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An update from Evaneos

Best places to visit in South Africa

A country of contrasts, South Africa offers its visitors diverse landscapes; from the forest of Kruger National Park to the Kalahari desert, passing through the green hills of Zululand or the Mediterranean vegetation of the Cape. African and Western, tribal and ultramodern, the numerous faces of South Africa rub shoulders but do not resemble each other.

Although its administrative capital is Pretoria the economic lungs of the country is none other thanJohannesburg an evolving megalopolis, as fascinating as it is complex. A modern city of fascinating urban cultures is waiting to be discovered. 

A few hours northeast of the country and as big as Belgium; theKruger National Park) is the main attraction. Here safari is open to even the smallest budgets contrary to many other countries, as you can safari in your own car or camper-van. There you can see lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos as well as cheetah, giraffes, antelope, etc.

By following the coast of the Indian Ocean, you will findDurban the country's third city, half Zulu half Indian. Then walk along the buttresses of theDrakensberg mountains, before descending towards theWild Coast. The Xhosa country preserves its rich ancestral tradition and its villages of colourful round huts that stand along a jagged cliff edge, isolated from the magnificent wild beaches.

Still following the coast, you'll cross the Garden Route, a route of forests and lagoons, notably around Knysna. At the end of the route, there is wine country in the inland region ofCape Town. The second city of the country, this piece of Europe at the end of Africa spreads across the majestic Table Mountain; the end of the mountain range of theCape of Good Hope. Cosmopolitan, mixed and cool, this California-like city seduces South Africans just as much as tourists. Finally, going back up towards Namibia and Botswana, you can visit the green Kalahari a rarely visited but beautiful region of the desert watered by the Orange River.  

Camille Griffoulieres
Large cosmopolitan city by the coast in the southernmost part of Africa.
Situated between Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park, Blyde River Canyon is a subtropical paradise in the heart of Mpumalanga.
The Drakensberg mountains form the highest mountain range in South Africa and stretch for more than 300km. It's a paradise for walking and observing the views which are untouched by the human footprint.
Ezulwini is a valley in Swaziland which stretches over almost 30 km and is well known for its infrastructure and tourist activities (hotels, sports, hiking...).
National Park situated in the Free State, not far from Lesothoand Ladysmith in the Maluti region. It is known for its fantastic landscape of mountainous desert that turns green in spring.
A not-to-be-missed pretty bay on the road from Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope.
A must-see stopping place on the Garden Route, Knysna is a peaceful green sanctuary bordered by lagoons that are protected from the ocean by impressive cliffs.
Lying entirely within the huge country of South Africa, Lesotho is a mountainous land, and not easy to get to. To visit it is to experience the real, authentic Africa.
A humid area in the southeast of the country; it marks the border between South Africa and Mozambique. It is wild, hard to access and stops at Saint Lucia. It notably includes Kosi Bay and Sodwana Bay.
Located on the road between Johannesburg and Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga is an area with breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and scenery to offer.
The capital of Little Karoo, Oudsthoorn is located in a desert area but is still a fairly major town for the region. This is where ostrich breeding is centred.
Located in the north Cap on the rough and windswept side of the ocean, Paternoster is known for its lobsters.
This tiny nature reserve, located on a peninsula, is in Plettenberg Bay, on the Garden Route.
It's a chic seaside resort on the Garden Route, the last stop before the Tsitsikamma National Park.
The Panoramic Route is one of many that link Johannesburg to the Kruger Park. Lined with breathtaking views, it's perfect for any traveller who fancies a road trip !
Welcome to hippo and crocodile town!
Simon’s Town is a small, seaside resort that's a bit like a home from home.
It is one of Kruger Park's main camps, in the heart of the southwest zone, rich in predators and antilopes, near Kruger and Numbi gates.
Transkei is a region of Eastern Cape, populated by the Xhosa, Nelson Mandela's ethnic group. Since the collapse of apartheid it no longer exists as such, but it used to be a bantoustan, an autonomous region centred on Mthatha.
This national park is located between the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape, just before Port Elizabeth. It covers almost 300 kilometres squared.
A village on the Garden Route known for its beaches and its hospitality, located not far from George, Mossel Bay and Knysna.
It is a village located on the Wild Coast in the heart of Xhosa country, at the mouth of a river where impressive cliffs make a sheer drop to the sea, going up the coast after East London , near the big city of the region, Mthatha.
This semi-arid mountain range is situated north of Cape Town, towards Namibia. The Cederberg pass is an exceptional mountain road that passes through the mountain range and offers beautiful panoramic views.
This small town lies between Worcester and Tulbagh, in the hinterlands of Cape Town.
This little village is situated at the entrance to theBlyde River Canyon in the Great Escarpment, in the northeast of the country.
Village situated in the south west of Kruger park, it have been developed thanks to tourism. The closest entrance to the park is called Paul Kruger.
It is there that Nelson Mandela was locked up for his 27 years of captivity.
A fairly vast region in the centre of the country, near Beaufort West, the Karoo is a desert few tourists know about.
Kosi Bay is located in the Maputaland area at the Mozambique border, amidst an 11 000-hectare nature reserve. Contrary to its name, it is not actually a bay, but four interlinked lakes that stretch out towards the sea.
Situated in the Big Karoo very close to Cradock , this national park is known for its mountain zebra species endemic to the region, but it is hardly visited.