The former colonial pearl of the British Empire, and today the independent state of South Africa is one of the richest countries in Africa. There are deposits of precious stones, gold and platinum, the extraction of which provides South Africa with considerable income.
The tourism industry is well developed - dozens of upscale hotels welcome guests. The best beaches in East London and Port Elizabeth are well equipped. Tours in Colonial Pretoria or Cape Town are decently organized.
In South Africa, people travel for breathtaking views of the Drakensberg Mountains, the legendary Cape of Good Hope, for the atmosphere of numerous festivals and holidays, for an unimaginable mixture of traditional African lifestyle, colonial times and modernity. The country is very popular with Europeans and American tourists.
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What to see in South Africa?
The most interesting and beautiful places, photos and a short description.
Cape Town
A beautiful city located at the very edge of the continent - the Cape of Good Hope. The old quarters of the city are filled with mansions, villas, former administrative buildings, which can be considered as monuments of Dutch architecture and the building traditions of the Victorian era. Capetian people are descendants of Afrikaans-speaking Boers, English-speaking whites, black immigrants from the interior of South Africa.
Johannesburg
A modern vibrant city, the financial heart of the country. All major events in the business world take place here, large contracts are concluded and negotiations are underway on multi-billion dollar investments. Johannesburg emerged at the dawn of the African "gold rush" and immediately began to develop as a business center of the country. There is also a dark side - for the last 20 years, the city has been considered the crime capital of South Africa.
Apartheid museum
Located in Johannesburg in the Gold Reef City Park. The museum's expositions are devoted to the history of oppression and oppression of black peoples since the arrival of European colonialists (first the Dutch, then the British) to this land. The policy of apartheid was carried out until 1994 and was part of the official state ideology. The museum is dedicated to the memory of the victims of unjust racial segregation.
Victoria and Alfred waterfront
One of Cape Town's landmarks, Victorian Harbor, rebuilt in the 1990s. In addition to the restored historical buildings, there are trendy restaurants and bars, museums, shopping centers. The harbor is a popular destination for walks and exciting sailing voyages on yachts. From the embankment, you can go on a sea excursion or just enjoy a walk along the well-groomed pavements.
Kalahari Desert
An ever-growing desert in southern Africa. Its red-orange sands have already invaded the territory of its neighbors - Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe. The Kalahari occupies almost 8% of the entire continent and its area is steadily increasing. This area is home to the indigenous tribe of the Bushmen, which, like thousands of years ago, lived by hunting and primitive trades. Excursions to Bushmen settlements are popular with tourists.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
Located in the vicinity of Cape Town near Table Mountain. The garden covers an area of more than 530 hectares and is considered one of the largest in the world. More than 7000 species of unique plants grow here, typical only for the southern part of Africa. The territory of the park is very well-groomed, paths are laid through the thickets. The garden was created over a hundred years ago in 1913 in order to save the unique ecological system from destruction by man.
Kruger National Park
A nature reserve in South Africa, where representatives of the typical African fauna live in their natural environment: rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, giraffes, leopards and other animal species. The famous rivers Krokodilovaya and Limpopo flow through the park. A small state can be located on the area occupied by the reserve. Since 2002, Kruger has become part of the interstate nature reserve Transnational Park Great Limpopo.
Pilanesberg National Park
It is located a couple of hours drive from Johannesburg, thanks to which it has become very popular with tourists. It is a small park in the crater of an ancient volcano with an area of about 600 km². It is home to the so-called "big five" African animals: rhinoceros, lion, buffalo, leopard and elephant. The term comes from a hunting safari because these animals are regarded as the most significant trophies and are extremely difficult to obtain.
Tsitsikamma Marine National Park
It represents several tens of kilometers of coastal territory along with a five-kilometer coastline. A third of the park is occupied by dense forests growing in river gorges. The fauna is represented by a wide variety of species: African weasel, Dominican gull, ostrich, olive woodpecker, dolphin, whale, killer whale, otter and many others. A laboratory for the study of endangered fish species is based in the reserve.
Dragon mountains
A mountain range passing through the territory of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. In the language of the local tribe, the name of the chain sounds like "Kwathlamba", which means "rocky place". Part of the system is part of the UNESCO-protected Drakensberg National Park. The Drakensberg Mountains contain large reserves of platinum, gold and other less valuable but useful ores. In the rocks there are caves with ancient cave paintings, which are more than 8000 years old.
Table mountain
Located south-west of Cape Town on the shore of the bay of the same name, it is considered the hallmark of this city (even its image is present on the city flag). Many archaeological artifacts have been found in the dining area. According to them, scientists concluded that people have been living in this area for tens of thousands of years. A cable car leads to the mountain, hiking trails are equipped on the slopes.
