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South Africa South Africa [ /sʌʊθ/ /ˈæ.fɹɪ.kə/ ] “Unity in Diversity” South Africa is a country of diversity, serenity, vast landscapes, liberated people, exotic cultures that are absolutely breathtaking. Nestled in the southernmost part of the continent lies, South Africa. Here you find a country surrounded by the crystal clear and pristine Atlantic and Indian Oceans, whereby the former falls against the backdrop of majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town. Venture along the coast to the Garden Route. Further inland, and separated from the Garden Route by the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua mountains, lies the arid Karoo, a semi-desert region in the heart of the country. With its beautiful endless plains, flat top hills, windmills occupying empty fields, thick, fluffy cloudscapes and endless skies. A roadtrip through the Karoo is the perfect escape from reality and a once in a lifetime South African adventure. Along the Lesotho border you will find grand landscapes characterized by the Great Escarpment of the majestic Drakensberg Mountains. South Africa’s mightiest mountain range. East Coast where you can find the city of Durban, a mix between Zulu and Indian culture, and further north where you can find the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a world heritage site and perfect destination for an amazing safari in South Africa due to its abundance of hippos. To the northeast of the country, you’ll find Blyde River Canyon where you can enjoy phenomenal panoramic views of the third largest canyon in the world. About South Africa Annual Rain Fall COUNTRY SIZE: 1,221,037 sq km (471,445 sq mi) 140 112 84 CURRENCY: South African Rand (ZAR) 56 28 LANGUAGES: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swazi, Venda, Southern Ndebele Annual Temperature ETHNIC: Black, Coloured, White and Asian CAPITAL: Pretoria, Johannesburg & Cape Town AIRPORTS: OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town HEALTH REQUIREMENTS POPULATION: 57.7 million (2018) Health regulations in South Africa require that travellers from areas infected by yellow fever must carry a vaccination certificate; other- wise no vaccinations are required. SOUTH AFRICA Seasonal Highlights NOV DEC - FEB MAR - JUN JUL - OCT South Africa is a large and diverse country with a climate that varies from region to region: Cape Town and the Western Cape experience winter rainfall (June to August) and a largely bone-dry hot summer while much of the rest of the country, including the Kruger Park area, have heavy summer thundershowers (December to March) and a dry winter period from May to October. The Garden Route and Eastern Cape on the other hand can experience rain at any time of the year. Our “when to go” guidelines are based on the best time to visit South Africa’s top attractions: The drier winter months between May and October is the best time for superb game viewing on a South Africa safari in Kruger, Madikwe, Pilanesberg and KwaZulu-Natal, as animals are concentrated around water sources and are easier to spot in the thinned-out bush. For a Cape Town beach holiday you simply can’t beat the hot summer months between November and March – although book your accommodation early if you want to visit over Christmas or New Year. Green Season The Green Season is simply the “rainy season”. It’s during the summer months of roughly December through April where you can expect the most rainfall in the southern safari hotspots of Africa – South Africa. Transition Season South Africa is a predominantly sunny country, with year-round travel possible thanks to its vast size and diverse range of landscapes and attractions. The climate is seasonal, although as the transitional seasons of spring and autumn tend to be very short, the year is typically divided into summer and winter months. Dry Season The climate conditions in South Africa ranges from desert and semi-desert in the north west of the coun- try to sub-tropical on the eastern coastline. The overall conditions of the country is warm, sunny days and cool nights. The rainy season for most of the country is in the summer which is November through to March. In the Western Cape rainfall comes in the winter which is May to August and in most of the Eastern Cape, it is distributed evenly throughout the year. South Africa’s climate is seasonal, getting quite cold in winter (May-August). It’s pleasantly warm and sunny in spring and autumn and often hot in summer (November to March) with frequent rains to cool things down. Even in winters the cold is mild frost occasional and snow a rarity. The rainiest months in Cape Town are May to August, and Johannesburg receives most of its rain in summer. SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA Places of Interest IN SOUTH AFRICA SANCTUARY MAKANYANE SAFARI LODGE Named for the African wild dog which calls the local area home, Sanctuary Makanyane Safari Lodge is situated on the edge of a dramatic ravine within Madikwe Game Reserve. This luxurious lodge caters for only sixteen guests, ensuring personal attention and exclusivity. Constructed from local stone, wood and thatch and blending effortlessly with the bush, the lodge allows guests to continuously experience the natural beauty of their surroundings. All suites have open- front lounges, private sundecks and spacious bathrooms that can be opened to the forest. The lodge has an infinity-edge swimming pool, gym, health and beauty treatment centre and lookout point with magnificent views. SINGITA LEBOMBO LODGE Singita Lebombo Lodge is a celebration of cutting-edge design in an African context where everything defers to nature. This dramatic lodge comprises 13 suites and one villa that give guests a front row seat to the Kruger National Park with bold, contemporary open plan suites suspended above the N’Wanetsi River. The exclusive concession is a richly diverse habitat, teeming with game, beneath endless African skies. All communal areas of the lodge have been pushed out to ensure that the outside bursts in, offering elegant, calm and meditative spaces immersed in a dramatic landscape of giant euphorbia trees. Table Mountain Whether it is covered in a blanket of moody clouds or showing off against a crisp cloudless blue sky, Table Mountain is always spectacular. Cape Town locals are pretty fond of the mountain that looms over their city… and with good reason! Table Mountain, which is home to the richest, yet smallest floral kingdom on earth, was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2011. Flanked by Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head, Table Mountain makes up the northern end of the Cape Fold Mountain range. It’s hard to imagine, but the mountain’s distinctive flat top – a three-kilometre level plateau – was once the bottom of a valley! The mountain was given its name — Taboa do Cabo (Table of the Cape) SOUTH AFRICA What to do IN SOUTH AFRICA Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Western Cape Franschhoek Motor Museum, Western Cape Hennops Hiking Trail, Gauteng Apartheid Museum, Gauteng Hermanus Cliff Path, Western Cape Kruger National Park, Limpopo Ushaka Marine World, Kwazulu Natal Lion’s Head, Western Cape Montecasino, Gauteng Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Western Cape Aerial Cableway Hartbeespoort, Gauteng Chapman’s Peak Drive, Western Cape Waterford Estate, Gauteng Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga Gautrain, Gauteng Seal Island, Western Cape Robberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape Game drives at Phalaborwa Gate, Limpopo Shamwari Private Game Reserve, Eastern Cape Voortrekker Monument, Gauteng Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, Western Cape Knysna Heads, Western Cape The Cango Caves, Western Cape Drakensberg Mountains, Kwazulu Natal Durban Botanic Gardens, Kwazulu Natal St. Blaize Trail, Western Cape Pilanesberg National Park, North West Spier Wine Farm, Western Cape Pretoria National Botanical Garden, Gauteng Union Buildings, Gauteng SOUTH AFRICA WHERE TO GO IN SouthSOUTH AFRICA Africa Where to go IN SOUTH AFRICA South Africa, officially known as the Republic of South Africa, offers a great introduction to the many jewels of the Dark Continent. Tourists will find classic African scenery: golden savannah, great gaping gorges, and hauntingly beautiful deserts, as well as their favorite African creatures - and, as a bonus- the creature comforts. Apart from the big-name game parks of Kruger and the Kgalagadi (Kalahari) Transfrontier Park, South Africa is home to some of the world’s most luxurious private game reserves and lodges. Wildlife lovers come here from all corners of the globe in search of the “Big Five”: lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino and elephant, often they find it and so much more. Coral reefs, shark dives, dragon-backed mountain ranges, white-water rafting, and golden beaches lapped by legendary surf breaks are some of South Africa’s many other attractions. Traveling around this vast land and touring the vibrant cities, visitors can learn about the nation’s turbulent history: in Cape Town, one of the world’s most beautiful cities; in Durban, a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, at the poignant museums and galleries in Johannesburg, and in Soweto, home of Nelson Mandela, who helped the birth of democracy in this astoundingly diverse nation. Kruger Park Kruger National Park is one of the world’s most famous safari parks. One of the oldest game reserves in South Africa, the park lies about a 3.5 to 4.5 hour drive from Johannesburg and offers visitors the chance to see the “Big Five”: lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino, as well as an astounding diversity of other wildlife. It’s also home to bushman rock paintings and archaeological sites. Visitors can explore Kruger on the large network of sealed roads; organize a walking safari; or soar over the vast grasslands, gallery forests and river systems in a hot air balloon.