South Africa at the foot of the great and mysterious continent of Africa offers a world in one.

Imagine going to bed and listening to the almost wicked sounds of the hyaenas laughing, waking up to the sounds of the great outdoors, the leopards and lions (a male lion's roar can be heard from kilometers away), and going to bed as the sun rises over their nightly hunting expeditions, listening to the calls of hundreds of bird species about to start their day (over 900 species have been recorded, including the only few colonies of penguins on this huge continent). Or the too-numerous plains species to mention such as antelope, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, zebra.

The thrill of a safari, where sometimes we can get within meters of elephant, rhino, buffalo, lions, and during a night safari, maybe even to see the elusive leopards.

To sit at a waterhole at sunset sipping sundowners, during the dry season and just to contemplate how difficult and unforgiving this vast landscape can be in the animals quest for survival, each species desperate for their time to drink before the scary night approaches.

We are, however, fortunate to retreat to one of the many luxurious lodges our country has to offer, and after a hot shower and great traditional South African cuisine, to snuggle up in true luxury as the night plays itself out in the bush.

Couple this together with what we like to call our Rainbow Nation of such varied cultures, languages, religions and traditions that most guests often say you offer GENUINE friendliness for such diverse peoples.

For the very adventurous, SA offers the highest bungee jump in the world, diving with great white sharks, and we are based in what is regarded as one of the best land based whale watching sites in the world (June to November).

Our infrastructure is first-world, and the options for accommodation types is renowned, from small intimate guest houses to grand 5 star hotels. This includes the newly opened ultra luxurious "One and only Hotel", the brainchild of Hotel magnate Sol Kerzner in our Mother city, Cape Town - where it all began in 1652 when the Dutch needed to start a Colony between Holland and the Far East for spices, silks and more.

South Africa, and especially Cape Town is regarded as the Gay Capital of our great continent. The nightlife is better than in many European cities - party until dawn and then just take in the laid back lifestyle which Cape Town is known for. Cape Town has the only legal nude beach on the Continent - if you are a sun lover, this is the place to be!

If you are culturally minded, imagine overnighting in a traditional amaZulu village,learning about the exciting vibrant culture and traditions of this very proud Nation, that equates with the North American Apache, Cheyenne,or Sioux.

There are many special places to visit, such as the Cradle of Humankind, which traces the history of Hominids, where man as we are known today is thought to have taken his first baby steps. There are prehistoric caves that are quite mind boggling in their beauty. Or a chance to go thousands of feet down a gold mine in Johannesburg. For diamond-lovers we offer the largest man made hole in the world for the extraction of these precious gems - to peer down into this hole is not for the faint hearted or those with a fear of heights.

There is so much more to our beautiful country to offer the discerning gay visitor, and can cater to all tastes and budgets.

Visit the many arts and crafts markets with a large selection of South African tribal crafts as well as local  crafts. For lovers of the arts there are many fine galleries and theatres to choose from in our big and small cities and towns.

For those who love shopping, there are also world class Malls, including the two largest shopping malls in the Southern Hemisphere 

In the Western Cape, the wine estates offer the wine lover a huge selection of wines from various wine regions. South African wines are regarded among the best in the world, as is our cuisine, restaurants of high standards catering to all tastes. The many influences on our food from different cultures around the world have made South African food a truly unique experience.

South Africa is a huge country almost 4 times the size of the United Kingdom,and is extremely diverse in vegetation and scenery, the Western Cape Region of SA has the largest number of species of plants per square kilometer in the world,a large part of the country is semi-desert, but still has large tracts of eerie indigenous forests, beautiful white sand beaches, and is also the meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, at the most southern point of the country, a mere 2 hours from Cape Town.

Lescha Country Tours is gay-owned and -operated by Les and Schalk - we have been offering tours to our country for the past nine years, and are both registered National Tour Guides, allowing us to operate throughout the country. All of our tours are private and tailor-made, taking guests' interests into account when drawing up itineraries. We both accompany all tours, ensuring that our high standards are always maintained. While we prefer small groups up to six guests we can accommodate larger groups on request.

We are particularly proud of the fact that some guests have returned to tour with us a second third and soon a fourth time. Both of us are passionate about our beautiful and diverse country, and always enjoy showing our guests the wonderful experiences our country has to offer. Let us show you this wonderful country, and we are sure you will only take home amazing photos and great memories. Our most popular tour to the country for the first time visitor to SA is a 14 night, 15 day tour we call "The best of the Western Cape Tour", taking in all the great sights and experiences of this beautiful Province without rushing from one place to the next.

While you’re staying here to enjoy the wealth of attractions in the Middletown and Lake County area, visit Middletown’s only Bed and Breakfast Inn, The Backyard Garden Oasis. This lovely location is only ten minutes away from Harbin Hot Springs and can accommodate children and welcomes workshop participants, at special workshop rates.

You couldn't ask for a cozier place to enjoy an escape, than in your own private cottage at the Oasis.  The Inn has king sized beds in cozy cottages on a rural property in a park-like setting. The skylight over the bed brings the outside inside and expands the feeling of space as well as consciousness. They can host outdoor weddings and commitment ceremonies.