South Africa is country that is full of wonders from its people, natural scenery to its breathtaking view. Also referred to as the Rainbow Nation, is home to everything starting from modern cities to savage wildlife encounters. By the time we have finished this one month’s food trip in this remarkable country, we both vowed that it was one of the most memorable trips of our lives. Our tour started in Cape Town, a place that literally took our breaths away, and then we went along the Garden Route, had a brief stay in Eswatini; and finally arrived at Kruger National Park. We there spent a splendid week all concentrated on the marvelous nature. For those who want to plan their African safari themselves, this guide will describe what places to visit in South Africa are the best, ten of them.
South Africa is not merely a place for wild animals and beautiful natural scenery; it has it all- beautiful sandy beaches, wild animals that are free to roam around, beautiful vineyards, larger than life mountains, interesting museums and galleries, and not forgetting beautiful landscapes. The following are some of the magnificent attractions that will leave you marveled as you plan your trip to the country. Ready to explore?
Traveling Through South Africa: It is My Road Trip.
Getting around South Africa is best done in a rented car because, at your disposal you will be able to move around at will at your own pace. To ensure flexibility, we hired a car at the starting airport which was the Cape Town International Airport and dropped it back to Johannesburg at the end of our trip that was 28 days. They have really Trips themselves flexible that enabled us to have a plan our trip in accordance to what we wanted to do and the amount of time we had.
Our tour was from 11th October to 7th November, thus we witnessed the South African spring. This period is usually considered the best for the visit since it marks the beginning of the dry season. Nevertheless, there were cases of rain on and off in a number of areas. Altogether, several rain showers with sticky roads a little impacted the trip to be made not graphic. Now, let me give you the ten sites I think one must visit in South Africa; despite I had ranked them according to their order of visit and not a preference base ranking.
1. Cape Town: Contrast City
Cape Town at the southernmost point of Africa can truly be described with adjectives likes beautiful and historically rich. Overlooking the Table Mountain and rising up to the seas, Cape Town is one of those places that stays with you. The city lies on a highland that consists of rough terrains, sandy beaches, and the modern city feeling. Cape Town is also a city of duality; while the city has managed to move on from the times of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela’s presidency, one can also easily find remnants evoking the atmosphere of those days.
What cannot escape a visitor’s attention during the three days that we spent in Cape Town is its sheer novelty. We visited some of the important attractions within the city including table mountain that we hiked to the top by cable car. The exposures when at the top more or less entailed great scenes, particularly the one of the city skyline and the shoreline. We also checked on the A&V Waterfront this is a commercial zone of many stores, drinking places and amusement. Some time on the boat to Robben Island was shocking, but at the same time rather informative having in mind that Nelson Mandela spent several years in prison on this island and the island was also used as a isolation zone for lepers.
The other wonderful experience was to hike Lion’s Head which is a mountain usually hiked because it has fabulous view of the city particularly early morning or in the evening. We also liked it at Camps Bay, especially because of the comfortably wide beaches and the rocky attractive nightlife. The Stone Cottage that we booked in Camps Bay was comfortable making our stay and the trip as a whole much more enjoyable.
They are as follows: It is quite fundamental to appreciate Cape Town’s present, it is only possible if one understands the past of this city. We made sure to trail how the South African nation has been affected by Apartheid system and ways in which this has impacted the nation. The museums and structures that are preserved in the city are ideal places to learn on this aspect of the society and its effects to date. For me Cape Town is much more than just a place it is a phenomenal proactive that transforms the way people function.
2. Cape Peninsula: The world became a screen .
Just a few minutes’ drive from Cape Town the Cape Peninsula showcases some of the best scenery on the South African coast. This area of strip of land is situated into the Atlantic Ocean and it is well known for the beautiful view, varied fauna and flora and historical landmarks. The geographical area of the Cape Peninsula offers some of the best opportunities for naturalist interests and activities of various risk.
Another day was spent in the car moving in the peninsula and making several remarkable stops across the distance. We first went to Hout Bay, which is a beautiful fishing town with an equally beautiful harbour. The opening is furnished with immensity of mountains, which would be suitable for photography and to relish sea fresh foods.
Next, we decided to take a drive along Chapman’s Peak Drive this is referred to as one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. It unveils great scenes of the ocean and scarp landscapes for the fanatics of nature. It was the best time, as we pulled over every half an hour to look at the beautiful views and the picturesque that we captured in our camera. The drive was awesome and this had to be one of the most fulfilling parts of the whole holiday.
