Regions: South Africa,
Southern Africa

Spectacular scenery, beautiful beaches, rolling vineyards, and a vibrantly rich culture and history, Cape Town is undoubtedly one of the gems in South Africa’s crown. Defined by the iconic Table Mountain, whose majestic backdrop was recently named one of the natural wonders of the modern world, and caressed on either side by two oceans, this energetic city never fails to deliver.

Crafted by Mother Nature herself, life in Cape Town is all about the outdoors and there are countless activities to get out and about and enjoy. Climb up Lion’s Head at dawn, take a ferry trip across the bay to Robben Island, or swim with penguins on Boulders Beach en route to Cape Point. For something more relaxed, sip wine on a historic farm in Constantia, enjoy a picnic at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, or spend a day on one of the beautiful blue flag beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton.

The city is a gourmet’s delight with a vast selection of restaurants, trendy beach cafés and cocktail bars, with some of the world’s finest wine farms a short, scenic drive away.

Breathtaking natural scenery, rugged mountainscapes, and fertile valleys filled with orchards and vineyards are the home of the Cape Winelands, one of the Cape’s most beautiful regions.

Pink-hued mountains tower over patch-worked valleys of undulating vineyards that produce some of the finest wines in the world. Steeped in tradition with a rich history and culture, this magnificent area is a cosmopolitan hotspot for fine wining and dining.

Begin your Winelands ramble in Paarl, renowned for its haunting scenic beauty and deep viticulture and fruit-growing heritage before meandering through majestic mountain backdrops to the Francophile village of Franschhoek. Originally founded by the French Huguenots after their exodus to Africa, this little French corner is lovingly known today as the ‘Food and Wine Capital of the Cape’, producing superb wines and French-inspired cuisine.

Visit the oak-lined streets of Stellenbosch, the heart of the wine industry and one of South Africa’s oldest and prettiest university towns, or venture further afield to the less well-known areas, such as Ceres, Elgin, McGregor, and Montagu, all famed for their award-winning wines.

You cannot help but be seduced by the glorious natural beauty of the Cape’s famous Garden Route. Stretching from Cape Town past the towns of George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay along the coast towards Port Elizabeth, beautiful beaches, picturesque lagoons and lakes, rolling hills and majestic mountains make up the breath-taking scenery of this magnificent coastline.

Ancient indigenous forests line the coast from Wilderness to Knysna where you can enjoy adventure trails and hiking, river canoeing, or sliding through the tree canopy. Visit a six hundred-year-old yellowwood tree or spot one of the few remaining Knysna elephants.

Beautiful beaches and secluded bays such as Hermanus and Stilbaai dot the rugged coastline, where southern right whales come in to calve and play, while a lush and fertile area of greenery runs up into the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, offering wonderful hiking trails, bird watching and mountain hideaways. Inland, the town of Oudtshoorn rests in a semi-arid valley and is home to the famous Cango Caves and thousands of ostriches, which are farmed here on a grand scale.

Boasting miles of golden shores lapped by the warm Indian Ocean, a subtropical climate with endless sunny days and warm evenings, and a rich multi-cultured society that played a vital role in shaping the modern Rainbow Nation, Kwa-Zulu Natal is one of South Africa’s most vibrant provinces.

Also known as The Zulu Kingdom, this spectacular region is steeped in history and home to an array of attractions that are not to be missed on a visit to South Africa. From the World Heritage Sites of the coastal iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the mountainous 'Barrier of Spears', to the gateway city of Durban, whose pulsating and inviting fusion of east and west overlooks Africa's busiest seaport and the expansive golden beaches interspersed with idyllic getaway coves of the South Coast - Kwa-Zulu begs to be explored.

With an unparalleled, airbrushed beauty that has inspired a million picture-postcards, the Drakensberg Mountain Range is home to some of South Africa’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Forming the boundary between South Africa and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the jagged sweep of basalt summits and buttresses have long attracted visitors and adventurers from around the world to take in its spectacular vistas.

Aptly named 'uKhahlamba’, meaning ‘Barrier of Spears’ by the Zulu, morning mists swirl around the towering mountain peaks and through the cool yellowwood forests that teem with wildlife. In summer, dramatic mountain storms crash around the peaks, while in winter, the snow-capped heights are picture-postcard perfect in their serene beauty. Herds of eland and smaller antelope make their way across sandstone-flanked valleys, baboons bark in the distance and black eagles and bearded vultures soar between the towering basalt cliffs.

Tumbling mountain streams and cascading waterfalls can be found in the World Heritage Site of the uKhahlamba - Drakensberg Park, where a myriad caves and overhangs protect an amazing cultural legacy of ancient rock art painted by Southern Africa’s earliest inhabitants, the San Bushmen.

Spanning almost two-million hectares and home to over 1,000 different species of animals and birds, the Kruger National Park is the pride of South Africa. Famed for its size, conservation history, wildlife diversity, and ease of access, this incredible park is a true haven for Africa’s magnificent fauna and flora.

Watch the drama of life and death in Africa play out daily in the most beautiful of landscapes. Rugged bushveld, dense woodlands, and rolling grasslands merge into one another to create an idyllic and untamed wilderness for the wildlife that live here.

Accommodation in the Kruger National Park ranges from the rustic to the regal, with public campsites and lodges, private concessions and luxurious suites offering something to suit all tastes and budgets. Head into the wild on a guided game drive with some of the best guides Africa has to offer or take your time on a self-drive through the park and soak up the surroundings.

After an unforgettable day of game viewing, relax with a sundowner and toast the setting African sun – the Kruger National Park is Africa at its best.

Covering an area of 75,000 hectares, Madikwe is the fifth largest game reserve in South Africa and the largest and best malaria free reserve in the entire continent. It is situated about four hours northwest of Johannesburg, bordering Botswana and occupies an interesting transition between the Lowveld and Kalahari thornveld. The setting is one of open grassy plains and rivers with riverine forest, other woodland and hill country. Within the reserve, massive granite inselbergs give Madikwe its unique scenic character while to the south are the spectacular ranges of the Dwarfsberg Mountains.

Owing to its location on the transition zone, Madikwe has a particularly wide range of wildlife including 66 mammal species and the second largest population of elephant in South Africa. All the Big Five are present – buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros (both black and white) – plus a wide variety of plains game, including antelope, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe as well as the endangered wild dog.

There are also many fascinating smaller creatures such as families of baboon, warthog, jackal and, as you go further north and the scenery becomes drier some desert adapted species are also present such as bat eared fox. Madikwe is also excellent for birding and around 350 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve.