mountains one would come to Ouplaas first in the widest part of the valley; one would then follow the track eastwards along the valley bottom, the mountains closing in steadily until one reached the narrow end where the precipitous ascent to the Swartberg pass disappears into the sky. Although the mountains themselves are largely bare, the bottom of the valley is green and wooded and, in places, so deep that the winter sun never reaches even the roofs of the little clusters of cottages.

Travelling eastwards, then, you would pass Cordier's house on an open bluff to the right, then Mostert's house up on the left, then Lenie Marais' house on a bend up above the road also on the left. The houses were built from whatever materials were available in the valley; the foundations are of packed stone on which the walls of raw brick stand; the roof-trusses are made from poplar or olive-wood and the ceilings were made of reed, on which a clay packing was placed in order to make the "solder" floor, the roof-space being used for storage, usually of foodstuffs and, of course, one's coffin. The floors were always of packed earth which was then smeered with cow-dung mixed with thorn-tree sap (misvloere). Outside doors were always split horizontally so that the top half could be left open as an extra window and inside doors consisted only of an opening over which a curtain would be hung. Few of the windows were ever glazed, rather consisting of an oblong opening which was closed with wooden shutters; Lenie Marais' house is the only building in the valley to have gables and it is interesting to note that this tough lady built the entire place herself.

Lenie Marais was the only "doctor" in the valley, having a good knowledge of herbs and Boer remedies. If a conventionally qualified man was required, then Dr. Luttig would ride alongside the river from Prince Albert.

The first school of the valley being on the farm Boplaas, at the Ladismith end of the road and just beneath The Ladder, was erected in 1904. From Lenie Marais' house the track then leads through Middelplaas where a second school was opened in 1928, the window-glass, benches and blackboard being brought into the valley from outside. This second school was closed in 1980, showing how, gradually, the small population dwindled as it left for the towns and the challenges of the outside world. The school buildings doubled as the local church with the teacher as preacher; local festivals were always held in the valley, but more important happenings such as weddings were usually held in Prince Albert or Calitzdorp.

The track then winds past eight other houses, some of which are almost hidden in the trees; there were only a total of five families in this secret spot, living on either side of the track which stretches for fifteen kilometres along the valley floor.

Anyone who has spent time learning the history of a village will tell you that the best way to un-cover the past is by spending some time in the local graveyard. There is a small and very peaceful one near the school and, although the inscriptions on the tombstones are now a little hard to read and at times very basic, a visit there is well worthwhile.

Thus Die Hel remained basically unchanged from 1830 until 1959 when Dr.Otto du Plessis arrived on horseback and promised the inhabitants a road over the mountains to the Swartberg pass. From that moment onward everything changed forever; bakkies were bought so that local produce could be taken outside and the products of civilisation brought into the valley. Tourists began to appear and the tranquillity of life in Die Hel became a thing of the past. Families started to leave, beckoned by the bright lights of the towns and the valley fell into dereliction and disrepair.

Die Hel was effectively saved from disappearing into folklore by Cape Nature Conservation, who gradually bought up one farm after another until only Boplaas remains privately owned.

The result is a spot, overlooked by most of the roadmaps, where time has stood still; it is a spot well worth a visit if you remember to bring everything you need with you (and take everything you don't need back with you too); the scenery is stupendous, the road frightening and only for the intrepid, and the cottages, most of which can be hired at a very reasonable nightly fee from Cape Nature Conservation, extremely comfortable and well restored. Spend a few nights there - you won't regret it!

Darling is like an ageing star of stage and screen: once moderately pretty and of mild allure and talent, but now the victim of several obvious face-lifts and a great deal too much pancake make-up. Once a dusty little dorp in the middle of dairy farms and a few wind-swept vineyards, it can now be divided into four definite segments: the Old Dorp, the New Dorp, Greenville, and the local RDP settlement (Revenge of the Dark People).

