Africa
Asia
Caribbean
Central America
Europe
Middle East
North America
Pacific
South America
South Africa offers everything from ostrich riding to the world's highest bungee jump. Excellent hiking trails, wildlife safaris, surfing and hang-gliding take advantage of the incredible landscape. Bird-watchers and flower sniffers love it here too, and South Africans have taken to mountain biking in such a big way that you'll find trails almost everywhere.
Named after the Khoisan word for 'a wet place', the Cango Caves are heavily commercialised but still impressive. There's a choice of tours on offer, although it's fun to choose one of the longer tours which can involve crawling through tight spaces; the claustrophobic or unfit may wish to opt for a gentler excursion.
(30km N of Oudtshoorn)
www.cangocaves.co.za/intro.htm tel info 044 2727410
| full | Rand 50.00 |
| concession | Rand 27.00 |
This national park is near the Zuurberg Range in the Sundays River Valley. There are hundreds of elephants in the park and you'd be unlucky not to see some. They are the remnants of the herds that once roamed the Eastern Cape. Be aware that the park closes if there has been heavy rain, as the dirt roads can become impassable; call ahead if in doubt.
(park is signposted from the N2)
www.sanparks.org tel info 042 2230556
car
| full | Rand 80.00 |
| child | Rand 40.00 |
The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is one of South Africa's scenic highlights, featuring the awesome viewpoints of Wonder View and God's Window. Once you could park quietly and enjoy the views at the lookouts; now there are entry gates and a battery of souvenir sellers. While most visitors drive, it's worth exploring the impressive rock formations and rainforest on foot if you have time.
(N of Graskop)
car
Covering an area about twice the size of Kruger, and described as semi-desert, this park is hauntingly beautiful, with large populations of birds, reptiles, rodents, small mammals and antelopes. Aim to visit in June and July when the days are coolest and the animals have been drawn to the bores along the dry river beds.
(385km (239mi) N of Upington)
www.sanparks.org tel info 054 5610021
car
| full | Rand 120.00 |
| child | Rand 60.00 |
As well as being one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world, Kruger National Park is among the biggest and the oldest - it turned 100 in 1998. You can see the 'big five' here (lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos) as well as cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, all sorts of antelope species and smaller animals.
Although most people will have seen African animals in zoos, it is impossible to exaggerate how extraordinary and completely different it is to see these animals in their natural environment. That said, Kruger is not quite a wilderness experience: it's highly developed, organised, accessible and popular.
The main entry points to the park are through the towns of Skukuza and Nelspruit, both about a day's drive from Johannesburg. Accommodation is usually in well-managed huts run by the National Parks Board. Facilities vary from communal and basic to private and swish.
in Mpumalanga Province
www.parks-sa.co.za 012 428 9111
car
| full | Rand 120.00 |
| child | Rand 60.00 |
This stretch of Eastern Cape coast, a graveyard for numerous ships, is largely unspoilt. There are a couple of resort towns and the inevitable casino, but it's easy to get away from it all. The Shipwreck Hiking Trail extends for 64km (38mi), but there are several entry and exit points for hikers.
This is one of the few walking areas in South Africa where you can set your own pace, camp more or less where you choose and light fires (providing they are on sand and well away from vegetation). Those who make the effort are amply rewarded.
The rewards include wild, unspoilt surf beaches, rich coastal vegetation, beautiful estuaries and diverse birdlife. Try not to burn it all down. East London and Port Elizabeth are the main entry points to this area.
In this beautiful city even transient visitors can't help but devote a few million brain cells to storing images of its grandeur: its striking Table Mountain backdrop, its glorious beaches and enchanting vineyards, its rugged landscapes and its strange and wonderful plants and animals.
Cape Town is famed for its hospitality: its mix of trendy establishments matches up favourably any other cosmopolitan centre. There's a lively cultural scene, particularly when it comes to music, which seems to pervade every corner of the city. The general ambience is open-minded and relaxed.
South Africa's parliamentary capital, Cape Town works as a city in a way that so few on the African continent do. Historic buildings have been saved, businesses are booming, crime is coming under control and you'll seldom be stuck for a parking space. Factor back in those stunning mountains and magnificent surf beaches and you'll soon discover - like many before you - that it's easy to lose track of time while exploring this unique Southern African city.
A city of astonishing contrasts, a huge metropolis where opulent wealth and desperate poverty live side by side, Johannesburg is the intriguing, dynamic heart of this turbulent country. If you want to see the real South Africa - and try to understand it - Jo'burg has to be on your itinerary.
Jo'burg, Jozi, eGoli or 'the city of gold' (never Johannesburg) is by far the largest city in South Africa. It's brash, fast-growing and often ugly, but it has got wealth, energy and a beautiful climate. If you take reasonable precautions and listen to the locals, you can enjoy it in safety.
While the racial divide is still alive and well, you stand a better chance of meeting black Africans on relatively equal terms in Jo'burg than almost anywhere else. Unlike many South African cities where there are so few black faces you could forget that you are in Africa, the centre of Jo'burg has been reclaimed and the sidewalks are jammed with black hawkers and stalls of every description. There's also a growing multi-racial music and theatre scene.
Public holidays underwent a dramatic shake-up after the 1994 elections. For example, the Day of the Vow, an Afrikaner religious holiday remembering the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at Blood River in 1838, has become the Day of Reconciliation (16 December). The officially ignored but widely observed Soweto Day, marking the student uprisings that eventually led to liberation, is now celebrated as Youth Day (16 June). Human Rights Day is held on the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre (21 March).
The Festival of the Arts transforms Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape each July. As well as mainstream art, opera and theatre, there are fringe and student components to the festival, including theatre performed in many of the languages spoken in South Africa. The big Arts Alive Festival is held in Johannesburg in September and October. This is a great time to hear excellent music, on and off the official programme. There are also a lot of workshops exposing South Africans (and visitors) to the continent's rich cultures, so long denigrated during the apartheid years. The immensely popular Pretoria Show is held during the third week of August.
Apartheid-induced cultural boycotts starved South Africa's mad sports fans - and competitors - of competition. Any international cricket or rugby game is therefore a big event.
