South Africa, or the Republic of South Africa, is a state in southern Africa, surrounded by oceans on three sides. The largest asteroid crater is located here, the largest diamond has been found, thousands of shipwrecks have been recorded and the legend of the “Flying Dutchman” has been formed.
Since the 17th century, there have been Dutch and English colonies near the Cape of Good Hope, which is why South Africa has the most white people on the continent today.
People come here to see elephants and buffalo roaming the savannah, crocodiles in the rivers and penguins on the beach, a 9-meter stalagmite in a cave and the “Cradle of Humankind” with the remains of an African Australopithecus.
What to see in South Africa, sights and photos – in the selection and on the map.
Cape Town
South Africa has 11 official languages and three official capitals. The government is located in Pretoria, the parliament in Cape Town, and the supreme court in Bloemfontein. The modern metropolis offers travelers a developed infrastructure, good Internet and a variety of entertainment.
The main tourist street is the Victoria and Alfred Embankment, named in honor of the English queen and her son. Here you can stroll along clean sidewalks along the water, dine in a restaurant overlooking the ships, make bargain purchases of branded items in shopping malls, visit an art gallery, visit the Aquarium of Two Oceans and a free entertainment program in the amphitheater.
The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is the largest and most beautiful in the world. Guests can walk along a suspended path among the crowns of trees, relax by streams and ponds, and see magnificent flowerbeds and stone compositions. The peculiarity of the garden is its year-round blooming. A total of 4700 species of South African plants are represented here. Only 36 hectares are tended and decorated by landscape designers. The remaining 492 hectares are a nature reserve.
The bridges are comfortable, with handrails. In the distance you can see the mountains – a natural protective barrier of the garden from winds and weather.
Table Mountain
Near Cape Town there is a unique natural attraction of South Africa – Table Mountain National Park Reserve. The top of the range does not point upward with a sharp peak, but resembles a flat table. The mountain is huge, monumental and almost always immersed in a thick blanket of clouds.
Similar flat rocks are found in other parts of the Earth. But in Cape Town alone, Table Mountain is at least half a billion years old. On the three-kilometer plateau grows almost two thousand species of unique plants. For example, orchids Red Disa, a rare evergreen silver tree with gray bark and shiny silky leaves, dense shrubs Feinbos, which burn almost every year and fully regenerate on the scorched earth.
There are two ways to climb the 1,080-meter-high Table Mountain: the difficult one on foot or the easy one by cable bus. The panorama of the surrounding area is simply magical from the top.
It is not easy to get to the top on your own, depending on your fitness, it will take two to four hours. The two-kilometer route is difficult and has sharp rocks, but it is safe. The price for an up-and-down cable car ride is 300 rand. There is a cafe, souvenir store and free toilet at the top.
The ascent is very picturesque. However, in windy and cloudy weather the ropeway does not work.
Boulders Penguin Beach
An interesting attraction of South Africa is located on Boulders Beach near Cape Town. Not so long ago African penguins settled here. There are more than three thousand of them here: some of them laze on the shore, others rest on the rocks and splash in the sea to the delight of tourists and bathers. It is forbidden to feed the funny birds and even to approach them. For observation, the authorities have equipped several wooden platforms, and vacationers can see how penguins build nests, hunt, incubate eggs and raise their chicks.
Penguins took to this area after the ban on fishing and the closure of the factory in the bay. The population of anchovies and sardines, a favorite delicacy of these aquatic non-flying birds, grew immediately.
Cango Caves
A complex of underground galleries near the town of Awdshoorn forms another attraction in South Africa. The grottoes and natural stone sculptures are located on the Karoo Plateau. The caves go deep into the Black Mountains for five kilometers and are divided into three sections: tour Kango 1, 2 and 3. Only 1,200 meters of the caves are available for touring. The tour takes one and a half hours.
The story goes that the first official guide of the area, Wassener, spent 29 hours underground. To find the end of the passages, he walked along the underground river for almost 25 kilometers.
The caves are over twenty million years old. “Kango” means “water” because for a long time the voids in the rocks were flooded. And only when the underground rivers left, amazing stalagmites and stalactites were formed. The oldest formations are at least one and a half million years old. The largest stalagmite “Cleopatra’s Needle” is about 150 thousand years old, and in height it reaches 9.5 meters.
