Johannesburg is one of Africa’s largest and most vibrant cities. It is an economic powerhouse in Africa and the gateway to Southern Africa. This bustling city offers a wide range of activities, attractions and plenty to do in and around the city including nearby Pretoria. Downtown is a multi-cultural mixture of traditional medicine shops, Chinese restaurants, taxi ranks and ultra-modern skyscrapers. There are excellent museums, art galleries and organised tours of historical and political interest. The shopping is Southern Africa’s best and the many restaurants cater for all tastes. Soweto, a township steeped in history and a significant part of the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area, is a popular tourist destination.
Bordering Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana, the Limpopo Province is South Africa’s northernmost province renowned for its quintessentially African vistas. This region is known for its immense natural beauty featuring rugged mountains meeting pristine savannah plains sheltering a diverse array of wildlife. It encompasses the Makgabeng Plateau, the Blouberg Mountains, and a variety of towns and cities surrounded by a host of reserves including the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Visitors flock to this province to discover the fossil-rich caves of Makapansgat, explore the archaeological site of Mapungubwe and enjoy an authentic safari experience.
Located in the northern province of Limpopo, the Soutpansberg, meaning ‘Salt Pan Mountain’ is South Africa’s most northern mountain range, which forms part of the UNESCO-designated Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Known as the gateway to the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the spectacular Soutpansberg mountain range stretches from east to west covering over 130 kilometres. These mountains boast a rich cultural heritage, diverse fauna and flora, and unspoilt wilderness featuring rugged peaks rising from the baobab-dotted plains. Take a guided tour to a nearby Venda village, explore the sacred valleys and lakes, and discover the ancient historical rock art of this beautiful area.
The Makuleke Contractual Park is a rich and unique ecological region which constitutes the northernmost part of South Africa’s extraordinary Kruger National Park. Makuleke is also known as the Pafuri Triangle due to the wedge-shape of this area of land which is formed by the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers at the tripoint Crook's Corner. This triangular expanse of remote wilderness covers a vast, unspoilt stretch of 26 500 hectares of land which serves as a natural choke point for an extraordinary variety of wildlife including large herds of elephant, over 350 species of bird and, of course, the ever popular and highly sought after Big Five.
Located in the Limpopo province of South Africa, the Klein Letaba River joins the Groot Letaba River on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, where it forms the Letaba River and flows through the width of the world-renowned park. The banks of the Klein Letaba River are brimming with a remarkable variety of African wildlife, including elephant, buffalo, zebra, impala and giraffe. One of the area’s highlights includes what is possibly the largest and most stable breeding herd of elephant in the Kruger National Park, which finds its stomping ground at the confluence of the Klein Letaba and the little Byashishi rivers.
Set at the heart of South Africa’s largest and most famous game reserve, Central Kruger is home to large numbers of lions, hyenas, cheetah, leopards, buffalo, wildebeest, elephants, zebra, and birds of prey. The Olifants River flows through the region, a popular bathing and drinking site for hippos, elephants, and other mammals. Visitors can explore the area by way of guided game drives, bush walks, bird walks, and night drives. The area is also conveniently close to the Masorini archaeological site, an excavated ruin that dates back to the late Iron Age known to be a trading post for iron products by the Ba-Phalaborwa people. Other popular attractions easily accessible from the region include the spectacular Mac Mac Falls and the quaint historic town, Pilgrim’s Rest.
The Manyeleti Private Game Reserve shares its borders with Kruger National Park, Timbavati Game Reserve and Sabi Sands Game Reserve, forming part of a huge area of land in which wildlife roams free. It is managed by the Mnisi people, who have lived on this land for many generations. In Shangaan, the language of the most dominant tribe in the area, Manyeleti means ‘Place of Stars’ and in the evenings, when the sun’s light is replaced by that of the moon and countless bright stars, one can understand why. A dry area for most of the year, Manyeleti offers spectacular scenes of wildlife as they gather at water holes. Aside from the spectacular game viewing opportunities, the reserve also offers insight into the culture and traditions of the Mnisi people.
