Bed & Breakfast (B&B)
These vary from cheap and basic to 5 star quality, and are numerous throughout South Africa. The owners are often willing to negotiate rates for longer stays or larger groups. Have a look at the Traveladvisor’s site to see up to date reviews of bed and breakfasts sorted by country and town.
Also have a look at the following on the internet:
-
SA-venues website -
Book a Bed website -
Where to stay website -
BedandBreakfast.net
Hostels
Found in most South African towns and cities these establishments offer basic, clean rooms for backpackers and independent travellers in South Africa, including independent hostels, Hostelling International (HI) youth hostels, lodges and guest houses. Hostels in South Africa tend to be of a high standard, and many have bar and restaurant facilities and even swimming pools.
Backpacker South Africa (BTSA) is a very useful website where you can find accommodation in all areas and for all budgets.
Hostelling International has a number of hostels located throughout the country and the HI membership card is accepted in all of these.
Hotels & Resorts
As there are so many hotels and resorts to choose from it is best to do some research in advance as to location, quality, on-site facilities, nearby attractions, transport options, seasonal costs, special offers and discounts available. Best option – Google it! Or go to Traveladvisor’s site to see up to date reviews of hotels sorted by country and town.
Shared digs & Rented accommodation
University and college students often look to share costs by sharing a flat or house. Also search on company intranet sites or place a free advert on sites such as www.gumtree.co.za A reduction in privacy is often more than offset by the lower costs and the social side of communal living.
Host families
Some South Africa families are willing to offer accommodation to foreign school and university students studying in South Africa and to assisting with specific projects, usually through the school, university, college or organization concerned.
Links:
AFS South Africa
High School Programs Abroad (US organization)
Camping
Camping is always an option if you have the equipment (and fortitude of spirit!). Campsites vary in cleanliness and safety, and it is advisable to do some research in advance, or better yet have a local, knowledgeable resident to travel with you.
If you are going to remote bush areas this is often the best way to travel and experience the real Africa.
Activities and sports
Here are some ideas and links of various activities and sports.
A general website to have a look at Adventure activities is Dirty Boots
Ballooning
A Balloon Safari: Something really different - something really special. Up, up and away!
Bill Harrop’s Balloon safaris - Hartebeespoort
Hot air ballooning in South Africa
Life Ballooning near Pretoria
Oudtshoorn Ballooning
Casinos
Often excellent places to spend most of a day or evening, with restaurants, bars, movies and of course casinos!
Montecasino in Fourways, Gauteng
Sibaya Casino
Suncoast Casino
Caving
Go on a guided tour or book an intensive trip – prepare to get dirty!
Caving options available in South Africa
Boomslang cave – Western Cape
Sudwala caves - Mpumalanga
TBI adventures – caving and other activities in Oudtshoorn
Cheese Farms
See how cheese is made and, of course, sample the goods!
van Gaalen cheese farm, Skeerpoort
Lucania Italian Cheese farm, Magaliesburg
Fishing
South Africa has many trout and bass dams, as well as indigenous fish such as barbell (which can grow to over 6 feet in length) and yellow tail.
The coast has been overfished in the past, but there are still seasonal runs of fish where you can catch decent sizes. Fish from the rocks or from the beach, depending on the fish you wish to catch.
Heading out through the surf on a ski boat in the early morning, and spending the day trawling 20 kilometres off the coast is one of the best experiences possible, especially if the fish are biting. Marlin, swordfish, sharks, sailfish, kingfish, queenfish and tuna are still fairly plentiful.
Tiger fish of a decent size can be caught in KZN at the Jozini dam.
These are just a few of the many links to fishing experiences and venues available in South Africa.
Lynski – boat for charter in Durban
Mavungana Flyfishing centre, Dullstroom
Fishing in the Overberg, Western Cape
Fishing on the Wild Coast
Fishing Africa – all kinds of fishing on the continent
Horse Riding
Experience South African wildlife, scenery and culture at close quarters (pardon the pun!)
