Travelogues South Africa
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Vacation in South Africa : Highlights & Travel Tips
South Africa stands out for travelers because it packs extraordinary variety into one trip: dramatic coastlines, world-class wildlife, vibrant cities, acclaimed wine regions, and a deep, complex cultural history. You can watch the sunrise over Table Mountain in Cape Town, drive the Garden Route past beaches and forests, explore the Winelands around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and head into Kruger National Park or private reserves for the chance to see the Big Five. The country also offers powerful historical experiences, from Robben Island to Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum, alongside excellent food, scenic road trips, and adventure activities such as hiking, surfing, shark cage diving, and whale watching.
For practical planning, South Africa is large, so domestic flights or a well-paced self-drive itinerary can help you cover more ground comfortably. Seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere, and weather varies by region, so pack layers if combining Cape Town, safari areas, and the coast. Travelers should stay aware of local safety guidance in major cities, use reputable transport at night, and book popular safaris, holiday stays, and top restaurants in advance. With good planning, South Africa rewards visitors with exceptional value, unforgettable landscapes, and one of the most diverse travel experiences on the continent.
Best time to travel South Africa
The best time to visit is September through November, with September and November showing the highest popularity and offering a great balance of pleasant spring weather, blooming landscapes, wildlife viewing, and lively travel conditions. October is also a strong choice, making early spring to late spring the best overall window for most travelers.
Best travel reports from South Africa
Addo Elephant NP - FINALLY a lioness
January 18th to 20th: In Addo NP, the longing of our seven-year-old Fa is finally fulfilled. We discover a sleeping lioness in the thicket. Fa is excited and her vision of...
South Africa / Cape Town, the mother of all cities
29 Nov 2016 After 3 weeks of 'nature pure' in Namibia, we have now arrived in South Africa. Our tour along the Garden Route begins in Cape Town and takes us to Port Elizabeth....
Botanical Garden - Kirstenbosch
The botanical garden in Kirstenbosch is not very big, but it is beautiful. According to residents, it is even among the top five most beautiful gardens in the world. Apparently...
Let the journey begin :)
After a full and busy day, which actually started with work, we’ve (-> André and I) started our journey from Dresden City to Frankfurt Airport. We’ve never been there before,...
Day 21/29 - Stellenbosch
Today we had a really great day 🥰 We went to the Blaauwklippen Family Market. A cute little market with serenades with handmade items, food from all over the world, live music,...
Van Loveren biodiversity trail
Started off the day with a nice n easy yoga session of 45min and headed out for another walk at the biodiversity trail in the Van Loveren wine estates. Really getting...
Montagu nature garden and Blu’s winery
Started the day with a beautiful breakfast on the terrace at Fraaie Uitzicht and took the car to head to Montagu for a hike in Siloood forest which was closed to some landslides...
From Wellington to Robertson stopping at Franschoek
We left Dunstone and headed off to Franschhoek to visit the city where the Hugenottes landed long time ago. The place has lots of art galleries and beautiful statues. After a...
Howick and Milky Way
September 13, 2023 After breakfast, which was not interrupted by loadshedding today, we walked past countless pineapple and sugar cane fields to the Howick waterfalls, which...
Day 14 Lions Head
It was much more active on the penultimate day. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we took an Uber to the starting point of a hike. The hike was meant to take us to Lions...
Day 12 Arrival Cape Town
After our overnight stay in Swellendam, we headed towards Cape Town early in the morning. However, not taking the direct route. We decided to travel to Cape Town via the...
Day 5 Addo Elephant Park
On the first day in P.E., we ended up in the Addo Elephant Park, which is about 30 minutes away. There, we had the last chance on this trip to see elephants, giraffes, and other...
A trip to Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
Stellenbosch - Muizenberg - Chapman's Peak Drive - Cape Town - V&A Waterfront
Today we continued from Stellenbosch to Cape Town, our route took us through Muizenberg and then to Fish Hoek and subsequently to Noordhoek, where we drove on Chapman’s Peak...
Hermanus - Clarence-Drive - Franschhoek
Clarence Drive
Transfer to Hermanus
Unfortunately, today was the time to say goodbye to our beloved Cliff Lodge and its staff/owners. Today, I coordinated briefly with KKL and Helena observed the whales again at...
Day 12 (6.10.), Mossel Bay, Swellendal, De Hoop Nature Reserve
In the morning, I go for a beautiful run along the Coast Path. Then we start our road trip. First stop is in Swellendal - allegedly the prettiest small town in South Africa. We...
Am südlichsten Punkt Afrikas
Am nächsten Morgen ging es dann, erneut über verschiedene Schotterpisten, an die Südspitze des Kontinents. Diese befindet sich ebenfalls in einem Nationalpark und nach einem...
Day 12 - Hermanus
Day 12 - Hermanus Once again, we were greeted by rain in the morning. After breakfast, Corina had a cuddle session with the dogs. Then we went to Gearings Point, where...
Day 11 - Hermanus
Day 11 - Hermanus Today we woke up at 8 o'clock and were shocked to find that the weather in Hermanus is still terrible. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our continental breakfast and...
Day 9 - Knysna
Day 9 - Knysna Today Kosi slept until half past nine, while Corina has already gotten up at 7 and looked for new African dog names on the World Wide Web. So far we have 17...
Day 7 - Knysna
Day 7 - Knysna After another delicious breakfast with Frenchtoast and Scrubnled Eggs, we packed our 7 things and drove towards Knysna. At the beginning, it was again a bumpy...
Day 6 - Addo
Day 6 - Addo The alarm clock rang at half past 7 and woke us up rudely from our dreams. After an excellent breakfast, we set off towards Addo Elephant Park, which was only 9km...
Day 4 - Oudtshoorn
Day 4 - Oudtshoorn The day started with an excellent South African breakfast consisting of Fried Bread, Hard boiled Eggs with Cheese, Scrambled Eggs Toast, and much more. Then...
Stellenbosch / PicNic Warwick Wine Estate
Today we were a bit out and about in Stellenbosch, visited the knick-knack shop 'Oom Samiw se Winkel' on Dorp Street. A paradise for collectors of curiosities. Then we visited...
From Knysna to Stellenbosch
After a good night's sleep, with frog croaking to fall asleep, we enjoyed the 'Swiss' breakfast again at Nicole's Gabalala Guesthouse. At around 09:30 a.m., we set off on our...
Knysna - Trip to The Heads
Today we slept in again, after the days with the wake-up call at 05:00, it was a different experience. After a good Swiss breakfast with Nicole (there was even Zopf and different...
Cape Peninsula 10.8.19
Today we set off early to drive around the Cape Peninsula.
Blyde River Canyon with the Three Rondavels and Bourke's Luck Potholes
Today we used the day before the Kruger National Park to visit the impressive canyon of the Blyde River. In addition to the nearly 1000m deep abyss in front of the 'Three...