South Africa is one of the most geographically varied countries of the African continent and one of the most popular holiday destinations. On one hand, one can escape to wild, remote areas and experience exceptional game viewing and true wilderness. Then, just an hour's flight away, there are modern cities and hotels that compete with the best in the world. With 11 official languages and a diverse range of cultures and ways of life, it is no wonder that Mandela has named South African "the rainbow nation".
South Africa is set between the warm Indian Ocean and the turbulent waters of the Atlantic. This incredible country has three major geographical regions: the coastal strip running from Cape Town along the Garden Route and up to Kwazulu Natal in the northeast, the majestic and beautiful Drakensberg Mountains that run unbroken for over a thousand kilometres, and the central plateau which is covered by rolling grasslands known as "highveld".
South Africa is a fantastic and easily accessible place to see Africa’s wonderful wildlife. South Africa has an incredible three hundred game reserves and national parks, the largest and best known of which is Kruger national park which sprawls for over 300km along the Mozambique border. The pride of South Africa's natural heritage, this enormous safari area is over 2 million hectares. It has a savannah landscape and is home to the "big five" as well as 142 other mammal species, over 500 bird species, 114 reptiles, 34 amphibians, 49 fish species and 336 tree species.
Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of South Africa's Lowveld, the Kruger is considered the flagship of the South African national parks. In addition, human beings have considered this area home for hundreds of thousands of years, and there is much evidence of their lives in the form of San rock paintings and archaeological sites such as Masorini and Thulamela. The Pafuri area contains enormous numbers of Stone Age artefacts.
The safari camps we offer in South Africa are in the premier game viewing areas of Kruger.
South Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline has long stretches of wide and deserted beaches, excellent diving and striking landscapes. See our South African beach pages for details of holidays here.