Top 10 tourist attractions in South Africa
As I’ve shown many a time in these blogs South Africa is definitely and unequivocally one of the best tourist destinations in the world and owing to the strength of the local currency in accordance to the dollar it is also a very affordable holiday destination for overseas visitors. Like any country though there are some popular places that tourists cannot get enough of and they just keep coming back for more. The 10 most popular tourist hot spots in South Africa are the Kruger National park, Table Mountain, the Garden Route, Robben Island, V&A Waterfront, the beautiful beaches, Sun City resort, Cultural Villages, The cradle of Human kind and Soweto.
The Kruger National Park
The size of the Kruger National Park stands close to 2 Million Hectares and it is roughly the size of Germany. Through its years of dedication to Nature conservation it has become the leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. It has a vast amount of fauna and animal life and the list of species to date stands at 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 Amphibian species, 114 Reptile species, 507 Bird species and 147 Mammal species. With such a variety and diversity in natural attributes you cannot help feel like you’ve walked into paradise. Most people usually go in for trying to spot the bigger animals the park has to offer and totally miss the smaller, often more fascinating species, so word of advice find out more about the types of tree and animal species that the park has to offer from your ranger while out on those drives or walks. The more you know about the surroundings the more magical the park will become. You can also discover more about the cultures that have dwelled in the park through its history by the Rock Painting they left behind and the Archeological sites that are being worked on in the park. The Kruger conservation is as passionate about preserving its history as it is about preserving its natural life.
Table Mountain
Spanning about 1086m above sea level, Table Mountain is a wonderful unique area with Cape Town surrounding its base. Many activities can be enjoyed on Table Mountain and it makes a wonderful hiking area. Popular routes up the mountain are Platteklip Gorge, the Back Table route, nursery ravine, The Bridle path and Skeleton Gorge. The mountain can be accessed from Constantia neck, Cecilia forest, Kirstenbosch, Newlands forest and Rhodes memorial. The cave systems of Table Mountain are very unusual as they consist mainly of Sandstone where as most Cave systems in the world consist of limestone. The biggest of these are the Wynberg cave system located on the Back Table.
Garden Route
Stretching from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikama forest and storms river, it is considered to be the most beautiful route in South Africa with popular visitors spots, Tsitsikama forest, Cango Caves, The Bloukraans bridge which is incidentally where the highest bungee jump in the world is, Knysna and much, much more. Entertainment can be found everywhere along the route with such diversity that it’s too numerous to mention. Depending on how fast you travel the average rout will take you around a week to complete so plan it carefully around your time frame.
Robben Island
Literally translated from Dutch as Seal Island, not to be confused with the actual seal island off of False Bay and lies 7-11kms of the coast of Cape Town. It has an incredible history dating back to the Stone Age. People inhabited Robben island during the Stone Age when it wasn‘t an island. It used to be a flat topped hill within walking distance from where Cape Town now lies and became an Island after the flooding of parts of the world due to the melting ice of the Ice Age. From the 17th century it has mainly housed prisoners and between 1836 and 1931 it was home to a leper colony. After the 2nd world war it became a prison and in 1959 a maximum security prison was built here. From 1961 to 1991 it housed more than 3000 political prisoners. The Island is Arid and a pipeline for fresh water was laid in 1965 stretching from Cape Town. Before that in the early 20th century, bore holes were sunk but these were soon taken over by sea water. It has a national park and today you can still see the antelope and other wildlife introduced to the island by the warden of the island in 1960. Robin Island is today a national heritage site and can be accessed by Ferry via the V&A Waterfront.
V&A Waterfront
Historically this busy harbour was constructed by Prince Alfred in 1860, he was the 2nd son of Queen Elizabeth and named the 1st basin after himself and the 2nd basin after his mother, hence the name. It is now undergoing a massive restoration known as the Victoria and Alfred development project and the entire restoration costs exceeds an amount of 8 Billion Rand. The most fascinating thing about the V&A is that it is a busy commercial harbour set in the centre of a massive entertainment area which incorporates, pubs, restaurants, Specialty Shops, Craft Markets, Theatres, museums, movies, hotels, luxury apartments and the two oceans aquarium and it is the most visited tourist destination in South Africa.