The Old Dorp consists of half a dozen streets lined with late Victorian cottages and houses built on either side of the local stream which dries up in the summer leaving only swarms of mosquitoes to mark its presence. Once standing in their own orchards on plots of about 1500 m2, many of these quaint buildings are now cheek-by-jowl with more modern pseudo-Victorians which have been built in their subdivided gardens. In the early 1990s Darling became "flavour of the month" and suffered in the ensuing gentrification, losing a great deal of its original rural character.

The New Dorp, through which one must drive as one arrives from Cape Town, is a motley collection of modern architectural styles from the ranch, through the 1960's tank-trap to the Olde Cape Gable and the downright ugly; its saving grace is that it has a good view over the Old Dorp and The Great Nothing.

Greenville is the local township (once "Coloured") and lies to the north of the main area on the west side of the road to Moorreesburg, while opposite and next to the small industrial area, spreading its ugliness north and eastwards is the inevitable Informal Settlement. This latter, only begun in the mid 1990s, is now an enormous sprawl which has entirely altered the impact of the town.

There is the usual ugly main street with its hotel, police station, Spar, chemist, various small restaurants and antiquey shoppes; each building is held up by large numbers of locals with nothing else to do but drink mysterious brews from brown paper bags and watch the passing scene. There is the usual large NGK (of no architectural interest), prominent in the middle of the Old Dorp, a smaller Chapel lying almost out of sight, and, of course, the New Apostolic Church in Greenville rearing its pointed roof skyward.

Darling's only claim to fame, apart from Evita se Perron on the old railway station, is the annual flower show. Because the wild flowers are usually at their best in August, this festival is held on the middle weekend of September when the muggies are at their absolute worst. Apart from its ability to claim the first prize in ripping the visitor off, the flower show manages to rip off the locals as well. Proceeds go to the local Club, and what it does with them is a mystery. Darling is hot and humid in the summer, cold, windy and wet in the winter, and still fights the Boer War on a daily basis.

Thinking of a weekend away? - there are better places to throw away your money!

To start with, leave Cape Town on the N7 and travel to Clanwilliam (2hrs 15mins, +-225 kms); turn off the national road into Clanwilliam and stock up for the trip ahead; please remember, there will be no more petrol or diesel for about 250 kms and the going is fairly rough, so your fuel consumption will be more than usual.

Leave Clanwilliam on the R364 towards Calvinia and you will soon find yourself heading steadily upwards over the Pakhuis Pass, leaving the fertile Oliphants' River Valley behind you. The road, although now tarred in places where the gradient is particularly steep, is rough and the terrain becomes more and more wild as you head into the mountains. About 8,5 kms out of Clanwilliam you will pass along a relatively flat stretch of very sandy road between high pinnacles of typical Cedarberg rocks and lined with dense bush. On your left hand side there is a small car park where you can pull off and take in Louis Leipoldt's grave in one of the caves. Although the grave and the rock-paintings are interesting, it is the silence which deafens you and the loneliness which abounds. Take a few minutes to absorb the silence, look out for the eagles as they hover high in the blue looking for prey, and if you look carefully you will see the occasional dassie watching you from his vantage point in the rocks.

Back on the road again you soon begin to twist and turn upwards until at 1087 metres you cross the summit of the pass and begin a steep, winding drop into the valley below. Pass the turn to Bushman's Kloof on your right and head onwards across the valley floor until you see a lonely clump of trees on the right hand side, about 19 kms from the grave. Although there is no marked spot for stopping, it is well worth pulling to the side of the road and walking into the shade of the trees where you will see, surrounded by an old and weathered fence, Englishman's Grave. There can be no lonelier spot to imagine the body of Lieutenant Graham Clowes being laid to rest after he lost his life in a skirmish with Boers in one of the Anglo-Boer wars. Far from his native land and buried in the middle of this empty valley, only the ever-soughing wind in the gums keeps him company.

