South Africa is famous for its game reserves and offers some of the most impressive opportunities to see animals in their natural habitat anywhere on the globe. The wilderness industry has developed enormously in the past few decades and South Africa is now widely regarded as the country with the best facilities and game lodges in the world.

Game Reserves
The Kruger National Park is the country’s most famous game reserve, but there are at least 25 other major national parks, game reserves and nature reserves dotted around the country. Wherever you are in South Africa, you are never too far away from a game park. Going on safari is a national obsession for many South Africans, who are fiercely proud of the country’s wildlife heritage.

The Kruger National Park is an enormous reserve. It stretches for 350km from north to south and averages 60 kilometres in width, making it bigger than Ireland. However, its fame comes not only from its vast expanses, but from the fact that it one of the best places in the world to see the ‘big five’ of the animal kingdom: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. All animals wander freely through this area so viewing the animals is truly a unique and wonderful experience. Most safaris are undertaken in game viewing vehicles or private transport, but there are also safaris on foot, which follow a network of trails in the company of an armed ranger.

Accommodation in and around the park ranges from simple bungalows with outdoor kitchens to magnificent game lodges offering fine cuisine, private butlers and spas. At the very best lodges, luxurious bedrooms have private swimming pools and game viewing decks. This is where you can expect to rub shoulders with international celebrities and business executives.

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park in KwaZulu Natal offers visitors a wide range of habitats ranging from rocky hills to open desert. There are also thick woodlands to be explored. The park runs a very successful breeding programme for the white rhinos which has re-stocked the whole of Africa and is where almost all of the world’s white rhino population live.

The Addo Elephant National Park can be found 45 miles north of Port Elizabeth and was opened in 1931 to protect the last of the Eastern Cape elephants. It is also home to black rhino, buffalo and antelope as well as over 170 species of birds. The area around the park is home to some very luxurious game lodges and private reserves.

Beaches
South Africa offers some of the finest, unspoilt beaches on the globe and are the number one leisure choice for most South Africans. Holiday periods see the population head for coastal resorts, which are as varied as they are plentiful. International tourists flock to Cape Town and the beaches along the Garden Route, while many domestic travellers head for Durban and the spectacular KwaZulu Natal coastline. The most famous beach in the country is probably the tiny Clifton Beach in Cape Town, which is overlooked by multi-million dollar apartments, but other holiday playgrounds for the rich and famous include stunning Plettenberg Bay, located between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town; Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape and Umhlanga Rocks, just outside Durban. Those who fancy some of the most idyllic beaches on the globe head for the Wild Coast in the former Transkei territory. Home to South Africa’s most famous statesman, Nelson Mandela, the beaches along this rugged coast are unspoilt and accommodation is only available in remote family-run hotels.

Botanical gardens
South Africa is home to nearly 24,000 species of flora and the many botanical gardens found around the country offers displays of most of them. The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town were first opened in 1895 and can be found on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. These are thought to be among the finest botanical gardens in the world. The Johannesburg Botanic Gardens houses some of the finest plant collections in the world as well as many theme gardens such as the Herb Garden, the Rose Garden and the Shakespeare Garden.

Table Mountain
Cape Town’s famous mountain has a flat top offering stunning views across the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean. It is possible to climb up the mountain to enjoy the vistas at your own pace, but for those less adventurous, there is a very comfortable cable-car journey to and from the peak.

The Drakensberg
This is South Africa’s largest and most impressive mountain range. The name translates as ‘Dragon Mountains’, as they have what look like jagged-teeth peaks. The mountains are a lot cooler than the arid mainland they sit on and offer those who are adventurous enough the opportunity to climb and then bathe and relax in cool mountain pools. The nearby caves offer excellent examples of rock art, created by the bushmen who used to inhabit the area. The main caves boast over 500 rock paintings.
Nature Reserves

The Shipwreck Coast
This is a stretch of the Eastern Cape coast that is a graveyard for countless ships. It is an ideal place to ‘getaway’ as it offers secluded beaches and crystal waters. There is a long hiking trail, 38 miles long, with many different entry and exit points. The area is surrounded by stunning landscapes and beautiful forests. If you decide to go hiking, you are able to set your own pace and set up camp where you want, allowing you to fully enjoy the experience.