A useful link to horseback safaris throughout South Africa
The Safari Company – 8 day horseback safari in the Drakensberg
Horse riding in the Western Cape
Fynbos Trails through the Cape winelands
Hunting
The hunting season is in winter, and many farmers accommodate hunters wishing to stalk the wild animals. True hunters walk after their quarry, and do not shoot from vehicles.
Umsuluzi – hunting safaris for gap year students
Bonlati Hunting Safaris – near Tzaneen
South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association
KZN Hunting and Conservation Association
Riandi Hunting Safaris – central South Africa
Two Waters Safaris – eastern Cape
Kukuzans Hunting Safaris & Tours – all over the country
John X Safaris – Eastern Cape
Ice Skating
Only the larger cities have ice rinks, as they are expensive to run in South Africa’s heat!
The Ice Station – Cape Town
Kolonnade Shopping Centre – Pretoria
Durban ice rink
Northgate Ice Arena - Johannesburg
Mountain biking
For mountain biking routes, trails, races and everything else, ride onto these websites:
Mountain biking opportunities in South Africa
Live2ride – Langebaan, Cape Town
Mtbonline – an active site with a forum
Mountain Biking Africa - based in Knysna, Eastern Cape
Links to all mountain bike trails in South Africa
The Johannesburg Mountain Bike Club
Warthogs Mountain Biking – club in Western Cape
Mountain Bike South Africa – club website
Paint balling
Forum discussion on paint balling in Johannesburg
Parasailing
It is a fantastic feeling to be in the air, pulled by a boat, looking over all below!.
Parasail Africa - Durban
Parasailing in South Africa
Riding ATVs
Vroom, vroom, vroom. Intense, free-roaming, off-road racing takes on a whole new meaning.
Western Province ATV Club
Centurion Quad Rides - Pretoria
River boating
Getting onto the river is a must!
Party Boat Charters
General information on river cruises in South Africa
Sand boarding
Sand boarding is as exciting as snowboarding, an adrenaline rush without getting wet or cold!
Sand boarding in Cape Town
Red Cherry Adventures – Knysna area
Revel Adventures – Cape Town
Scuba Diving
Enter a whole new world under water.
The Dive Travel Centre
Dive on the northern KZN coast
Dive South Africa
Divetek, Johannesburg – learn to dive and also see how to get involved in a career in the diving industry
Scuba Dive – PADI courses in Cape Town
List of quick links of diving schools and operators
Scuba Shack – Cape Town PADI centre
Sea Kayaking
You can hire a kayak or go on a guided paddle, weather permitting. Take a drink or two for sunset paddles (a truly awesome experience)
Kayak Cape Town – guided trips
Coastal Kayak – Cape Town
Kayak in Hermanus – whale sanctuary
Skateboarding
For Skateboarding events, featured skaters, video clips and more, visit National Skateboarding Association of South Africa
Information on skateboarding in South Africa
Surfing
South Africa hosts many international surfing competitions. The Surfing South Africa website has all the information you need on events and locations.
Skydiving
Accelerate second by second until the clouds disappear above you at 220km/h. F A L L I N G - or are you F L Y I N G?
Johannesburg Skydiving Club
Skydiving in South Africa
Witbank Skydiving Club
Pretoria Skydiving Club
Snorkeling
Unlimited visibility makes for excellent snorkeling.
Snorkelling in Cape Town
Theme Parks
New worlds of fun, entertainment and excitement.
uShaka Marine World - Durban
Ratanga Junction – Cape Town
Gold Reef City - Johannesburg
White water rafting
Get out there! Get some attitude! Get wet! Go rafting! In sunny South Africa!
Outrageous Adventures – rafting in the Cape, Freestate and KZN
Gravity Adventure Group – Orange River
General information on white water rafting in South Africa
Wine Farms
South Africa produces world class wines, and the estates have been growing grapes brought out with the earliest settlers about 400 years ago. An excellent way to spend a day is to visit various wine farms and sample the vintages – organize a driver! And be prepared to buy a case or two to ship home!