Coastal Beaches
South Africa has 2 coastlines, the Atlantic to the west and the Indian to the East. The best swimming beaches are situated along the Indian Ocean Coastline as it is a warm current making the waters very pleasant to swim in. The Atlantic side has some wonderful beaches that are very popular but have very cold water due to the cold Benguela current come up from the Arctic Ocean. Favorite beaches are Margate (Indian Ocean), Clifton (Atlantic), Camps Bay (Atlantic), Warner Beach (Indian), Amanzimtoti (Indian), Banana beach (Indian) and Big Bay (Atlantic).
Sun City Resort
An amazing holiday resort that offers everything the imagination can think about. It has 4 hotels, Palace of the lost city, Cascades, Sun City Hotel and the Cabanas.
The Palace of the lost city is a fairy style palatial hotel featuring opulent luxury, beautiful mosaics and frescoes, hand painted ceilings and every amenity to make you feel like royalty. The prices per night range from between R4655-00 to R46700-00 but look out for specials.
The Cascades hotel is the grand old lady of Sun City Resort and is named after the tumbling waters flowing through the lush tropical forest in which it’s set. Prices here range from between R2790-00 to R16900-00 per night.
The Sun City hotel was the 1st of the 4 hotels at the resort and has a 24hr room service. Prices range from R2375-00 to R8700-00 per night.
Cabanas is wonderful for families, having areas that look after and entertain the kids, which leave the parent’s time to enjoy some of the other entertainments at the resort. It is also a fantastic place for the entire family to enjoy time together. Prices range from R2045-00 to R2520-00 per night.
Activities that can be enjoyed at Sun City resort are numerous but here are a few that I enjoyed, Elephant back riding, Quad biking, Archery, Clay pigeon shooting, balloon safaris, the Pilanesberg national (for wild game viewing), 2 world class golf courses, The crocodile park, Valley of the waves with the lazy river and the exhilarating 17m high water slide (where your boxers become g-strings, Water sports (on Sun City lake), a Sauna and the pool bars. There is also more adult style entertainments like the jungle casino with the ever popular dream machine making people millionaires, cabaret shows and live entertainment.
Cultural villages
Cultural villages is a new initiative that has come around due to the growing demand from foreign visitors to learn more about the different cultures in South Africa. Here the traditional lifestyles of the people are in an environment that encourages the visitor to be apart of the proceedings. You will be able to witness traditional dancing and rituals, see the type of lifestyles traditionally led by these people and bear witness to their belief systems. Some of the villages are mentioned here but there are many more dotted around the country. Basotho Cultural villages show huts from the 16th century to present day and you can see people in traditional roles accurately depicting accurately depicting the lifestyle and architecture of South Sotho. Kosi Bay in Northern Kwazulu Natal is a community owned tourism camp that has been established on the shores of Lake Bangazi. Here visitors can experience first hand the lifestyle of the indigenous people.
Further south from Kosi Bay is the 4 star luxury hotel Zululand which has a perfectly constructed Zulu Kraal dating back to the time of Shaka Zulu. There are 40 huts which make up this fascinating village. Bothshabelo historical village shows the life and culture of the colorful Ndebele people. Lying 12kms west of Middelburg it was set up by the Middelburg Town Council as a Typical Ndebele Village. Another Ndebele village just out of Cullinan near Bronkhorstspruit provides demonstrations of traditional art works, including bead work, weaving and the famous hut painting.
Groot Marico in the North West Province is a place where you can witness the lifestyles of the Voortrekkers. It was one of the 1st places settled by the Voortrekkers in Transvaal and a mampoer (a potent liquor made from fruit) tour, and a cultural tour to old farmhouses (where bread is till baked in an outside oven) are a must. In the farm house tour you would be able to try other cultural cuisine, such as Melk tert (milk tart) and gemmer bier (ginger beer).
The Cradle of Human Kind
A cave system covering 47000 hectares of mostly private owned land, it comprises a strip of a dozen dolomite limestone caves containing the fossilized remains of ancient forms of animals, plants and most importantly Hominids. Hominids are your early ancestors and are reported to have split from the African Ape around 5-6 million years ago. To date 850 hominid fossils have been discovered in this system and it cements the belief that all human species originally came from Africa.
Soweto
A mix of black cultures, with a history that was central to the uprising and a people that are a special mix of sophisticated and street wise, it’s not hard to see why Soweto has become such a popular tourist destination. Once a home to Nelson Mandela and other famous political leaders, it was started as a black settlement in 1904 for workers looking for jobs on the mines. The name changed to South Western Townships and then to Soweto which is the Acronym of the original name. It is considered to be the most populace black residential area in the Country with a population of just over 2 million. It is now the site of a major development and renewal project running into the billions with shopping centers, hotels, museums, parks and many other fascinating things been developed. Housing which had no structure in the past is being redone and new residential areas are being developed to accommodate the ever increasing population. The guest houses in the different rural areas are always friendly and welcoming and although not luxurious will definitely leave you with a sense of well being and a better understanding of this amazing community.
