Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the first person to call South Africa the "Rainbow Nation”. It’s a reflection on the fascinating diversity of this country, not only in the identities of its people but in the landscapes, wildlife, cultures, and activities it offers. South Africa is a country which, because of its variety, can be all things to all people, truly a rainbow of varied opportunities and experiences.
The rainbow is a fitting metaphor for contemporary South Africa. Post-apartheid, people of incredibly diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions share the country, living side by side. It is hard to imagine cities more cosmopolitan than the likes of Cape Town and Johannesburg. Cape Town in particular is a place of rich history, shaped over the centuries by the Dutch East India Company, British rule, and then, since 1910, by the South African people themselves. We love this city because of the way the manmade urban landscape nestles between the cliffs of Table Mountain and the waters and beaches of Table Bay. It also has a diverse architectural heritage found in the Cape Dutch buildings, V&A Waterfront, and around the Grand Parade.
South Africa doesn’t just have major contrasts within its cities: there is also fantastic variation between the provinces. It is hard to believe that the peaks and canyons of the Drakensberg Mountains, the wild Indian Ocean coastline of KwaZulu Natal, the malaria-free reserves of the Waterberg, and the historic vineyards and towns around Stellenbosch are all within a single country. And you can combine them easily in a single trip! Whatever your interests, whatever your tastes, it is a destination which will exceed every expectation.