Links to wine farms in the Western Cape
Constantia Valley
Cape wine routes
Wine tasting guide
Bush experiences
One of the main attractions about travelling in South Africa is the African bush. In terms of wildlife the place to go is the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga province. There are many other reserves north of Johannesburg, such as Marakele National Park, Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, and the Pilansberg National Park.
The cheapest and most flexible option is to hire a car and drive into these reserves. Access and accommodation in the national reserves is fairly easy out of season or if you book a long time in advance.
A productive way to spend quality time in the bush is to do a game ranger course where you live and work in the bush whilst gaining a qualification.
Many organizations have structured programs whereby you pay to spend time with animals and working with local communities. Costs vary, so do your research and plan well in advance so as to save!
Organisations and South African reserves offering bush experiences:
Kwa Madwala – 8 week programs
AfrEco Tours – safari guide training course
Pathfinders – various courses in the Kruger Park
Moholoholo – game ranger guide course
Enkosini Eco Experience – 6 to 12 month ranger program and other options
SanWild – volunteer to help
Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education (CARE) – work with baby baboons
Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage – work with school children and care for animals
Shumba Experience – work with cheetahs in Namibia
Volunteer Africa – options in Kruger Park, Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Institute and Wild Coast
Nature Reserves
There are hundreds of nature reserves in South Africa, all of which offer a different experience. Click here for a dedicated website of all South Africa’s nature reserves.
Cellphones & email
South Africa has a fairly extensive network of cellular networks, with most towns and cities having reliable connections to GPRS and 3G technologies. There are 5 cellular providers at present – Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Neotel and Virgin Mobile.
You can choose between prepaid options (where you use your own phone and buy a ‘Pay as You Go’ starter pack, and you get a sim card onto which you can load airtime when and as you need it); and a contract (where you enter into a 24 month contract, choose a specific cell phone (which is free) and you receive a specified number of seconds or minutes of peak or off-peak airtime per month, sometimes with extras thrown in).
If you are from another country and wish to make international phone calls, once you’re in South Africa with your own cell phone, you will need to contact your provider to set up international roaming. Bear in mind, however, that if you are going to make calls within South Africa it will be more cost effective to get a prepaid contract with a South African provider (see above). For international phone calls, it is often cheaper to purchase a prepaid international calling card. If you have a PC then consider using VoiP, such as Skype, to call overseas at a very cost effective rate.
e-mail
If you have your own PC/laptop
Email is probably the cheapest way to keep in touch with friends and family back home. Email will also enable you to upload and email photos from a digital camera or your phone. If you do not have an email account, it is free and easy to set one up on many websites (eg. hotmail, gmail). Once you have an email address you can link up to one of the many social networking sites available, such as Facebook, MySpace, Bdoo, Boomj.com – click here for the Wikipedia list of active websites available to you.
Find out where there are wifi hotspots, usually at coffee shops (such as Seattle Coffee), and you can then use their internet connection for free via your wifi-enabled laptop whilst you enjoy their coffee!
If you don’t have your own PC/laptop
You will obviously need internet access in order to use email. Some hotels and lodging facilities have internet access for which you usually pay per hour. If you are not staying at a hotel or residence with such facilities there are many internet cafes in all the major towns and malls where you pay for the time that you are online.
There is also the option of using live messaging. This is when you, and whoever you are talking to, are online at the same time, enabling you to send messages and get replies immediately. You and the person/people you will be chatting to need to set up an account with the same live messenger provider, such as Skype, ICQ or MSN Messenger.
When you make friends in South Africa and would like to chat with them often, via your mobile, there is a fun, cheap solution called Mxit, which is used by many people. You need to have a WAP enabled phone and it needs to be activated. You can go to www.mxit.co.za from your mobile phone and download the programme. Both you and the people you want to chat to need to have Mxit loaded on your cell phones. When Mxit is running your phone will be online, but you will not be charged for it. The cost is based on the amount of data sent and not for how long you are connected, and typically runs at a cent or less per SMS.
