Highlights & Attractions

Living up to its reputation as the "Rainbow Nation", South Africa is a fascinating combination of remarkable wildlife, superb scenery and historic cultures. Wildlife is not just about the great Kruger National Park. The country is packed with great colonies of wildlife from one end to the other. The scenery of the Wild Coast and Garden Route, the winelands around Stellenbosch and historic Cape Town with its great waterfront complex enhance the picture.

Highlights

Kruger National Park

The world-renowned Kruger National Park is the flagship in this region offering a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa.

Cape Town

With its majestic backdrop of Table Mountain, spectacular coastline and harbour, Cape Town is quite rightly regarded as one of the world's most beautiful and interesting cities.

Garden Route & Eastern Cape

Internationally regarded as one of the most scenic regions in the world with year round sunshine and no malaria, the Eastern Cape is ideal for a relaxing holiday, self-driving or adventure for all the family.

Hluhluwe Game Reserve

Located in the province of Kwa Zulu Natal in the heart of Zululand, and accessible by road from Durban, this is the oldest game reserve in Africa where Zulu kings hunted and put in place the first conservation laws.

Madikwe Game Reserve

Malaria free, this game reserve is regarded as one of the finest conservation areas in the region.

Attractions

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is Africa's oldest established Wildlife Park (1898) and offers one of the best safari experiences in Africa. It's situated north of Johannesburg and takes about 5 hours to get to by car. It boasts the highest variety of wildlife in Africa which includes the "Big Five", hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, cheetah and much more. Kruger is also one of the best maintained parks in Africa. The roads are all good quality and there's no need to rent a 4x4 vehicle. There's wheelchair accessibility at most lodges and specialized safari vehicles for those with mobility impairments.

Accommodations: Kruger Park has a range of accommodation options in the main rest camps with chalets, cottages, bungalows tents, caravan and camp sites or bushveld camps.

These accommodation options vary in price and style; from rustic to luxurious. On the park's western borders you'll find a host of excellent private game reserves.

Cape Town

Cape Town is a highlight of any trip to South Africa. The natural beauty of Cape Town makes it one of the most attractive cities in the world. Cape Town boasts beautiful beaches as well as the impressive Table Mountain right in the heart of the city. The restaurants are world class, and so are the wines. Cape Town is also one of the most culturally diverse cities in Africa and has reputation for social tolerance.

Top attractions in Cape Town include:

• The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront for dining and shopping
• Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years
• The Townships of Cape Town offer a good insight into how most of the population of South Africa still lives
• The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
• Cape Town's beaches are abundant and will suit families, surfers, posers and nature lovers.
• Table Mountain offers incredible hikes and a cable car for those looking to enjoy the views.

The Winelands of South Africa

The Winelands are situated east of Cape Town among beautiful mountains creating some stunning vistas. The region is steeped in culture and history with some excellent examples of typical Dutch architecture dating back to the 17th century. The Winelands encompass several regions each with their own wine tasting tours. The most popular towns include Stellenbosch (which is closest to Cape Town), Franschhoek, Wellington, and Paarl. It's worth renting a car in Cape Town and spending at least a day or two in any of these towns. There are numerous hotels, estates and bed and breakfasts available and the region is known for its excellent restaurants, not to mention the wine of course...

Knysna

Knysna is a town in the heart of South Africa's beautiful Garden Route. Knysna lies nestled in between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean. Knysna has twice been voted South Africa's favourite town and with good reason, it's friendly and welcoming with lots of attractions and activities. There's a large lagoon that's prefect for water sports and surrounding forests that are great for walking.

Top attractions in Knysna include:

• Enjoy the beach
• Seek solace in the forest
• Take a township tour
• Catch a steam train
• Drive the lagoon

Hermanus

Hermanus lies on the Western Cape (2 hours from Cape Town) close to the most southerly point in Africa. Hermanus is a major tourist destination in South Africa because it's simply the best place in the world to watch whales from and in particular, the Southern Right Whale. The peak times to see the Southern Right Whale is from August to November. During this time you can see the whales every day from a cliff path which stretches from one side of Hermanus to the other.

Hermanus is a popular seaside town with South African vacationers but it still retains an air of the small fishing village it once was. There are lots of established festivals and events throughout the year to keep the town buzzing. Besides whale-watching, you can go on a township tour, sea-kayaking, wine-tasting and even cage diving with Great White Sharks on nearby Dyer Island.

Soweto, Johannesburg

Soweto may not be the most beautiful place you visit in South Africa, but it certainly ranks among one of the most important and interesting sights in the country. Soweto is a sprawling township situated just outside of Johannesburg and over 3.5 million people call it home. Much of the struggle against Apartheid played out in the slums of Soweto, and the township was in a virtual state of war during the 1970's and 80's. Nowadays, Soweto is a mixture of rich suburbs and poor shanty dwellings where crime is rife. But Soweto is also home to some of the most vibrant music and theatre South Africa has to offer. When you visit Soweto it's certainly worth taking a tour. Not just because it may be the safest way to see the township, but because the history of Soweto is what makes it so interesting. Soweto also covers a huge swath of land, over 90 square miles, so it's easy to get lost.

Durban

Durban is situated in the province of KwaZulu Natal, on the east coast of the South Africa. The city is set on Natal Bay and benefits from year-round warm waters making it one of South Africa's top vacation spots. Durban is also one of Africa's busiest and most important ports.

Highlights of Durban include:

The Beaches: Durban's "Golden Mile" is a string of beaches protected from sharks by nets and patrolled by life guards during the day. This is prime surfing territory but there's room for swimmers and body-surfers too.

The Promenade: A promenade stretches along the Durban waterfront and is home to numerous restaurants, pubs, hotels, shops and the world class uShaka Marine World aquarium.

Victoria Indian Street Market: Durban has a huge Indian population, descendents of labourers brought in by the British to work in the sugarcane fields during the latter 19th century (one of which was a young Mohandas Gandhi). The Indian street market is a bustling interesting place with mosques and temples as well as plenty of shops and delicious food.

Umgeni River Bird Park: With over 3000 exotic and indigenous birds as well as 4 waterfalls, lush vegetation and several endangered species, this bird park is a wonderful place to visit.

Drakensberg Mountains

The Drakensberg Mountains stretch the entire length of KwaZulu-Natal's western boundary, about 600 miles. You can enjoy hiking trails, bird watching, game viewing, horse trails and safaris, guided tours, 4x4 trails, quad bikes, golfing, trout fishing, white water rafting, rock climbing and more.

Highlights of the Drakensberg Area include:

The Karkloof Canopy Tour is a unique eco-wilderness adventure in the Karkloof indigenous forest of South Africa. The canopy tour involves traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 meters above the forest floor. The scenery and bird life is spectacular and professional guides provide interesting facts about the forest ecology during the three-hour tour.Bushman Rock Art:The San bushmen were the original inhabitants of the Drakensberg mountains and they left behind the most beautiful paintings in caves throughout the region. Some of the best examples of Bushman rock painting in South Africa can be found in Kamberg National Park.Royal Natal National Park: Encompassing one of the most beautiful parts of the Drakensberg, the Royal Natal is perfect for those who enjoy hiking, rock climbing and horseback riding. One of the highest mountains in the Drakensberg is the Mont-aux-Sources which is the source of five rivers and includes the stunning Tugela Falls which fall over 3000 feet and tumbles over 5 separate tiers.