The caves were discovered in the 18th century by a simple shepherd looking for runaway sheep. He showed a hole in the rock to his master Fonsail. He climbed inside and saw drawings of Bushmen (the oldest indigenous people in southern Africa) on the walls and a hole in the floor. After climbing down on a rope and looking around, the master announced that he had found the entrance to the underworld.
Several underground halls are available for viewing today. “Crystal Forest” with horizontal growths resembling rock crystal, “Wedding Hall” with small minerals, “Devil’s Workshop” illuminated by red spotlights, “Organ Hall” with the famous vertical tubular formations – “organ pipes”. The excellent acoustics allowed famous orchestras and singers to give concerts here.
The underground galleries are well equipped and feature beautiful lighting, installations of cavemen’s life, and comfortable passageways. Fascinating stories of the guide complement the visual picture. The temperature inside the caves is about +20 °C. Since there is high humidity, it gets very stuffy and hot after a few minutes of stay. It is better to have multi-layered clothes, so that you can take off the excess when necessary.
Cost of visit: from 10$ with a guide.
Mode of operation: 60-minute tours depart from 9:00 to 16:00, and 90-minute tours depart from 9:30 to 15:30.
Kruger Park
South Africa is slightly smaller in area than our Tyumen Oblast. And tourists come here mainly because of the colorful natural attractions and fascinating safaris. This word used to be associated with hunting. Now these are wildlife trips where the animals are only photographed. There is a popular tourist route in the Kruger National Park.
On the vast territory, animals feel like masters. Rhinos and lions, buffalo and hyenas, leopards, zebras and gazelles live in a free environment. Elephants and giraffes can be seen by the roadside, hippos and crocodiles in the rivers.
Such excursions in South Africa are conducted for groups of up to ten people, in specially equipped open vehicles, necessarily with a ranger and tracker.
Interestingly, animals from the Big Five are depicted on South African banknotes. It is better to arrive early, then you have a better chance of seeing many of the animals.
The Cradle of Humankind
South Africa, like Ethiopia, is considered the cradle of mankind. It was on these lands that the first people lived millions of years ago. This fact is confirmed by numerous findings of archaeologists. Near Johannesburg there are caves where fossils and remains of an ancient hominid, the African Australopithecus, have been found. To preserve paleontological objects, a museum-reserve was opened on the basis of the dungeons.
In the museum you can see artifacts and even take part in excavations with a brush and a trowel. You can’t take what you find with you, but the process is new to many people. Research in different places of the park is still going on, and tourists can watch the work of archaeologists.
Asteroid crater
South Africa is home to the largest meteorite impact crater on Earth. Scientists estimate that it happened 2 billion years ago. The diameter of the asteroid was 10 kilometers, and the impact crater – about 300, which is commensurate in area with the Penza region. The circles from the huge crater are visible only from space, they are almost smoothed by time. To study and preserve the unique geological monument, the whole town of Vredefort was located nearby. Tourist routes are organized here to see the UNESCO natural site.
The river valley is surrounded by several rings of rock. No clear crater can be seen, as the outline of the crater has been flattened by millions of years of corrosion.
It is better to travel to the “Vredefort Dome” with an experienced guide, then you will be able to see the most interesting things: pseudotachylites and granophyres – unique geological formations that look like the melting of one stone into another, the Vaal River at the bottom of the impact crater, ancient rock paintings, viewing platforms and historical sites.
The Big Hole Diamond Mine
The impact from the asteroid was so strong that the depth of damage reached the mantle of the Earth’s crust. Magma saturated with nickel, gold, copper, platinum and other valuable elements began to flow into the crater and into the cracks “in the neighborhood”. Scientists believe that this is why rich fossil deposits are still found in South Africa.
The world knows the Kimberley diamond quarry. The Kimberlite pipe “Big Hole” was dug by hand, without the use of machinery. The depth of this mine is 1097 meters. In 1905, the world’s largest diamond “Cullinan” weighing 621.35 grams was found in these mines.
South Africa is not only known for diamonds and the largest economy on the continent. In 1986, gold was found at the watershed of the Orange and Limpopo river basins. The “gold rush” began, which gave the movie industry a plot for westerns. The precious metal is still being mined today. One of the mines, Mponeng, is the world’s deepest – four kilometers deep!
The Orange River is the country’s longest waterway at 2,200 kilometers. It has a common water color and is named after the ruling Dutch house of the Princes of Orange.
