A wild and wonderful country, with its rolling fertile plains, desert peaks, wide open savannas and modern cities. It’s a country filled with adventure, history and of course incredible wildlife! South Africa is also a great starting point for exploring other countries in Southern Africa as most flights will stop via South Africa anyway.

South Africa is situated at the southern tip of Africa, bordering Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. It’s population is around 56 million (2018) and is a country with vastly diverse people, culture and history — South Africa is known as the rainbow nation because of its multicultural diversity. Cape Town is the oldest of South Africa’s cities and was established by the Dutch East India Company back in 1652 as a halfway stop on the spice route.

South Africa has a temperate climate with plenty of dry, sunny days. Average annual rainfall is low, with most of the rain falling in the Western Cape during its relatively short winter (June to August), whilst in the rest of the country the rain falls during summer (November to March). In general the south-western corner of South Africa has a Mediterranean climate, the interior plateau is temperate, the north-east is subtropical and a small area in the north-west has a desert climate.

South Africa is a year round destination, but what you’re looking to do on your visit will determine the best time of year for you. The Cape Peninsula has hot, dry weather in its summer months between November and February, whereas the best time for whale watching is between July and November. For game viewing at Kruger and most of the wildlife parks the best time to visit is May to September as during the cooler, drier winter months the animals congregate around the waterholes and rivers. This is actually low season for tourism and the mornings and nights are cold, but if easy to spot wildlife is top of your list, with the added bonus of dry days then this time of year comes highly recommended.

South Africa has a modern well developed transport system with great air and rail links, as well as having over 460,0000 miles (750,000 km) of roads, including freeways, that connect its major cities.

Buses

Greyhound-Link, Intercape and Translux are 3 of the major long distance bus companies. Baz Bus is a hop-on hop-off bus aimed at backpackers with pick up and drop offs at most hostels.

There are luxury inner-city buses operated by Translux, they feature audio and visual entertainment, reclining seats, on-board toilets and are air conditioned. There are also city-city buses operating between Southern Africa’s major centres such as Zambia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Trains

South Africa has an extensive train network, Shosholoza Meyl long distance passenger trains are cheap, safe and comfortable — there is a Cape Town to Johannesburg train costing 690 rand which includes a 2 berth or 4 berth sleeper. There are also the premier class trains which are still good value for a little more luxury with a Cape town to Johannesburg trip costing 3,120 rand, which includes all meals and afternoon tea in the restaurant car, as well as having its own bar cabin. There are also the famous Blue trains which run from Cape Town to Pretoria, on these trains you will experience the height of luxury with meals, wine and even cigars included, although it will set you back at least 10,000 rand.

Train timetables and fares can be found at here.

Car

Car hire is a good way to explore the country and will offer you more freedom as well as the ability to explore more isolated areas. You will also be able to visit the national parks at your own leisure without the restrictions of tours. Petrol is cheap and readily available 24 hours a day along national highways, you could even combine your transport and accommodation by hiring a camper or 4×4 which you can also hire with a tent on top with all equipment.

The currency is the South African rand (ZAR), banknote denominations are 10, 20, 50, 100, 200.

ATMs are widely available around the major towns and cities. ATMs dispense money in rand and you will likely be charged a transaction fee of around 3% by your bank, some credit cards have 0% transaction fees so this may be a good way to save on charges. Banks around South Africa are only open until 3:30 pm weekdays, 1:00 pm on Saturdays and are closed on Sundays.

It’s always best to carry some cash on you, US dollars are widely accepted and some national parks will only accept US dollars for entrance fees.

Average costs (in South African rand)

• Mid-range hotel (3 star) 500–2000
• Budget rooms from 450
• Fast food 130–160
• Meal at a mid-range restaurant 330–530 per person
• A pint of draught beer 45–75
• Basic lunch and drink 100–120
• Cup of coffee 20–30
• Bottle of water 12
• 5 mile basic tariff taxi journey from 100

Kruger National Park

One of Africa’s biggest game reserves that’s teeming with wildlife and home to the big five — the Leopard, Lion, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhinoceros. Kruger National Park covers an area of 7,520 square miles (19,485 square kilometres) and is open daily from 6:00 am–5:30 pm with entry costing R304 per day for adults and R152 for children (under 12).

Table Mountain

A large flat topped mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town, it’s great for walking, hiking and to watch the sunset over the city. If you’re not in the mood for hiking there is a cable car that goes to the top which costs R255 for an adult round trip and R135 for one way, a child’s costs R125 return or R65 for one way.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

This beautiful garden just outside Cape Town was established in 1913 to protect, conserve and display the diverse flora of southern Africa. The gardens are open everyday from 8:00 am–7:00 pm from September to March and everyday from 8:00 pm–6:00 pm from April to August. The Conservatory is open everyday from 9:00 am –5:00 pm. The entrance fee is R65.