Events Calendar
The International Student Travel Confederation site has links to many events under the heading “What’s on in Africa?” – check it out.
The Mail & Guardian guide to entertainment and theatre
5FM’s list of music events and upcoming gigs
Ananzi’s listing of events in South Africa
Peak seasons – South Africa
The busiest times of the year coincide with school holidays, Christian and Public holidays, and summer and winter.
School holidays – January, March, April, June, July, September, December. Click here for specific dates for the different provinces and private/public schools.
Christian and Public holidays – click here for 2009 and 2010 dates.
Summer – November to February – many foreign tourists escape their winters and visit South Africa, especially Cape Town and the wildlife reserves.
Winter – June to August – the best time to view animals in the game reserves, and it is also hunting season.
Restaurants and pubs
These directories will assist you in finding a place to go to be entertained and fed:
Wining and dining in South Africa – search by name, town or cuisine
Multiple search criteria for dining out
Dining out in Johannesburg
Lots of links to Thai restaurants in South Africa
Indian restaurants in South Africa
Vegetarian dining in South Africa
Cultural experiences
Galleries
Information on many art galleries in South Africa
Alice Art galleries in Johannesburg
Visit a Zulu village
Zulu village at Rorke’s Drift
DumaZulu in KwaZulu Natal – the Zulu king, king Goodwill Zwelithini
Chinatowns
From China with love.
Derrick Avenue, Johannesburg
Ottery, Cape Town – opened in September 2008 (co-ordinates 34°1'5"S 18°30'53"E)
Thai Experiences
Nuad traditional Thai massage – in Johannesburg
Institute of Thai Massage
Karaoke
Sing your heart out!
Horizons Bar at the Ridge mall
Desert
If you enjoy clean, hot and open spaces, then the desert is for you. South Africa has two main semi-deserts, the Kalahari and the Karoo. Here are a few travel suggestions for you:
National Botanical Garden – Worcester
Karoo National Park – great stop-over between Gauteng and Cape Town
Gariep Dam – a stop-over with a difference
Kalahari Desert Safari – South Africa and Botswana
Diamond Tours – Kimberley
Richtersveld National Park - visit in September for the most colourful display that nature can provide
Khutse Game Reserve – back to nature in Botswana – the genuine camping experience
Kgalagadi National Park – covers South Africa and Botswana
Cango Caves – large caves in Oudtshoorn
Cango Ostrich Show Farm – interact and even ride an ostrich
SA Venues – find accommodation in the Karoo
Embassies in South Africa
Here is a useful link of all the embassies in South Africa from EmbassyWorld.
Getting around
You need to examine your needs so as to identify the form of travel that will suit you best as you travel around South Africa. Compare the costs of all the possibilities to find the most cost effective option. There are often specials available, and air fares are usually cheaper the longer ahead you book. Also traveling outside of peak seasons is always cheaper than during peak season. Peak seasons vary from hemisphere to hemisphere, and from country to country, but usually coincide with school holidays.
Air travel
The most connected airports are in the larger cities, ie. Oliver Tambo Airport (Johannesburg), Lanseria Airport (Johannesburg), Cape Town International and Durban International. (see http://www.aircraft-charter-world.com/ for a map and details of airports and charter options).
South African Airways (SAA) is the largest local airline, and large operators such as British Airways (BA) and Virgin Air also operate flights locally. Competition from smaller carriers such as 1Time, Kulula.com and Mango airlines helps keep rates reasonable.
An excellent site that lets you find the cheapest airfare (from anywhere to anywhere) is www.travelstart.co.za – cheaper and quicker than using a travel agent!
And if you want to get a decent seat go to Seat Guru and see which are the best and worst seats on the aircraft!
Road
South Africa has an extensive network of roads connecting all towns with high quality tar roads, as good as the roads in many first world countries. The larger cities and towns are connected by toll roads, which usually provide predictable conditions and many places to stop for fuel and food.