Almost immediately there is a right turn onto a very minor road which leads to the Biedouw Valley and Wupperthal. For some distance the road is relatively straight and the surface reasonable until you begin the long descent into the Valley and the Heuning River, which you cross approximately 11 kms after Englishman's Grave. In August and September, the flowers in this part of the world are legendary, with whole hillsides covered in orange, purple, and white; unfortunately for the driver (who can do nothing else but keep his eyes on the road) the scenery is breath-taking. There is a turning to the left which follows the Heuning River through the valley until the road comes to an abrupt end at the Doring River. Although it used to be possible to follow this road to link up with the long road from Ceres to Calvinia, the ford was washed away some years ago and, to my knowledge, has never been repaired.

From the river the road begins to ascend quite steeply again as you leave the valley behind (in our family the Biedouw Valley has become known as the Valley of the Bidets - silly!). For some distance the road climbs until it runs along the top of Taaibosberg before, almost obscured beneath a pile of unsightly rubbish, is a large green sign warning you that you are about to enter Wupperthal. On your right is a pretty old farmhouse and, looking at it, you could well believe you have been transported back nearly two hundred years. From here the Koueberg Pass begins and the road drops in a dizzying fashion down the side of the mountain to the most remote of all the Mission Villages as it straggles along the banks of the Tra-tra River.

In 1829 the area was first mooted as a mission station by two German Rhenish missionaries, Baron Theobald Von Wurmb and Johann Gottlieb Leipoldt, who had first been to Genadendal to gain information on their plan. Missionary work began at Wupperthal in 1830, although the original farm (Riedmond) was bought from Coloured owners in 1832 for 20 000 Guilders. At first only seven families were involved in the mission, most of whom came from the farms Heuningvlei, Beukeskraal, and Biedouw. Baron Von Wurmb's involvement in Wupperthal was evidently minor as he died in 1834, aged only 33, but his co-missionary, Leipoldt, who was by trade a shoemaker (and Louis Leipoldt's grandfather), and who established the now famous shoe factory at Wupperthal, apparently went from strength to strength as the mission acquired fifteen farms in the area by 1885. As the abolition of slavery in 1838 allowed more and more people to travel, the inhabitants of the area grew and the mission itself became more and more financially strong (each inhabitant of the area had to pay an annual tithe of 3 Rijksdollars), so that by 1959 the Rhenish Mission Society owned an enormous amount of land in the area; agriculture and cattle farming had proved to be most profitable, as had the fact that, in terms of Apartheid legislation, no farm could be owned or operated by non-whites, or by a company consisting of non-whites.

In 1966, when Wupperthal was finally transferred to the Moravian church, it was the last (and probably the largest) of the Rhenish Mission stations although it had effectively been run by the Moravian church since the 1930s.

So, in the heart of the barren and wild Cedarberg mountains, far from any other form of civilisation, there has been a thriving little industry for at least 150 years. The village today consists of three terraces of neat thatched cottages above a narrow and fertile valley full of gardens of fruit and vegetables; palm trees wave in the light breeze and children play in the dusty streets. When you enter the village you will find, on your right, the large church and the school, and on your left the residential area. In between lies the village store, the post office, and a small tea-room. It is charming and can quite realistically lay claim to being a place where time has stood still - except, of course, for the satellite dishes which have sprouted on most of the roofs allowing the electronic sound of televisions to mar the tranquillity, and the many bakkies and cars which now seem to crowd the streets. When I first saw Wupperthal in the late 1970s, donkeys were the main form of transport and wagons still moved around the area. I personally cannot help but feel that thirty years ago, life in this idyllically almost hermetically sealed environment was better and more wholesome; today, if you look around carefully, you will notice that many of the younger people have moved away, lured by the promise of riches and excitement in the cities.

Looking from the centre of the village across the causeway over the Tra-tra River, you will see to the south the almost vertical track which leads out of Wupperthal in the direction of Eselbank. If you have a 4x4 vehicle, this is your exit; if not, retrace your steps once you have wandered around the village, and head back towards Clanwilliam up the Koueberg Pass. Please remember, although the town is only about 70 kms away it will take you all of two hours to drive there.

