Top 10: Reasons to Visit South Africa

1Affordable

During these tough times, who doesn’t want an affordable holiday? In South Africa, you can even afford luxury and have spending money for shopping and other treats!

2Natural beauty

South Africa’s scenic wonders are legendary. From Table Mountain to God’s Window, our mountains, forests, coasts and deserts will sooth your soul and delight you.

3World-class facilities

Whether you opt for Afro-chic or authentic Africa, you’ll find it easy to get around, find a comfortable place to stay, have a great meal, connect.

4Adventure

South Africa is the adventure capital of the world. With over 130 adventures and counting, there is something for everyone from mountain walks to shark cage-diving!

5Good weather

In sunny South Africa, our great weather invites you to enjoy the outdoors, play golf year-round and take advantage of the nearly 3000km coastline…

6Rainbow Nation

The Rainbow Nation celebrates all its African and immigrant cultures. We're known for our friendliness across the country.

7Diverse experiences

Go almost anywhere in South Africa and experience the ultimate combination of nature, wildlife, culture, adventure, heritage and vibe – you’re spoilt for choice, so pack it in!

8Wildlife

Warning! Watching wildlife is addictive. First you start with the Big Five, then you'll soon be looking for whales, penguins, meerkats, wild dogs, birds, dung beetles…

9Freedom Struggle

Discover a nation’s struggle for freedom whilst following the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, Hector Pieterson and many other celebrated revolutionaries.

South Africa’s freedom struggle

The South African freedom struggle is a compelling story of the sacrifices made by the people in overcoming the oppression of colonialism and apartheid. The freedom struggle of South Africa began soon after the arrival of Dutch settlers in 1652 and continued until 1994.

The South African freedom struggle is a fascinating aspect of our history. There are struggle heritage sites all over the country – for example you can follow Nelson Mandela's long walk to freedom or visit where Mahatma Gandhi lived while in South Africa.

The South African freedom struggle began when the KhoiKhoi resisted the establishment of a refreshment station at Table Bay by the Dutch East India Company in 1652. But until January 1912, when the forerunner to the African National Congress (ANC) was established, the battle against growing oppression was localised. And even then it would remain fairly passive until the advent of apartheid in 1948, which ushered in a period of repression infinitely worse than anything experienced before.

At the behest of young activists like Nelson Mandela, the ANC began to change its direction to a mass-based movement intent on liberation from apartheid. Growing resistance culminated in the Sharpeville Massacre in March 1960 in which 69 protestors were killed by police. In panic the government declared a state of emergency and banned the ANC and other liberation movements.

The ANC responded by taking the struggle in South Africa underground and establishing an armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation), which was at the forefront of the freedom struggle. The government, in turn, tightened its repressive measures and attempted to crush the movement, forcing those leaders who were not incarcerated on Robben Island to flee overseas. With the ANC inactive in the country, movements such as the Black Consciousness Movement grew in popularity, particularly among students.

Student involvement in that movement culminated in the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprising. On that day, the youth staged protests against the government's attempts to change the medium of instruction at black schools to Afrikaans. The uprising was violently crushed, with many of the students shot dead by the police. Many who survived left the country to join the struggle. The famous image of a shot Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo during that uprising became the symbol of youth resistance in South Africa.

Meanwhile, the ANC in exile and internal underground structures were able to bring such pressure to bear on the apartheid government during the freedom struggle of South Africa that it unbanned all liberation movements in 1990, freed imprisoned leaders and entered negotiations, which culminated in the first democratic elections being held on 27 April 1994.

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10Responsible Tourism

In South Africa you can travel with care as you explore our protected areas, contribute to social and conservation projects, buy recycle art and stay green.

Responsible tourism in South Africa

South Africa is one of the foremost responsible tourism leaders in the world, with dozens of gorgeous destinations where communities are uplifted and the environment is protected. You’ll return home with a higher awareness of the interconnection between people and the earth. Plus memories of a really great time.