Options - Bus
Many bus operators have frequent scheduled trips between towns and cities, and vary from luxury air conditioned coaches with video screens to basic transport. They are reliable and fairly inexpensive. If you will be traveling a certain route often, you should enquire about bus tags. Basically, a bus tag works out cheaper as you pay a certain monthly amount to use a route or routes every day.
Have a look at Greyhound – they offer many discounts and club membership benefits
A fun and useful service is offered by Bazbus – it’s a hop-on, hop-off touring bus service operating between all the major cities in South Africa, with space for surfboards and extra luggage.
Options - Taxi
In South Africa taxis come in two varieties – sedan cars for individuals or small families that take you directly to your destination, for which you pay based on the time and distance traveled. You can book in advance, providing information such as when you need the taxi, where you need to be picked up from and where you are going to, and you will usually get a quoted rate immediately.
The second variety of taxis are 16 seater kombis (referred to as ‘minibus taxis’) that are used extensively by the local people, and they travel specific routes, picking up and dropping people off. These are cheaper than the traditional taxis, but be aware that these taxis are not always the most reliable or safest form of public transport, although great for an authentic South African experience! South Africans are generally very friendly and would love to help you learn the intricacies of taxi transport!
Options - Hire car
Many car rental companies offer a wide range of good quality vehicles for hire on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Do some research to compare prices of different dealers and model availability and to find out about any special deals. Be certain you have all necessary documents with you when you go to rent your vehicle. If you are coming to South Africa from another country you will need an international driver’s licence. If you are not traveling alone, you may want to consider paying a bit extra to allow whoever you are with to drive the vehicle as well.
All airports and towns have car rental branches, and different options are available regarding drop offs (i.e. pick a car up in one place and leave it in another town).
Rail/train
There are regular trains between the major cities, but costs vary, with the Blue Train being the most luxurious (and expensive) option. If you have a lot of luggage or if you have time this can be a very pleasant form of travel, although the facilities on the trains can be a bit basic.
Go to Spoornet’s site for a list of passenger train suppliers.
An excellent and comprehensive site that deals with all aspects of rail travel in South Africa (and in all countries all over the world) is http://www.seat61.com/SouthAfrica.htm - really good!
Trains also operate within cities, but usually as commuter services for working people from townships into the city industrial and retail centres. If you are not a local of the city it can be dangerous, especially if you are traveling alone.
The introduction of the Gautrain, which is planned to be operating by the 2010 Soccer World Cup and will connect Pretoria (also called Tshwane) and Johannesburg, will allow quick and cheaper commuting between the cities and ease congestion on the roads.
Sea
Ships do offer berths on voyages between coastal cities, varying from cruise liners to cargo ships. The seas off South Africa are quite rough though, and there are few natural harbours, so if you suffer from sea sickness it can be unpleasant. Bad weather sometimes keeps ships at sea longer than planned, so unless you have time it is not always a reliable option.
Peak seasons – South Africa
The busiest times of the year coincide with school holidays, Christian and Public holidays, and summer and winter.
School holidays – January, March, April, June, July, September, December. Click here for specific dates for the different provinces and private/public schools.
Christian and Public holidays – click here for 2009 and 2010 dates.
Summer – November to February – many foreign tourists escape their winters and visit South Africa, especially Cape Town and the wildlife reserves.
Winter – June to August – the best time to view animals in the game reserves, and it is also hunting season.
Insurance
All travel today contains an element of risk, and it is always recommended to have insurance of some sort, depending on your circumstances and your travel plans and itinerary.
The main areas to decide upon the level of cover required are:
· Medical expenses
· Personal accident
· Cancellation or curtailment of your trip
· Travel delays
· Baggage and personal belongings
· Travel documents and cash
· Personal liability
· Legal costs
· Extreme sports and adventure activities
You can bring down the costs of insurance if you are willing to take on some risk yourself in the form of increased excesses, i.e. the larger the amount you have to contribute in the event of a claim the lower your premiums will be.