The Kruger National Park
The size of the Kruger National Park stands close to 2 Million Hectares and it is roughly the size of Germany. Through its years of dedication to Nature conservation it has become the leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. It has a vast amount of fauna and animal life and the list of species to date stands at 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 Amphibian species, 114 Reptile species, 507 Bird species and 147 Mammal species. With such a variety and diversity in natural attributes you cannot help feel like you’ve walked into paradise. Most people usually go in for trying to spot the bigger animals the park has to offer and totally miss the smaller, often more fascinating species, so word of advice find out more about the types of tree and animal species that the park has to offer from your ranger while out on those drives or walks. The more you know about the surroundings the more magical the park will become. You can also discover more about the cultures that have dwelled in the park through its history by the Rock Painting they left behind and the Archeological sites that are being worked on in the park. The Kruger conservation is as passionate about preserving its history as it is about preserving its natural life.
Table Mountain
Spanning about 1086m above sea level, Table Mountain is a wonderful unique area with Cape Town surrounding its base. Many activities can be enjoyed on Table Mountain and it makes a wonderful hiking area. Popular routes up the mountain are Platteklip Gorge, the Back Table route, nursery ravine, The Bridle path and Skeleton Gorge. The mountain can be accessed from Constantia neck, Cecilia forest, Kirstenbosch, Newlands forest and Rhodes memorial. The cave systems of Table Mountain are very unusual as they consist mainly of Sandstone where as most Cave systems in the world consist of limestone. The biggest of these are the Wynberg cave system located on the Back Table.
Garden Route
Stretching from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikama forest and storms river, it is considered to be the most beautiful route in South Africa with popular visitors spots, Tsitsikama forest, Cango Caves, The Bloukraans bridge which is incidentally where the highest bungee jump in the world is, Knysna and much, much more. Entertainment can be found everywhere along the route with such diversity that it’s too numerous to mention. Depending on how fast you travel the average rout will take you around a week to complete so plan it carefully around your time frame.
Robben Island
Literally translated from Dutch as Seal Island, not to be confused with the actual seal island off of False Bay and lies 7-11kms of the coast of Cape Town. It has an incredible history dating back to the Stone Age. People inhabited Robben island during the Stone Age when it wasn‘t an island. It used to be a flat topped hill within walking distance from where Cape Town now lies and became an Island after the flooding of parts of the world due to the melting ice of the Ice Age. From the 17th century it has mainly housed prisoners and between 1836 and 1931 it was home to a leper colony. After the 2nd world war it became a prison and in 1959 a maximum security prison was built here. From 1961 to 1991 it housed more than 3000 political prisoners. The Island is Arid and a pipeline for fresh water was laid in 1965 stretching from Cape Town. Before that in the early 20th century, bore holes were sunk but these were soon taken over by sea water. It has a national park and today you can still see the antelope and other wildlife introduced to the island by the warden of the island in 1960. Robin Island is today a national heritage site and can be accessed by Ferry via the V&A Waterfront.
V&A Waterfront
Historically this busy harbour was constructed by Prince Alfred in 1860, he was the 2nd son of Queen Elizabeth and named the 1st basin after himself and the 2nd basin after his mother, hence the name. It is now undergoing a massive restoration known as the Victoria and Alfred development project and the entire restoration costs exceeds an amount of 8 Billion Rand. The most fascinating thing about the V&A is that it is a busy commercial harbour set in the centre of a massive entertainment area which incorporates, pubs, restaurants, Specialty Shops, Craft Markets, Theatres, museums, movies, hotels, luxury apartments and the two oceans aquarium and it is the most visited tourist destination in South Africa.
Coastal Beaches
South Africa has 2 coastlines, the Atlantic to the west and the Indian to the East. The best swimming beaches are situated along the Indian Ocean Coastline as it is a warm current making the waters very pleasant to swim in. The Atlantic side has some wonderful beaches that are very popular but have very cold water due to the cold Benguela current come up from the Arctic Ocean. Favorite beaches are Margate (Indian Ocean), Clifton (Atlantic), Camps Bay (Atlantic), Warner Beach (Indian), Amanzimtoti (Indian), Banana beach (Indian) and Big Bay (Atlantic).
