There are a wealth of things to do in South Africa besides experience a safari, including visiting the picturesque Hermanus and the Drakensberg Mountains.
If it is your first time to South Africa, Cape Town and the Winelands are a great start where you can explore the excellent restaurants and boutique hotels of the Western Cape. For the history-buff, a trip to KwaZulu Natal and the Battlefields of the Anglo-Zulu War are a must! Meanwhile, the Garden Route calls to those after a huge dose of glorious natural beauty. Take your pick below:
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With a fabulous location on Table Bay the city has the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain and is home to superb restaurants and hotels.
There is no better place to go wine tasting in South Africa than in the Winelands. However, you don’t need to like wine to enjoy the stunning area. People go there for the picturesque scenery, the superb restaurants, and the chic boutique hotels.
The picturesque seaside town of Hermanus is located two hours drive from Cape Town. Home to the best land based whale watching in the world, Hermanus is a popular addition to Cape Town and the Winelands.
Known for its spectacular coastline, the Garden Route lies along South Africa’s southern coast. Seaside towns and forest trails see the Garden Route as the most popular self-drive region of the country.
The Battlefields are situated in the north-central region of KwaZulu-Natal and include the towns of Colenso, Ladysmith, Dundee and Vryheid.
Situated not far from Durban on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, Umhlanga is a charming spot from which to head out to the Battlefields, the Drakensberg, Phinda Private Game Reserve, and iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The KwaZulu Natal coast offers world class diving, wild beaches and a number of marine reserves and coastal forests.
The Drakensberg Mountains are the highest mountain range in South Africa. Famous for the rock formation known as the 'Amphitheatre' this is a great walking and exploring area of stunning natural beauty.
Johannesburg, also known as eGoli – the city of gold –, is the beating heart of South Africa. It ranks as the second largest city on the continent and serves as the major transport hub for the region.
The Panorama Region stretches spectacularly along the far eastern reaches of the Drakensberg Mountains. As its name suggests, the area offers frame after frame of amazing views – vast canyons, majestic rocks, and beautiful waterfalls.
Named ‘Bahia Formosa’ – ‘beautiful bay’ – by an early Portuguese navigator, Plettenberg Bay is one of our favorite stops along the Garden Route!
The beautiful private nature reserve of Grootbos is situated in South Africa’s Western Cape. Travelers opting to self-drive can enjoy a very scenic coastal route!
The town of Knysna, in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, is a popular stop along the Garden Route!
Oudtshoorn is the largest town in the region of Little Karoo, which is found within South Africa’s Western Cape province. It is famous for being the ostrich capital of the world!
Boasting an excellent assortment of wildlife amidst beautiful scenery, Makuleke Contractual Park is well worth considering for your next safari vacation!
The ancient coastal dunes of De Hoop Nature Reserve are absolutely spectacular and offer a superb stop to or from Cape Town, and along the Garden Route.
In Zulu, iSimangaliso means ‘something wondrous’, and the park’s combination of bush and beach does seem miraculous! Offering Big Five game and access to the east coast for watersports and whale watching, iSimangaliso is a dream destination.
