South Africa, the Rainbow Nation. has much to offer for a fantastic holiday - from wildlife spotting on safari to exploring lush vineyards and immersing yourself in city life, there's a new discovery to be made around every corner. Steeped in history and home to some of the world's most breathtaking, undisturbed natural beauty spots including the famous Kruger National Park and Table Mountain. Take a relaxed road trip along the Garden Route, go whale watching in Cape Town or ride the rails on the Blue Train or Rovos Rail. Visit farmsteads and the valleys of the Winelands for a truly authentic African adventure.
Our holiday suggestions include self-drive and small group tours and are just a small sample of what we can offer. We have a range of accommodation options from boutique hotels and inns to safari lodges and luxury properties. Call us for further details or to discuss your trip.
SOUTH AFRICA REGIONS
WESTERN CAPE
Cape Town - South Africa's second-largest city ranks among the most beautiful in the world. With its larger-than-life mountain overlooking the City Bowl, harbour, white beaches and Robben Island beyond, this is a tourists' playground. Two World Heritage Sites, the sprawling Winelands, nature reserves, botanic gardens and a buzzing waterfront are just the start of the adventure.
Ride the Cableway to the top of Table Mountain, a New7Wonder of Nature; take a boat trip to Robben Island, where world-renowned humanitarian Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years; head to the stunning beaches during the hot summer (November to February) months; sip and sample your way around the V&A Waterfront; and take a drive to Simon’s Town, where a breeding colony of African penguins lives on Boulders Beach.
The Winelands
Franschhoek - Tucked away in the Groot Drakenstein Mountains, the Franschhoek Wine Route is considered South Africa’s gourmet capital. Franschhoek translates to French corner, and the entire region has hints of its historical beginnings. You will experience a pervasive French influence in the wine making, dining, art and design. If you love food and adore luxury, then this is the place for you.
Stellenbosch lies between the impressive Simonsberg Mountains and the more modest Papegaaiberg (Parrot Mountain) and is a beautiful university town with oak tree-lined streets, students whizzing by whitewashed Cape Dutch origin buildings on their bicycles. With its many sidewalk cafes and restaurants, it's an idyllic setting to explore on foot. Many leading wine estates are located here, and it is home to some of the best restaurants in the country.
Hermanus and the whale coast - The coastal town of Hermanus is a delightful mix of old and new, with shopping, art galleries, and museums lining its narrow streets. Synonymous with shore-based whale watching, southern right whales start arriving in Walker Bay from June and remain until December. The Hermanus Whale Festival takes place in late September or early October. The town's mountainous backdrop declines steeply to a rugged shoreline, characterised by deep bays alternating with stark white beaches ideal for walking, surfing and for families.
The Cederberg Mountains - The Cederberg mountains are noted for their dramatic, wind-carved sandstone formations as well as San rock paintings. The area offers plenty of space and tranquillity, as well as activities ranging from rock climbing, to swimming in rock pools, visiting a rooibos tea farm and viewing ancient San rock paintings. Keep a look out for dassies in rocky areas, small antelope like klipspringers and reedbuck, and mountain zebras as well as leopards and caracal.
The Cape Peninsula - Chapman’s Peak Drive on the Atlantic Coast, between Hout Bay and Noordhoek in the Cape Peninsula, is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world. This rocky coastal roadway offers panoramic views across the deep-blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean where whales and dolphins can be spotted. Make stops at the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, and Simon's Town and get up close to penguins at Boulders Beach.
THE GARDEN ROUTE & EASTERN CAPE
The Garden Route - Running up the south-east coast the aptly named Garden Route, incorporates Mossel Bay, Sedgefield, George, Wilderness, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna. It’s a veritable Eden, edge-to edge in beaches, lakes, lagoons and forests, mixed with magnificent golf estates and cultural attractions and sprinkled liberally with thrills like bungee jumping, deep-sea fishing and sea kayaking. Enjoy ocean encounters and ecological adventures at Plettenberg Bay with miles of sparkling beaches seated next to the green swathes of polo fields. Here you can view bottlenose and the rare Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, as well as some shark species. From Arch Rock you head into the middle of the Bay where pelagic seabirds are normally to be found some 7km from the shore. Out there our resident Bryde's whales may be seen, as well as common dolphins, or southern right and humpback whales in season.
The Overberg - With such a diverse range of natural scenery, the Overberg region in Western Cape is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream destination. The expanse of ocean, the towering mountains surrounding the fertile plain, the colourful flowers and dense fynbos – with contrasting ‘strandveld’ succulents on the beach dunes – all set the perfect scene for an unforgettable hike. The Overberg is widely regarded as the world’s best location for land-based whale watching, too – seeing these ocean giants breaching while strolling along the beach will make your day.
