Region: South Africa

Africa

Truly the Big One

Sodwana Bay

Sodwana Bay offers spectacular scuba diving over the world’s southern most coral reef and with colourful fish. Humpback whales and whale sharks also frequent the area. The sands of Sodwana Bay are an important nesting site for loggerhead and leather-back turtles from mid November to February. If lucky, night drives in the area could reveal … Continued

Madikwe Safari Lodge

An attractive safari lodge within the vast Madikwe Private Game Reserve

Waterberg Savanna UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The malaria-free Waterberg Savanna Biosphere Reserve was designated by UNESCO in 2001 and an area marrying conservation with the benefits of tourism. It includes the Lapalala Wilderness Area, Marakele National Park – both offering simple accommodation – and Welgevonden Reserve with more luxurious options. The extensive Waterberg Massif reveals deep valleys, grassy hills, majestic mountains, … Continued

Rocktail Beach Camp

Situated on the secluded and unspoiled northern reaches of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park

Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Exceptional Safari Camp that has just undergone a complete renovation, giving it award winning status.

Camps Bay Retreat

A luxurious five-star boutique hotel set amidst a four-acre private nature reserve in Cape Town

Thornybush Private Game Reserve

The 11,500 hectare Thornybush Private Game Reserve is fenced off from Kruger but still has the ‘Big Five’ plus a high density of other African wildlife. The setting is mainly undulating open lowveld with a delightful backdrop vista of the Drakensberg mountains.

Welgevonden Private Game Reserve

The 36,000 hectare Welgevonden Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg Savanna Biosphere Reserve, unfenced to Marakele National Park, provides a total roaming area of 100,000 hectares to the wildlife. Welgevonden is excellent for white rhino sightings, and contains lions, leopards, buffalo, elephant – over 50 species of mammal in total. Bird watching is particularly good … Continued

South Africa

With an extensive range of excellent game reserves and safari lodges, South Africa is the ideal destination for special wildlife encounters

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

33km east of Hermanus is the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve with its luxurious lodges, magnificent sea views, ancient milkwood forest and richly varied and unique fynbos vegetation set at the foot of the Duynefontein mountains. The area can be explored on foot, 4×4 or horse-back with expert guides. This area of fynbos is part of … Continued

Grootbos Forest Lodge

Set within a multi award-winning reserve overlooking the whale-watching haven of Walker Bay

Londolozi Varty Camp

Outstanding staff and guides in an excellent spot for sightings of the big five

Quarters Hotel Florida Road

A luxurious Victorian boutique hotel in Durban with outstanding service and modern facilities

Mkhuze Game Reserve

The Mkhuze Game Reserve (sometimes spelled Mkuze) is a major part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to the west of Sodwana Bay connected by a narrow strip of land surrounding the Mkhuze River before it enters Lake St Lucia and bounded by the Lebombo Mountains to the west. Although it is rich in mammalian wildlife … Continued

The Sands at St Francis

A luxurious African beach house, situated on the beautiful St. Francis Bay

Alan South Africa

We have just received the feedback form from you for our recent trip to South Africa which I will fill out shortly but I also wanted to thank you personally for organising us such a fantastic trip. The sheer variety of scenery and activities was amazing and the accommodation was uniformly excellent. We enjoyed good weather for … Continued

Pafuri Camp

Sits under giant trees overlooking the Luvuvhu River in the northern corner of the Kruger – perfect for walking safaris

Cathedral Peak Hotel

Award-winning, family owned hotel nestled into the dramatic Drakensberg Mountains

Addo Elephant Park

Addo Elephant National Park is one of the largest game reserves in South Africa and the only one with a coastline – as such they like to call it a ‘Big Seven‘ reserve including great white sharks and whales! Its size allows the incorporation of five biomes of great diversity, including Nama karoo, Albany thicket, … Continued

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve is the home of ‘Operation Rhino’ which played a major role in bringing the white rhino back from the brink of extinction (only 20 worldwide in 1900 to over 10,000 today). It is no surprise that this reserve is renowned for its excellent rhino sightings and is also one of the best … Continued