Responsible tourism in South Africa is a marvelous way of making a positive difference through travel. You return home refreshed, carbon-neutral and culturally enriched, with memories to last a lifetime.

Broadly speaking, here are some responsible tourism guidelines:

• Avoid waste and overconsumption
• Use local resources in a sustainable way
• Maintain and encourage natural, social, economic and cultural diversity
• Be sensitive to the host culture
• Involve the local community in planning and decision-making
• Assess the environmental, social and economic impacts before embarking on tourism developments
• Ensure that communities are involved in, and benefit from, tourism.

One of the first environmental issues people think of these days is the impact of the flight. In South Africa you can offset carbon emissions while uplifting communities at the same time, through Food and Trees for Africa. After calculating your carbon footprint via their calculator, your donation will help plant fruit and indigenous trees in schools, clinics and the backyards of impoverished areas.

Another South African responsible tourism initiative allows you to check whether the seafood item you're eyeing on the menu is endangered or not. The South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) gives you the simple option of texting your choice to a mobile number. Within minutes, you'll have your reply. The fish may be labeled ‘green' (feel free to order), ‘orange' (in trouble, but legal to eat) or ‘red' (kindly desist).

Becoming a responsible tourist can also be a matter of choosing the right accommodation. And there are plenty of choices, as you'll find wherever you find the RT icon on this website. Just by staying at these destinations, you can ensure minimal impact on the environment, maximum positive social spinoff, and a feel-good factor all round.

Similarly, responsible voluntourism (or volunteer tourism) is now also underpinned by standards that aim to ensure valuable input by volunteers and tangible benefits for the communities involved. As a volunteer, check that possible programmes adhere to this code. Fair Trade Tourism has an accreditation programme for volunteer projects. A list of accredited programmes is available on its website.

South Africa's environmental tourism initiatives have great social resonance so make use of them if you can..

12 Awesome Things to do in South Africa

We want to give you a round up of the best things to do in South Africa for when you plan your vacation.  If you follow this itinerary, you won't need to go anywhere else in South Africa. From safaris to caves, marine life to scenery, this trip has it all! Enjoy.

Fly into Richards bay and start your journey here.

Renting a car is the best way to take in the full experience of seeing South Africa. It gives you freedom and the chance to meet the people We effortlessly picked up our car from Avis at the airport and started our drive to St. Lucia. A World Heritage Site in the iSimangaliso Wetlands.

1st Stop St. Lucia

We stayed at Umlilo Lodge where we enjoyed our very first Braai dinner with our fantastic hosts. A Braai is South African for Barbeque but for some reason a bbq in South Africa is so much better than a bbq at home.

In St. Lucia there is an amazing amount of choices for excursions.

1. Go on safari in the the Hluhluwe & Imfolozi National Park 

The oldest Game Reserve in South Africa.  Known for it's white and black rhino population, Hluhluwe & Imfolozi have the largest in all of Africa! That's an amazing thing because rhinos are being slaughtered at an astonishing pace. It's good to see that conservation efforts are being put into effect. But we are worried that it is too little too late.

2. Take a River Cruise 

Check out the hippos and crocodiles from the safety of your platoon boat.

Book your tour again with Heritage Tours and Safaris and you'll enjoy enjoy hot chocolate or cider while the hippos stretch and yawn as the sun sets overhead.

3. Kayak with Crocodiles

If you are feeling adventurous, skip the platoon boat and kayak in the river instead. Nothing but fibreglass separates you from the crocodiles below. The water in the estuary is an average of 1 metre deep and with 1200 crocs and 900 hippos you can be sure they are lurking below, even if you don't spot them right away.

4. Horse Safari in the iSimangaliso Wetlands

Nothing feels quite as awesome as having wildebeest and giraffes run beside you and all around you as you sit atop a horse and look on. You feel at one with nature and get closer to the wildlife than you ever expected!

