DK South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA

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Discover

Field guide

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price guide

Throughout the guide the following price categories have been applied:

 On a budget

 Mid-range

 Splurge

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DISCOVER SOUTH AFRICA

t The skyline of Johannesburg at night

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Welcome To

south africa

t Picturesque Camps Bay, just outside Cape Town.

Abundant wildlife, spectacular scenery and vibrant city life: South Africa has it all. Whatever your dream trip to this captivating country includes, this DK Eyewitness travel guide is your perfect companion.

Nestled at the southern tip of Africa, this vast land is a natural paradise of rugged vistas, beautiful beaches, and kaleidoscopic flora and fauna. Unsurprisingly, the pull of the outdoors is strong here, with cinematic scenery that ranges from the, rust-coloured dunes of the Kalahari to the verdant plateau of Table Mountain. You’ll find plenty of experiences worthy of any bucket list, whether it’s coming eye to eye with an elephant in Kruger National Park, standing amid a colourful carpet of spring wildflowers in Namaqualand, or hiking across the craggy peaks of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg. Peppered throughout this landscape is an endlessly appealing assortment of cities and towns, infused with a unique blend of Indigenous and colonial influences. Cosmopolitan Cape Town exudes coastal cool, while Johannesburg pulsates with entrepreneurial energy. In smaller towns, like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, an old-world charm endures alongside a world-class wine and food scene. Everywhere in the country you’ll come across traces of history, from the prehistoric origins of our earliest ancestors to the inspirational legacy of Nelson Mandela.

With so many things to see and do, any visit to South Africa packs a punch. We’ve broken the country down into easily navigable chapters, with detailed itineraries and comprehensive maps to help plan the perfect visit. Whether you’re staying for a weekend, a week or longer, this DK Eyewitness travel guide will ensure that you see the very best South Africa has to offer. Enjoy the book, and enjoy South Africa.

1 The City Hall building in central Durban.

2 A lion in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

3 Traditional baskets for sale at a crafts market.

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Reasons to Love

South Africa

Immense swathes of savannah teeming with fearsome beasts and colourful birds. A coastline as varied as it is beautiful. Ancient rock-art sites and world-class vineyards. Here are just some of the reasons why we love South Africa.

1 spectacular safaris

t Lions lazing in the sun, a family of elephants parading through the bush, vivid sunbirds flitting between branches: enjoy close encounters with some of nature’s most majestic animals.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

2 Natural Wonders

t Whether it’s the rolling dunes of the Kalahari, chasmic Blyde River Canyon or the Drakensberg’s jagged peaks, South Africa’s scenery is truly unforgettable.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

3 City Life

t South Africa’s vibrant cities not only house an appealing array of cultural attractions, but thrive with buzzing markets, trendy restaurants and lively nightlife.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

4 Diverse Coastline

t From family-friendly beaches to land-based whale-watching, South Africa’s epic coastline – spanning the warm Indian Ocean and chillier Atlantic – has something for everyone.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

5 Adventure Activities

t Get an adrenaline fix by leaping the world’s highest bungee-jump at Bloukrans Bridge, scaling the heights of Table Mountain or rafting the mighty Orange River.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

6 The Winelands

t Soak up the summer sunshine of the scenic Winelands while savouring a mouthwatering array of world-class wines and fine dining in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

7 Footing It

t From the lofty peaks of uKhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park to the coastal cliff-scapes of Robberg, the country’s network of walking trails is limitless.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

8 Cape Peninsula

t A mountainous sliver of land that stretches south from Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula is a haven of sandy beaches, pretty seaside towns and rugged natural beauty.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

9 Traditional Culture

t South Africa’s cultural tapestry is a rich blend of traditions. Learn to throw a Zulu spear at Shakaland or attend the sensational Umhlanga (Reed Dance) in Eswatini.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

10 Spectator Sports

t Sport is a national obsession in South Africa. Soak up the atmosphere at a rugby or soccer match, where the passion of the unabashedly partisan crowds is palpable.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

11 Ancient Prehistory

t Uncover the lives of our earliest ancestors: go fossil-hunting at the Cradle of Humankind and marvel at the rock art of uKhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park.