Robben Island

This UNESCO World Heritage Site off the coast of Cape Town is rich in history and is where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his 27 years in prison. Ferries depart from the Nelson Mandela gateway at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town at 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 1:00 pm daily and each tour lasts about 3 and a half hours. The tour costs R340. Once on the island buses will take you to the historical sites on the island, such as the leper graveyard, army and navy bunkers, the lime quarry and the Maximum Security Prison, including Nelson Mandela’s cell. You are also likely to see different types of bird species, including African penguins, who have made the island home.

Cage Dive With Great White Sharks

For thrill seekers this is one of the top attractions in South Africa. As you are enclosed in a custom-designed thick iron cage, no diving certification is required. The best time to dive is April to October, although great whites do swim throughout the waters all year round. There are numerous tour operators in Cape Town offering the chance to dive with great white sharks, but they can also be arranged from Durban and Rocky Bay too.

Drive The Garden Route 

A 190 mile (300 km) stretch on the south-western coast of South Africa, going from Mossel Bay in the west to Storms River in the east. With stunning scenery, coastal towns and action packed activities along the way, this is a very popular route for self driving in South Africa. Stopping at a luxury safari reserve along the Garden Route is also a great way to break up the drive.

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve

Due to the close proximity to Kruger National Park, it is well worth planning some time to visit here before or after visiting Kruger. The area is also known as the Panorama Route. The canyon is the second largest in Africa and there are two spectacular panoramic viewpoints: God’s Window and Three Rondavels. There are scenic drives and walking trails allowing you to take in the stunning scenery, diverse wildlife and plants and the shimmering rivers. There are many activities available within the park, such as horse riding, white water rafting, biking and boat trips.

Take A Wine Tour

The Cape vineyards, just a half an hour drive outside Cape Town, is the largest wine making region in South Africa and offers stunning mountain views as you enjoy a glass of wine. There are fine dining restaurants or casual bistros, with a huge variety of estates to choose from, many of which also have accommodation. You can visit the wineries independently or take one of the many private organised tours from Cape Town.

Cape Town & The Cape Peninsula

Cape Town is South Africa’s most visited city and its physical setting is phenomenal, intertwined in its most famous landmark, Table Mountain. An hour and a half drive south will take you to Cape Point to see stunning scenery, maritime history and beautiful beaches. Exploring the wineries in the region is also hugely popular and there are plenty to chose from. In the city itself a hike or cable car trip to the top of Table Mountain is a must-do, but there are also many other beautiful places to explore and activities to enjoy within the Table Mountain National Park.

Western Cape

This is the most visited tourist area in South Africa and you can see why with its stunning scenery of mountains and stretches of beaches. Here you will find the Winelands area and the famous Garden Route that extends between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The Whale Coast is also popular, as this is the best area in the country to see whales from the shore, there are couple of coastal towns such as Hermanus. Other less explored areas are Little Karoo and Overburg that take you more inland and away from the coast.

Northern Cape

This is both the largest, but also the least populated province in South Africa and it borders both Namibia and Botswana. The dry desert landscapes cover the majority of the area and it is best known for its natural attractions, such as sand dunes, the Kimberly Big Hole and Namaqualand, which is a desert area transformed into a bloom of flowers in spring. There is also the Augrabies Falls National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The Augrabies Falls National Park has game viewing, hiking trails, the Orange River and the Augrabies Waterfall, with a 56 metre (83 ft) drop. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier joins two national parks, one in South Africa and one in Botswana and it provides excellent game viewing, with amazing black-maned lions.

Mpumalanga

This area’s most famous draw is Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s best game parks, that covers almost 20,000 square kilometres. Kruger is an easy game park to explore yourself on a self-drive and has many well-run rest camps within the parks gates. Another popular, natural attraction is the Panorama Route and the Blyde River Canyon with stunning mountainous scenery and panoramic view points.

KwaZulu-Natal

This diverse province has the bustling, coastal city of Durban, stretches of beaches, the mountainous Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and the iSimangaliso (Greater St Lucia) Wetland Park with coral reefs, coastal forests and woodlands. There is also the opportunity to immerse yourself into the culture of the mighty Zulu African tribe at villages around the province or visit thousands of rock paintings drawn by the San (bushmen) in the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains.

• South Africa has the world’s longest continuous wine route.
• Bloukrans Bridge is the highest commercial bungy jump in the world, at 216 metres (708 ft) high.
• There are 11 official languages in South Africa. They are — English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Venda, Xhosa, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana and Zulu.
• South Africa has 3 official capital cities: Pretoria is the administrative, Bloemfontein the judicial and Cape Town the legislative capital of South Africa.
• There are more than 2,500 shipwrecks off the South African Coast.
• The Vredefort Dome can be found here, which is the largest meteor crater found on earth. It was more than 186 miles (300 km) in diameter when it was formed and is about 2,000 million years old.
• In 1967 the world’s first human heart transplant was performed in a hospital in Cape Town.