Best Places to See in South Africa

South Africa is considered to be a really beautiful and exciting country. It is home to a mix of beaches, mountains a 2500 km stretch of incredible coastline, and of course, its ever famous wildlife. Famed for its gold and diamonds, along with its fondness for sports, South Africa is a haven that is sure to provide different sights to see.

Travelling to any country the size of South Africa can be tricky. With all the different places that you would want to go, going to all those places could either confuse you or make you lose time making the most out of your stay in South Africa. It would be best to plan out your trip beforehand. Here are some of the best places to see when in the country.

Table Mountain

As the name suggests, this mountain has a flat top which is overlooking Cape Town. A key tourist attraction in South Africa, Table Mountain could be reached either by taking a cable car towards the top or for those adventurers, hiking. The climb may be tiring but it is all going to be worth it when you get to the top and see the spectacular view.

Table Mountain is also home to different animals such as the rock hyrax which looks like a mix between a squirrel and a mouse, porcupines, mongooses, snakes, tortoises and some playful monkeys who are always on the hunt for food.

Garden Route

One proof of the incredible coastline that is found in South Africa is the Garden Route. It is a very scenic stretch on the south-eastern coast of South Africa starting at Mossel Bay and finishing at Storms River.

The Garden Route is home to dolphins, seals and endangered Southern Right Whale because of the ten different nature preserves that surround it. In addition to the marine life, about 300 species of beautiful multi-colored birds live here as well.

To get to Garden Route, you have 3 practical options: one – rent a car and drive around the whole stretch, two – get on board Africa’s last remaining passenger steam train called Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, or three – hop on the Baz Bus. The trip to Garden Route will also provide you various excellent spots along the way including Knysna and Oudtshoorn

Knysna

As mentioned above, Knysna is a town in the middle of the Garden Route and is a great stop over. Tourists would definitely get that bohemian feel from the whole town as it is a great place to relax, have fun and enjoy some great tasting food. For those who are into artists and water sports, you should definitely visit Knysna Heads where you can find a lagoon perfect for ‘wave jumping’.

Knysna is always perfect for relaxation and is also known for its incredible sunsets. When you are en route to Garden Route, always remember to stop over Knysna.

Oudtshoorn

Oudtshoorn is another town in the middle of Garden Route but may be an unusual choice to stop over in South Africa. However, if you ever wanted to know how it feels like to ride an ostrich, this is the place to be. Oudtshoorn is the Ostrich Capital of South Africa. In fact, many of the hotels in town offer ostrich eggs for breakfast which are naturally bigger and richer in flavor. Meat eaters may also want to try ostrich sausages and steaks which are also readily available.

Although Oudtshoorn may be popular for its ostriches, they are also known for its great scenery. Cyclists are surely going to like the view as well as those people who are looking forward to relax after the madness of Cape Town.

Durban

One of South Africa’s third largest city, Durban is also considered as the friendliest city in the region. Made famous for it’s ‘Golden Mile’ which is a string of beaches filled with surfers, Durban is known to be a shark free zone which is a crowd gatherer. After a relaxing time at the beach, head over to Durban’s promenade where various hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops and the Marine World Aquarium are found.

Durban has a large Indian community and the Victoria Indian Street Market is very popular. Here you can see mosques, temples, exotic shops and restaurants where you can try some delicious Indian cuisine.

There is still a lot of other places that South Africa has in store for tourists such as Kruger National Park, the Drakensberg Mountains and Soweto to name a few. South Africa is indeed an incredible and diverse country with many great places to visit, similar to Australia or the Philippines.