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.
Marakele National Park is situated in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, 3.5 hours' drive from Pretoria, and lies within the enthralling Waterberg Biosphere. Meaning ‘place of sanctuary' in the Tswana language, the park lives up to its name. Set in the heart of the Waterberg Mountains, the park’s position in a transitional zone between the dry western and moist eastern regions of the country ensures great natural diversity. Majestic mountains, grassy hills, deep valleys and stately, often rare, trees create an peaceful natural environment in which elephants, rhino, big cats and a variety of birds thrive. The area is also home to one of the biggest colonies of the endangered Cape Vulture in the world. To be closer to these large birds while enjoying a phenomenal view of the park, follow a narrow tar road to the top of the Waterberg massif.
Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya—“The Smoke That Thunders”—Victoria Falls is one of the world’s great natural landmarks. Straddling the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it forms a vast curtain of water that fills the air with mist and sound. The Zimbabwean side grants the most dramatic views, where mist rises like ghostly curtains and rainbows arc through the spray. Measuring about 1,708 metres across, it is regarded as the largest single continuous sheet of falling water on Earth. The adjacent town of Victoria Falls provides a convenient base for exploring the region, with a wide range of activities from scenic flights and microlight trips to white-water rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, and safaris into Chobe National Park.
