In South Africa there’s literally something for everyone. South Africa is brimming with scenic wonders for those who are glued to their cameras, self-titled adventurer types will embrace the wealth of activities on offer, wildlife lovers will applaud the limitless species to observe, and the friendly faces, fascinating locals and incredible history will leave the most uninspired gasping for more. All of this is set to the beautiful backdrop of wielding mountains, sizzling desert and snaking national parks with almost constant incredible weather.
South African heritage proudly stems from its long, mesmerising and heavy history that remains evident in the wonderful vibe of the local towns and people. The more you travel here, the more you’ll see how pivotal people are to South Africa’s heart. After all, humans have inhabited Southern Africa for more than 100,000 years, which means if you like social anthropology you’ll have a field day in the numerous museums and some of the oldest archaeological sites in the world. Cape Town was also a British colony from 1806, so you can speculate over the European influenced architecture and customs which melt into South African culture so visually effortlessly today.
Uniquely, South Africa has three capital cities. Cape Town is the largest and is the country’s legislative capital, Pretoria is the administrative capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. All three deserve consideration for a day’s journeying. South Africa’s largest and most modern city, Johannesburg, is the place to applaud art, museums, amusement parks, history, fossil sites and even a world famous zoo.
If you can pull yourself away from the throng of South Africa’s big, bright cities, the national parks will be happy to swallow you up for a day or two. Kruger national park is one of the most popular. It’s here you’ll spot the biggest, most beautiful beasts and be blown away by the huge expanse of space. Table Mountain towers above, God’s Window breaks hearts, and a colourful mixture of penguins, wild dogs, whales and alien looking insects run stealthily beneath the prying eyes of those on the look out for the more well-known ‘Big Five’. These stunning animals saunter among the cooking desert, howling mountains, crashing coast and never-ending plains and forest; all scenes which take turns to captivate your senses, attention and time throughout your tour.
Getting hunger pangs after ambling in the national parks? Food on the whole is focused on meat, usually enjoyed over barbeques. If you’re lucky, as you tuck in you’ll get to dance along to some fashionable Kwaito music. South Africa has produced some legendary jazz musicians too, so listen out for a slip of saxophone as you pass the cosmopolitan cafes.