South Africa

There are so many great reasons to visit South Africa, not least because it's a fascinating country packed full of culture, heritage, wildlife and of course, excellent safari.
South Africa has great natural beauty, from Table Mountain to its coast, forests, deserts and mountains. It has excellent facilities, with great restaurants and superb accommodation. You can savour the the Winelands, thrill at the sight of whales and dolphins and enjoy some of the most exclusive safari lodges in the world.

To see a list of all our holidays in South Africa, please Click here.

South Africa: When to go

In general South Africa’s climate is sunny and temperature throughout the year. However the best time for game viewing is the dry winter months – June to September. Winter nights can be extremely cold on safari so warm clothes are essential.

Cape Town and the Garden Route has a Mediterranean climate, with rains during the winter. So the best time for seeing the Cape, and Table Mountain, in all its glory are the summer months – November to March. The best time for flowers however is springtime, in either August or September.

Whale watching is best in the winter months, and during this time proteas can be seen growing wild in the Riviers-Onderend and Outeniqua mountains.

What to do: Cape Town

The buzzing city of Cape Town is a great place to start, finish or enjoy your whole holiday in! There is the iconic Table Mountain, whose revolving cable car will take you to its summit and excellent views ober the City and the whole peninsula.

You can eat and shop on the cosmopolitan Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, take a boat trip out to Robben Island or explore the Cape of Good Hope or the beautiful surrounding winelands.

For more ideas, look at our Cape Town Breaks.

Featured Trip: A Taste of South Africa

This self-drive tour takes you to all the most famous sights and attractions in South Africa. You start in the Kruger, enjoying a couple of days on safari before flying to Durban.

You get to drive along the World-famous Garden Route, enjoying the spectacular scenery and looking for whales and dolphins, before finishing in Cape Town. Here you have time to relax and explore, the perfect place to end your holiday.

For a full itinerary and price guide, please Click here.

Where to go and what to do

Of all the countries we offer holidays to, South Africa is probably the most diverse. Its landscapes vary from arid deserts to the fertile Winelands, high mountains to a beautiful coastline.
Cape Town and the Cape provinces are a popular and must-visit destination. The City is one of the most stunning in the World, its centre is situated in an amphitheatre running up the lower slopes of Table Mountain. There is plenty to do here, from a trip on the Cable car up the mountain to enjoy the stunning views of the city and the surrounding coastline, to a boat trip to Mandela's old prison on Robben Island. The Waterfront offers great shopping and dining

The Cape Provinces are home to the Winelands, rolling hills covered with vines that produce some excellent wines, with many of the vineyards offering tastings and tours. Their coastline forms what is known as the garden Route, a rugged coastline that is rich in flora and fauna because of its temperate climate. From the Cape of Good Hope, through Boulders bay with its penguin colony, you arrive at Hermanus, a pretty coastal town famous for its whale-watching.

From here you continue to Knysna, beautifully situated on a tidal lagoon, and a great place to stay and explore the surrounding countryside and Tsitsikama forest. Moving east you arrive at Plettenberg Bay where you can take a boat trip out looking for whales and dolphins - last time we were here we saw a pod of over 100 dolphins (Video - Click here.)

Most Garden Route tours end (or start, you can do the route in reverse and finish in Cape Town) in Port Elizabeth, the advantage of this being that you can end with a safari. To the east of Port Elizabeth there are several National Parks and Private Game Reserves that boast the Big 5 and excellent game-viewing. Addo Elephant reserve is Government owned and claims to offer the Big seven- the traditional animals of lion, leopards, elephants, rhino and buffalo, plus the two marine attractions of whales and sharks. The Private Reserves, such as Shamwari and Kariega, have different types of accommodation, from lodge, camp to private houses and great viewing.

If safari is what your visit is about them the place to visit is Kruger National Park situated in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.. One of the largest and most famous reserves in the world, it is part of the Transfrontier Park with areas of Zimbabwe and Mozambique which together offer a vast tract of protected areas. You can stay at a network of Government owned rest camps and lodges, or in one of the many luxury lodges and camps that have private concessions around the park. For those in Johannesburg its is possible to drive to Pilanesberg National Park and either stay inside, enjoying the game, or in the resort of Sun City nearby.

Other interesting destinations include the Drakensberg Mountains in which you can enjoy some excellent walking or riding trails. A visit to Swaziland is possible on most tours, and a stay in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho can also be arranges. As you travel towards Durban you travel through Kwa-Zulu Natal, and are able to see the cultural homeland of the famous Zulu tribe and the battle fields from the Boer Wars.

As well as these few highlights, there are many other things to see and places to do. We can organize visits to townships where a local guide will show you everyday life, a tour that visits all the main places from the life of Nelson Mandela, or combinations of the best of South Africa with either Mauritius or the beautiful Victoria Falls in Zambia. Whatever you choose, South Africa won't disappoint.

Discover South Africa

Tailor-made for you

We design your safari around your interests and preferences.
Choose from an array of luxury lodges and intimate camps.
Private safari vehicles and guides just for your party.

Safari experts

Between us, we've over 100 years of experience in designing exceptional safaris.
Expert staff, drivers and guides in the UK and Africa.
UK staff extensively travelled in Africa and always returning to update their knowledge.

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