Each country you travel to or through will have different risk profiles, which means that the level of cover and the costs thereof will differ, so by rearranging your itinerary slightly to include or exclude a certain country or region you may save a lot in insurance.
The World Nomads site has insurance cover depending on the countries in which you are travelling
Must do in South Africa
Southern Africa’s top 20 adventure
Robben Island
Find out about tours of Robben Island – the place where Nelson Mandela as well as many other freedom fighters were held in captivity. An awesome world heritage site to visit.
For everything you need to know about the history of Robben Island and Apartheid, visit http://www.freedom.co.za/.
Soweto Tour
Experience the life and vibe of the township as you embark on the edutainment experience of a lifetime. Blow your Vuvuzela; share a beer with a local while crawling from pub to shack to famous landmark in a genuine Soweto Taxi!
Soweto is a vibrant, culturally rich township situated on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
Visit:
Tom’s Tours – information about the different tours available from them
All about Soweto, with tours and information
Hikes
Wilderness Trails in the Kruger Park allow adventurous travellers a close personal encounter with nature - Information on all the Kruger Park trails
For a list of recommended hiking trails in the Drakensberg – visit: http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/drakensberg-hiking-trails.html
Highest Bungee jump in the world – Bloukans Bridge
Face Adrenalin
Watch someone take on the Bloukrans bridge!
Paraglide
All you need to know about Paragliding in South Africa
Learn to Paraglide: http://www.blusky.co.za/
http://www.skywalk.co.za/glide/
Paraglide with a pilot: http://www.blusky.co.za/
Ballooning
A Balloon Safari: Something really different - something really special. Up, up and away!
Bill Harrop’s balloon safaris
Information on hot air ballooning in South Africa
Life Ballooning near Pretoria
Oudtshoorn Ballooning
Dive with great white sharks
Dive with the great white shark from a cage or watch all the action on the top deck. Get up close and very, very personal with a great white.
The Great White House
White Shark Ecoadventures
Shark Diving Unlimited
Unreal Dive Expeditions
Visit the Palace of the Lost City
The Lost City, complete with the 'Shrine of the Sacred Monkey', ruins of old temples, ancient carvings, grottos - an illusion of some idyllic ancient civilisation rediscovered.
Information about the Lost City and Sun City
Sun International’s website
2010 Soccer World Cup
News, updates and all you need to know about the 2010 soccer world cup in South Africa.
Fifa’s official site for the 2010 World Cup
Apartheid Museum
The powerful Apartheid museum – Joburg’s heritage.
The official website of the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg
Sea
South Africa’s coastline is very long, but also very wild, with few natural harbours, strong currents and little available water. There are many deserted beaches away from the towns, some of the best surfing conditions in the world, and marine reserves where scuba diving and snorkeling will reveal the wonderful undersea world.
The east coast of South Africa has a warm current moving south west (the Aghulhas current) and the west coast has a cold current (the Benguela current) heading north. The two currents meet off Cape Aghulhas (not Cape Town!) which is the most southerly point of South Africa.
The main harbours include Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth, Port Nolloth, Richards Bay, and Saldanha Bay.
Shopping
Flea Markets
A ‘flea market’ is used to refer to an event (usually on a regular basis over a weekend) where vendors may display and sell their wares. This takes place often in car parks at shopping centres or vacant lots. Some markets are permanent.
To find a flea market or arts and craft market near you click on this very useful link that will allow you to find all the markets in South Africa.
Shopping centres in South Africa
Look at this Wikipedia link for all the malls and shopping centres in South Africa.
South Africa Fact File
Click here for facts about South Africa
Towns & cities
There are some large cities in South Africa, the largest being Johannesburg in Gauteng. Coastal cities that are popular with tourists include Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban. However, there are many diverse and interesting towns to visit, so if you need to see what is available click on this link to Wikipedia.
Unique to South Africa
The list of ‘unique’ attractions can obviously never be complete. The following listings cover the most well known attractions.
Richtersveld spring daisies
Each spring the Richtersveld is transformed by millions of flowers, mainly Namaqualand daisies.
