South Africa has a great deal to offer visitors to the region. It is a world-class destination. There are some must-sees for everyone traveling to the South Africa, whether arriving via Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban.
South Africa has coastlines on both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, has landscapes from beach cities to awe-inspiring mountains and calls English their official language. The climate is subtropical but has two distinct regions. The Cape area at the southern tip of Africa has wet winters and dry summers while the remainder of the location is far more tropical with hot, wet summers and dry winter months.
Where to Visit in Brief
There are varied regions of South Africa, each offering a different experience for the visitor. Here are a few highlights of the well-traveled regions:
Cape Town: a blend of beaches and mountains making this culturally savvy city the highlight of any trip to South Africa
Hermanus, Cape Town, Knysna, Durban: picturesque costal towns with Knysna being especially popular with native South Africans
Hogsback, Drakensberg: mountainous landscapes popular for hiking
Cape Winelands: wine country at it’s finest
Soweto: a township outside of Johannesburg with a deep history in the Apartheid of the 1970s and 1980s
So Much to Do in South Africa
Play Golf
Playing golf in South Africa is not only a sport but also an exciting walk through spectacular landscape. There might even be a crocodile lurking in a water hazard or an ostrich or two strutting across the green. Golfing greats Gary Player and Ernie Els started their phenomenal careers here.
Go on a Safari
Safaris include a vast view of the countryside and the wildlife, by day or at sundown when many herds of native animals are active.
Kruger National Park offers the best safari and wildlife park in South Africa. There are plenty of the African “Big Five” found here: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo.
Ride an Ostrich
Attempting to ride an ostrich is a physical test of endurance. Ostrich farms like those located at Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo are a great place to try riding this oddly enticing, non-flying bird. The most popular ostrich farms are Highgate, Safari and Cango Ostrich Farms.
Tree-house resorts
These special accommodations allow visitors to experience the true majestic landscape. The tree houses are elevated on stilts and offer a comfortable respite while offering a spectacular view of the herds of wild animals passing through the bush. Meals cooked by a fireside under a starlit sky create ambiance that cannot be duplicated anywhere else.
Surf the Coast
With such a vast area of coastline, the Cape Peninsula allows for year-round surfing. The area is perfect for catching the waves.
Take a Hike
The Wild Coast, located in the Eastern Cape area, is a spectacular area of South Africa, which is reachable only by foot. The sights include waterfalls, beaches, forests and rivers. Backpacking along the coastline and sleeping in a beach hut is a great experience.
Swim with Penguins
At Boulders Beach near Cape Town, being close to penguins is fun, whether they are waddling around the beach or swimming around those frolicking in the water. Penguins can be observed in their habitat as they eat, breed and interact with one another.
Dive with Great White Sharks
Cage diving is quite an adventure. Shark alley is an area in Gansbaai, where there is a high concentration of great whites to be seen from the safety of a professionally guided cage.
Canoeing and Rafting
Canoeing or white water rafting down the Orange River through the Drakensberg Mountains delivers the rider to the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery along the multi-day journey includes both mountain and desert views.
Ride an Elephant
A view from new heights is quite an experience atop an African elephant. There are several national parks that offer this encounter. Whether feeding, riding or walking the pachyderm by the trunk, this is an experience not soon forgotten.
Make a Reservation
A trip to South Africa can be anything from a blend of culture and fine dining to a hike up a picturesque mountainside or a safari by jeep. It can all take place in a relatively close region at the tip of an awe-inspiring continent. It just takes some planning.
"Louise Trainor is a travel writer. She enjoys sharing her experience
with other travel enthusiasts around the web. If you're visiting South
Africa, consider a trip to Johannesburg.
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