The most diverse vacation location in Africa is perhaps South Africa, which is frequently referred to as “a globe in one country.” The stunning landscapes of the nation are made up of rough mountains, dense forests, verdant savannahs, and arid deserts. Below is a list of the top locations to visit in South Africa, while it is impossible to include all of the nation’s assets.
1. Kruger National Park
The most popular safari location in South Africa is Kruger. The most famous park in the nation is a fantastic choice for a Big Five adventure, whether you’re taking a tour or going on a self-drive safari.
Aside from the highly sought-after shortlist of the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant, it is the size of a small country and is home to a large diversity of other creatures as well. Then there are the birds; with more than 500 species known, you can compile a sizable list in a few days.
2. Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Sabi Sands, a private wildlife reserve with open borders to Kruger, is a more expensive yet exhilarating substitute for the national park. The 650km2/250mi2 area of wildness is peppered with chic resorts that provide first-rate service and great cuisine.
Open safari vehicles are used for game drives, and trained guides will travel off-road to arrange up-close encounters with all five of the Big Five animals, including the notoriously reclusive leopard.
3. Cape Town
South Africa’s oldest and most picturesque city is Cape Town. Cape Town is well renowned for its white sand beaches, historic architecture, beautiful vistas, and attractive vineyards. It is encircled by the sea and the picturesque Table Mountain.
4. The Garden Route
The Garden Route is the name given to the 200 km (125 mi) coastline that runs between Mossel Bay and Tsitsikamma. It has beautiful beaches, fantastical woods, breathtaking mountains, meandering rivers, and bird-filled lagoons. It makes sense why it is one of the most visited tourist destinations in South Africa.
5. The Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is linked to some of South Africa’s most stunning natural settings. This is the highest African mountain range south of Kilimanjaro, with a number of its summits rising beyond the 3,000m/9,800ft level.
Some of the best hiking paths in the nation may be found in the enormous wilderness area with its secret valleys, steep gorges, undulating plateaus, and craggy peaks. Despite its natural beauty, the region has been designated a World Heritage Site due to the abundance of San rock murals in hidden caverns.
6. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kgalagadi is a transfrontier park in the Kalahari desert that spans the boundary between South Africa and Botswana. Two old dry riverbeds that cross an infinite expanse of red dunes are the park’s lifelines.
Big cats gather in particularly high numbers when springbok, wildebeest, and gemsbok herds are migrating. The Kalahari lions stand out the most because of their stunning black manes.
- Do you know Where to see lions in Africa?
7. Blyde River Canyon
The Blyde River Canyon is the third-largest riverine gorge in the world, behind the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. It is the biggest “green canyon” and is renowned for its luxuriant greenery and breathtaking beauty.
Take a picturesque drive along the Panorama Highway, stopping at well-known views like the Three Rondavels and Pinnacle Rock, to fully enjoy the huge scope of this natural phenomenon from above. Instead, for a different viewpoint from inside the canyon, check out the interesting Bourke’s Luck Potholes.
8. Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a paleoanthropological site.
A place where more than half of the early hominid fossils discovered worldwide were discovered. The cutting-edge Maropeng Visitors Center is where family-friendly self-guided tours begin.
The 2.5-million-year-old “Mrs. A” skull, the most complete Australopithecus africanus skull ever found, was found in a cavern during a tour of the nearby Sterkfontein Caves. Ples was discovered in 1936.
9. Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands, where there are hundreds of distinct vineyards, are easily accessible as day trips from Cape Town, the most popular city in South Africa. Enjoy stunning mountain views, historic colonial Cape Dutch architecture in stately homes, award-winning dining options, and the chance to sample and purchase some of the nation’s top wines.
10. Mapungubwe National Park
Mapungubwe is located where South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe meet at the confluence of two powerful rivers. The park is a destination of remarkable visual splendor, making it the ideal location for both day and night game drives with its sandstone formations, spectacular baobab trees, and riverine forests.
Yet, the significance of the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape is what has earned the park its place on the World Heritage List. No trip to this location is complete without visiting the renowned Iron Age monument known as “Hill of the Jackals,” which contains the ruins of South Africa’s first monarchy from 900 to 1300 AD.
11. Namaqualand
In the isolated coastal region of South Africa’s Northern Cape, there is a semi-desert called Namaqualand. The region is a biodiversity hotspot with the highest concentration of succulent plants on earth, but most of the time, it doesn’t appear all that amazing to the untrained eye.
The monotonous environment, however, transforms yearly from August to September into a stunning wildflower display with multicolored carpets of daisies, violets, aloes, and other flowers.
12. iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a patchwork of protected areas. Lake St. Lucia, a large estuary densely populated with hippos, crocodiles, and water-associated species like flamingos and pelicans, sits at the center of this diversified region.
South Africa’s diving hotspot is Sodwana Bay, with its stunning coral reefs, and uMkhuze Game Reserve is a perennial favorite with photographers looking for top-notch photographic hides.
