Often described as a world in one country, South Africa certainly is big enough to cover all bases: from snowy mountains to dusty deserts; cosmopolitan cities to charming little 'dorps'; and from beautiful beaches to wildlife-rich game reserves.
South Africa is the best of both worlds: it is Africa with its beautiful scenery, glorious weather and relaxed attitude, which manifests itself in the people who are friendly and easy-going; it also has a modern infrastructure making it an easy country to visit with plenty to see and do and plenty of ways to get around.
With a vast network of excellent roads, South Africa is road trip country. Domestic flights are also dirt cheap if you're not into the whole mixtape, padkos, back roads, one-horse town meander and want to get straight to the action.
- Cape Town: to the backdrop of Table Mountain, Cape Town's white beaches and café culture, world-class restaurants, working harbour, urban nature reserves and vineyards have earned this African city a season ticket to all the "World's Favourite City" polls.
- Kruger National Park: featuring great diversity, exceptional resource management and some of the finest safari lodges in the world, the Kruger Park is the grand-daddy of many game reserves in South Africa.
- Garden Route: packed with an assortment of attractions from family beaches, charming seaside towns, forests and fynbos and the Karoo hinterland, the Garden Route is made for relaxing holidays.
- Garden Route Safari: at the eastern end of the Garden Route are a clutch of genuine, big five game reserves in pristine wilderness areas offering excellent lodges, first-rate guides and the cherry on top: malaria-free safaris.
- Cape Winelands: if the game reserves are the eastern bookend of the Garden Route, the Winelands are the western bookend. And what a bookend with charming country towns, beautiful nature reserves and of course the ever-so-picturesque vineyards.
South Africa has many many more attractions and if you want to explore beyond the highlights: Malaria-free big five safaris in Madikwe and Pilanesberg; Sun City; The Namaqualand Flowers; the Drakensberg Mountains; Phinda Game Reserve and KwaZulu-Natal; the West Coast; Richtersveld Nature Reserve and many more.
On the Eastern side of the Garden Route, the Eastern Cape features magnificent stretches of untouched beach, peaceful river estuaries, lush forests, breathtaking mountain vistas, and the arid Karoo Desert landscape. Also, it has milder weather than up north and its a guaranteed malaria-free area. With small safari lodges, beautiful wilderness and the full gamut of wildlife encounters, an Eastern Cape safari is every bit as rewarding as a lowveld safari up north - perhaps more so.
The two big parks are Addo Elephant Park and Shamwari Game Reserve, both a short drive from Port Elizabeth. Adding to these are Blaauwbosch, Kariega and Kwandwe - all private game reserves with exclusive safari lodges and spectacular settings.
Expect to see the big five game in abundance including elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, buffalos, zebras and the full range of southern Africa's planes game from the gigantic eland to the tiny duiker.
Set among the verdant forests, hills, and valleys of the Western Cape’s Garden Route, The Crags is famous not only for its wealth of outdoor activities but its numerous wonderful sanctuaries. Visitors can enjoy canopy tours, hikes, and mountain biking routes in the jungles, and at sea, take part in water sports, whale watching and fishing. The area provides shelter and rehabilitation for many animals at venues such as the elephant sanctuary, Birds of Eden, Monkey Land, Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary, Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, and Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre. There are numerous wineries, excellent fine dining restaurants, farm stalls selling fresh produce and foods, and craft stalls to enjoy. The Crags are also within convenient distance of Knysna, Plett, and the Tsitsikamma.
Located along the well-known Route 62 in South Africa’s beautiful Klein Karoo, the charming town of Oudtshoorn is known as the ostrich capital of the world. It is surrounded by numerous ostrich farms and the golden arid landscape of the Karoo. Visitors can enjoy the locally produced wine and port; sample ostrich meat and biltong; learn about the ostrich feather boom at the C.P. Nel Museum; and visit the world-renowned Cango Caves, the largest cave system in Africa featuring ancient rock formations and sparkling stalactites and stalagmites. Other popular activities include: mountain biking, paragliding, horse riding, and taking a day trip to the quaint town of Prince Albert over the scenic Swartberg Pass.
An hour's drive from Cape Town, the Cape Winelands is an area of outstanding beauty with charming country towns, vast mountain ranges, fynbos nature reserves and of course the always-picturesque vineyards and some mighty fine wines for the tasting.
There is something soothing about row upon row of grapevines be they in winter green or summer russet. It may be their rhythm and sense of order; the shape of the land enhanced or the calming effect of lines converging in the distance. In any case, time slows down in Cape wine country and that's all the more to enjoy your time here.
Cape Town is one of the world's favourite holiday destinations. With pristine beaches, a buzzing café culture, great restaurants, a working harbour, unique nature reserves, popular landmarks and suburban vineyards there is much to enjoy.
If you plan to visit South Africa, chances are you've got Cape Town at the top of your list of places to go. And well you might, the second largest city in South Africa is easily reached from all over the world and the perfect place to start your South African holiday.
