Join us on safari in South Africa – this diverse country offers some of the best game viewing in Africa, as well as rich cultural experiences, fine dining, wine tasting and unique historical and nature-based excursions. South Africa is an ideal destination for a first-time visitor to Africa or a safari veteran! Learn more about our Best of South Africa tour and our South Africa and Swaziland tour.
Cape Town
South Africa is often referred to as one of the world’s most desirable destinations and Cape Town certainly ranks as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, recommended for its natural beauty, culture and history. The rocky peninsula is home to unspoiled beaches, spectacular mountains, unforgettable scenery and a unique pageant of flora. A tour of the peninsula provides dramatic views of the coastline and includes some awesome stops along the way.
Some of the “MUST DO’s” in Cape Town:
- A trip up Table Mountain
- Explore the Cape Point Nature Reserve and Chapman’s Peak scenic drive
- Photograph the African Penguins on Boulders Beach
- Take a catamaran ride to historic Robben Island
- Stroll through the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
- The V&A Waterfront Complex
- Visit the District 6 Museum
The Western Cape
Traveling inland, visitors can experience the grandeur of the Cape Winelands. Winetasting of award-winning fine wines and cellar tours are available at some of the most beautiful Cape Dutch estates.
The stretch of coastline just north of Cape Town is known as the Whale Route. Between the months of June and November, the whales migrate up from the Antarctic and take shelter around the Cape coastline to mate and calve.
The spectacular Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to Storms River in the Eastern Cape and includes the quaint towns of Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn and George. The Garden Route is renowned for its beautiful pristine beaches, indigenous forests and nature reserves, lakes, mountain ranges, adventure opportunities and great hiking trails.
The Eastern Cape
Stretching from the KwaZulu-Natal border in the north to the Storms River’s mouth on the Garden Route in the south, and extending inland to incorporate the desolate Great Karoo, the Eastern Cape includes the regions of the Sunshine Coast, Frontier Country, the Great Fish River and the Wild Coast. The Eastern Cape is the second largest of South Africa’s nine provinces and the birthplace of Nelson Mandela.
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal has a rich array of peoples, cultures and wildlife reserves, all set in a subtropical climate. The province’s natural beauty is capped by the magnificent Drakensberg Mountains, which are a hiker’s dream.
Rich in symbolism and tradition, Zululand is the region where the ruler of the Zulus, Shaka, forged his kingdom. There are several exciting traditional Zulu villages (kraals) open to the public, Shakaland and Dumazulu amongst them.
KwaZulu-Natal is dotted with historic battlefields, a reminder of the Anglo-Zulu war fought between the British and the Zulus in 1879. See these battlefields, explore the museums and historic towns and witness the many graves that pay tribute to this bloody war.
A Few of the National Parks in South Africa:
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the South African game parks. Located 280km north of Durban, this 960km² wilderness has a warm and moist climate. Credited with bringing the white rhino from the brink of extinction to flourishing numbers, it is also home to the Big Five.
The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park Area is a World Heritage Site and the largest estuarine system in Africa. The area embraces five ecosystems: Marine, Eastern Shores, St. Lucia Lake, Mkuze Swamps and Western Shores. This diversity offers the nature lover a rich variety of outdoor and wildlife experiences.
Greater Kruger National Park – Mpumalanga is the flagship of South Africa’s national parks, the Kruger National Park is a two-million-hectare reserve offering an unrivaled wildlife experience. Accommodations in the Greater Kruger area are varied and include rest camps, bungalows, bushveld camps and bush lodges. The South Kruger area and the private Sabi Sand Game Reserve offer numerous exclusive lodges and tailor-made safari activities.
The South Kruger region of the Kruger National Park is more popular, with more access points and various lodges to choose from. Undoubtedly the most prestigious game park in South Africa, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, located on the southwest corner of the park, is known for having the best Big Five game spotting in the country. There are no restricting fences, so the animals roam freely, just as nature intended.