Horse Safari and Tori will show you a great afternoon. 

5. See Turtles Lay their Eggs 

St. Lucia is one of the best places in the world to spot Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles laying their eggs. Your tour begins and 9:00 pm and goes until the wee hours of the morning. You drive right through the iSimangaliso Wetlands and saw rhinos, hippos and the world's smallest lizard. Unfortunately we didn't get to see a turtle hatching, but we did come across many previous nests.

6. Microlight Flight near Durban -

Durban is only 3 hours from St. Lucia and in this thriving city you can swing from the only stadium swing in the world at Moses Mabidha Stadium. If that is a little too much for you, try a microlight flight over the spectacular coastline. This is the closest you'll ever come to flying unless you skydive. Feel the wind whip your face as you watch dolphins and sea turtles swim below. If you time it right, you may be there for the whale migration season! 

7. Canopy Tour

South Africa Canopy Tours has zip lining adventures all around the country. For a beginners zip line adventure, try Tsitsikamma further to the south on the Garden Route. For the Thrill Seekers, stay in Durban and check out Karkloof Canopy Tours. We can 100% say that this was the best canopy tour we've ever taken.

While staying in Durban, the historical Oyster Box hotel is spectacular accommodations. Located right on the Indian Ocean in the heart of the bustling town of Umhlanga, you are close enough to all the attractions but quiet enough to enjoy a proper relaxing vacation. With swimming pools, spas, gymnasium, restaurants and cafés, it is a resort to definitely spend time in.

A Safari is at the top of things to do in South Africa

8. Safari on the Garden Route

A person can't go to South Africa without going on safari. That is unless it is 2008 and you are Dave and Deb. Can you believe we didn't see the big 5 until 4 years later? In South Africa you have an excellent chance of spotting the big 5 animals while on safari and so much more! Along the Garden Route there are many private lodges to choose from and we stayed at the spectacular Kariega Game Reserve.

9. Adventure in the Cango Caves 

The Cango Caves are the oldest tourist attraction in South Africa and one of the best cave systems we've ever visited. The standard tour is an easy and beautiful walk through massive chambers, but if you are up for the challenge, take the adventure tour. The adventure tour takes you through narrow passageways with openings as small as 26 centimetres. Not for the faint of heart, but great bragging rights after the fact.

10 Ride an Ostrich  

It is the zaniest thing we've ever done. I mean, who rides an ostrich? But when in South Africa, it is a must. Ostrich are not an endangered animal and if you visit the Cango Ostrich Farm, you'll learn about how ostriches are raised, what they are used for and you be able to get up close and personal with the largest bird on earth. To ride an ostrich you have to weigh less than 65 kilos, so for the men out there who really want do ride one, go on a diet now! If not, the lady in your life will be able to hop on board and you have an embarrassing video to last a lifetime.

11.Dive with Great White Sharks 

Our Number 1 Choice for things to do in South Africa is Cage Diving with Great White Sharks! We have seen it on Shark Week, we've watched it on National Geographic and here we are doing it in South Africa. Anyone can cage dive. You don't need to be a certified diver, heck you barely even need to know how to swim.

You are in a cage attached to the side of a boat. It's the easiest diving we've ever done, but it is also by far the most exciting. Imagine having a great white shark bump the cage you are standing in. Watch it breach over and over again as it jumps after the fish head used as bait to attract the shark. Sharks are an endangered species and the more people understand the shark and learn to love them rather than fear them, the better off the entire ecosystem will be.

12. Do everything you can in Cape Town

Cape Town is one of those amazing cities where you find yourself saying "I could live here!" It's beautiful, it's filled with culture and modern living, it has everything from markets to boutiques and it has adventure. There is paragliding off Lions Head and Abseilling (rappelling) off Table Mountain. Unfortunately we had high winds durin our time in Cape Town and both activities were cancelled for three days straight, but it gives us all the more reason to go back! Just because we missed out on jumping off mountains, doesn't mean we didn't have fun! We went sandboarding at the dunes and enjoyed the V&A Waterfront to the fullest. There is so much to do in and near Cape Town.