For the lucky ones, here is the rest of the route: follow the track out of the village, over the river, and up the almost vertical hillside. From the top of this climb there is a wonderful view back over the village and the valley, an oasis of greenery and quietly flowing water, hemmed in as it is by the brown hills and ridges of the edge of the Cedarberg. The track makes its circuitous way over riverbeds and rocks to the small settlement of Eselbank about fifteen kilometres to the south. After Eselbank the track winds slowly through the mountains for about 30 kms until it joins one of my favourite roads at Matjiesrivier. To your right is Kromrivier Farm and the road up over the Cedarberg Pass to Algeria; turn left here and drop down to Uitsig where the road crosses the Krom River, then wind upwards again over the top of the Groot River Heights and down Varkkloof between brown, conical mountains to the Groot River where there is an excellent and picturesque settlement known as Mount Cedar. There is overnight accommodation right next to the river, which runs all year round, and an excellent restaurant.

Here the Cedarberg offers great sweeping vistas of flat-topped mountains striated with lines of rock, and you can see the road stretching like a white ribbon high into the distance both to the north and south. Climb up the steep Blinkberg Pass and continue through the mountains for about 35 kms until you reach the road to your left which leads to Kaggakamma over the Katbakkies Pass. Continue straight with the gravel road, which shortly becomes tar, and you will see on either side the lush citrus farms of the Koue Bokkeveld until the road reaches a T-junction at Op die Berg. Here, at last, is a petrol station!

After this small settlement the tar road leads, almost straight as a dye, until it suddenly falls over the edge of the Gydo Pass and down into the Warm Bokkeveld and Ceres. From here onwards it is an easy and scenic drive to Cape Town. Civilisation is once again all around you, but behind lies a kind of magic that you will either love or hate, its barrenness and silence will have kept you company for many hours and you will have seen sights which few of us are able to enjoy, but you will know that there are still places on this earth where there is something else to think about than tonight's TV schedule or the rough-and-tumble life which most of us are forced to lead at the mercy of the ever-present cell-phone. You will be pleased to know that things like cell-phones are of little use at all in the places where you have been - there is no reception!

Sensing more trouble to come, the British then went on and annexed the Transvaal which led within three years to the first Boer War which broke out in 1880. At this stage, South Africa was undergoing dramatic changes, brought about by the discovery of diamonds. Railways were being built to bring diggers and prospectors to the fields, roads were hacked through what had hitherto been deemed impenetrable mountains; the country was no longer a smattering of farmers eeking out a living around the Cape and fighting their way into the interior; it was now heading towards becoming a land of mineral wealth and value to the rest of the world. We whites should have known better than to allow this to happen. We should have left there and then. We are sorry.

The African, having nothing to offer but his labour, came in droves to the diggings and, being smart despite his rural background, began to make his fortune. We should not have let this happen. We are sorry. It caused rifts in families, untold strife, and a huge human movement whose wave is still breaking on our shores today. We should have imported our own white labour for the diamond fields and allowed the African to continue to farm his cattle, eat his mealies, and sell his daughters.

Then, as if this was not enough, gold was discovered on the Reef in 1886. More African labour left the kraals in search of wealth and fortune. We are sorry. We should not have allowed it. We should have mined the gold on our own and taken the spoils with us when we left. After all, finders keepers!

Because of the greed of the colonialists the cities of Kimberley and Johannesburg were founded in the middle of nowhere; resulting from the cupidity of the native black, steps had to be taken to accommodate those who sought work in the cities, and so, temporary shanty towns for all races were allowed to mushroom out of the veld. We are sorry. It was the start of a new problem.

1902 brought the end of the second Boer war; it was the end of tremendous suffering for both British and Afrikaner and, in retrospect, achieved little other than to unite the whole of South Africa in the Act of Union in1910. One of Britain's great mistakes was to beat warring factions into submission, establish law and order, and then give the land back to those from whom it had been taken. We apologise; we should have kept it all for ourselves and forced those who came before us to live under the British colonial yoke.