We were next taken to the Cape of Good Hope, famed as the most southern tip of Africa despite that it is not actually. Though the real cape with that name is Cape Agulhas, Cape of Good Hope is a beautiful attraction with amazing views of the ocean. Just next to it there is another fantastic vantage point located in Cape Point. Next, we went up the lighthouse where we were able to see 360 degrees of the seascape and terrains.
Boulders Beach also proved to be one of my favourites due to the huge number of African penguins. Lewinsky was impressed by how the cute animals move on the sand and in the water of the ocean. We also went to Muizenberg Beach that is characterized by brightly painted changing huts and perfect surfing spots.
The Cape Peninsula is really a natural paradise not only to see natural sceneries but also the fauna. It is a wild uninhabited space where people can have some contact with the primitive side of South Africa while at the same time enjoying the proximity to the urban environment.
3. Discover South Africa’s Winelands
What came as a great surprise was that South Africa has a very vibrant wine making industry. The country has many wine producing regions many of which are appealing in their own way. The best known of these is the area called the Winelands with the focus on the towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. These regions are characterized by scenic views, historical vintners and good wines.
Stellenbosch is fairly academic with tree lined streets filled with cafes and a laid back atmosphere. It is particularly rather useful at the beginning of your wine trip. Some of the tourist attractions included several wineries and all provided the opportunity to have wine tasting sessions of their special wines. Some of the main produced wine varieties include; Pinotage, Chenin blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and among others. As for the wines we were rather impressed with the quality and the variety of wines which many can be regarded as worldwide famous.
Other famous touristic place in the Winelands is called Franschhoek that translates to the French Corner. Thus, the town possesses a French Huguenot legacy in the establishments, food, and vine. This area has vineyards and wineries most of which have tasting rooms and sometimes offer guided tours. The spectacular mode of transport for wine tasting in the region is either by the Franschhoek Wine Tram that is an open-air tram with several stops that comprises different wine farms.
It is also for this reason that one can unequivocally say that the Winelands are not necessarily purely wine regions, but food regions. Most wineries have eating places where they serve great meals that can be accompanied by their wine productions. The food and the wines were exceptionally good, and blended with fabulous views of the Winelands, the place will always remain close to our heart.
4. Hermanus: The Whale Watching Capital.
Hermanus is a small town situated about two hours’ drive away from Cape Town and famous for whale watching. For the southern right whales, from June to November they prefer the warm waters of Walker Bay for courtship and calving. With these big animals, Hermanus has been recognized as one of the finest spots globally to see the creatures.
The tours to watch whales are very popular during the time when whales are present in the area and therefore we prebooked a tour. The trip was on the highlight; watching these giant animals breach and play in the water was quite thrilling. I had very informative discussions with the guides that shared interesting facts about the whales and their protection.
Hermanus is also a superb place of shore-based whale watching even if one is not on a boat. The Cliff Path, Werner Voigt – Hermanus, is 11 km of cliff top path with many view sites and benches where one can safely watch the whales. We saw several whales from the path and sometimes saw a seal and seabirds from the path though it was rare.
Hermanus is also equally blessed with its downtown that houses varieties of art galleries shops and various restaurants qualities. The laid back ambiance and stunning coastal views also make it a great place to visit at any time of the year for any South African tour. And if you are fortunate, you may get to see the hyraxes or the cape hyrax which look like marmots and most of the times are seen taking sun baths on rocks.
5. The Garden Route Surprises
The self-drive is the Garden Route stretch of the South African coast which is rich in the variation of tourism product that spectacular scenery, adventure activities. It usually entails a path that from Mossel Bay and finishes at Port Elizabeth, though many people, including myself, add some extra places like Hermanus. The Garden Route is known for wild coast line, beautiful forests and lively towns.
This trip along the Garden Route can be described as the line full of surprises and interesting events. We sailed to Knysna, a nice town famous for the pretty lagoon and scrumptious oysters. It is more on the rural side and very laid back, however, there are a lot of things to do like taking boat excursions, hiking.
As a part of travelling the guests enjoyed Wilderness National Park where kayaking was combined with hiking. We took a canoe ride on calm water with a lots of trees and then did a trek to a waterfall. It was a place very appropriate for that kind of setting because of the natural scenery and the relatively quiet environment of the park.
