They say that South Africa is Africa for beginners, and this is true, since South Africa is one of the most comprehensive and accessible destinations in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is also Africa for the connoisseur that to the general sophistication of its hospitality, national parks, arts, culture and outdoors facilities
Where to beginning in your South African travel plans
Most incoming visitors to South Africa arrive at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The Gauteng conurbation, representing the urban metros of Johannesburg itself and the state capital Pretoria, offer a number of introductory sights and sounds to begin to get a feel of what South Africa has to offer.
Johannesburg, Pretoria and the Gauteng Metro
Johannesburg is a seething urban sprawl that on the surface doe snot seem to belong in Africa. It defeats most of the stereotypes of African urban living, although beneath the surface it is not difficult to determine that Johannesburg is an African city. Johannesburg, the economic capital of South Africa, began life as a gold rush town, and has never really lost that essential character. It offers all the usual international brand accommodation, with a smattering of local variants and a wide selection of upscale lodges, guest houses and backpackers lodges. Most of these have some sort of in-house tour booking facility, so if you happen to arrive on the fly, it is easy to fill a couple of days with interesting day trip sin and around the city. Some of these include:
- Soweto/Township Tour – a slightly sanitized journey through one of the iconic landmarks of the struggle
- The Anti-Apartheid Museum – A sobering journey through the bitter anti-Apartheid struggle
- Origins Museum – A museum dedicated to the origins of Humankind
- South African Museum of Military History – An absolute must for anyone interested in local military history
- Lion Park – A brief foretaste of South Africa’s safari potential
- The Voorterkker Monument – A glimpse into the epic Afrikaner history of South Africa
Both Johannesburg and Pretoria offer much in the way of a food, wine and arts culture to whet your appetite for further travel and exploration in South Africa.
Cape Town and the Cape Heartland
Cape Town is the Mother City, and there is so much to do there. It ranks as one o fthe top global jet set destinations, and is without doubt one of the most beautiful urban metro’s in the world.
- A Brief History
- Hiking & Walking Trails
- Cultural Sites & Museums
- Beaches
- Golf Courses
- Health & Wellness
- Adrenalin Sports
- Festivals & Venues
- Food & Wine
Easy to reach destinations
The Johannesburg/Pretoria metro area is centrally placed with easy transport options to any of the surrounding provinces. Easy short hop excursions include:
- Kruger National Park
- Drakensberg Mountains
- Northern Drakensberg
- Swaziland
- Lesotho
