South Africa is the ideal finishing chapter for an African journey, and for many Australians it is the perfect first step too. It offers an extraordinary range in a single trip: a dramatic city beneath a flat topped mountain, vineyards among rugged peaks, a coastline of wild beaches and whale watching bays, and some of the best private game reserves on the continent, where Big Five encounters are a daily possibility.
It is also a country of great comfort. The food and wine are outstanding, the hospitality is polished, the infrastructure is excellent and the time difference from Australia is among the shortest of any African destination. For families, couples, wine lovers and anyone who wants the comfort of a well oiled journey, South Africa is hard to beat.
Experiences and activities
Cape Town is the star of the south. A cable car ride up Table Mountain, a drive along Chapman's Peak, a visit to Cape Point and the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach, and a stroll through the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens are all classics, and the city's restaurants, galleries and design hotels are first class. A short drive inland brings you to the Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, where historic Cape Dutch estates serve long lunches among the vines. Between roughly June and November, the coastal town of Hermanus is one of the best places in the world to watch southern right whales from the shore, and the Garden Route offers beaches, forests and scenic drives for travellers with more time.
For wildlife, the private reserves bordering Kruger National Park, such as Sabi Sands, give you the chance to see lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos on open vehicle game drives and bush walks led by exceptional guides and trackers. Leopard sightings here are among the most reliable in Africa. Malaria free reserves in other parts of the country are an excellent option for families with young children, and a well chosen combination of city, wine and wildlife is the heart of a classic South African holiday.
Best time to visit
Cape Town and the Winelands are at their sunniest and warmest from November to March, which suits the Australian summer holidays perfectly, while the cooler months bring green landscapes and whale watching. In the Kruger region, the drier winter months of May to September are considered the best for game viewing, as the bush thins out and animals gather at waterholes, although the summer months have a charm of their own with newborn animals and migratory birds. We will pair the right region with the right season.
Getting there and around
South Africa's main gateways are OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport. Many routes from Australia connect through Johannesburg or through a Gulf hub, and flight times from the east coast of Australia are long, though they are shorter for travellers departing from Perth.
By road. Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route are well suited to scenic private transfers or self drive for those who prefer independence. The Kruger region can be reached by road from Johannesburg in about five to six hours.
By charter and scheduled flights. Scheduled flights link Johannesburg and Cape Town with the Kruger region, and light aircraft charters take you directly to private airstrips at many of the reserves, saving hours of driving. For guests who want to maximise their time, a flight to a private airstrip followed by a game drive to the lodge is a spectacular way to begin a safari.
Luxury lodges and camps
In the Sabi Sands region, Londolozi is a celebrated, family run camp with exceptional leopard viewing, Singita Boulders Lodge is known for its sleek, riverside design, and Lion Sands Ivory Lodge offers a more private, villa style experience. In Cape Town, The Silo Hotel perches above the waterfront within a former grain silo, while Ellerman House offers a refined, residential feel with an outstanding wine cellar. In the Winelands, Babylonstoren is a working farm and hotel with beautiful gardens and an inventive approach to food.