Victoria and Albert Waterfront
Cape Town’s top attraction, this is a delightful restored old Victorian harbour which offers visitors a wide array of shops, museums and impressive restaurants. There is also free daily entertainment. Boat trips leave from here every day and travel to the notorious Robben Island, which is where Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned. You will also be able to visit the remains of the early colonial rule at the nearby Castle Fort and the Parliament Buildings.

Explore one of the country’s wine routes
South Africa boasts 13 major wine producing regions, which are all crying out to be explored. The Stellenbosch wine route was the country’s first, and all of its wineries can be found within seven miles of Stellenbosch. The Olifants wine route is 125 miles long and passes through the stunning Cederberg Mountains. The Robertson Valley is a two-hour drive from Cape Town and is particularly well known for its chardonnay. All of the routes are worth a visit, but of course you may not have time for all of them, so the best solution is to choose one or two that are within a reasonable travelling distance.

Dive with sharks
South Africa has recently gained a reputation for whale watching and shark cage-diving. Sharks migrate through the Cape’s Bay from June to August and move into the Durban area from October to January.

Watch whales
For whale watching fans, there is a Cape Whale route set up to observe whales, which usually swim very close to the shore. The best time to spot them is from June to September. However Hermanus, on the southern Cape coast, is probably the best place in South Africa to go whale watching.

Do a bungee jump
Bungee jumping may be more closely associated with New Zealand, but South Africans have fallen for it in a big way. One of the most famous spots to “take the ultimate leap of faith” is from the bridge over the Bloukrans River in the Western Cape. At a whopping 216 metres from top to bottom, this is the world's highest commercial bungee Jump. If you are able to, try to keep your eyes open as you jump, as the view is absolutely breathtaking.

Go scuba diving
South Africa’s diving facilities are incredibly well developed. Reef diving is popular in Sodwana Bay in northern KwaZulu Natal, while wreck diving is widespread around the Cape area. Popular diving sites to be found inland include Wondergat and Miracle Water. The offshore banks of Protea offer one of the best dive sites in the whole of South Africa. The Tsitsikamma Coastal Park offers divers fantastic opportunities for underwater photography. Both PADI and NAUI courses are available in South Africa.

Surfing
Jeffrey’s Bay in the Eastern Cape is one of the world’s premier surf spots and hosts a major international competition each year. Known by the surfing fraternity as J-Bay, this small coastal town is famous for the waves at “the tubes”. Lambert’s Bay is another good spot, but surfers take to the waves all along the coastline, especially in the warm waters around Durban.

Take a trip on a steam train
South Africa is one of the few remaining countries in the world where steam trains are still widely used. These locomotives range from the luxury Pride of Africa to small trains running on narrow railways like the Midmar Steam Railway near Pietermaritzburg. If you are looking for a scenic ride, the famous Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe runs along the Garden Route on a daytrip from Knysna. The Union Limited crosses the famous Kaaimans River Bridge, which is one of the most photographed railway bridges in the world.

Visit the national arts festivals
If you are in South Africa in June or July, a trip to the small Eastern Cape city of Grahamstown should not be missed. Every nook and cranny is taken up by the annual national arts festivals, which lures performers from South Africa as well as abroad. Most performances are in English. Another festival, catering for the Afrikaans speaking community, the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, is held in Oudtshoorn in April. Both these lively events give visitors a taste of the country’s thriving arts scene.

Visit the Apartheid Museum
For an insight into the chequered history of the country, visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The city's leading tourist attraction, the exhibitions explains the hated policy of keeping black and white South Africans apart, and the systematic oppression of the country's black majority. You cannot visit the museum, which use large blown-up photographs, metal cages and numerous monitors recording continuous replays of apartheid scenes, without being deeply touched. The museum is located at Gold Reef City, just south of the city centre.

Attend a sporting event
To fully experience the nation’s obsession with sport, you should attend one of the country’s major sporting events. In soccer, you can catch an international match involving South Africa’s “Bafana Bafana” (as the national team is called) or take in the biggest derby day game on the soccer sporting calendar, the battle between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the two big Johannesburg clubs. If you want to see the Springbok rugby fans in action, get tickets for one of the Tri-Nations test matches against Australia or New Zealand, or check out provincial teams in action at the four major stadiums, Loftus Versveldt in Pretoria, Ellis Park in Johannesburg, King’s Park in Durban and Newlands in Cape Town. Horse racing fans should attend the Vodacom Durban July or the J&B Met in Cape Town.