Port Elizabeth

The industrial town of Port Elizabeth (abbreviated locally to ‘PE’) with its sprawling townships tends to be the departure point to a Garden Route itinerary (or entry if travelling westwards) and also a hub from which to access the Eastern Cape game reserves such as Addo Elephant Park, Shamwari and Kwandwe (please see the next … Continued

Thakadu River Camp

A luxury lodge in Madikwe, one of Africa’s largest private game reserves and excellent for observing large mammals including the Big Five

Montusi Mountain Lodge

Perfect base to spend some time relaxing or to go on exciting hikes into the Drakensberg Mountains and Royal Natal National Park

Le Quartier Francais

A luxurious boutique hotel in central Franschoek, famous for its gourmet dining

Namaqua National Park

In the land of the Nama people, descendents of the Khoikhoi herders, the 144,000ha Namaqua National Park is a biodiversity hotspot and part of the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome. It is deservedly renowned for providing one of the floral wonders of the world. Whilst relatively bare at other times, in spring (sometime during August and … Continued

Phinda Private Game Reserve

Boasting seven different ecosystems and bordering the iSimangaliso (Greater St Lucia) Wetland Park and Mkhuze Game Reserve, the 18,000 hectare Phinda Private Game Reserve is probably the best place in South Africa to see cheetahs plus the ‘Big Five’, antelopes and prolific bird life, particularly species favouring the rare sand forest habitat. Phinda Isilwane in … Continued

Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve

The 35,000 hectare Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve (also known as the Makalali Conservancy) is ultimately intended to recreate the wildlife migration corridor linking the Kruger National Park to the Drakensburg Mountains in the west. The Makhutswi River flows through the reserve of lowveld acacia bush and open savanna grassland interspersed with occasional marula, knobthorn … Continued

Cape Royale

A luxurious, urban hotel located on the Northern tip of Cape Town along the Atlantic coast

Thonga Beach Lodge

A small luxury lodge set within the coastal dune forest, with views of the unspoiled Mabibi Beach below.

Fugitives’ Drift Lodge

A fine accommodation option within the Zululand district, with internationally acclaimed battlefield tours available.

Birkenhead House

Beautiful boutique hotel overlooking whale-rich Walker Bay in Hermanus

Kanonkop Guest House

Luxury guesthouse atop a forested hill with excellent views down to Knysna lagoon

Periwinkle Guest Lodge

An intimate, four-star boutique hotel on Robberg Beach in Plettenburg Bay

Tintswalo Atlantic

A luxurious 5 star boutique lodge right on the Atlantic Ocean between Hout Bay and Cape Town

Kapama Private Game Reserve

The 13,000 hectare Kapama Private Game Reserve is the largest single-owner game reserve in the region and ideally located close to Hoedspruit airport. It has the ‘Big Five’ and is ideal for leopard. As well as the usual game drives in open vehicles, the reserve offers river boat cruises, guided bush walks and elephant-back safaris. … Continued

Rhino Post Safari Lodge

Set in a 12,000-hectare private wilderness concession within the Kruger National Park

The Fernery Lodge & Chalets

Luxurious lodge with friendly ambience situated on the edge of the impressive Sandrift River gorge

South Africa Tailor Made Holiday

We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. Leopard View was fantastic. The guide did his upmost for us and the rest of the game viewing was great. We saw everything that we wanted to see.