In 1913 the National Party was formed. What had hitherto just been various small groups of people living off the land, fighting with each other from time to time but largely keeping to themselves, had suddenly become a country and a population which required organising and governing, something that the British were particularly good at, and some sort of order needed to be established to avoid the anarchy and lawlessness of the Wild West gradually taking over. In order to protect the rights of the wandering blacks, 912 million hectares of land was put aside for their sole use. For the first time, the blacks actually had the legal right to occupy and farm this enormous area.

In 1928 Iscor was formed. In order to prevent further strife between black and white, a form of segregation was attempted. It failed.

1929 saw the first National Party government come to power, but for various reasons it was a dismal failure, and in 1933 a coalition government was established under the then United Party. Because only a very small proportion of the land was arable and because both blacks and whites saw enormous wealth being wrested from the ground, large numbers of both races had abandoned the rural areas and descended on the cities, whose streets, they believed, were paved with gold. They both lived in incredible hardship and poverty - a situation which could not be allowed to continue.

1936 saw a further 6,2 million hectares of land added to the initial 912 million hectares for exclusive black use. We were wrong; we should not have allowed black legal tenure of any of the land and rather kept it for ourselves. Sorry.

By 1944 Jan Hofmeyr had lost a great deal of his support because of his promotion of the interests of black people in this country, and in 1948 the dreaded Nationalists came to power and Grand Apartheid followed soon after. We really are sorry about this one.

The central and southern regions of Africa contain dense jungles and rainforests as well as steppe land and savanna plains and the climate ranges from tropical to sub-arctic. Despite the harsh land and climate, and the fact that Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world, it is home to over 770 million people as well as some of the least developed countries in the world. Over the last 40 years there has been a significant growth in population - in some African nations, more than 50% of the population is under the age of 25. With a growth rate of 2.3%, the United Nations has predicted that the population will grow to 1.5 billion by the year 2050. However large the numbers may look on paper, Africa holds only 10% of the world's population, but includes 60% of all people living with HIV: 68% of adults and nearly 90% of children! According to the 2003 Human Development Report by the United Nations, the 25 nations ranked at the very bottom were all African nations - around 80% of Zimbabweans are unemployed. On the other hand, a few Sub-Saharan countries have done very well, primarily Botswana and South Africa. Botswana's capital, Gaborone, is one of the world's fastest growing cities and over 25% of the country's budget is used to continuously improve the city's infrastructure. Additionally, South Africa has the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (one of the major stock exchanges of the entire continent), and is the leading producer of gold and diamonds throughout the world.

Africa is the most multilingual continent in the world - most reports list at least 1,000 different languages throughout the enormous landmass. While most are of African origin, several European languages thrive as well. Of the four major language families found in Africa, the Niger-Congo language envelops most of the Sub-Saharan region and is most likely the largest language family in the world. The major subgroups of the Niger-Congo language are the Kordofanian, Mande, and Atlantic-Congo languages. Apparently, it is not uncommon for people to speak several African languages as well as one or even two European languages.

Political leaders and citizens generally have little or no experience in allotting resources, opportunities, and power fairly and efficiently, which has lead to widespread turbulence. Some 200,000 children and around 100,000 women are currently enslaved in the sex and labor markets, and these numbers do not include the children forced to work as soldiers. Agriculture is one of the major sources of livelihood within the continent, with nearly two-thirds of the population growing and producing their own food.

The concept of low cost airfares is not surprising, and it has become a new trend and phenomenon in the world of traveling. This concept has been well received by low and medium income families who can now also fly to their desired destinations. The foremost aim of the low cost airfare concept is to enable even more people to travel a great deal more often.

How Can Airlines Offer Such Low Cost Airfares?

The low-cost airline's main mission is to offer a more inexpensive, convenient and simpler form of transportation to its travelers. To achieve this mission, the airlines have to cut their costs to a minimum by eliminating some unnecessary expenditure.

