Johannesburg
This architecturally striking museum – it's built on either side and on top of a busy street – in Alexandra, Jo’burg’s oldest township, finally opened in…
Johannesburg
This architecturally striking museum – it's built on either side and on top of a busy street – in Alexandra, Jo’burg’s oldest township, finally opened in…
KwaZulu-Natal
This research institute is dedicated to studying sharks, specifically in relation to their danger to humans. There are audiovisual presentations and shark…
Pretoria
Designed by Sir Herbert Baker, these sweeping sandstone buildings are the headquarters of government and home to the presidential offices. They're not…
Western Cape
Africa's southernmost national park has exceptional birdwatching possibilities and hikes ranging from 3km to 10km in length. Recommended is the 5.5km…
Johannesburg
Fenced off from the southern end of sketchy Joubert Park is this elegant Lutyens-designed gallery dating from 1915. The JAG has one of the largest art…
Port Elizabeth
This pleasant hilltop park is a good place to get your bearings, particularly if you climb to the top of the lighthouse. The pyramid is a memorial to…
Cape Town
This small museum packs a lot in with a considerable emotional punch. The history of anti-Semitism is set in a South African context with parallels drawn…
Franschhoek
In addition to tastings and sales, various heritage tours are available at this excellent winery. The museum here covers Cape history and tells the Solms…
Gauteng
This gorgeous sculpture park marks an evolutionary advancement for South African creative arts. Leading local and international sculptors, painters and…
Kruger National Park
During the apartheid era, the 23,000-hectare Manyeleti was the only wildlife reserve that blacks were permitted to visit. Due to its unfenced boundary…
eSwatini (Swaziland)
This museum has some interesting displays of Swazi culture, as well as a traditional beehive village and cattle enclosure, and several of King Sobhuza II…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
This particularly beautiful stretch of sandy beach is roughly a 15-minute walk to the south from the Sunset Rocks parking area at Llandudno. As Cape Town…
Cape Town
Planted with a fine collection of botanical specimens, including frangipanis, African flame trees, aloes and roses, the Public Garden is the centrepiece…
Gauteng
Open pit mining for diamonds started here in 1903. Two years later the largest rough gem diamond ever found – a 3106-carat whopper – was unearthed here…
Sunshine Coast
A few kilometres north of Kenton-on-Sea, Sibuya is a wonderfully scenic place to see a variety of wildlife, including a few lions, white rhinos, elephants…
Durban
Situated in Durban’s west, this is the biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere. The unusual building is designed in the shape of a lotus…
Stellenbosch
Tokara is renowned for its excellent wines – particularly chardonnay and sauvignon blanc – and for its upmarket restaurant (mains R210 to R260; bookings…
Lesotho
The Ha Kome cave houses are an anomaly in this area, 21km from Teyateyaneng (TY) and several kilometres from the village of Mateka. These extraordinary…
Eastern Cape
One of South Africa's largest conservation areas, Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area is a World Heritage Site between the Kouga and Baviaanskloof mountains,…
Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
Winelands
Showcasing the array of succulents and desert plants found in the Karoo, this garden is well worth a stop if you're travelling along the N1. Only a small…
Northern Cape
This comprehensive museum warrants a visit of an hour or two. It covers the Second Anglo-Boer War and South Africa's role in WWI. The star though is the…
Cape Town
There's lots going on here apart from excellent wine-making, such as growing olives and producing Havoc Brew craft beers, which you can enjoy with a pizza…
Pretoria
The rebirth of downtown Pretoria has been given a kickstart by the redevelopment of this set of buildings into an events, arts and social hub. Check out…
KwaZulu-Natal
Raphia Australis palms were first planted here in 1916 from seeds. The idea was to use the palm fibres to make brooms for the prison service, but, as the…
Northern Cape
Hidden away amid a network of gravel roads, Witsand is an offbeat reserve offering up photogenic beauty and absolute serenity in equal doses. One sound…
Stellenbosch
A short drive from the centre of Stellenbosch, this wine estate is also great for families: kids can enjoy the petting farm, lawn games and a juice and…
Winelands
This hugely popular estate off Rte 101, 6km south of Paarl, is a wonderful winery, but not the place to come for a tranquil tasting. It's great value,…
Sunshine Coast
An upmarket (but not luxurious) choice, this 100-sq-km reserve 14km north of Kenton-on-Sea offers a chance to see the Big Five (although leopards are very…
KwaZulu-Natal
When war approached, King Shaka is said to have hidden his wives in the thick swath of forest that now makes up this 2-sq-km reserve. There is prolific…
Cape Town
The early settlement’s lookout point is so named because it was from here that flags were hoisted when a ship was spotted, giving the people below time to…
Cape Town
The highlights of the mother church of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk) are its mammoth organ and ornate Burmese-teak pulpit,…
Cape Town
Dating from 1700, but altered during the British administration of the 19th century when it was the home of the British governor, De Tuynhuis was…
Franschhoek
The bright, modern, barn-like tasting room has comfy couches strewn around – you can either take your tasters to enjoy at leisure or sit at the bar for a…
KwaZulu-Natal
The Blood River battle site is marked by a full-scale bronze re-creation of the Boers' 64-wagon laager (an encampment fortified by a circle of wagons),…
Stellenbosch
Other than tastings, there's lots of kid-friendly fun, including a chance to meet the workforce of ducks that help keep the vineyards pest- and pesticide…
Durban
An often forgotten gem of Durban's historic past lies just outside the city in the Phoenix township. Here you can visit the house where Mahatma Gandhi…
The Wild Coast
North of Mbotyi and 30km south of Port Edward lies this breathtaking (and largely underrated) reserve, which encompasses 77 sq km of grassland, dotted…
Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens
Western Cape
These often delightfully empty gardens are well worth a visit. Paths explore the region's indigenous plant life – try the Leopard Kloof Trail, a 3km round…
Cape Town
This delightful mansion, dating from 1777–78 and fronted by a period-style garden (recreated in 1986 from the original layout), was once the home of the…
Gauteng
South Africa's largest Catholic church, with a capacity of 5000, was an important meeting point during the apartheid years. It's a calm and impressive…