A total of 9.07-million foreigners visited South Africa in 2007 – representing an 8.3% increase over 2006 – as the country broke its annual tourist arrivals record for the third year running.
South Africa is a treasure chest of unforgettable scenery, from lofty mountains to sun-baked deserts and dramatic coastlines washed by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Its game viewing equals the best in Africa, and where else can you find both penguins and elephants?
Overshadowed by dramatic Table Mountain and surrounded by the Atlantic, Cape Town is one of the world’s most picturesque cities. You can sample fine wine under the grapes in the tranquil wine-lands, while the pretty Garden Route offers country towns, lagoons and forests to explore. The Wild Coast boasts isolated beaches, rocky coastline and traditional rural villages, and the resorts along the KwaZulu-Natal coast offer lots of family seaside fun.
Inland are the intriguing and moving battlefield sites that lay testament to the Anglo-Boer war. Here too rise the Drakensberg Mountains where vultures ride on the thermals over deeply green valleys and jagged peaks. To the east is the Kruger National Park where the thorny bush harbors the ‘Big Five’ animals to see (the lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino) as well as many other fascinating animals and birds.
A FREQUENT CHOICE IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
South Africa is one of the most diverse and beautiful countries to travel in the world. Aptly nicknamed the Rainbow Nation, its spectacular and varied land and its friendly people never fail to captivate those who travel in South Africa.
Here are a few top South Africa travel destinations to help you choose your ideal travel holiday. Whether you are looking for a wildlife, beach or adventure holiday we have them all for you. Just follow one of the links here:
Cape Town
Durban
Johannesburg
Port Elizabeth
Victoria
Windhoek
LEGAL ISSUES.
Visa Requirements
Every person seeking to enter South Africa must be in possession of a valid passport for travel to South Africa and, where necessary, a visa. Enquiries can be directed to South African diplomatic representatives abroad or the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria. Visitors who intend travelling to South Africa’s neighbouring countries and back into South Africa are advised to apply for multiple entry visas.
In terms of existing arrangements, passport holders of certain countries are exempt from visa requirements. Tourists must satisfy immigration officers that they have the means to support themselves during their stay, and that they are in possession of return or onward air tickets. They must also have valid international health certificates.
MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
Top South Africa tour Destinations
1. Kruger National Park: As the iconic South Africa travel destination, the Kruger Park is one of the most popular travel destinations in Africa.
2. Cape Town: has not only been rated the top South Africa travel destination, but also one of the top destinations in the world.
3. Sun City: Sun City is internationally renowned as South Africa’s premier holiday resort offering a multitude of attractions and activities to keep everyone occupied.
4. Garden Route: The Garden Route, spread out along the coast like a giant natural theme park, is a rich tapestry of very large trees, freshwater lakes, mountains and a wide range of activities.
City of Gold: Johannesburg: Besides being a practical jumping off point, Johannesburg—aka Joburg or Jozi to the locals—is the best place to see the “real” South Africa and to get a sense of the startling changes of the past decade. Joburg has thrived as a mining town since 1886 and it remains the economic hub of South Africa.
The Western Cape: Cape Town & Beyond: After exploring the untamed corners of Kruger Park, you’ll probably be ready to seize on the sophisticated life of Cape Town, South Africa’s gorgeous “Mother City.” It’s a two-hour flight from remote Kruger Mpumalanga Airport to teeming Cape Town International Airport, but don’t expect a break from mother nature—towering mountains and exquisite vegetation, not to mention baboons and penguins, can be found right on the doorstep of this increasingly popular metropolis. In fact, it’s a good idea to save South Africa’s Western Cape Region for the last leg of your trip so as not to render everything else anticlimactic.
Like Johannesburg, it’s best to get your bearings here with a panoramic city view, courtesy of a dramatic cable car trip to the top of the city’s signature landmark, Table Mountain which costs 18 dollars. When you get a glimpse of the city’s surroundings from this spectacular vantage point, you’ll understand why J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, divined inspiration for Middle Earth not from New Zealand (where the trilogy was filmed), but from the rugged peaks and misty forests of his native South Africa.
Cape Town’s beaches: Don’t forget to work on your tan. Often referred to as the African Riviera, Cape Town’s gloriously sexy beach scene is based around Clifton Bay, which encompasses a series of four white sand beaches, each separated by jagged outcrops of granite boulders. Each beach is numbered: beaches one and two are where the chic and stylish play in semi-secluded splendor, beach three is favored by gays and lesbians, and beach four is the most family-friendly. The first three, hidden by apartments and hotels, are accessible by steps winding down from the coast road. The fourth is the largest and most popular, with ample parking and refreshment facilities. Of course, most beachgoers are here to be seen, not to swim—Atlantic Ocean temperatures are generally quite frigid. Thick skinned surfers frequent Camps Bay, a popular beach on the west side of Table Mountain lined with a promenade of restaurants, sophisticated shops and shaded picnic areas.
South African Airways
SA’s national carrier flies locally between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, George, Pietermaritzburg, Mthatha, Kimberley, Polokwane, Richards Bay, Upington, Nelspruit/Kruger, Hoedspriut, Margate, Phalaborwa, Mmabatho, Manzini and Maseru – as well as into Southern Africa, the rest of Africa and the world. It offers economy, business and first class cabins.It also offers flights from London to South Africa
2 Comments
I’m a South African.
South Africa is a good destination for tourists, as long as you stay out of dodgy places and dodgy situations.
A good idea before you visit South Africa is to ask someone who knows the place (perhaps a South African friend) what the best places are to visit, and what to avoid, etc.
Many foreigners visiting South Africa also only get to see the popular places like Cape Town. There are SO MUCH better things to see than Cape Town…
Hope this helps.
I to am a South African and have to strongly agree with Francios comment, we have the most unbelievable country, from sea to mountains to wild life to everything.
Foreigners just have to know where to go and where not to go, and they will be perfectly fine and then they can enjoy all the true pleasures of South Africa.