Lions Head Rock
From English, the name of the mountain is translated as "lion's head", originally the English colonialists called the rock "sugar head". This small summit rises just 670 meters above Cape Town. The observation deck offers a panoramic view. Numerous tourists love to take photographs with Cape Town “soaring” in the background or against the backdrop of a mesmerizing African sunset.
Cradle of Humanity
The site where important evidence of human origins was found as a result of excavations. On this territory are the caves of Svartkransa, Makapan, Sterkfontein, Taung, Kromdraaya (more than 200 caves in total). Excavations continue as not all caves have been explored. Archaeologists constantly find ancient fossilized remains of humans and relic animals, as well as the remains of tools and household items. The area is under the protection of UNESCO.
Big Hole kimberlite pipe
Former diamond quarry near the town of Kimberley. It is interesting that people dug this huge hole without the use of technology. The development of diamonds was carried out here from 1866 to 1914. For several decades, miners have mined about three tons of precious stones. The famous 287-carat Tiffany, 153.5-carat Porter Rhodes and some large specimens of the De Beers diamond giant came out of the quarry.
Blyde River Canyon
One of the main natural attractions in South Africa. This is a green river gorge with many viewing platforms for tourists, from where a very beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding landscape opens up. Unlike other canyons with rocky and poor vegetation slopes, there is a rich fauna here.Tourists can book a hang-glider flight and see the natural beauty from an unusual perspective.
Garden Route (Garden Route)
The Garden Route is a famous hiking trail along the Indian Ocean coastline, from St. Francis Bay to Mussel Cove. The trail runs through the towns of Albertina, Steelby, Knysna, George and the coastal strip of Tsitsikamma National Park. Garden Route has secluded beaches, wild thickets of bright colors, bays, picturesque meadows. The route is one of the main destinations for travelers.
Cape of Good Hope
On the southern tip of Africa, warm and cold currents meet; the Atlantic Ocean mixes the waters with the Indian. This happens in a place called the Cape of Good Hope. During the period of active development of African lands, this was a bad place for sailors, since the unpredictability of sea currents often led to ship wrecks. The legendary Vasco da Gama visited here, the legend of the Flying Dutchman is associated with the cape.
Cango caves
The formations are located in the Black Mountains of Swartberg. This is a vast underground complex with a total length of 5 km. Only the first 2 km are accessible for visiting. The entrance to the cave is located 50 meters inland from the surface of the earth. The Cango complex has several underground halls of different sizes with poetic names: Wedding Hall, Rainbow Hall, Throne Hall, Devil's Workshop, Crystal Forest Hall. You can go down to the cave with an organized excursion.
Robben Island
The island where the "father of the nation" Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in prison. The prison, which has existed on Robben Island for almost 400 years, was formerly owned by the East India Company and was used to contain exiles. During the heyday of the apartheid regime, a maximum security prison was established here. The tourist route includes a bus ride around the island, a walk around the prison and a visit to N. Mandela's cell.
Franschhoek wine farms
Grape plantations and wineries in South Africa, where high quality wine is produced according to old recipes. Many of these recipes have not changed since the 17th century. The farms were cultivated by French Huguenot settlers. South African wines are considered unique in terms of taste, they have no analogues, as the grapes grow on sandy soil. Interesting excursions into the history of winemaking are organized for visitors.
Sun City
A resort town, a major tourist center in South Africa. It is considered a world masterpiece of landscape architecture. The resort was established in 1979. It has been visited by many world stars from Frank Sinatra to "Boney M". It hosted Miss World beauty contests, boxing championships, and business conferences. In Sun City, guests are welcomed by upscale five-star hotels, where famous public figures often stay.
Tugela waterfall
Natural landmark located in the Natal National Park. This waterfall is considered the second largest in the world after Angel. Water streams fall from almost a kilometer in height in the form of five cascades. Several tourist routes are organized around the waterfall, it is possible to book a guided tour or explore the surroundings on your own.
Augrabis waterfall
"Small" waterfall 146 meters high near the border with Namibia. Located 500 km. from the mouth of the Orange River. Powerful streams flow into a narrow gorge; during large floods of the river, thousands of cubic meters of water pass through this gorge in a few seconds. Below, water is collected in a natural floodplain, which is called the "gigantic cauldron". During the fall of the water jets, large waves are created and abundant splashes fly around.
Golden Mile beach
Popular beach in Durban. In the north, the territory rests on the business district of the city, where the Sunny Beach casino is located. Swimming areas are fenced with a reliable protective netting from sharks, which live in large numbers in this part of the ocean. During the high season, the Golden Mile is often the venue for various events, festivals and celebrations. There are numerous hotels and private apartments around.
Boulders Beach
This beach is located near Cape Town. It is famous for the fact that a large population of penguins has settled here. They began to arrive in 1982, over a few years the colony has grown to an impressive size of almost 3,000 individuals. It is believed that the closure of the fish factory contributed to this and the penguins had enough food. People swim in the background of birds resting on the stones, but it is forbidden to approach them.
