South Africa
Travel to South Africa for a holiday or city break
On arrival, you will find the travel destination popular things to do or visit can fill a week or, if you get lost, maybe your whole passport. Some travelers chase penguins near the Cape, others follow the echo of vuvuzelas, still a few end up in a biltong shop, thinking it is a museum. The best hotel in South Africa may not have a bathtub shaped like Table Mountain, but the staff will probably tell you who makes the strongest coffee in the city. On my last trip, a local told me that if you stand on one leg at the top of Lion’s Head, the wind will whisper tomorrow’s weather. I tried, and the wind just laughed. That is South Africa: full of surprises, and sometimes sand in your socks.
Local weather in South Africa
Spring
mild & temperate
Summer
warm & sunny
Autumn
mild & temperate
Winter
cool
Best places to visit in South Africa
These popular destinations have a lot to offer for you next holiday or city break.
Long-term travel memories in South Africa
Your camera may fill up faster than your stomach—especially if you try a bunny chow in Durban and then realize you need a nap, not a photo. Amongst the popular things to do, safari always pops up, but nobody mentions the moment you spot a giraffe and realize you are shorter than its shadow. The best hotel in South Africa often sits near the action, but the real secret is asking a taxi driver where he would spend a Sunday. Once, I got invited to a braai; I brought potato chips, everyone else brought stories about rugby and rain and the neighbor's goat. Nobody won the conversation, but we all laughed until the stars came out.
If you seek travel destination popular things to do or visit, don’t skip the small towns with names you can’t pronounce on first try. One time, I ended up in a town called Xhariep—at least, that’s what the road sign said, but my GPS thought otherwise. Lost, I met a shopkeeper who sold me a can of peaches and the advice that "every journey ends at home, unless you take the bus to Pretoria." That wisdom stuck, probably because I still have the peaches. Pack your sense of humor, your curiosity, and maybe a spare pair of sunglasses, because the sun here does not care if you forgot your hat.
Accommodations in South Africa
Discover the best accommodations for South Africa and start planning your holiday.