Southern Kruger

Southern Kruger is the most accessible area of the park with abundant wildlife (less skittish than in the north) and a wide choice of accommodation. Vegetation tends to be dense especially in summer due to the higher rainfall in this region but this is the season when herbivores give birth and migrant birds are at … Continued

Mkhaya Private Game Reserve

In 1979, Mkhaya Private Game Reserve was established to save the pure breed Nguni cattle which was faced with extinction. Other endangered species are also protected such as black and white rhino, tsessebe, sable and roan antelope. Birds include colourful species such as the narina trogan, purple crested lourie and appropriately named gorgeous bush shrike. … Continued

Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve

The 65,000 hectare Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve has some of the most exclusive lodges in Southern Africa and is probably the best place anywhere for sighting leopard and lion. As there are no fences between this reserve and the Kruger National Park wildlife is free to roam over a vast area. Viewing is assisted … Continued

Kwazulu-Natal Battlefields

Kwa-Zulu Natal is steeped in history with dramatic battles between the local Zulus, Afrikaners (known as ‘Boers’ – ‘farmer’ in Afrikaans) and the British Empire, shaping the extraordinary politics of today. Various Anglo-Zulu Battlefields are located west of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi National Park around Ulundi and Eshowe (together with a staged opportunity to learn about traditional … Continued

Kariega Private Game Reserve

Kariega Game Reserve is an internationally renowned malaria-free Big-5 private game reserve situated near Port Elizabeth, thus forming a natural extension to Cape Town and the Garden Route. Family owned and managed, it would be accurate to say that the gradual growth and development of the now expansive 10,000 hectare reserve is one of the … Continued

Shamwari Private Game Reserve

The 25,000 hectare conservation award-winning Shamwari Private Game Reserve is well-renowned as a luxury safari destination. Stretching along the Bushman’s River it boasts a variety of landscapes with five different eco-systems, supporting excellent wildlife diversity and viewing, including the ‘Big Five’, a multitude of bird species and several antelope species. The Born Free Foundation has … Continued

Soutpansberg Mountains

The Soutpansberg Mountains (Afrikaans for Salt Pan Mountains) are dramatic outcrops of pink quartzite rock which rise over 1700m extending from the town of Vivo in the west to Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park in the east. Moist sea air from the Indian Ocean precipitates on the southern slopes and, due to the … Continued

Wilderness National Park

Wilderness coastal village, a stone’s throw from the N2 highway, has a long sandy beach backed by dunes and holiday houses. Canoes can be hires to explore the nearby Kaaiman’s River gorge. However, the main attraction is the Wilderness National Park which stretches from the Touw River mouth to the Swartvlei estuary, beyond which it … Continued

MadiKwe Private Game Reserve

Located near to the Botswana border near to Gaborone, MadiKwe Private Game Reserve was established in 1991 through the cooperation of private partnerships, government conservation agencies and the local community to protect over 75,000 hectares of reclaiming farmland. The terrain consists mainly riverine woodland and low-lying plains, Tshwene-Tshwene hillock and rocky koppies, with the Groot … Continued

Sani Pass

Once a mule trail for traders, an escape route for rustlers and challenge for legendary pioneers, the 2,874m Sani Pass is the only driveable route up into the High Berg of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg mountains and connects Kwa-Zulu Natal to the Kingdom of Lesotho (remember your passport!). Although in the process of being tarred, the hairpin … Continued

Tswalu Motse

A beautiful luxury lodge in the pristine Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve

Victoria & Alfred Hotel

Beautifully converted warehouse turned luxury hotel, situated on the Victoria and Alfred waterfront in Cape Town.

Klein Karoo

The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa, divided into the much larger Great Karoo in the north and Klein Karoo (‘klein’ is Afrikaans for ‘little’) in the south. The Klein Karoo is a fertile valley between Swartberg Mountains to the north and Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains to the south and Oudtshoorn is the … Continued

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Located in the Southern Kalahari and bordering Namibia to the west, Kgalagadi (meaning ‘Place of Great Thirst’ in San language and Africa’s first official Transfrontier Park or ‘Peace Park’) is the result of a management agreement between South Africa’s Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park and Botswana’s Gemsbok National Park. Spanning over 3,6 million hectares (around 38,000 km²), … Continued

Mkhaya Stone Camp

A remote camp in Eswatini offering a unique and exciting safari experience

Robberg Beach Lodge

luxurious five star accommodation on the beach front of Plettenberg Bay

Durban

Vibrant Durban, the third largest city in South Africa and a major port, is an exciting cosmopolitan mix of Indian, African and English as well as Zulu cultures. The climate is warmer in the winter than the Western cape so its sandy beaches, protected by shark nets, are a year-round attraction. Victorian buildings stand side … Continued

Eswatini

Eswatini (previously known as Swaziland) is a landlocked kingdom with lovely scenery surrounded by South Africa on three sides and the Lubombo Mountains and Mozambique to the east. It is a popular stop between KwaZulu-Natal and Kruger to break up the drive, enjoy a game reserve such as in Mkhaya Private Game Reserve, and learn … Continued

Giant’s Castle Game Reserve

Named after the rocky silhouette from the Drakensberg Mountains resembling a sleeping giant (including the 3,315m Giant’s Castle peak), this area is renowned for its San rock art, spectacular hiking, majestic eland antelope, baboons and the bone-breaking lammergeier (bearded vulture) which can be seen dropping carcasses from the air to smash them on the rocks. … Continued

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve

An &Beyond and Relais & Chateaux private reserve, Kwandwe is 20,000 hectares of undulating valley bushveld with aloe and giant euphorbias bordering the banks of the Grand Fish River. Much of this private reserve is restored farmland where over 7,000 animals were released before its opening in 2001, including the ‘Big Five’. There is also … Continued

Route 62

Route 62 is an inland mountain route connecting Cape Town and Oudtshoorn and often used as counterpart to the Garden Route. It is more interesting and a little shorter than the N2 highway, travelling through spectacular passes and valleys with interesting small towns on the way.

Pumba Private Game Reserve

A small but perfectly formed game reserve with intimate five-star accommodation overlooking Lake Kariega. Pumba Private Game Reserve contains five biomes, predominantly Eastern Cape Valley Bushveld, with fynbos, savannah, grassland and forest, and is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo) featuring the rare white lion. As well as ranger-led game drives … Continued

Kings Camp

Luxurious camp which sits on the edge of an open plain in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, next to the Kruger

Storms River Mouth Rest Camp

Just up from the dramatic Indian Ocean coastline in the beautiful Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park

Hermanus

Driving east from Cape Town for about 1½ hours, one reaches Hermanus, the once quiet fishing village which is now generally considered to be one of the major whale-watching destinations in the world. The season runs from June to November and, from the cliff tops, sightings of southern right whale are virtually guaranteed during the … Continued

iSimangalisco

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 328,000 hectare iSimangaliso Wetland Park encompasses South Africa’s largest inland body of water, Lake St Lucia and protects a rich variety of habitats and wildlife. The eastern shore of Lake St Lucia is bordered by the highest vegetated dunes in the world, towering to an amazing 200m, separating the … Continued

Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country’s three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital; the others being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital. Known as the Jacaranda City for all the purple … Continued

Cape Peninsula

Most visitors to the Cape Peninsula make for the Cape of Good Hope section of the National Park with its massive sea cliffs and extensive views. It is famed as being perilous for seafarers and the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet at Cape Point (although they ‘officially’ meet a little further south-east … Continued

Hluhluwe River Lodge

With magnificent views of False Bay and Lake St Lucia, Hluhluwe river lodge offers great comfort and hospitality for guests wishing to explore the local wildlife attractions.

Perry’s Bridge Hollow

A comfortable boutique hotel on the outskirts of Hazyview and handy for the Panorama Route

Surrounding Lowveld

The area to the west of Kruger National Park includes the popular town of Hazyview – a base from which to explore the Kruger and also to visit the nearby Elephant Whispers sanctuary and explore the stunning 156km Panorama Route along the Drakensberg Escarpment to encounter the spectacular Blyde River Canyon, Gods Window and numerous … Continued

Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve

The malaria-free Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve in the wider Kalahari is the largest privately owned game reserve in South Africa where a maximum of six safari vehicles explore the 100,000 hectares, giving a sense of unparalleled privacy in the wilderness of dunes and savannah with the backdrop of the Korannaberg mountains. A third of … Continued

