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The Winelands
The Winelands is South Africa’s oldest and most beautiful wine-producing area, with a fertile series of valleys dotted with historical wine estates.

Kruger National Park
The king of safari parks is Kruger, a vast area the size of Israel and one of the best places in the world to see the Big Five.

The Garden Route
The lush strip along South Africa’s south-west coast has stunning beaches – long stretches of soft white sand lashed by the Indian Ocean – and indigenous stretches of forest.

Addo Elephant Park
The best area in South Africa to see elephant is in this vast scrubby area in the Western Cape, roamed by enormous herds.

The Wild Coast
The little-visited Wild Coast has deserted wind-swept beaches backed by Xhosa kraals.

The Kalahari
Look out for Kalahari lions between the rolling red sand dunes of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

The Karoo
Ride an ostrich in Oudtshoorn or tour the historical towns dotted across the shimmering plains of the interior.

,b>The Drakensberg
For the finest hiking in Southern Africa, head to the magnificent Drakensberg Range, with its dramatic gorges, waterfalls and ancient San rock art.

Cape Town
Cape Town is South Africa’s most enjoyable city, with a stunning location surrounded by ocean and dominated by the soaring presence of Table Mountain.

Soweto
A tour around the most famous township in the world provides a valuable insight to the struggle against apartheid and modern township life.

Top Ten Adventure Activities

Shark Diving
Struisbaai in the Western Cape is one of the world’s top places for cage diving with great white sharks.

White water rafting
The finest way to experience the mighty Orange River is by tackling its adrenaline-pumping rapids.

Kitesurfing
The beaches to the north of Cape Town are belted with a constant south-westerly wind, making it an ideal place to learn kitesurfing.

Scuba diving
Sodwana Bay is blessed with beautiful coral reefs and the big fish of the Aliwal Shoal.

Surfing
Jeffreys Bay has become something of a surfing Mecca, and is rumoured to have the most consistent right-hand break in the world.

Canopy walk
Get a bird’s-eye view of the forest giants at Tsitsikamma National Park.

Track lions
South Africa’s game parks all now offer walking safaris, where you follow armed rangers tracking lion, elephant and antelope.

Bungee jumping
The bridge jump at the Bloukrans River on the Garden Route is one of the highest in the world.

Ostrich racing
The town of Outdshoorn has 95% of the world’s ostrich population, and holds ostrich racing competitions for visitors.

Kloofing
This South African sport is similar to canyoning, involving climbing, boulder-hopping and swimming down kloofs (canyons).

Francisca Kellett is the author of the Footprint to Cape Town, and co-author of the Footprint to South Africa.

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