So there you have it! This itinerary should keep you busy! Sure there is a lot more to do in South Africa, but if you follow this route, you'll go away feeling like you experienced everything the country has to offer. We had the perfect blend of local hospitality, world class wildlife viewing, enjoying everything from luxury accommodation to quiet family run operations, fine dining, incredible adventures and spectacular sunsets.

What you Didn't Know about the Wildebeest Migration

Say the 'Wildebeest Migration' and most travellers picture hundreds of thousands of grunting gnu and elegant zebra, braving predators and charging into croc-infested rivers in an ancient cycle, often literally covering the vast plains as far as the eye can see... This is what most of us think we know about the Migration, one of Africa’s truly wondrous natural spectacles. And while you'd be perfectly correct in leaping to these mental images, the event involves a whole lot more wildebeest than you can shake a traditional fly switch at! The heaving herds do fill the plains, often to the horizon, and they do make thrilling crossings of rivers like the Mara and Grumeti, but here are a few little-known facts from travellers who've witnessed the spectacle first-hand. #1. The Migration is predictable – except when it’s not The animals – wildebeest and zebra – are triggered to move by one simple meteorological phenomenon: rain. InEast Africa, the ‘long rains’ generally soak the ground in April and May (this means camps are often closed because the roads turn into impenetrable, tyre-sucking mud). Once the soft, soaking rains stop, the so-called ‘short grass plains’ of the southern Serengeti spring to life with masses of sweet, delicious grass. This is the signal for wildebeest and zebra, who have returned here from the previous year’s Migration to start moving north, hoovering up the abundant tender grasses along the way. By the way, wildebeest and zebra travel together and graze in perfect harmony because they eat different parts of the grasses. By July, the herds ought to reach the northern Serengeti, ready to perform thrilling river crossings into the Masai Mara. Broadly speaking, this is exactly how it works… except when the rains are late… or early… or if it rains again unexpectedly and some or all of the herds turn back to the feast on the fresh new grasses. In 2014, for instance, the rains were considered ‘early’ and thus the whole schedule was slightly out of kilter, and the animals were arriving far north much earlier than 'usual'. Then, suddenly, it rained again and they turned back. The point is, like so much in nature, it’s safest to throw off the idea of a firm schedule when it comes to the Migration and stay flexible and informed by those in the know.  #2. The animals leap blindly and madly into the water – except when they don’t River crossings are considered the highlight of the spectacle: few other sights beat them for sheer drama and adrenalin value. Will crocodiles snatch the courageous wildebeest that leaps in first? Will the animals be able to scramble up the increasingly treacherous and slippery river bank? Will weak or injured wildebeest be able to swim across at all? Popular perception is that the wildebeest are galloping along at top speed and just crash into the water, following a sort of autopilot herd instinct. This isn’t the case at all. Often, a herd will reach the river at a casual, leisurely pace… and then hang out on its banks for days, frustrating the crocs and tourists alike. No-one knows how and why they suddenly decide to cross but some sort of primeval signal is given and the first intrepid pioneers scuttle down the often very steep sides and rocky banks. You will naturally be rooting for these brave forerunners, and witness the heart-breaking moments when an animal breaks a hind leg trying to climb a bank or loses its precarious grip and falls back down onto others, injuring them all. This is what makes the Migration a true spectacle - the ecstasy and the agony of survival, unedited, unfiltered, in raw true life. Predicting river crossings is one of Africa’s most inexact sciences: you can be in the ‘right place at the right time’ but until the wildebeest decide they are ready, nobody gets wet. #3. The Migration is full of adorable baby gnus and zebras – so cute! The calving season usually begins at the end of January and the first two weeks of February are considered peak birth season (about 400 000 births happen in an intense 3-week period). Because the babies can run as fast as their moms within 48 hours, there are very touching scenes of tiny wildebeest speeding along and of zebras nuzzling their foals. But be warned: no aspect of the Migration is for the squeamish. Predators feast on newborns and you'll likely witness scenes of fawns being run down by cheetah or snatched by lions. The pressure of predators is one of the reasons why nearly half a million of them are born so close together - it is nature's numbers game, and while many become the prey that sustains lion prides, enough survive to secure the future of the great herds. It may be a well-worn cliché but the Wildebeest Migration is truly what ‘the circle of life’ is all about. #4. A million wildebeest on the move together, in one group Yes, it’s a million gnu on the move but they don’t travel all together all the time, or half the group would starve. They split into what are known as ‘mega herds’, which consist of thousands and thousands of individuals travelling on slightly different routes in more or less the same direction. After the rut, which is mating season, those that did not mate often break away from the others and form their own herd that travels through the Seronera Valley. Members of mega-herds can be quite spread out, with the forerunners arriving at a new place sometimes a day or two ahead of the stragglers – a kind of an early warning system for guides. Say the 'Wildebeest Migration' and most travellers picture hundreds of thousands of grunting gnu and elegant zebra, braving predators and charging into croc-infested rivers in an ancient cycle, often literally covering the vast plains as far as the eye can see... This is what most of us think we know about the Migration, one of Africa’s truly wondrous natural spectacles. And while you'd be perfectly correct in leaping to these mental images, the event involves a whole lot more wildebeest than you can shake a traditional fly switch at! The heaving herds do fill the plains, often to the horizon, and they do make thrilling crossings of rivers like the Mara and Grumeti, but here are a few little-known facts from travellers who've witnessed the spectacle first-hand. Lemala Kuria Hills Lodge is close to the Mara River - a superb location when the herds cross.

