While wildlife safaris are reason enough to visit this exquisite country, South Africa offers even more to see and do. For one, the city of Cape Town is a jewel that is well worth visiting. Set against the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town offers lots to explore, including the V&A Waterfront, Chapman’s Peak, Boulders Penguin Colony and several beautiful beaches — just to give you an idea. Not to mention the delicious food and fabulous shopping, which can all be enjoyed at a favorable exchange rate. Some of the biggest attractions in the Western Cape are the towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschoek. Boasting some of the best wine tours in the world, they offer picturesque vineyards, fantastic art galleries and gourmet food. Furthermore, South Africans are some of the most upbeat, welcoming and humorous people you’ll ever encounter. You will be exposed to different cultures, languages and traditions that will certainly enhance your experience.
With so much diversity, South Africa has something for everyone to enjoy!
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.
Just 45 minutes from Cape Town, Stellenbosch is an enticing Western Cape destination with an exciting culinary scene, photogenic historic buildings, and a youthful atmosphere. The beautiful university town is surrounded by mountains, vineyards, and nature reserves (Jonkershoek and Simonsberg), making it a charming base for wine tours, day trips and outdoor adventure. The town centre is characterised by both a “holiday feeling” - sublime art galleries, award-winning restaurants and alluring boutiques fringe leafy cobbled streets - and a sense of aliveness as students bustle between faculties. Architecture enthusiasts will enjoy the numerous Cape Dutch and Victorian buildings, while music lovers can look forward to world-class classical music concerts at the grand Music Conservatory. Two dreamy botanical gardens (with gorgeous tea rooms under the trees) add to the unique character of this special town.
Serving as the gateway to the arid wilderness of the Great Karoo, the little South African heritage town of Prince Albert is surrounded by an oasis of magnificent mountains, fresh sparkling water, lush gardens, vineyards, and fruit orchards. This Karoo gem is home to beautifully preserved Cape Dutch and Victorian buildings. It is a popular place in which to relax in the sun and enjoy the peaceful serenity of the town or appreciate the spectacularly clear and star-filled night sky to the rare sound of silence. Visitors can discover ancient fossils, visit a working moonshine distillery at the Fransie Pienaar Museum, enjoy a historical walking tour through the town, and drive along the edge of the harrowing 19th-century Swartberg Pass for dramatic mountain views. Other popular activities include hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, and botanical excursions.
At Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, open plains, sculpted ridges, and deep gorges stretch beneath the Warmwaterberg Mountains across the semi-arid Little Karoo. The reserve spreads across 62,000 hectares along scenic Route 62, just three hours from Cape Town. Once farmland, the area has been restored into a sanctuary where the Big 5 share space with species such as gemsbok, hartebeest, eland, kudu, zebra, springbok, jackals, and the rare riverine rabbit. Succulent Karoo, renosterveld, and mountain fynbos cover much of the terrain, supporting over 600 species of flora. Visitors explore the reserve on guided drives, bush walks, and tours of San rock art, some over 3,500 years old. Stargazing and nature photography are also recommended, while birders can look out for species such as jackal buzzards, Namaqua sandgrouse, and chestnut-vented tit-babblers, among many others, as the reserve is home to over 200 bird species.
