Not to be missed! Our TOP 10 hits – from the absolute No. 1 to No. 10 – TOP 10 help you plan your tour of the most important sights.

THE KRUGER P140 PANORAMA ROUTE P142 One of the largest game reserves in This route in Mpumalanga takes in the world (left, two springboks) offers some of the most dramatic scenery unparalleled game drives through in the country. It winds through the the wilderness – it is the county’s Drakensberg escarpment – which premier national park. drops off to afford some spectacular viewpoints – and includes the mag- CITY CENTRE () nificent Blyde River Canyon. P50 Known as the Mother City ​​it is often ZULULAND & MAPUTALAND rated as one of the most beautiful P98 cities in the world and it is where A region of lush rolling hills famed the cultural diversity of the Rainbow for its great warriors and, in the Nation is at its most ­colourful. north, vast wetlands – with forests, lakes and lagoons – border endless, GARDEN ROUTE P70 pristine beaches with fine sand. The southern coast between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth boasts PRETORIA P118 ­numerous nature reserves, wonder- The capital of South Africa offers ful bathing beaches and some interesting museums and heritage ­outstanding restaurants. sites including the impressive Victorian parliament buildings. UKHAHLAMBA-DRAKENSBERG PARK P94 SOWETO P122 The soaring “dragon mountain” Nobody knows exactly how many peaks form the border with Lesotho people live in South Africa’s town- and the area is popular for outdoor ships. A visit to Soweto is a must pursuits – and one of the most for anyone who wants to under- ­scenic landscapes in the country. stand the country’s history.

PILANESBERG NATIONAL DURBAN P100 PARK P158 A city with an unmistakeably Indian Occupying an extinct volcano north feel, its wide sandy beaches and of Sun City, this is a wonderful place hotel-lined seaside promenade to encounter many of the animals that make it a popular summer holiday have been relocated to the reserve. destination. The Magazine The Magazine

who fi rst came to the region to work on sugar plantations. The province has superb game reserves and is home to more rhino than anywhere else A WORLD in the world. Inland, the hilly KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, studded with the intriguing 19th-century battlefi eld sites, rise toward the uKhahlamba- IN ONE COUNTRY Drakensberg Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site of imposing jagged mountains, green valleys and excellent hiking. The park’s San rock art sites are one of South Africa’s greatest cultural treasures. South Africa’s appeal lies in its natural beauty, with a wealth Gauteng, the smallest but most densely populated province in the country, of varied landscapes spread across nine provinces. It’s also a is home to the rather staid capital Pretoria (now part of Tshwane munici- melting pot of origins, cultures, languages and beliefs. pality), as well as vibrant Johannesburg. Gauteng has thrown up a rare wealth of early hominid fossils, and its most important palaeontological sites are now protected in a World Heritage Site known as the Cradle of Western and Eastern Cape Provinces Humankind. Today, Johannesburg – more affectionately known as Jozi – The highlight of province is Cape Town, inarguably one of the witnessed some of the most important events in the struggle against most beautiful cities in the world. The city is home to a cosmopolitan ethnic apartheid and you can meet the people in the lively townships and visit mix including Cape – a distinct community descended from Malay the excellent museums to fi nd out more. Shopping in the giant mega-malls, slaves, White colonists and the indigenous San and Khoi peoples. Other eating at award-winning restaurants and enjoying the nightlife are other attractions in the province include pretty winelands, the Garden Route, and urban highlights. fi ne beaches, where whales, dolphins and sharks swim along the coast. To the north of the province are the sun-baked plains of the vast and empty The North and Northwest Karoo with its quirky 19th-century towns. The Eastern Cape is dominated by Mpumalanga and Limpopo contain the vast Kruger National Park and offer the Wild Coast: a largely rural and richly green region dotted with colourful South Africa’s best opportunities to see the Big Five: lion, leopard, buffalo, kraals (villages) of the Xhosa people and backed by near-deserted swathes rhino and elephant. The northwest of South Africa, comprising the Free of beach. State, Northwest and Northern Cape provinces, is an arid region of sparsely populated farmland, giving way to the parched Kalahari grasslands in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng far north. There are a few little-visited game reserves worth the effort of Durban and a string of resorts line the subtropical Indian Ocean coast of getting to; Kimberley and Bloemfontein have interesting historical pasts, and southern KwaZulu-Natal, while to the north is the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the lavish resort of Sun City is hidden in the bush of the adjacent Pilanesberg where hippos and sharks share the same ecosystem. Offshore, coral gardens National Park. teem with colourful marine life. The coast has a rich cultural heritage as the heartland of the Zulu people and home to a vibrant Indian community The Valley of Desolation, Karoo Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape province

10 11 Cape Town & Around Getting Your Bearings

TOP 10 Getting Your Bearings " City Centre P50 Hugging majestic and surrounded by the wild Atlantic Don’t Miss Ocean, Cape Town is inarguably one of the most beautiful cities in + P the world. An absolute must is a sightseeing trip around the Cape V&A Waterfront 52 Peninsula, with its magnificent beaches, and a tour of the scenic , Table Mountain P53 Winelands area. - P56

At Your Leisure West Coast 18 . Kirstenbosch National

R Botanical Garden P57 27 N / Constantia P57 7 13 Robben 0 P58 Island 1 P M13 Townships 58 2 West Coast P59 N Table 1 The coastline at Bay Good- wood V&A Waterfront 11 Parow Bellville Its location also makes Cape Town one of the most fascinating cities in M6 2 the world. The heart of Cape Town is the , which lies between City Centre Cape Town and the harbour to the north and the lower slopes of majestic Table Mountain 12 Bishop Table Mountain (1,086m/3,562ft) to the south. The city has plenty of well Lavis M4 preserved buildings and historic quarters that bear vivid testimony to its Kirstenbosch National 14 Botanical Garden Nyanga past. The refurbished Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a great addition to Eersterivier the cityscape; once an unattractive harbour area, it is now a lively tourist Llandudno M63 15 Townships 17 N 2 and entertainment destination. The Bo-Kaap Malay quarter with its historic Constantia mosques, restored 18th-century houses and cobbled streets, stretches northwest of the city up the slopes of . South of Green Point the M6 R310 Hout Bay Atlantic stretch of coast has a string of attractive seaside suburbs from to Hout Bay. Noordhoek Strandfontein M64 Stroll through the V&A Waterfront, named after Queen Victoria and her son Prince Alfred Kommetjie Glencairn Witsand Bay M65 Scarborough Simon´s Town

Schuster Bay Cape M4 Peninsula 16 Table M65 Mountain Smitswinkel Bay Mast Bay National Park

Buffels Bay

0 10 km Cape Point Cape of 0 5 mi Good Hope

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