Discover Reasons to Love South Africa

12 The Mandela Legacy

t The iconic political leader died in 2013, but his legacy lives on in the country’s soul. Learn about his life at Robben Island and Mthatha, near his childhood home in Qunu.

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Explore

South Africa

This guide divides South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho into 11 colour-coded sightseeing areas, as shown on the map here. Find out more about each area on the following pages.

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DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Cape Town

Scenically sandwiched between the sparkling blue waters of Table Bay and the imperious heights of Table Mountain, Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Its central streets are steeped in history, lined with centuries-old landmarks and illuminating museums dedicated to every aspect of the city’s past. The vibe here is laid-back coastal chic, with an abundance of cosmopolitan restaurants, lively bars, pan-African crafts markets and quirky shops centred around the bright V&A Waterfront and more down-to-earth Long Street.

Best for Museums, shopping, eating out, families

Home to District Six Museum, the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, Robben Island

Experience Ascending from the city bowl to the summit of Table Mountain on the sensational revolving cable car

Go To: Cape Town i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t Colourful houses in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighbourhood

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Cape Peninsula

A flinty mountainous spine that extends 50 km (30 miles) south from Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula is flanked to the west by the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean and to the east by the calmer waters of False Bay. Lined with scenic swimming beaches, its changing coastline offers great opportunities for whale-watching, sea kayaking and surfing, and also provides supplies for the area’s fine seafood restaurants. On terra firma, wine lovers flock to the venerable estates of Constantia, while outdoor enthusiasts enjoy spectacular hikes and the delightful Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.

Best for Suburban beaches, marine wildlife, scenic seaside walks

Home to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Groot Constantia, Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Penguin Colony

Experience The windswept end-of-the-continent aura that permeates the wave-battered cliffs of the Cape of Good Hope

Go To: Cape Peninsula i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t Hout Bay, viewed from Table Mountain National Park

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

The Cape Winelands and West Coast

This is the scenic heart of the country’s wine industry, with verdant, vine-covered valleys overlooked by striking sandstone mountains. The appealing town of Stellenbosch has an old-world feel, with its distinctive architecture, while nearby Franschhoek is a foodie’s paradise. You’ll also find plenty of natural delights here, in the sweeping marine landscapes, rich birdlife and seasonal flowers of the West Coast National Park.

Best for Wine tasting, fine dining, marine birds

Home to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, West Coast National Park

Experience A picnic lunch on the lawns of Boschendal with a bottle of the estate’s world-class bubbly

Go To: The Cape Winelands and West Coast i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t The vineyards of the Warwick Wine Estate in Stellenbosch

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Northern Cape and Free State

Nature reigns supreme in this thinly populated region, where the ground is carpeted with diverse flora. It’s best explored from August to October when the spring wildflowers are in bloom. Augrabies Falls is a demonstration of the power of Mother Earth, Kimberley’s Big Hole provides an insight into the country’s diamond mining industry, and on the dunefields of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, a fascinating array of wildlife can be found.

Best for Wide open spaces, spring wildflowers, arid-country wildlife

Home to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kimberley

Experience The incredible force of Augrabies Falls as it explodes into the world’s largest granite gorge

Go To: Northern Cape and Free State i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t Wildflowers in bloom in Namaqualand

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Hermanus and the Overberg

This quiet corner of the Western Cape is often bypassed by visitors, most of whom tend to congregate around the quaint seaside town of Hermanus. Set atop magnificent rocky cliffs, the town offers the world’s best land-based whale-watching from July to November. Elsewhere, the Overberg harbours an array of lesser-known treasures that include Cape Agulhas (the most southerly point in Africa), several top notch wineries and a clutch of fine pedestrian-friendly nature reserves.

Best for Whale watching, fynbos-associated wildlife

Home to Hermanus

Experience A gull’s-eye view of southern right whales and their newborn calves from the cliffs of Walker Bay

Go To: Hermanus and the Overberg i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t A whale flicks its tail out in the air off the coast of Hermanus

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The Garden Route

Gentler in feel than the Atlantic coastline to its west, the aptly named Garden Route follows the Indian Ocean coastline for 200 km (125 miles) between Mossel Bay and Tsitsikamma. Partially protected within the Garden Route National Park, its natural mosaic of pretty swimming beaches, tranquil lakes, sheltered lagoons and forested mountain slopes supports a kaleidoscopic variety of birdlife and marine fauna. You’ll find a warm welcome at the region’s string of small seaside towns, where individuality trumps chains and franchises.

