Black-maned lions against desert dunes, powdery beaches kissed by two oceans, star-filled skies, and rugged mountains – South Africa is where nature unfolds at its most dramatic.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, spread over 5.28 sq km, is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world because of its unique plants and location. The main entrance (Gate 1) at the Newlands side has an information centre, a nice souvenir shop, and a plant conservatory.
A special attraction is the Tree Canopy Walkway, also called the ‘Boomslang’ (tree snake), which is a curved bridge made of steel and wood. It goes through the trees and offers beautiful views of the garden.
You can join a free guided walk or rent a MyGuide device (for R40) to listen to recorded details about the plants along the walking paths.
The garden has more than 7000 plant species from Southern Africa, including the famous fynbos (proteas, heaths, and ericas) from the Cape Floral Kingdom. There is a fragrance garden where you can easily smell the plants, a Braille trail for the visually impaired, a small hill full of pelargoniums, a sculpture garden, a section for medicinal plants, and two hiking trails that lead up to Table Mountain – Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine. You can also see what’s left of Van Riebeeck’s Hedge, planted in 1660 as a boundary for the Dutch outpost.
From November to April, Sunday evening concerts called Summer Sunset Concerts are held here, which are very popular. The gardens are a stop on the City Sightseeing bus route. Gate 3 (Rycroft Gate) is quieter and comes first if you’re coming from the south via Rhodes Drive. There are also three cafes inside, including the well-known Kirstenbosch Tea Room.
Don’t leave Johannesburg without visiting Constitution Hill. It’s one of South Africa’s most important historic places. The site has four parts: the Old Fort (built in 1892 for white male prisoners), Number Four Jail (for nonwhite male prisoners), the Women’s Jail, and the Awaiting Trial Block, which is now mostly gone and replaced by the Constitutional Court.
The guided tours start every hour and help you understand the history and legal struggles of South Africa. What you see and hear can be shocking – the stories of the prisoners show how hard life was here. Famous people like Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi were once jailed here. Most tours take one hour and cover Number Four Jail and the Constitutional Court. Tours at 10am and 1pm are longer (two hours) and cover all parts of the site. After the tour, you can walk around freely.
If you’re visiting with kids, ask for Play Africa, a fun and educational children’s play area inside the Old Fort. Constitution Hill also hosts music shows and cultural events regularly.
There’s also a nice café called the Hill inside the Old Fort.
This museum will surely touch your heart. It tells the story of District Six, a lively area where people of different races once lived together. During apartheid in the 1960s and 70s, the government forced around 60,000 people to leave, and the whole area was destroyed.
The museum is inside an old church. You can see recreated home interiors, old photos, voice recordings, and stories that show the pain of a community that was broken but not lost.
Most township tours begin here, to explain the history of apartheid and the strict pass laws.
There’s a large map where former residents have marked their old homes. You can also see furniture, personal items, and hear real stories from people who were forced to leave. Many of the staff members are former residents with emotional memories to share.
Next to the museum is the Homecoming Centre, where temporary exhibitions and events happen from time to time.
When it comes to wildlife, Kruger is one of the best national parks in the world. The number and variety of animals you can see here is truly amazing. All of Africa’s famous animals – like elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and zebra – live here, along with 137 other kinds of animals and over 500 types of birds.
The park is huge, covering 19,485 square kilometres. The landscape is also beautiful – with rocky hills in the south, the Lebombo Mountains in the east, and lush forests in the north.
What makes Kruger special is how easy it is for visitors to enjoy. You can drive around on your own using the large network of roads, or go on guided wildlife tours. There are also many places to stay, and they’re good value for money.
Simon van der Stel’s manor house at Groot Constantia is a great example of Cape Dutch architecture and is now a museum. It’s set in beautiful gardens, and even though many tour groups visit, the estate is big enough to find some quiet space.
As you enter, the large wine tasting room is on your right. Further inside, there’s a free orientation centre that gives you an idea of the estate’s history, and the main house has been nicely restored.
The old Cloete Cellar, with its decorative front, was once used to make wine. Now it has displays of old carriages and storage pots. You can also take a tour of the modern wine cellar – the tour costs R100 and includes tasting.
You can download two audio-guide apps from the Groot Constantia website. There’s also a Visitors Route Experience ticket for R95 that gives you entry to the main attractions and includes wine tasting. If you like sweets, you can try the wine and chocolate pairing for R125.
Meerendal Wine Estate, started in 1702, is one of South Africa’s oldest. It has vineyards for pinotage and shiraz and a beautiful Cape Dutch-style house. But it’s not an old-fashioned place – it’s modern and lively.
The wine tasting room is well-managed and also includes a modern art gallery and a distillery where you can try vodka, rum, and gin. There are two restaurants: Carlucci’s Deli for casual dining and the Crown for something fancier.
The estate is also popular for outdoor activities. It has 18km of mountain biking trails and hosts biking competitions. Every Saturday morning, there’s a relaxed 5km Parkrun here.
In the evenings, movies are shown under the stars by the Galileo Open Air Cinema. You can even stay overnight at the stylish boutique hotel in the old homestead.
This beautiful park and museum is built to honour South Africans who died in major wars and struggles. It tells the full story of African history in a meaningful and respectful way. The place is known for its special design and its aim to help people heal and remember together.
Start your visit at //hapo, the museum at the bottom of the hill, which shows the history of Southern Africa. Then go up the hill to the main park, where you can enjoy great views of the city.
Important parts of the park include:
Isivivane – a peaceful garden built for remembrance
S’khumbuto – the main memorial, with an amphitheatre and a Wall of Names that has 75,000 names of people who played an important role in South Africa’s past
Mveledzo – a spiral pathway that goes through the natural land
Willem, son of Simon van der Stel, first planted vines here in 1700. The estate has lovely old buildings, beautiful gardens, and stunning mountain views that give it a royal feel. You can walk around the gardens, go for a wine cellar tour, or simply enjoy a tasting of four different wines. Tasting their special wine, Vergelegen Red, costs an extra R10. There are also two restaurants here.
Stables is a relaxed bistro-style restaurant (main dishes cost around R80 to R165) that’s open from 9am to 5pm. It looks over the Rose Garden and has a nice playground for kids.
For a fancy dining experience, you can try Camphors, which serves three-course meals (R395). It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and on Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner.
You can also enjoy a picnic hamper (R255 per person), available only from November to April. Advance booking is needed for both the picnic and Camphors.