For accommodation options go to Namaqualand.com
World Heritage sites
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
This list of South Africa’s 8 World Heritage sites is taken from the World Heritage website.
·
Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (2004)
·
Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs (1999, 2005)
·
iSimangaliso Wetland Park (1999)
·
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (2003)
·
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (2007)
·
Robben Island (1999)
·
uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park (2000)
·
Vredefort Dome (2005)
Historical Sites
There are many sites in South Africa where history was made, whether it be where famous people have lived, sites of furious battles, or cultural icons and monuments. These are some suggestions:
· Visit the Apartheid Museum , close to Soweto
· Constitution Hill , Johannesburg
· The District Six Museum in Cape Town
· Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp: Is a museum dedicated to the dangerous coastline in which 250 vessels and 2500 people have been lost in its waters through the centuries.
· Castle Of Good Hope in Cape Town: Was built by the Dutch in 1666 after their arrival in the Cape; the Castle was designed according to a 5 pointed star. Today it is surrounded by a variety of other monuments and places of historical interest.
· The Olive Schreiner House in Cradock: Is devoted to the famous South African authoress.
· Ghandi Route in Newcastle: Follow the footsteps of Ghandi, a young lawyer pleading cases for the South African Indians, whilst living in South Africa.
· Battlefields of KwaZulu Natal : Blood River in Dundee: Is One of the most famous battles in S.A. history. Blood River is a monument consisting of 64 replica Voortrekker wagons cast in bronze and positioned just as they were on the day of the famous battle.
Spioenkop in Ladysmith: The location of one of the most fearsome events of the Anglo-Boer War.
Mgungundlovu in Ulundi: Home of Dingaan, King of the Zulu's.
Rorke's Drift in Dundee: A museum which is host to an outstanding display of the Anglo-Zulu War memoribilia.
Voortrekker Footsteps in Vryheid: The tour can be started in Estcourt and end in Piet Retief's grave on the famous Dingaanstrat site.
· DumaZulu Village & Lodge in Hluhluwe: Located in the heart of Zululand and offers a unique ethnic experience.
· Lesedi Cultural Village in Hartbeespoort: Is a mutli-cultural African village in between bushveld and hills.
· Maropeng: a voyage of discovery through our past. Many excellent interactive exhibits. World class.
· Sterkfontein Caves in Johannesburg: The cave showcases the skull of a 2 million year old female, Mrs. Ples.
· Wonder Cave KromdraaI in Johannesburg: Is in the world-renowned valley of famous palaeontological sites. The cave contains the oldest relics of mankind.
· Bernberg Museum of Costume in Johannesburg: Showcases the history of women’s costumes over the last 2 centuries.
· Museums and monuments in Pretoria: Worth visiting is church square, union building, Mapoch Ndebele village, Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum, the Kruger House and the African Window Museum.
· Sammy Marks Museum in Pretoria: An impressive Victorian mansion, which dates from 1884, was the residence of the industrialist Sammy Marks. He made a considerable.
· National Museum in Bloemfontein: Offers a huge variety of collections from mamma logy, herpetology, ornithology, archaeology, botany, palaeontology, anthropology, archaeology, cultural history, rock art and fine arts.
· War Museum of the Boer Republics in Bloemfontein: Showcases interesting exhibits from the period of 1899-1902.
· Wupperthal – old mission Town in the Western Cape.
· Nelson Mandela Museum, Umtata.
· Afrikaans Language Museum, Paarl.
· Moffat Mission in Kuruman.
Nature Reserves
There are hundreds of nature reserves in South Africa, all of which offer a different experience. Click here for a dedicated website of all South Africa’s nature reserves.
Marion Island
The island is situated in the 'roaring forties' and lies approximately 1770 km south east of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Marion Island is about 290 km square in area with 72 km of mostly cliff-face coastline.
The island group was formally annexed by South Africa in 1947 and since then has been permanently occupied by South Africans. The island is important as a research base for studies of climate, geology, wildlife and human dynamics.