Royal Natal National Park

The Royal Natal National Park, in the northern section of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, offers the most dramatic ‘picture postcard’ scenery of the Drakensberg. An unpopulated wilderness of massive rock spires, impressive waterfalls, rivers, pools, forest and extensive grasslands, this area is famed for the 5km of sheer basalt rock wall known as the Ampitheatre, including … Continued

Thanda Private Game Reserve

Thanda means ’love’ in Zulu and this reserve is ideally suited to couples who wish to get away from it all either in luxurious bush villas or a well equipped tented camp. A special feature of this reserve is the opportunity to explore Zulu culture in addition to wildlife viewing. Zulu people benefit directly from … Continued

Injisuthi

A hutted camp at the head of the Injisuthi Valley, in the northern section of Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, is a breathtakingly beautiful base from which to explore some moderately strenuous hiking trails. Views are dominated by the impressive mountain peaks of Champagne Castle (3,248 m), Monk’s Cowl (3,234 m) and Cathkin Peak (3,149 m), … Continued

Kosi Bay Nature Reserve

Kosi Bay is in the far northeast of KwaZulu-Natal comprising a series of four estuarine lakes connected by narrow channels which finally enter the sea at Kosi Mouth and surrounding coastal and dune forests, raffia palm forest, grasslands and wetlands. In spite of the name, visitors are unlikely to see the coast unless making a … Continued

Cottage Pie

A small, comfortable guesthouse in a quiet cul de sac close to Robberg Beach in Plettennberg Bay

La Clé des Montagnes

Located in the town of Franschhoek within the Cape Winelands, this property consists of a main lodge in addition to a number of villas.

Kensington Place

Award-winning boutique hotel positioned in a quiet residential district at the foot of Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain

Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

The only true desert in South Africa, receiving less than 50mm annual rainfall, this transfrontier park spans part of the border of north-west South Africa and southern Namibia. The Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is formed by the merging of South Africa’s Richtersveld National Park and Namibia’s Ai-Ais Hot Springs Game Park. The temperatures are extreme … Continued

Belvidere Manor

Luxurious private hotel that sits on the western shore of Knysna’s lagoon within South Africa’s Garden Route

Northern Kruger

The remote Northern Kruger is the driest and least visited area of the park with fewer tarmac roads than elsewhere and more dramatic scenery. Wildlife is more sparse and skittish than in the south, but tend to congregate around the rivers and water holes especially in the drier winter months. Wild dogs sightings are more … Continued

Four Rosmead

A beautiful romantic boutique hotel at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain

Bayethe Tented Lodge

Set in the Shamwari private game reserve which produces some of the finest wildlife viewing in South Africa

Lesotho

The small mountain kingdom of Lesotho, entirely surrounded by South Africa, may be reached from the Drakensberg by the Sani Pass with its stunning vistas. It has a distinctly African feel compared with the European influenced South Africa. Maseru, the nation’s capital is a good base for exploration if not of great interest itself. From … Continued

Gorah Elephant Camp

Luxurious tented camp in its own private reserve within the Eastern Cape’s famous Addo Elephant National Park

Riverbend Lodge

a luxury property situated on the 17,000 hectare Nyati private concession within the Addo Elephant National Park

The Garden Route

The c.200km Garden Route is a world-famous scenic drive through verdant and diverse scenery with various stops of interest. There are ten nature reserves, protecting varied ecosystems and natural features such as lakes, lagoons, tall indigenous forests and Cape fynbos flora, mountains, rivers and sandy beaches as well as marine reserves. Southern right whales make … Continued

Central Kruger

Central Kruger with its more open grassland landscapes provides excellent wildlife watching opportunities with a good chance of seeing all the Big Five plus hyenas and countless impala.

Sandals Guest House Umhlanga

A fantastic option if staying in the Durban area, this guest house is elegant, light and airy, just a short stroll from the beach.

