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.
In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Africa and South America, lies St Helena, one of the most remote islands in the world. Along with Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, St Helena forms part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena. The island boasts some extraordinarily scenic, untouched landscapes ranging from dramatic cliffs and towering sand dunes to the lush green hills of the sub-tropical interior, all of it is surrounded by pristine beaches and glistening ocean where dolphins and whales are often spotted. Visitors will be blessed with world-class opportunities for a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, ornithology, marine trips, diving and fishing. The island is perhaps best known as the site of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile and death, as commemorated by his historical residences, the Briars and Longwood and his now-empty tomb.
As previously described