OUDTSHOORN & KLEIN KAROO
The Klein Karoo and Central Karoo - Despite the dryness of the Klein Karoo and Central Karoo, under these infinite skies there’s much archaeology, wildlife, architecture and some of the most impressive mountain passes. The Cango Caves outside Oudtshoorn drip with stalagtites and stalagmites, while the ostrich palaces located on farms have retained their yesteryear elegance.
The Wild Coast - stretches along the Eastern Cape Province's northern coastline, through the former Transkei region. As its name suggests this strip of coastline is an untamed wilderness with dramatic views of jagged cliffs, sheltered bays, wild beaches and rolling hills and valleys. This is a hikers' paradise that can also be enjoyed on horseback. The Wild Coast is also known for its shipwrecks, a legacy of its wild and tempestuous nature. Nearby wildlife reserves include Addo, Shamwari and Kwandwe and are malaria free.
KWAZULU NATAL
Durban - With warm weather all year round, Durban offers a relaxed, outdoor lifestyle with beaches, barbecues, seafood and curry restaurants, clubs and upmarket accommodation. Also known as 'Surf City', Durban is renowned for its magnificent beaches, which stretch along the city's beachfront from Durban harbour in the south to the upmarket suburb of Umhlanga in the north. Activities include deep-sea fishin, dolphin viewing, jet-skiing, quad biking, scuba diving, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, boat cruises and much more.
The Battlefields - The KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields area bears testament to the ferocious wars between the British, Boers and mighty Zulu nation that took place here over 70 years ago. Visit the sites and hear the chilling stories of some of the world’s bloodiest battles, including the Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. There are a number of self-drive routes that take in the battle sites, historical buildings, museums, memorials and graveyards from a bygone era. You can also stop off at the Anglo-Boer War sites around Ladysmith, Colenso, Estcourt, Newcastle and Spioenkop, where some of the fiercest battles of this war occurred.
The Drakensberg Mountains - The spectacular and ancient uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountain range is Southern Africa's highest range, peaking at 3,475m and stretching for more than 1,000km from north-east to south-west. This UNESCO World Heritage site is renowned for its well-preserved San rock-art sites – memoirs of the history and spiritual beliefs of South Africa’s earliest indigenous inhabitants. The area’s valleys and rivers give rise to numerous activities including trout fishing, kayaking, tubing, swimming, 4x4 trails, quad biking, horse riding, photography, bird watching, rambling and rock climbing. More than 300 bird species recorded here range from the tiny greater double-collared sunbird to large raptors like the eagle, buzzard and vulture.
Kruger National Park - One of the best places in the world to experience the Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo and rhino. South Africa’s first and most famous national park continues to deliver. It offers a vast game population, as well as a over 500 species of bird. Visitors have a choice between staying in the national park itself, or in one of the private reserves that share unfenced borders with the Kruger. Kruger offers award-winning accommodation, and some of Africa's best trackers and guides, ready to take you on Big 5 game drives and thrilling walking safaris.
For genuine exclusivity, low visitor numbers and sensational game viewing, we recommend a safari in Kruger's private reserves including Sabi Sands, Thornybush, Singita, Londolozi and Mala Mala. Leading the way in luxury safaris, these exclusive-use conservation areas are world famous for their virtually guaranteed Big 5 sightings and much more.
THE NORTH
Johannesburg - Johannesburg is a dynamic multi-cultural city with so much to offer. There are wonderful restaurants, relaxed sidewalk cafes, shopping malls, tranquil parks, museums and monuments and incredible nightlife. Must-do activities include the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill to find out more about South Africa's turbulent past; sundowners at The Westcliff hotel overlooking the green belt of Johannesburg while listening to the lions roar from the nearby Johannesburg Zoo; shopping at any of the many designer malls such as Sandton City, Nelson Mandela Square, Rosebank Mall and Soweto's Maponya Mall; and, as a fitting end to all the fun, a stroll in one of the many parks.
Pretoria - Located about 50km north of Johannesburg and surrounded by the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountains, the city of Pretoria is South Africa’s administrative capital. Buildings feature a marked colonial influence, along with touches of art deco and South African-style architecture. City landmarks include the Union Buildings (South Africa's seat of government), the Voortrekker Monument (a granite edifice commemorating the Voortrekkers’ journey from the Cape to the hinterland and which is a National Heritage Site), Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the President's house in Pretoria), the South African Reserve Bank, Loftus Versfeld sports stadium and the South African State Theatre. Pretoria is also home to the National Zoological Gardens and the Pretoria National Botanical Garden, along with nature reserves such Groenkloof, Rietvlei, Moreleta Spruit, Faerie Glen, Wonderboom Nature Reserve and the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary,
Madikwe Game Reserve - the fifth largest game reserve in South Africa and also one of the lesser-known parks. This hidden-gem is one of the best conservation areas in Africa and offers the Big 5 as well as a wide variety of animals. The park offers a number of luxurious lodges as well as community lodges in a malaria-free zone.
