South Africa

A cliché perhaps, but South Africa really is a “world in one country”.  Host to a vast area with many fascinating & distinct natural features, cultures and attractions – they all blend harmoniously to form the modern Rainbow Nation that is South Africa.

Our South Africa experts can help you get the most of your holiday whether it is  a stay in the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town; big game viewing in the Kruger National Park; or a self drive golfing holiday along the famous Garden Route. We have first hand knowledge of the country and when to see it at it’s best.

Most first-time visitors head to Cape Town to start their explorations. This small, compact city is continually cited the world’s top tourist destination. Over shadowed by Table Mountain which is visible from every direction, there is so much more to see and do here. The popular V&A Waterfront is a must-see tourist location, with its al fresco, quayside restaurants and shops. It is also home to the Cape Town Aquarium and the the newly opened Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.

In the centre of the city are the historic Company Gardens once dominated by the East Indian Trading Company, Cape Town Castle, the Parliament building, numerous museums and the Bo Kaap neighbourhood. All can be visited as part of a guided half or full day city tour.

The city is easy to navigate and explore on foot, taxi or by self-drive but it is also possible to pick up circular scheduled tourist bus tours departing from outside the aquarium in the waterfront. For Robben Island you can buy tickets and join the ferry from the Clock Tower located in the V&A waterfront as well.

There are a number of renowned  Wine regions mostly located in the Western Cape with the most famous being Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. These can be visited as a day trip or enjoyed as part of a longer stay in the country. Visitors are welcomed to the cellar door tasting rooms which can be visited as part of a guided tour, self driving or one of the novel wine tasing tours that are on offer by horse-back, mountain bike, wine tram or even hot air balloon!

Moving east from Cape Town is the whale-watching hot-spot of Hermanus. Southern Right whales come into shore to give birth and feed, offerings tourists the opportunity to get close to these gentle giants. You can take a boat out or even see them from the cliff tops in the town. The Hemmel en Aarde Valley (‘Heaven on Earth’) is a short drive from town, also known as the Hermanus Wine Route where there are a number of excellent wine estates in this magnificent valley.

Continuing along the coast to Mossel Bay, this is the official start of the Garden Route which extends all the way to Port Elizabeth. Popular for a self-drive sightseeing or golfing holiday, the route is punctuated with small towns and villages offering B&B style accommodation, great food, stunning scenery and plenty of activities, not least of which is golf! George, Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and St Francis Bay are just some of the stop offs that are worthy for an overnight stay before you reach Port Elizabeth.

Beyond ‘P.E’ as it is affectionately known, are a number of excellent safari lodges which offer Big 5 game viewing and are non malarial. This area around Grahamstown is an excellent way to combine a good quality safari experience with a Garden Route discovery holiday. And when you are finished, drop off your hire car at Port Elizabeth Airport and fly home without having to double back to Cape Town.

The Kruger is still the most well-known of South Africa’s many national parks with the reputation for the best game viewing, either staying inside the national park itself on a private concession, or at one of the many private reserves which border the park. There are direct flights from most major cities, such as Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, making it easy to combine with sight seeing or golfing elsewhere.

Durban and KwaZulu Natal are increasingly popular with tourists, especially with the advent of direct flights from the UK and the Emirates. Head out of the city for spectacular mountain vistas in the Drakensberg Mountains; top safari lodges in the Hluhluwe region; superb beaches lapped by the warm Indian Ocean, and historic and poignant tours of the Anglo-Zulu battlefields. There is plenty to keep you occupied on a two week holiday in this province alone.

North of Johannesburg in the Limpopo Province the Welgevonden is a popular holiday destination for locals. Malaria-free safaris with Big 5 game animals, great golf courses and historic cultural centres are just a two hour drive from the city. Likewise the Sun City resort with its hotels, restaurants and adventure activities. Home to the renowned Nedbank Challenge Golf event, the resort boast two top quality golf courses but also caters to the whole family with a water sports lake, casino, spa and plenty of other attractions.

Also in this region is the Madikwe Private Game Reserve, a superb safari destination, home to the Big 5 game animals as well as cheetah and is one of the best places in South Africa to see the endangered African wild dog. Some of the lodges specialise in family-friendly safari holidays and the reserve is malaria-free. The reserve is a four hour drive from Johannesburg or a short charter flight from Johannesburg airport.