South Africa Tourism And Travel Guide

South Africa is popularly known as the adventure hub of the world due to the wide assortment of activities that tourists can indulge in at this place. Within sea waters brimming with aquatic life, adventure enthusiasts love to dive into a cage surrounded by great white sharks. In addition, the wonderful countryside provides tourists with splendid opportunities to hike and trek their way through challenging trails up to the apex point of a hill or a mountain. For all the luxurious travellers, South Africa can offer relaxing beach sands too. With such captivating traits, South Africa tourism has surely made it to the top of the list for many tourists around the world. Let us walk through this intriguing travel guide to know more about South Africa.

By Air:

The fastest and most convenient way to get to South Africa is through airways. Two major airports include Cape Town International Airport and OR Tambo International Airport. The country has international airports scattered throughout its terrain, receiving flights coming in from European countries, Asian countries and remaining parts of the globe.

By Road:

Visitors coming into South Africa from some of the African countries that lie in the surrounding vicinity can either hire a taxi or a private cab to get here. The process just involves crossing the border point between the countries with necessary access. Some of the countries that enjoy this benefit include Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, and Namibia.

By Sea:

A number of cruise operators ply their services through the waters of the ocean surrounding South Africa. These cruises tend to have their docking points at some of the prime cities of South Africa. Princess Cruises has a station at Cape Town, while one of the cruises run by Royal Mail Ship also stops by at Cape Town. This is a slower means of transport, however, it offers breathtaking sceneries along the way.

The two most favourable seasons of the year to explore South Africa fall between the months of May and September. Spring season and Winter season are the seasons for tourism in South Africa. The comforting weather and conditions conducive for jungle safaris make for a very busy time indeed. 

Spring (August to Mid-October):

With hardly any rain to dither tourists from engaging in adventurous activities of their choice, spring season is the best time of the year to visit South Africa. Shining daylight and pleasing breeze mostly take over the weather of the country. Spring season is also known to have attractive flowers blossom out of the South African soil.

Summer (Mid-October to Mid-February):

As is with all summer seasons over the globe, South Africa also experiences excruciating heat during this season. However, the advent of a few thunderstorms during the evenings negate the dry humidity. For tourists who still dare to beat the heat, summer season can also be a good offseason time to travel on a low budget.

Autumn (Mid-February to April):

Autumn is another pleasant season to visit the country. The climate stays refreshingly warm, with not too much of a climb in temperatures. The average temperature maintained stands at 21°C. With the precipitation of rainfall also ending up on the lower side, conditions do remain favourable to enjoy the different activities that South Africa offers.

Winter (May to July):

South Africa witnesses winter season between May and July. With temperatures falling as low as 8°C, the season witnesses a chilly environment grip the town during the night. The lack of rainfall means that dry weather takes over, enhancing the adventurous prospects for tourists visiting the country during this time.

Coasts that are meant for Surfing:

The gorgeous coastal waters of the cities of Durban and Cape Town offer adventurous souls with exciting surfing ventures. Some of these famous surfing scenes include Jeffery’s Bay and Unzumbe Beach. With peaceful waters and no crowd to disturb, these spots are apt for surfing escapades. The Dungeons wave is revered by professional surfers all over the globe for its towering presence and splash.

In the Presence of fierce Hippos and Crocs:

One of the most thrilling activities in South Africa involves breathing in the same space as crocodiles and hippos. The water mouth that is stationed at St. Lucia offers one such ferocious boat ride through rivers bustling with crocodiles and hippos. Tourists who dare can surely get on to these boats that have a glass coating fabricated to keep paddlers secure from these creatures.

Interact with the locals of South Africa:

South Africa nurtures a diverse culture within its confines. People from different parts of the world and from different sections of society reside here. One such diverse township is the Soweto township, which has still managed to preserve ancient cultures and traditions. It is intriguing to get to know from these people first hand about their way of living. It is a chance to dig in and find out unknown historical facts too.

Jungle Safaris:

Owing to its diverse collection of wildlife and landscapes, South Africa’s jungle safaris are well-known all over the globe. There are several fierce species that thrive within these forests such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, rhinos, buffaloes, zebras, and giraffes. The game reserve at Hluhluwe & Imfolozi National Park has preserved endangered species such as the black and white rhino for many years now. On the other hand, Kruger National Park maintains a wonderful population of rhinos, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, and lions.

A trip to South Africa would be incomplete without feasting on some Barbeque Braai. The Cape Malay Chicken Curry is famous in many circles due to its rich blend of Indian and Malaysian cultures. Chakalaka is a local vegetarian dish that normally follows after finishing up Braai. Another local item to go along with Chakalaka is Pap, a kind of porridge. Bunny Chow is one local street item of South Africa that has found its way into international quarters. Slowly gaining popularity, this dish comprises bread loaves that are stuffed with mouth-watering chicken, vegetarian or pork curry depending on tourists’ wishes.

Sapmok shoes that are manufactured from leather of the finest quality are perfect gifts to take back home from your holiday to South Africa. Those who love chocolates can feast on some candies or toffees to satisfy their sweet tooth. The Esona winery showcases a number of wine options to take back home as souvenirs too. The Wass company located in Cape Town sells some of the finest skincare products. Some of these products include mandarin lip balm and body balms, which are handmade right from mixing to pouring and labelling.