Five ideas for guided tours in South Africa

• Wild coast

  On the east coast of South Africa, overlooking the Indian Ocean, lies Transkei, now known as the Wild Coast. This magnificent road is almost 300 kilometers long. It remains an unspoiled place, where you will come across beautiful port towns such as Port Edward or East London, located in the majestic setting of the Buffalo River estuary. It is in this region that you will find villages made up of traditional huts, inhabited by its ancestral population, the Xhosa people. The road is famous for its beautiful wild beaches, including the famous Coffee Bay, a surfer’s paradise. Inland, there are many parks such as Mkambati, Dwesa, Hluleka and Silaka.
  There are many safari opportunities, but also wonderful walks (such as the Amathole Trail) or boat rides, and all kinds of water sports in the many rivers.

• Drakensberg

  The Drakensberg region, which means “Dragon Mountains”, is located in the middle of South Africa, near the landlocked state of Lesotho. It is a delightful place for all hikers, both beginners and advanced, and for nature lovers. You can start your visit at the “Amphitheater” in the Royal Natal National Park, which has a 5-kilometer long rocky cliff in an arc. At the top, admire the Orange River, and further on, a magnificent panorama of the second highest waterfall in the world, the Tugela Falls.
  The Drakensberg has been home to the San people, also known as Bushmen, for thousands of years. One comes to the Giant’s Castle Game Reserve to admire the rock art. It is the ideal place to discover the ancestral life of the communities who lived here, and to enjoy the immense diversity of flora and fauna.

• Cape Town

  The attractive city of Cape Town is located at the southern tip of the country. The city has an incredible charm, both for its cultural life and its energy and the incredible choice of visits that can be made. Start by taking the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. From there, you will have a breathtaking view of the entire bay, and not far away, you can easily reach the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, which is home to nearly 10,000 different species of plants, some of which have been left in the wild. People come here to admire this incredible flora, but also to have a picnic or to attend a concert, every Sunday from December to March. Going back down to Cape Town, you will enjoy walking on the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and the Docks, which have been subtly redeveloped with stores, pubs, restaurants and museums. To enjoy the beach and the water (admittedly a bit cool), you can find yourself just outside Cape Town, on Camps Bay and Clifton, lined with beautiful villas, or a little further, at Boulders Beach, where you can approach small colonies of penguins. Your trip to Cape Town, whether it lasts a few days or more, cannot end without a visit to the Cape of Good Hope. This rocky peak has become a beautiful nature reserve, with paths leading to panoramic views of both oceans. There are also all kinds of animals: ostriches, elands, baboons, hundreds of birds, and even whales. Cape Town has many more surprises in store for you, so don’t hesitate to hire an independent tour guide in South Africa to make the most of your trip.

• Kruger National Park

  The Kruger National Park is probably the most famous park in the world. It is also one of the largest and oldest. Its creation dates back to 1896. During your trip to South Africa, you will undoubtedly go through it to observe its animals, which live in freedom. Located in the North East of the country, it has an area of 20 000 km2. It is in this park that you will realize your most marvelous safari, and will be able to admire the wild fauna and its famous Big five that are the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the leopard and the buffalo. The environment of the park is completely protected; so you will criss-cross its tracks being the guest of nature and of the animals that you will meet, and trying to make yourself as discreet as possible. In the evening, you will sleep in its lodges, where the total quietude of the sky covered with thousands of stars will be disturbed only by the rustle of the jungle, as in a waking dream.

• Garden Route

  The Garden Route, also known as Route 62, is a mythical road in South Africa. It runs along the Indian Ocean coastline on one side, and on the other, through landscapes of forests, mountains and grasslands. It is on a distance of 800 kilometers, which go from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, that you will follow its route. Take your time to travel and stop whenever you want, allowing yourself beautiful stops to admire the sumptuous landscapes along the way, such as Oudtshoorn and its herds of ostriches, the magnificent lagoon of Knysna beaches… At Mossel Bay, off Hermanus, you will witness the migration of whales, in one of the most famous spots in the world to admire these large marine mammals. Near sublime hilly landscapes, you can also access the famous vineyards of Stellenbosch.