Located on South Africa’s Highveld plateau, Johannesburg is a fast-paced, creative city shaped by gold-rush history, cultural diversity and constant reinvention. Its atmosphere is energetic and urban, with contemporary galleries, rooftop bars and leafy suburbs existing alongside powerful reminders of the country’s past. Visitors can explore the Apartheid Museum, tour Soweto’s historic streets or browse vibrant markets and design spaces in neighbourhoods such as Maboneng. The city’s soundtrack shifts from lively jazz and amapiano beats to the hum of busy streets, while the scent of grilled street food drifts through open-air cafés and market stalls. Johannesburg rewards travellers who engage with its complexity and culture, though its size, traffic and contrasts mean it is best experienced with some planning and local insight.
Set in Limpopo's Kruger Lowveld, near Hoedspruit, Karongwe Private Game Reserve is a fenced private safari reserve in the Greater Kruger region and the UNESCO-designated Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve. Its varied landscape of rivers, open plains and riverine bush supports an impressive diversity of wildlife, including the Big Five and cheetah, with occasional sightings of African wild dog. Travellers can join guided morning and evening game drives, take guided bush walks and enjoy close-up wildlife encounters led by experienced rangers and trackers. Beyond traditional safari, experiences include hot-air ballooning, scenic excursions to the Blyde River Canyon and community visits. With intimate safari lodges and diverse wildlife, Karongwe offers a more private safari experience within the wider Lowveld conservation landscape.
Set at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans and backed by the iconic Table Mountain, the bustling city of Cape Town presents an alluring combination of drawcards. Incredible powdery white beaches, highly acclaimed wine routes, and astonishingly beautiful mountain trails surround a cosmopolitan hub. This diverse metropolis is filled with superb shops and restaurants, extraordinary heritage monuments, a multitude of entertainment venues, and a spectacular, chic waterfront harbour. Highlights include the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art; Table Mountain's jaw-dropping views; Boulders Beach, where penguins might swim right up to you in the warm Indian ocean waters; the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where you can walk along a treetop canopy among incredible native flora or watch an open-air concert at the base of the mountain; Robben Island, where visitors can see the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years; and many more.