The main feature of low cost carriers is that their airfares are extremely lower than other big-scale airline companies. In Europe, for example, their airfares are half or less than that the larger airline company's airfares. Many of these airfares are often lower than train tickets. Despite lower airfares, the profits of these airlines are often higher than larger airlines, with their sales profits going as high as 20 to 30%.

Low cost carriers do not use the major airports, instead they fly to and from secondary airports that are not necessarily the busiest. These secondary airports usually have lower operating costs than bigger major airports. Furthermore, the secondary airports are less congested and their “turnaround times” are shorter for the flights. Many European cities have more than one airport and for many small cities that are adjacent to the major cities, they often have their own airports. Because Europe's railways and highways use a very developed network, the passengers do not usually feel any inconvenience if the airports are located a little farther away from the major cities.

Low-cost carriers maintain lower labor costs because they mainly engage in short-distance business trips, and the pilots and crews do not stay overnight. Their wages are much lower than larger airline companies, and yet the average flying time is much longer. As the routes are allocated for only 2 to 3 hours for the short-haul flights, passengers are not usually provided with free meals. All foods and drinks sold are an addition.

No seats are reserved or allocated for passengers and so they will have to take any seats available, but luggage is allowed to be checked-in and taken on board.

The seating space in the plane is usually narrowed to allow more space for accommodating more passengers on board the flight. In this manner, their revenue can help in boosting their profits by at least 10%. Because flights are generally shorter, the passengers can easily accept the narrow distance between the seats.

These low cost airlines usually sell their air tickets via travel agents, travel-based search engines, and the internet, and do not need to rent a huge office space which may incur higher costs. By booking flights via internet or through an airline's call center, you do not have to pay a travel agent any commission, which would otherwise increase the airfares. You will end up saving even more money by not using travel agents to book a reservation.

Most low cost carriers cut their costs because no arrangements are made with any airline companies on flight transfers or connecting flights which would otherwise be reflected in the airfares. They employ pilots, flight attendants, operations personnel and mechanics who are specialized in a single type of aircraft, which saves the expenditure of re-training the staff, instead of maintaining a stock with parts for different types of aircraft. These are some of the reasons why the pricing is more affordable, economic and extremely low.

7 Essential Tips To Getting Low Cost Airfares

1. The low cost airline companies will catch your attention with extremely low airfares banners or advertisements that require you to book the tickets 6 or 9 months ahead of the traveling date. You have to grab these opportunities by making a reservation from their respective websites. These airfares get sold very fast.
2. Once the tickets are sold out, the low-cost seats will not be available anymore and you will have to pay more if you purchase the ticket later. You have to book the ticket immediately as it will last only 24 hours. In other words, you have to plan your trip earlier and book the ticket in advance. By doing this, you may be able to get the best deal that is worth every penny.
3. Now, you need to get a list of low cost airlines. You may use the suggested list attached in this article to choose your desired traveling destinations. E-mail the airlines to obtain some details on when their companies offer a promotional trip package, when the low cost airfares are on sale, and when to look for seasonal or discounted airfares. Once you get a list from them, you can familiarize yourself with the low cost airlines that fly from your local or nearby airport to your desired destination. This information may also be included on your local airports website.
4. With these e-mail lists at hand you will be one step closer to getting to know which new destinations are launched that can generally offer discounted or low airfares as an added promotion to attract tourists to visit those places. They also offer numerous packages which can include car rentals and hotels. This way, you can save money instead of paying for each particular aspect of the flight individually.
5. Browse through the dates on low airfare searches in order to find out how much you can save. You will be surprised to find out that the rates for weekdays, weekends, school holidays, public holidays and seasonal holidays all have different rates. You should try to travel during the off-peak seasons in order to get the discounted or low cost airfare packages.
6. Because flights are usually not fully occupied during the off season, you will receive better discounts. The airfare in general, is also less for morning flights than for evening flights because the airlines want to make sure the flight will be fully occupied before the plane takes off.
7. In some cases, you will have to be patient while you wait for the release of cheap airfares. Some big airlines buy tickets in bulk and resell them at lower rates through the internet. This is because they want to sell as many tickets as they can to make sure that their flights are fully occupied.