Sun City Resort
An amazing holiday resort that offers everything the imagination can think about. It has 4 hotels, Palace of the lost city, Cascades, Sun City Hotel and the Cabanas.
The Palace of the lost city is a fairy style palatial hotel featuring opulent luxury, beautiful mosaics and frescoes, hand painted ceilings and every amenity to make you feel like royalty. The prices per night range from between R4655-00 to R46700-00 but look out for specials.
The Cascades hotel is the grand old lady of Sun City Resort and is named after the tumbling waters flowing through the lush tropical forest in which it’s set. Prices here range from between R2790-00 to R16900-00 per night.
The Sun City hotel was the 1st of the 4 hotels at the resort and has a 24hr room service. Prices range from R2375-00 to R8700-00 per night.
Cabanas is wonderful for families, having areas that look after and entertain the kids, which leave the parent’s time to enjoy some of the other entertainments at the resort. It is also a fantastic place for the entire family to enjoy time together. Prices range from R2045-00 to R2520-00 per night.
Activities that can be enjoyed at Sun City resort are numerous but here are a few that I enjoyed, Elephant back riding, Quad biking, Archery, Clay pigeon shooting, balloon safaris, the Pilanesberg national (for wild game viewing), 2 world class golf courses, The crocodile park, Valley of the waves with the lazy river and the exhilarating 17m high water slide (where your boxers become g-strings, Water sports (on Sun City lake), a Sauna and the pool bars. There is also more adult style entertainments like the jungle casino with the ever popular dream machine making people millionaires, cabaret shows and live entertainment.
Cultural villages
Cultural villages is a new initiative that has come around due to the growing demand from foreign visitors to learn more about the different cultures in South Africa. Here the traditional lifestyles of the people are in an environment that encourages the visitor to be apart of the proceedings. You will be able to witness traditional dancing and rituals, see the type of lifestyles traditionally led by these people and bear witness to their belief systems. Some of the villages are mentioned here but there are many more dotted around the country. Basotho Cultural villages show huts from the 16th century to present day and you can see people in traditional roles accurately depicting accurately depicting the lifestyle and architecture of South Sotho. Kosi Bay in Northern Kwazulu Natal is a community owned tourism camp that has been established on the shores of Lake Bangazi. Here visitors can experience first hand the lifestyle of the indigenous people.
Further south from Kosi Bay is the 4 star luxury hotel Zululand which has a perfectly constructed Zulu Kraal dating back to the time of Shaka Zulu. There are 40 huts which make up this fascinating village. Bothshabelo historical village shows the life and culture of the colorful Ndebele people. Lying 12kms west of Middelburg it was set up by the Middelburg Town Council as a Typical Ndebele Village. Another Ndebele village just out of Cullinan near Bronkhorstspruit provides demonstrations of traditional art works, including bead work, weaving and the famous hut painting.
Groot Marico in the North West Province is a place where you can witness the lifestyles of the Voortrekkers. It was one of the 1st places settled by the Voortrekkers in Transvaal and a mampoer (a potent liquor made from fruit) tour, and a cultural tour to old farmhouses (where bread is till baked in an outside oven) are a must. In the farm house tour you would be able to try other cultural cuisine, such as Melk tert (milk tart) and gemmer bier (ginger beer).
The Cradle of Human Kind
A cave system covering 47000 hectares of mostly private owned land, it comprises a strip of a dozen dolomite limestone caves containing the fossilized remains of ancient forms of animals, plants and most importantly Hominids. Hominids are your early ancestors and are reported to have split from the African Ape around 5-6 million years ago. To date 850 hominid fossils have been discovered in this system and it cements the belief that all human species originally came from Africa.
Soweto
A mix of black cultures, with a history that was central to the uprising and a people that are a special mix of sophisticated and street wise, it’s not hard to see why Soweto has become such a popular tourist destination. Once a home to Nelson Mandela and other famous political leaders, it was started as a black settlement in 1904 for workers looking for jobs on the mines. The name changed to South Western Townships and then to Soweto which is the Acronym of the original name. It is considered to be the most populace black residential area in the Country with a population of just over 2 million. It is now the site of a major development and renewal project running into the billions with shopping centers, hotels, museums, parks and many other fascinating things been developed. Housing which had no structure in the past is being redone and new residential areas are being developed to accommodate the ever increasing population. The guest houses in the different rural areas are always friendly and welcoming and although not luxurious will definitely leave you with a sense of well being and a better understanding of this amazing community.
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