Legend has it that a giant serpent lives in the cave filled with gemstones. The dungeons are connected to the Orange River by several natural tunnels. Periodically, diamonds are poured into the river through these tunnels. For example, they are regularly found in the Augrabis waterfall.
The roar of the Augrabis waterfall can be heard several kilometers away. The name is translated from the local language as “very noisy place”. The Limpopo River is familiar to us from K. Chukovsky’s “Dr. Aibolit”. Only for the untold number of reptiles it is often called the Crocodile River. It is the second longest in the country and reaches 1750 kilometers.
Beaches
On the spacious sandy beaches of the Indian and Atlantic oceans in South Africa there are many resorts with European quality of services. Huge waves and strong winds attract fans of surfing and other water sports. It is better to swim in the warmer Indian Ocean, and for diving into the cool waters of the Atlantic you will need a wetsuit. Divers can also enjoy the marine life of the two oceans.
The best beach resorts in South Africa are Naisna, Cape Town, Sun City and Durban. Moreover, San City is a full complex for recreation built in the desert. On the territory of 150 km2 there are artificial lake and hills, tennis courts, golf course, wave pool, beaches, water slides, alleys decorated with park sculpture. There is a lot of entertainment for guests of any age: “The Labyrinth of the old town”, viewing “The King’s Tower”, restaurants, bowling, cinema, casino, concert hall, saunas, baths, etc.
Cape of Good Hope
Two oceans and two currents, cold and warm, collide here. The place known from the history of geographical discoveries is called the Cape of Good Hope. Although the water area is not kind: coastal rocks, strong fogs, solitary icebergs and frequent storms were a real nightmare for seafarers of the past.
Here began the story of the Flying Dutchman, the famous ghost ship that wandered off the coast of South Africa for centuries. It has been the subject of dozens of books, opera librettos, and movie scripts such as Pirates of the Caribbean.
Sailors say that meeting a cursed ship or just a glimpse of a sinister sail on the horizon promises trouble and even portends doom for the ship.
The lighthouse on the picturesque rock of the neighboring Cape Point, which is 45 meters from the Cape, is visible to sailors 40 kilometers away. How to get there: from Cape Town by rental car on the M3 or M4 highway, a distance of 60 kilometers. From the Green Market Square in Cape Town, buses run to the Cape at 8:30 and 13:00, returning at 13:00 and 17:15.
When is the best time to go
The climate of South Africa is heterogeneous and differs in different parts of the country. Tourists going to hot Africa expect scorching heat. However, they are often surprised to find themselves freezing. For example, the province of Natal is located in a zone with high humidity, and the Cape Town region is similar to the Mediterranean. Travelers there can expect dry, sultry summers and mild winters. In some areas, night temperatures fall below freezing and snow falls in the mountains.
In southern Africa, the seasons are the opposite of those in Europe. From April to October, the weather is cool with rain and strong winds. When its speed rises to 30 meters per second, it becomes unsafe to go outdoors, and attractions are closed.
The high season is from December to February. Cities and beaches are filled with tourists, and there are queues of tourists at interesting sites and cafes. March and November are comfortable in terms of weather and a good time for excursions.
Travel Tips
1. Health insurance is not compulsory, but for traveling to any African country it is better to have it. Different climate, food, insects, accidents – there may be different reasons to see a doctor. Medical care in South Africa is provided only in large cities, and it is expensive.
2. In South Africa there are dozens of large national parks and reserves that offer safaris. But sometimes under the guise of this can organize a trip to a rehabilitation center for animals. So be sure to specify the program.
3. When visiting the Cango Caves, it is dangerous for overweight tourists to buy tour #2, as it is possible to get stuck in the passage. That’s why there are special frames at the entrance that measure the size of travelers.
4. It is better not to stay in Johannesburg itself, as the city has a criminal reputation. It is safer to book hotels in the suburbs and get to the sights not by public transport, but with a guide or by rented car. By the way, the traffic here is left-handed, just like in England.
5. Traveling in South Africa can take you through malaria-prone areas. For example, this includes the Kruger Park. Since there is no vaccination against this disease, buy tests and antimalarial drugs in advance in South Africa. Binoculars are useful for traveling on safari. Get out of the car only in specially equipped parking lots, and along the way the animals may be far from the road.