We too had a look at the vegetation of the Tsitsikamma National Park which is regarded for its rocky alongshore and extreme features. One of the most populous attractions of the park is the suspension bridge over the Storms River gorge which is quite spectacular to cross. We went for several trails, enjoyed the sea breeze, and realized the beauty of a park in terms of plants and animals.
The Garden Route is a perfect place for lovers of active recreations; there are numerous options for hiking, canoeing, and wild life viewing. Every station that is passed through is therefore distinctive and this makes it a discovery trip of interesting places.
6. Addo Elephant Park: Wildlife Sanctuary
Also well known as the Sundays River Valley, Addo Elephant National Park is a famous wildlife sanctuary situated within a kilometer of the Indian Ocean, a mere hours’ drive from Port Elizabeth. Originally established to protect a small group of elephants, the park is now home to over 500 elephants and a variety of other animals, including the Big Five: big five game are lion, leopard, rhi-no, buffalo, and elephant.
Thus, our trip to Addo was blessed with too many wonderful sightings. Huge families of wild elephants at water sources, buffalos wallowing in the pastures, lions lying down in theervals among others. Bird watching is also popular in the park since there are many birds that one can sight.
I should say that seeing a whole group of wild elephants at a distance and then crossing right in front of the car was certainly one of the exciting moments on the trip. It was a magical feeling and we enjoyed every minute of it so I have to say that all in all we felt rather lucky. Since Addo has well surfaced roads and good viewing platforms, it was not so hard to sight animals that inhabit the area, and the park rangers provide great background information on the animals and the conservation of the park.
But there is much more to it than elephants as hyenas, cheetahs, and zebras can also be seen in Addo. The park has a number of sections that include the Acacia and the Mopane woodlands, the Savannah and the tall grass lands, the Bush veld and the flood plains all of which guarantee abundance of food and natural habitat for the inhabitants.
It was not the only excitement we had in Addo which we encountered outside the wildlifeobservance. Before getting to the park though we had an unplanned for adventure because as we drove, the rains had flooded some of the roads. At one point, we were stuck at a lodge but as soon as the waters subsided, we got back into the car and were more committed than before to tour the park.
7. St. Lucia and iSimangaliso Wetland Park:
Currently, hippos are inhabitants of St. Lucia located on the eastern coast of South Africa and one of the biggest hippo populations is viewed there. These rather interesting creatures can be encountered moving around the town streets and gardens, which in a way really gives the area a very dreamlike feeling. Despite the fact that hippos seem to be quite pace, they are among the most dangerous animals in Africa, so one should not approach them.
If you would like to watch hippos and other wild life, one recommended activity is to take a boat ride on the adjacent estuary. I especially recommend the sunset cruise that we took and it was one of the highlights of our vacation. Pirogue ride offered the opportunity to watch hippos, crocodiles and a variety of birds and all this – with the sun setting in the background.
The next day went for a visit to the iSimangaliso wetlands that was a World Heritage site due to the variety of ecosystems it boasts of. Wetlands, coastal dunes, lakes and grassland areas are also in the park hence acting as home to many species. I visited the park on a car where I saw elephants, zebras, and buffalos and a Rhino. The park’s features diverse terrains and the wildlife richness makes the park ideal for nature lovers.
In iSimangaliso Wetland Park visitors can track birds and animals while driving around or rent a snorkel or visit the beach. The St Lucia Estuary the largest estuarine systems in Africa is found in the park and is well famously known for its fish and bird species. As in all Park and wildlife reserves, the opportunities for discovering by water, by car and on foot are enormous.
8. Kruger National Park: African Safari Paradise.
It will be equally remiss to visit South Africa and not pay a visit to Krugers National Park one of the largest and famous game reserves in Africa. With an area of approximately 19,942 kiometer square, Kruger is the ultimate wildlife destination. It boasts of a wide selection of animals, that is the big five and more than three hundred bird species.
I dedicated a whole week to Kruger and traversing the park with daily road trips and overnight camping in the camps that are provided in the park. Tented camps are situated in the park that is endowed with several roads where visitors can undertake a self drive tour in the park. We had our antlers rise to the occasion of sighting lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo among others like the giraffes, zebras and antelopes.
