Overview
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1. Garden Route
The Garden Route is one of the most beautiful and popular routes in South Africa. It is a 300-kilometer stretch of coastal road, running from Mossel Bay to Storms River. It is named after the lush vegetation and diverse ecosystems that characterize the region, with forests, mountains, rivers, and coastline. Besides the beautiful landscapes, there are lots of activities to do along this route such as hiking in the Tsitsikamma National Park, whale watching, snorkeling with seals … . As you can see, this road is full of unique adventures and without a doubt one of the best things to do in South Africa.
Highlights of the garden route
Knysna and Knysna Elephant Park
Plettenberg Bay
Bloukrans Bridge
Tsitsikamma National Park
Whale Watching in Hermanus (June to November)
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2. Cape Town
33° 55′ S, 18° 25′ E
We probably don’t need to tell you that Cape Town is one of the best places to visit in South Africa. It is a huge but super beautiful city with a pleasant atmosphere, and countless fun things to do, and it has literally everything you can wish for. You can hike the Lion’s Head trail at sunset, get to the top of the famous Table Mountain, or go shopping at one of the many cozy markets or gigantic shopping centers. Not to mention the numerous tasty and cozy restaurants and bars. Also in the wider area of the city, you can do many unique things such as visiting the penguins at Boulders beach and driving along a stunning ocean-view road!
In short: you will certainly not be bored in Cape Town and you can certainly stay here for a few days. We are not city dwellers, but this city has really stolen our hearts.
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Hotels
Find the best places to stay near Cape Town and enjoy a comfortable trip.
Cape Town
Camps Bay
Cape Town
via Booking.com
3. Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park
28° 20' S, 31° 42' E
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is one of our absolute favorite parks in South Africa! This park is one of the country’s oldest and most renowned wildlife reserves. In the past, Hluhluwe and Imfolozi were two separate parks. Now, the two parks are connected and seen as one reserve, making it also one of the largest parks in South Africa. It is known for its conservation efforts and significant role in saving the white rhinoceros from extinction due to hunting. There are now more than 1,400 white and 300 black rhinos. If you are lucky, you can spot not only the rhinos but all the big five animals and many other big and smaller wildlife here.
Why this was one of our favorites? Well, for us it was at least as beautiful as Kruger, but way less busy. In most wildlife reserves, the rhinos are dehorned to prevent poaching. Another reason why we loved Hluhluwe was because here you can behold the rhinos in their full glory with their impressive horn still on. You can choose to do a self-drive through the park or you can join a safari in an open game drive vehicle.
Safari
Maximize your chances of spotting the “Big Five”, as well as wild dogs and cheetahs by visiting Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park with a game ranger.
Help to protect and save the rhinos!
Rhinos are highly endangered due to poaching for their horns, which are illegally traded on the black market. Poachers often rely on location information shared on social media and harm rhinos for their valuable horns. You should therefore always refrain from sharing specific details about the location.
Photo and video
Never post a picture or video on your socials at the exact moment you see one. Hunters know they are in national parks, but not where exactly they are. So naming a national park is okay in itself, but no GPS coordinates and certainly not if you encounter them in the wild.
Metadata
Always remove any metadata from your pictures and videos. this is automatically stored information within digital images. You can use various software tools to do so or you can screenshot your photo or screen-record your video, but don't do this at the location where the rihno is!
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4. Drakensberg
28° 45' S, 28° 53' E
The Drakensberg, also called the Dragon Mountains, is a massive mountain range that stretches for about 1,000 kilometers in both South Africa and Lesotho. It forms a natural boundary between the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
This beautiful mountain range offers lots of outdoor activities, including hiking. Two of the most famous spots for hiking in the Drakensberg are Cathedral Peak and the Drakensberg Amphitheater.
A hike that we can really recommend is the hike to the Drakensberg Amphitheater and the Tugela Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in the world at 983 meters. This hike takes you through an incredible landscape with numerous breathtaking views. It is quite a thrilling hike along some narrow edges and 2 fairly high chain ladders, but we can assure you that every step is worth the effort.
5. Kruger National Park
23° 55' S, 31° 30' E
Kruger National Park is the biggest and, without a doubt, the most famous National Park in South Africa. It covers around 20.000 square kilometers in the northeast of the country. The park is known for its wide variety of wildlife, including the big five, which means that the chance of seeing many unique animals here is very high. Going on a safari in the Kruger National Park is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of people.
Safari
Increase your chances of spotting the big five by booking a guided safari!
6. St. Lucia
28° 22′ S, 32° 24′ E
St. Lucia is a small town on the east coast of South Africa. This quiet and cozy town is located on the edge of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and is home to one of the largest hippo populations in South Africa. Because there is only one access road to this village, it is said to be one of the safest places in the country. The only danger and the reason why St Lucia is so famous are the hippos that roam the streets at night and graze in the front gardens. It is the place to be, if you are in search of tranquility away from the bustling urban South African life. It was definitely one of our favorite places during our trip through the country.
7. Addo Elephant Park
33° 28′ S, 25° 44′ E
Addo Elephant Park is the third largest national Park in South Africa. In this park, you find more than 600 elephants and many other animals. If you are very lucky, you can even see the Big Five! The main road of this park has a distance of 64km, so you can see the whole park in one day if you start early. It is a beautiful park with a large variety of wildlife, perfect for game viewing. Some of the animals we saw in Addo Elephant park are: Elephant, Buffalo, Dung Beetle, Kudu, Nyala, Spotted Hyena, Zebra (a lot of them), black-backed Jackal, special birds, … .
8. Stellenbosch
33° 56′ S, 18° 52′ E
Stellenbosch is definitely the place to be if you are a wine-lover. This town is known for its scenic beauty, rich history, and world-class vineyards. It is known as the wine capital of South Africa and ranks among the best wine regions in the world.
Stellenbosch is not only known for its famous wine vineyards, it is also South Africa’s second oldest town with many old and beautiful streets. In the Dorpstraat, you find some of the most impressive old buildings, with lovely shops, hotels and restaurants.
9. Panorama Route
24° 55' S, 30° 50' E
Besides the Garden Route, the Panorama Route is also known as one of the most beautiful roads in South Africa. It is a 180 km long scenic road, that runs from the Erasmus Pass to Sabie and passes the village of Graskop. It is the perfect and most scenic road to travel between Kruger National Park and Johannesburg. On this route, you drive through some breathtaking landscapes along many interesting stops, such as waterfalls and viewpoints of the famous Blyde River Canyon.
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Win-Win for everyone
Did you know that, if you buy or book something through our links, we receive a small commission?
However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