It is important to do some research trying various sources while looking for cheap airfares. The information is usually available at sites set up by airlines, travel agencies, or travel-based search engine sites. Internet is by far the best option to let you to search through as many sources in the fastest and most most effective way to let you obtain all the information you want. Search engines like Kayak, Expedia, Travelocity or Mobissimo enable you to search travel sites for the cheapest fares by simply entering the date of travel and the destination. After you hit the Search button, all related flights information will be displayed on the screen. If you are happy with the airfare, you can book your ticket immediately.

Remember, do not make a quick decision. You should always check on multiple search engines like Kayak, Cheapflights, Iwantthatflight, Attitudetravel, Qixo, Whichbudge, Cheapair, SKYSCANNER, Wikipedia or Bookingbuddy to compare the airfares. The travel agencies can have prices much higher or much lower than another. Make sure that you check with the airlines about whether the airfare includes routes (direct flights, stopovers or connecting flights), refunds or extra charges, and if their rules for cancellations before buying the tickets suits you.

A hotel plus air package is often worth buying because the prices are offered at a rate lower than the airfare without the hotel accommodations. Lastminute.com has been found to have some of the the best deals in this field. The Travelocity who owns Lastminute is one of the best options for you to book your last minute travel reservations while still helping you save money.

Always make sure that you keep abreast of the different airfares offered by various airlines companies. The prices fluctuate like the stock market and the airlines may update their domestic fares up to two or three times a day. If you are serious about saving your money, you should really check them out regularly.

Try to combine two separate fares rather than buying an individual airfare which will probably cost you more. Travelocity or another travel-based search engine may provide you with even more information regarding combining fares.

Where to Get an Affordable, Economic and Low Cost Airfare?

The links below offer some of the lowest operating costs for airlines in Africa, Asia, Europe, America, Middle East and Oceania regions and were compiled from various resources.

AFRICA REGION

Morocco

• Atlas Blue
• Jet4you

Nigeria

• Chanchangi Airlines
• IRS Airlines
• Kabo Air
• Sosoliso Airlines

South Africa

• Kulula.com
• Mango

AMERICA REGION

Argentina

• LAPA

Brazil

• BRA Transportes Aéreos
• Gol Transportes Aéreos
• OceanAir
• WebJet Linhas Aéreas

Columbia

• AeroRepύblica
• EasyFly

Canada

• Air North
• Air Transat
• Porter Airlines
• Skyservice
• WestJet
• Zoom Airlines

Mexico

• Aladia
• ALMA de Mexico
• Avolar
• Click
• Interjet

United States

• AirTran Airways
• Allegiant Air
• ATA Airlines
• ExpressJet
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Mesa Airlines' brand Go!
• Primaris Airlines
• Skybus Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• US Airways
• USA3000 Airlines
• Virgin America

Uruguay

• Aeromas
• Air Class Lineas Aereas
• Lapsa

ASIA REGION

Bangladesh

• GMG Airlines
• Royal Bengal Airline

China

• Oasis Hong Kong Airlines
• Spring Airlines
• Viva Macau

Indonesia

• Adam Air
• Batavia Air
• Lion Air
• Mandala Airlines

Japan

• Skymark Airlines
• Skynet Asia Airways
• StarFlyer

South Korea

• Hansung Airlines
• Incheon Tiger Airways
• Jeju Air
• Yeongnam Air

Malaysia

• AirAsia
• AirAsia X
• Firefly

Pakistan

• Aero Asia International
• Air Blue
• Shaheen Air International

Philippines

• Air Philippines
• Cebu Pacific

Singapore

• Jetstar Asia Airways
• Tiger Airways
• Valuair

Sri Lanka

• Mihin Lanka

Thailand

• Nok Air
• One-Two-GO Airlines
• Thai AirAsia

Vietnam

• Pacific Airlines

EUROPE REGION

Austria

• Niki
• InterSky

Belgium

• Brussels Airlines

Bulgaria

• Hemus Air
• Viaggio Air

Czech Republic

• Smart Wings

Denmark

• Sterling Airlines

Germany

• Condor Airlines
• Germanwings
• LTU International
• Germania Express

Greece

• Aegean Airlines
• Southeast Airlines
• Vanguard Airlines
• Pearl Air
• Safe Air

