Attractions

South Africa

Durban is the gateway — but some of the country's biggest, most iconic sites are a flight or a road trip away. Here are a few worth the detour.

6 to explore in South Africa

Kruger National Park

One of Africa's largest game reserves, and one of the most reliable places on the continent to see the Big Five in the wild. Self-drive routes and guided safaris both run year-round, with the dry winter months generally best for sightings around the waterholes.

Table Mountain

Cape Town's flat-topped landmark, reachable by cable car or on foot via several hiking routes. On a clear day the summit gives a full view over the city, Table Bay and out to Robben Island.

Robben Island

The island prison where Nelson Mandela and many other anti-apartheid leaders were held, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided tours depart by boat from Cape Town's V&A Waterfront and are usually led by former political prisoners.

The Garden Route

A scenic stretch of coastline running through the Western and Eastern Cape, linking forests, lagoons and beach towns like Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. A popular multi-day self-drive between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

Blyde River Canyon

One of the largest canyons in the world, and the centrepiece of Mpumalanga's Panorama Route. God's Window and the Three Rondavels are the two lookout points most visitors stop for.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

A vast, red-dune wilderness straddling the South Africa–Botswana border, known for its dark night skies and its black-maned Kalahari lions. Considerably quieter and more remote than Kruger.