Tswalu Loapi Tented Camp

Exclusivity and pristine wilderness in South Africa’s largest privately owned wildlife reserve.

Radisson Blu Waterfront

Perched just south of Cape Town’s V&A harbour overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Robben Island

Champagne Valley

This is a picturesque resort area for those wishing touch the surface of the Drakensberg in more gentle fashion. The towering Champagne Castle peak provides a stunning backdrop and walking or horse trails can be explored by first driving into Monk’s Cowl State Forest or the historic Spioenkop Nature Reserve.

Mossel Bay

The coastal town of Mossel Bay is of great historical significance as it was here that the indigenous Khoisan cattle herders first met Europeans in 1488 in the shape of Portuguese mariners under the command of Bartolomeu Dias. Trading began and the bay was used as a halfway stop on the way to India. It … Continued

Thorntree Country House

Sits in the beautiful Schoemanshoek Valley close to the town of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo

Misty Mountain Reserve

Located within the great Tsitsikamma National Park which protects native forest and the largest marine reserve in South Africa

Garonga Safari Camp

Elevated camp overlooking a natural pathway for game passing in front of the camp

Manyeleti Private Game Reserve

Manyeleti, meaning ‘’Place of the Stars’’ in Shangaan language and managed for the community’s benefit by the local Mnisi tribe, shares fenceless borders with Kruger, Timbavati and Sabi Sands reserves so that elephant, lion, cheetah, leopard and other wildlife can roam freely. The 23,000 hectare reserve is easily accessible, but away from major tourist areas … Continued

Marataba

A luxury safari lodge in the only private concession within Marakele National Park

Knysna Featherbed Nature Reserve

Knysna, 102km east of Mossel Bay and 25km west of Plettenberg Bay, was a tiny remote settlement in the forest at the beginning of the 19th Century. However, white settlers arrived and soon Knysna had a thriving logging industry. Add some elephant hunting and the future of the forest was looking bleak until effective conservation … Continued

Cape Winelands

Easily accessible from Cape Town, the winery estates around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Wellington and Constantia offer cellar tours and wine tasting – a relaxing way to enjoy the fruits of the excellent climate and ideal conditions for the cultivation of vines.

Augrabies Falls National Park

In the north of the Northern Cape in the green Kalahari bordering Namibia, the Augrabies Falls National Park protects 28,000 hectares of barren, rocky semi-desert terrain surrounding the Orange River. This mighty river tumbles 56m over a sheer granite cliff at Augrabies Falls then cascades a further 135m into a turbulent pool below. This is … Continued

Rocktail Bay

20km north of Mabibi and accessible only to those staying at Rocktail Beach Camp (and Rocktail Bay Lodge if and when it re-opens), Rocktail Bay offers a quiet and unspoilt beach with access to world-class scuba diving together with snorkelling at low tide in the bay. Pregnant ragged-tooth sharks migrate north up the KwaZulu-Natal coast … Continued

Makuleke Private Concession

In Northern Kruger, the 24,000 hectare Makuleke Private Concession or ‘Pafuri Triangle’ is an area of land at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers, with the Limpopo River defining the border with Zimbabwe, and the more powerful Luvuvhu River carving its way through the sandstone escarpment, creating the impressive Lanner Gorge. The wildlife … Continued

Oudtshroon

Various mountain and coastal roads converge at the town of Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo and it offers a convenient stop before travelling south to the Garden Route. It is famed for its huge Ostrich farms and the nearby Cango Caves with it’s dripstone formations and some of the largest stalagmites in the world. Highlights … Continued

Timbavati Private Game Reserve

The 53,400-hectare Timbavati Private Game Reserve shares an unfenced border with the Kruger National Park, ensuring a great diversity of free roaming wildlife. The ground is more undulating and the bush thicker than Sabi Sands but sightings are still excellent from the accommodation, open vehicles or foot safaris. This is the area noted for its … Continued

