Traveling South Africa – Top 10 Places to Visit, Part 1

South Africa is a beautiful and exciting country. It boasts a wonderful mix of beaches, mountains, wildlife and 2500km of incredible coastline. It is famous for its gold and diamonds and also for its fondness for sport – especially rugby. If you get a chance to see the Springboks in action, it will give you a real understanding of passion. Like any country of South Africa’s size, travelling in South Africa can be tricky. To avoid any potential problems make sure you plan your trip well in advance. Here are the top 10 favorite places to visit in South Africa:

1.     Table Mountain

Table Mountain is a key tourist attraction for all visitors to South Africa; it’s a flat topped mountain overlooking Cape Town. There are a couple options for getting to the top; you can either take a cable car or alternatively the more adventurous of you can hike to the top. Once at the summit the views are spectacular. The most common animals found here is the rock hyrax which looks a like a mix between a squirrel and a mouse, (these feed off food tourists leave behind illegally) and porcupines, mongooses, snakes and tortoises as well as cheeky monkeys who are on the hunt for food.

2.     Robben Island

Robben Island is seven kilometers off the coast of South Africa, it’s 3.3km long and 1.9km wide. Robben Island holds the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 18 years (1964-1982). Whilst the tour was fascinating it was very sad seeing how the prisoners lived, when you arrive at Nelson Mandela’s 7ft by 7ft cell you find a replica chair, mat, bowl and blanket plus outside you also see a list of the food served, there were different menus for Black South Africans, mixed race/Asians and White South Africans. Also check out the memorial laid by Nelson Mandela and all surviving South African political prisoners in 1995.

3.     Garden Route

The Garden Route is a very scenic stretch on the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It starts at Mossel Bay and finishes at Storms River, there are various excellent stop offs including two off my top ten (Knysna and Oudtshoorn). The Garden route has ten different nature reserves which boast lots of dolphins and seals as well as being home to the endangered Southern Right Whale. As well as the marine life there are almost 300 species of beautiful multi-coloured birds. You can hire a car or travel on Africa’s last remaining passenger steam train the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe. Whilst the train doesn’t stretch the entire length of the Garden Route it’s still worth checking out. The Baz Bus is a good budget option.

4.     Knysna

Knsyna is a charming town in the middle of the Garden Route which deserves a special mention. It’s definitely worth an extra stop when travelling in South Africa because it’s such a great place to have fun, relax and enjoy some great food. Whilst in Knysna be sure to enjoy their wonderful oysters, I was lucky enough to visit during the Oyster Festival. Kynsna is a big pull for artists due to the lovely views and relaxing atmosphere. An area that appeals to both artists and water sport fanatics is Knysna Heads. Here you can find a lagoon which is perfect for wave jumping (a sport I would highly recommend) and it also provides incredible sunsets for the artists and tourists alike. I found Knysna as a perfect place to stop off and relax for a few days, whenever I meet South Africans I always tell them how much I liked Knysna and they all agree it’s definitely one of the country’s gems.

5.     Stellenbosh

Stellenbosh is South Africa’s second oldest town having been established in 1679 and its highlight is the incredible wine route which has 44 cellars. There is a vast range of wines produced in the area, whilst it is classed as ’Cabernet country’ my personal preference would be Pinotage (but each to their own!) As you travel from cellar to cellar you will find the area very visitor friendly, each cellar’s entrance is clearly signposted and many of the cellars offer tours as well as fantastic lunches in beautiful gardens or restaurants – naturally you will have the chance to enjoy one or two bottles of local wine!

The mentioned places of interest are only a part of the great number of attractions in South Africa. Visits to the mentioned places can be organized by individual tourists. It is important to say that most of these places are also included in guided tours but taking part in such a tour you will not have enough time to experience with your own senses the whole atmosphere there. Another important issue by planning your trip to South Africa is the accommodation. You can find many options for accommodation in South Africa. The best is to stay in a South Africa hotel. As it is a well-known tourist destination, you will easily the one you are looking for.