This lemur trip was extraordinary for me; I especially remember seeing the white lion who is very rare and stunning. I also had very beautiful opportunity to see pride of lions in the evening when they were roaring and is really a great impression. The wildlife of Kruger is simply breathtaking and with the variation of terrains in the park ranging from savanna to rivers one can explore all he wants.
So while Knper is about the animals, it is also about the feel of the environment. The camps and logde which are featured in the park provide a suitable sleeping arrangement because one is able to hear and see the features of African bush. Let it be your first time visiting Kruger or you are a usual traveller this park is a sure bet for an amazing experience.
9. The Panorama Route:
The Panorama Route is perhaps one of the most scenic roads through which one would wish to drive from one point to another in South Africa. This route passes through the Mpumalanga province presenting beautiful sceneries of mountains, waterfalls, and Blyde River Canyon, which is third in the world.
They indeed took their time with the sights on the Panorama Route visiting quite a number of view points and other attractions. The Knubbel, one of the large dome shaped rock structures, was also one of the draws, particularly Three Rondavels which are three rock domes that resemble traditional African huts. The seated persepective was so stunning, I got spectacular scenery of the canyon and the river below it.
Other points of interest are, God’s Window through which a panoramic view of the Lowveld can be seen from and Bourke’s Luck Potholes which are spires of rock carved by the Treur and Blyde rivers. The route also passes several beautiful waterfalls among which Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls are very popular with their attractions.
Our accommodation was in the town of Graskop which is ideally located to explore the Panorama Route. Most inhabitants sit for pancake restaurants and affordable homesteads. Our favourite restaurant was the Glass House restaurant although a little expensive we were privileged to taste good food and meet cordial people.
The Panorama Route is not a simple drive because it incorporates the nature channel of South Africa. The route is a blend of cultural, historical and nature centered attractions meaning it is a perfect addition to any South African tour.
10. Johannesburg
The last place that we visited was Johannesburg – one of the three capitals of South Africa and certainly the largest city of this country. Johannesburg is a city that also has its fair share of both too much to offer in arts, economy and historical background. Despite the general perception of the city as rather unsafe, we did notice that as long as certain measures are taken, one can feel rather safe there and even have a good time for that.
Johannesburg is a bilingual city with a diverse society with a cultural history that is rapidly changing into a ‘world city’. The itinerary for the day was a city tour wherein, we were to go to Soweto, one of the much-famous townships in South Africa. Soweto is the historic and present scene of harsh apartheid repression which involved the killing of scores of black people: the 1976 June Soweto uprising, sharp emphasis on something as tender as education; the ‘black’ city of death, home to the Mandela House Museum, former residence of Nelson Mandela.
We also planned on visiting the Apartheid Museum, it is a crucial place for tourists that want to learn more about South Africa. Alas, when we intended to visit the museum it was closed for the day and a huge storm was brewing in the city. All in all, we had a good time in Johannesburg the accommodation being at The Catalyst in the Sandton area. The hotel also had a very good restaurant where we had a very tasty meal; it was good for us to have a rest after a month of traveling.
Johannesburg is still a city in constant development and new concepts and cultural initiatives appear from year to year. It is a city where one has to be careful, however, at the same time, it is a city of vivacity and innovation. With its awesome markets, up-and-coming suburbs, historical sites and monuments Johannesburg is an unsual and diverse experience.
Final Thoughts
Traveling is always fun and more so if the destination that you are heading is South Africa – a country filled with wonders and stunning beauty. From the dynamism of the cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg through to the countryside scenic views of the Winelands and the Garden Route. The derived culture, geographic beauty and wildlife endow the country with an appealing tourism consumption sphere for the adventurous, the naturalists and cultural tourists at large.
The trip around South Africa left hardly anyone unmoved and was full of discoveries. This included the friendly welcome from the people of the country which is known for its hospitable nature, good food and colourful arts. Regardless of whether you are intending to taking a go through an intense safari experience, going for a ride around the beautiful scenic countryside or opting for a cultural visit, South Africa gives a worthwhile experience.
In perspective, what we have seen in South Africa ought to be embraced given the beauty of this natural blessed country and its special asset, culture and tradition. As a destination, South Africa takes a hold of the spirit and the emotions leaving the visitor with a sense of wonder and of being spiritually moved. That is why, we cannot wait to get back in the country to discover more of it.