Best for Coastal scenery, forest hikes, adventure activities, ostrich farms

Home to Cango Caves, Tsitsikamma

Experience Plunging over the Bloukrans Bridge on the world’s tallest commercial bungee jump

Go To: The Garden Route i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t Storms River Mouth, Tsitsikamma National Park

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Eastern Cape

It might not boast the big-name attractions of other regions, but the unassuming Eastern Cape is an underrated treasure trove of stellar sights. The rugged Wild Coast is no less scenic than the more feted Garden Route, while Addo Elephant National Park and its neighbouring private reserves offer some of the best Big Five viewing in the country. Off-the-beaten-track historical sites include Nelson Mandela’s birthplace at Qunu and the time-warped Victoriana of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown).

Best for Elephant encounters, the Mandela legacy

Home to Addo Elephant National Park, the Wild Coast, Graaff-Reinet

Experience Being immersed in contemporary culture at Makhanda’s annual National Arts Festival

Go To: Eastern Cape i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t Elephants in Addo Elephant National Park

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KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho

The most biodiverse of South Africa’s nine provinces, KwaZulu-Natal has a varied landscape, ranging from the peaks of uKhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park to the coastal wetlands of iSimangaliso. Sun-seekers are drawn to the beach resorts that flank the seaside city of Durban, while wildlife lovers are delighted by the province’s excellent game reserves. This is also a great place to explore Indigenous culture, with Zulu dances at Shakaland and ancient rock art across the Drakensberg.

Best for Zulu culture, prehistoric rock art, mountain hikes, subtropical beaches

Home to Durban, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Experience A face-to-face encounter with a wild rhino on a guided walk in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi

Go To: Kwazulu-Natal and Lesotho i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t A colourful stall in Durban’s Victoria Street Market

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Johannesburg and Around

Founded on the world’s richest gold seams, the economic powerhouse of Gauteng encompasses the country’s largest city (Johannesburg), the national administrative capital (Pretoria) and the most populous and well-known of the townships that evolved under apartheid (Soweto). Urban attractions abound, but their brash modernity is placed in perspective by the Cradle of Humankind, with its wealth of early hominin fossils, and the wild game reserves of Madikwe and Pilanesberg.

Best for City life, museums, safaris, paleontological sites

Home to Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City, Soweto, Cradle of Humankind, Pilanesberg Game Reserve and Sun City, Madikwe Game Reserve

Experience Visiting the restored Soweto home where Nelson Mandela once lived

Go To: Johannesburg and Around i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t Train carriages at Johannesburg’s Park Station

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kruger

This wild region is prime safari country, with large numbers of the Big Five roaming the vast Kruger National Park. Kruger is hugely popular with self-drivers and those on a tight budget, thanks to its excellent amenities, but you can also safari in style at the cluster of legendary private reserves that border the park. Elsewhere, you’ll find yet more natural wonders in the form of the more westerly escarpment and the breathtaking Blyde River Canyon.

Best for Self-drive safaris, five-star luxury safaris, birding, escaping the winter chill

Home to Kruger National Park, Pilgrim’s Rest

Experience Self-driving at your leisure through Kruger, a protected wilderness the size of Wales

Go To: Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kruger i

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

t A Burchell’s zebra in Kruger National Park

DISCOVER Getting to Know South Africa

Eswatini

ordered by South Africa on three sides, the diminutive country of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is Africa’s only remaining autonomous kingdom. Most visitors simply pass through here on their way between Kruger and KwaZulu-Natal, but it’s well deserving of a more extended stay. There’s plenty of scope for game viewing, as well as trying your hand at adventure activities such as white-water rafting or rock climbing. For full immersion in Swazi tradition, time your visit to coincide with the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance.

Best for Traditional African culture, rafting