Hungary

• Wizz Air

Iceland

• Iceland Express
• JetX Airlines

Italy

• Air Italy
• Air One
• Alpi Eagles
• Blue Panorama Airlines
• Evolavia
• Meridiana
• MyAir
• On Air
• Volare Airlines
• Windjet

Latvia

• AirBaltic

Netherlands

• Martinair
• Transavia.com

Norway

• Norwegian Air Shuttle

Poland

• Centralwings
• Direct Fly

Romania

• Blue Air

Russia

• KD Avia
• SkyExpress

Slovakia

• SkyEurope

Spain

• Air Comet
• Clickair
• LagunAir
• Vueling Airlines

Sweden

• FlyNordic
• Scandjet
• Sverigeflyg

Switzerland

• Flybaboo

Turkey

• Corendon Airlines
• Free Bird Airlines
• Inter Airlines
• Izair
• Onur Air
• Pengasus Airlines
• Sky Airlines
• World Focus Airlines

United Kingdom

• Air Southwest
• Easy Jet
• First Choice Airways
• Flyglobespan
• Jet2.com
• Monarch Airlines
• Thomsonfly
• XL Airways

MIDDLE EAST REGION

Kuwait

• Jazeera Airways

Saudi Arabia

• Sama Airlines
• Nas Air

United Arab Emirates

• Air Arabia
• Jupiter Airlines

OCEANIA REGION

Australia

• Jetstar Airways
• Tiger Airways Australia
• Virgin Blue

New Zealand

• Freedom Air
• Pacific Blue

I hope this article will be useful and helpful for those who wish to find the cheapest airfare available. Bon Voyage!

Location

It is located in the South West of Nigeria. It is about a hundred kilometers (an hour's drive), from Lagos, the main seaport and commercial capital of Nigeria.

Geography

Ibadan is the largest city in Nigeria, West Africa and third largest in Africa. It is predominantly a forested hilly area.

History

Ancient

The name “Ibadan” was derived from the Yoruba phrase “Eba Odan” meaning “Near the grassland”.

Ibadan was settled by Yoruba warriors in the 18th Century as a military base. As time went on, many more powerful individuals, their families and their slaves added to the numbers.

Also, because the warriors won several wars, they appropriated several lands which led to the great expansion of Ibadan. At its peak in the late 19th Century, Ibadan had the most powerful army in Yoruba land.

The advent of the British Colonialists in the 19th Century halted the spate of Inter-tribal wars and Ibadan's dominance faltered.

Modern

When Nigeria was divided into regions namely: Northern, Southern, Western and Lagos (as the Federal Capital Territory), Ibadan became the capital of the western region .This region covers the whole of the present Yoruba states and the present Edo and Delta States of Nigeria.

Also with the breakdown of the regions to states, Ibadan became the capital of Oyo State. It is the capital of Oyo State to date.

Present Day

Ibadan in the modern day offers some unique attractions to visitors. It has some modern structures like the first sky-rise building in Nigeria, “Cocoa House”.

The premier university in Nigeria, University of Ibadan, is also located in Ibadan .There is Trans Amusement Park for fun-seeking people .There are life-size statues of some great warriors who made the city great in the olden days.

There are the several hills dotted around the city which give interesting landscape view. Lots of residential buildings occupy the hills and the view is sure to take the breath away from any visitor. There are many more attractions to make the visitor's stay unforgettable.

Mixture of Old and New. Scenery showing old buildings with modern cars and roads.