Discover beautiful Mpumalanga on the Panorama Route

When you’re exploring a country, there’s something grand about finding that one viewpoint on the side of the road to brighten your day and broaden your horizons. What if we told you that there is a place in South Africa where you can find the most spectacular views imaginable around every corner. Welcome to the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga.

With one breath-taking view after another, our famous Panorama Route is filled with mountains, sky, forests and the truly impressive Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window.

Here are some of the magnificent attractions that you can expect to find along the Panorama Route:

Graskop

As a gateway to the route, this charming mountain town is a good place to set up base. Originally founded in 1880 as a gold mining camp, this town has an altitude of 1,400 metres above sea level. It is now a popular tourist destination and is renowned for its pancake bars and curio shops.

God’s Window

First stop is a little peak through God’s Window – a divine experience to say the least. With more than a few views to offer along the trail, if you want to soak up the soul of Africa this is the place to do it. There’s no greater way to gain some perspective.

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Blyde River Canyon

As one of the largest canyons on the planet, this is a spectacular sight to behold. Some say that it may even be the largest green canyon with all its lush and unspoiled vegetation.  

Three Rondavels

Along the Panorama Route you’ll come across three round mountain tops with slightly pointed tops. These are in the likeness of traditional round or oval African homesteads known as Rondavels.  

Bourke’s Luck Potholes

Next up you’ll find a true natural wonder. Bourke’s Luck Potholes is a tapestry that nature has painted with water over hundreds of years. Here the river has carved out a dramatic and intricate series of natural rock formations and pools that will leave you in awe.

Pilgrim’s Rest

Take a trip back in time and enter the museum town of Pilgrim’s Rest. It was here that gold was first discovered in South Africa. Walk in the footsteps of old gold prospectors and pioneer your way through history.

Waterfalls

There are eight waterfalls that you can visit on and around the Panorama Route. They are blissful as they are glorious and including Mac Mac Falls, Berlin Falls, Lisbon Falls to name a few. 

Berlin Falls