Voted the fifth most beautiful country in the world for its combination of magnificent beaches and sensational wildlife and its urban-amazing too!
You could travel to South Africa countless times and still find yourself breathless.
Cape Town
Highlights
Mother City of Southern Africa, situated in the Western Cape, an area which is regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the world. The City is a rare cultural gem, resulting from the amalgamation of Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers, the local Bushman and Hottentot tribes and the Bantu tribes from the north. The impressive presence of Table Mountain, flanked by the legendary Devil’s Peak and historical Signal Hill, stands proudly above the city. Beautiful white sandy beaches along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the Winelands, green in summer and red-gold in autumn.
Places to visit
Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Robben Island, Boulders Beach, V&A Waterfront, Lions Head…
Johannesburg
Highlights
Jozi, as it’s also called, has an energy and excitement all of its own. Founded in 1886, after gold was found on a local farm in 1884, Jozi is characterised by contradiction and an apparent seamless combination of irreconcilable differences it is the economic powerhouse of the country. Expect glitz, glamour and a little excess thrown in to boot.
Places to visit
Orlando Towers, Gold Reef City, Cradle of Humankind, Apartheid Museum…
Sabi Sands Reserve
Highlights
The Sabi Sand Reserve is the oldest of South Africa’s private reserves, and the origin of wildlife tourism in Southern Africa. It is home to a vast natural animal population including The Big Five and countless other species (some of which are critically endangered). Flanking the Kruger National Park, animals pass unhindered between the unfenced reserves. Known for its extraordinary leopard viewing, safari enthusiasts could not find a better place for close-contact animal sightings that many would insist are the best in the world.
Namaqualand
Highlights
The greatest flower show on earth! Namaqualand describes an area up the coast from Cape Town, to the Namibian border, and extending some way inland. Every springtime there is an explosion of wildflowers on the high plateau, which is well worth seeing.
