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The South African Safari Adventure Guide for First Timers

South Africa is the most popular travel destination in Africa thanks to its wide variety of attractions and activities. Often described as three countries in one the “Rainbow Nation” boasts a truly unique holiday experience.

Whilst there are many options for an Africa holiday, as can be see in the African Safari Home Packages, South Africa is by far the best value for money.

Cape Town

Cape Town is fondly referred to as the “mother city” and frequently ranks in the Top 10 cities of the world. This culturally diverse city offers incredible attractions within a 40-minute drive of each other.

Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach is located in Simons Town, a 35-minute drive from the city centre. This unique beach is tucked away behind massive boulders and home to a penguin colony. Visitors to the beach can see the penguins year-round and swim with them in the warmer summer months.

Camps Bay Beach

Camps Bay Beach is often referred to as the South Beach Miami of Africa. The gorgeous Table Mountain provides a breathtaking backdrop and boutique shops and restaurants line the waterfront. This is the beach to see and be seen, with many international celebrities owning property here.

Robben Island

A tour of Robben Island where the late Nelson Mandela was incarcerated is an extremely popular tourist attraction. The island is similar to Alcatraz in San Francisco in many ways and you are able to enter the prison where many Apartheid era prisoners were held. A unique and daunting experience.

Wine Estates

Cape Town boasts many world-class vineyards with more than 10 accessible within a 25-minute drive from the city centre in the Constantia area. This area produces predominantly white wines, but you can venture to the sublime Stellenbosch and Franschhoek vineyards about a 40-minute drive for world-renowned red wines.

Shark Cage Diving

Cape Town is renowned for its shark cage diving experiences with trips departing daily. The cold waters of the Western Cape are home to a large variety of species, including the fierce Great White shark.

The Garden Route

The Garden Route is a stretch of coastline up the east of South Africa and is one of the world’s most beautiful. The major attraction here is whale watching. The Southern Right whale enters the waters each year around June to November, attracting visitors worldwide to this magnificent spectacle and photographic opportunity.

The Kruger National Park

The Kruger Park is Africa’s leading wildlife destination with more than 140 species of large mammal, including the notorious Big 5. These are the lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo. The Big 5 originally received their name, as these were the most difficult animals to track and hunt. The Kruger Park is also home to more than 500 bird species with more than 240 year-round resident species.

The Kruger Park offers a wide range of accommodation but discerning travelers will be particularly impressed with the luxury five-star lodges located in the private Sabi Sabi Reserve. Here you will find some of the finest lodges in the world with rates as much as $5,000 per person per night in the high season.

The best time to visit the Kruger Park for game viewing is from mid-July to October. The temperatures are cooler than the summer months and the vegetation less dense, resulting in more active game during the day and better sighting and photographic opportunities.

The average price for a luxury South African safari starts at $7,000 per person nightly and includes all meals and local drinks.

For more information on Africa’s leading destinations see this luxury African safaris guide. African Safari Home provides bespoke itineraries for the leading destinations in South & East Africa, with more than 20 years experience and the best rates in Africa.

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