Balule Private Game Reserve

Balule Private Game Reserve is a 40,000 hectare nature reserve straddling a 20 km stretch of the perennial Olifants River. Balule was created when farm owners decided to eliminate the game fences between their properties and more landowners are constantly joining the scheme, increasing the Greater Kruger National Park Management Area. The ‘Big Five’, abundant … Continued

Maputaland Forest Marine Reserve

Around 20km north from busy Sodwana Bay is tranquil Mabibi, protected within the Maputaland Coastal Forest and Marine Reserve. The offshore coral reef and rich tropical marine life provides a scuba diving paradise with access to renowned dive sites such as Nine Mile with its stunning coral formations. Over 1,200 species of fish are found … Continued

Cape Town

Cape Town is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and backed by the magnificent Table Mountain. The views from the top are awe-inspiring, taking in the city, the ocean with Robben Island and winelands fringed with distant mountain ranges. The vibrant heart of Cape … Continued

Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay (known locally as ‘Plett’ and originally named ‘Bahia Formosa’ (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers), is 33 km east of Knysna and enjoys probably the best beaches along the Garden Route and is a very popular resort on the Garden Route. The wide bay of white sand is separated by forest from a … Continued

La Fontaine Guest House

Family-owned guest house with an outdoor pool and sea views, in the centre of Hermanus.

Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park

Separating KwaZulu-Natal from the tiny independent Kingdom of Lesotho is the dramatically beautiful Drakensberg Mountain Range – named the ‘Dragon Mountains’ by European settlers and ‘uKhahlamba’ by the Zulus (translated as ‘Barrier of Spears’). It comprises massive basalt cliffs and sandstone buttresses ranging in altitude from 1280m to 3446m at Mafadi Peak, the tallest mountain … Continued

The Dolphin Coast

The Dolphin Coast stretches for 80km north of Durban from Umhlanga Rocks to the mouth of the Tugela River and is renowned for its beach resorts such as Ballito and Shaka’s Rock for a real ‘holiday’ feel with all amenities and entertainment. Bottle-nose dolphins are attracted to the warm shallow waters to feed at all … Continued

Johannesburg

Johannesburg (often shortened to Jo’burg) is normally only used as an overnight stop between flight connections or onward travel. Undeniably troubled by crime issues, the city nevertheless has sights of significant interest. Jo’burg offers the visitor a chance to see the gold fields which fuelled the city’s growth and also to understand South Africa’s past … Continued

Cathedral Peak

Another very scenic area with beautiful day walks by the Ndumeni River and up Cathedral Peak itself – a freestanding pinnacle from which there are outstanding views. Hiking trails begin from the Cathedral Peak Hotel which also offers mountain biking, bird watching, horse riding, quad biking and golf.

Pilanesberg National Park

Bordering the brash Sun City entertainment complex, Pilanesberg National Park is situated in the crater of a massive extinct volcano, resulting from eruptions some 1,200 million years ago. Pilanesberg is in the transition zone between Kalahari and Lowveld, flora and fauna of both habitat can be found overlapping here. All of the Big Five have … Continued

Misty Mountain

Set on a 280 hectare South African Natural Heritage Site situated on the spectacular Long Tom Pass

Klaserie Private Game Reserve

Klaserie, unfenced from Kruger National Park so animals can roam freely between the two as part of the Greater Kruger Park, is situated to the northwest of Timbavati. General game is less plentiful than some other areas but Klaserie is noteworthy for its undulating scenery, winding river beds and herds of elephants who enjoy grazing … Continued

Tsitsikamma National Park

The stunningly beautiful Tsitsikamma National Park – the ‘place of abundant water’ in Khoisan – is a not-to-be-missed Garden Route highlight. It incorporates both a terrestrial and marine reserve extending 5.5km out to sea, protecting an 80km coastal belt of rocky foreshore, reef and deeper sea, indigenous hardwood forests, fynbos, deep river gorges, waterfalls, dramatic … Continued