The country of South Africa has always been at the top of my list for countries to travel to. It just seemed like there was a little bit of everything to see and do there! In one country you can see penguins and lions, cage dive with great white sharks and go wine tasting, relax on a beautiful beach and an hour later scale a mountain! South Africa definitely lived up to my expectations. We loved our time here so much that we ended up staying for a little more than 6 weeks!
Based on our experiences, research, and recommendations, here are 17 of the best things to experience in South Africa!
1. Cape Town
Cape Town is one of our favorite and most beautiful cities that we’ve ever visited! With the towering Table Mountain, stunning beach towns, and world famous soccer stadium, there is no denying Cape Town’s beauty. There is so much to see and do just within the city. But within a few hours drive from the city are enough activities to keep you busy for years! We took a 2 week break from our Africa travels in Cape Town. It was so much fun getting to explore the city at a slower pace. We went to markets on the weekends, took walks along the coastline, and hikes in the mountains. It seemed like the longer we stayed, the more things we found that we wanted to do.
Here were a few of our favorite highlights within a short drive from downtown: Lion’s Head hike, Table Mountain cable car ride, Camp’s Bay, Sea Point, V&A Waterfront, OZCF Market, Neighbourgoods Market, and so much more. We also got to go paragliding in Cape Town and take a Cape Town helicopter tour, but those were so much fun they got their own sections in this post :)
Within less than an hour’s drive from downtown is an endless amount of incredible things to see and do. A few of the highlights were Chapman’s Peak drive, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Robben Island, Cape of Good Hope, and more. Also in the area you can go scuba diving in a kelp forest, cage diving with great white sharks, and wine tasting in Stellenbosch. But again, I figured those things deserved a section to themselves. Needless to say, there are endless options of things to see and do in and around Cape Town.
2. Kruger National Park
From lions to elephants, Africa is home to some of the most incredible wildlife on the planet. One of the most famous national parks for game drives is Kruger National Park, in northeastern South Africa. Not only is it an incredible place to see the “big 5” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and cape buffalo), but it is also one of the most accessible and reasonably priced safari locations in Africa. At less than a five hour drive away from Johannesburg, one of Africa’s biggest cities, Kruger is full of incredible accommodations.
We only had one day in the park, but you could easily build an entire safari trip around Kruger National Park. In one day we saw hundreds of elephants and giraffes, hyenas and their cubs, African wild dogs and their pups, a leopard, and more! But the highlight of our day was getting to see some lions hunting kudus. They chased the antelope across the road right in front of our car! It was one of the most exciting things we’ve ever seen on a safari!
The company that we booked our safari with was B1 Photo Safaris. The company is locally owned and operated by two brothers who have a love for wildlife and photography. B1 Photo Safaris create custom photo safaris for professional and serious photo hobbyists. We definitely aren’t pro photographers, but B1 is willing to teach anyone willing to learn. There were two things that we found that really separated B1 from other safari companies around Kruger. First was that they have two guides in one vehicle. Hennie drives while Bernhard photographs. It was incredible getting to see them operate together to make sure we got the perfect shot. The second thing that sets B1 Photo apart is their Gimpro gimbals. These professional gimbals are mounted on both sides of the vehicle so that, no matter where the animal is, you are bound to get the perfect, steady shot. These gimbals and the great team of Hennie and Bernhard made all the difference in getting an amazing photo. If you’re interested in booking a safari with them, visit their website or read about our full experience in Kruger National Park here.
3. Cage Diving with Great White Sharks
One of the top things on my bucket list has always been to cage dive with great white sharks. I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of sharks, but there’s something about getting to see such a powerful animal up close and in person. I’ve seen cage diving on TV, but alway wanted to experience it myself. There is something totally terrifying, yet amazing about safely being feet away from such an incredibly powerful animal! Great whites aren’t in any aquariums and there are only a few places in the world where great whites are easily accessible. These incredible animals are some of the most feared animals of the ocean. However, despite their infamous reputation, great whites only cause about five deaths per year on average. Meanwhile the seemingly lovable hippo is responsible for 2,000 – 3,000 deaths per year! (However, despite knowing this, I still get a little nervous any time I see a shark 😁).
We loved our shark diving experience with White Shark Projects in Gansbaai, the “Great White Shark Capital of the World!” Gansbaai is home to one of the world’s densest populations of great white sharks and the world famous shark alley. Chances are if you’ve seen a white shark documentary it was filmed in this area. One of the reasons why there are so many sharks is because of the 50,000 cape fur seals that live on Dyer Island. Unfortunately during our visit the shark sightings were low and we didn’t see any great whites. Over the past few years, the great whites have moved into deeper waters due to overfishing, changing climate, and orcas hunting the great whites. Fortunately, earlier this year the great white shark sightings started to increase. Even though we didn’t see any sharks, being able to see the 50,000 seals and drift through the iconic Shark Alley was still an incredible experience.
We loved our experience with White Shark Projects. Our captain and marine biologist onboard were extremely knowledgeable and had countless stories of unbelievable shark encounters. Not only are they white shark experts, but the business is locally owned and their owner Jessica is really inspiring. She has a huge focus on conservation and giving back to the community. White Shark Projects runs a “Recycle Swop Shop” where local kids can trade in recyclable materials for prizes from the swop shop. This is an amazing way to teach kids conservation while helping out the local community. White Shark Projects is one of the most eco friendly companies we have ever seen! They try to eliminate plastic and unnecessary waste wherever possible in order to help protect the wildlife and environment. If you’re interested in booking with them, visit their website or read our full shark diving experience blog here.
We heard about White Shark Projects through Xplore Cape Town, which offers incredible experiences all around Cape Town. In addition to shark diving tours, Xplore also offers whale watching, Big 5 safaris, wine tours, city tours, and a Garden Route tour – which is at the top of the list for our next visit to South Africa!
4. Paragliding in Cape Town
One of my favorite adrenaline experiences is paragliding. It is extreme enough to get your heart pumping, but calm enough to be able to enjoy the area. There aren’t many prettier places to go paragliding than Cape Town. Em and I went with the company Cape Paragliding from the top of the iconic Signal Hill. We had incredible 360 degree views of the city, ocean, and Table Mountain! We wrote an additional post about paragliding in Cape Town if you want to learn more.
Our paragliding guides were awesome! From the moment our feet left the mountain, to the moment we landed next to the ocean we felt completely safe. Their take off points are on Signal Hill and Lion’s Head, two of the most iconic lookout views in Cape Town. Another thing that’s great about the company Cape Paragliding is that they have many guides that are multilingual and also have one of the only female paragliding guides in Cape Town! If you’ve ever wanted to try an adventure sport, there is no better place than here to try it! If you’re in Cape Town and want to paraglide with Cape Paragliding, check out their website here.
5. Kelp Forest and Wreck Scuba Dives
There are so many incredible things to see in South Africa on land and in the water. In addition to huge whales and sharks, the ocean waters off of the coast of South Africa are teaming with wildlife. You never know exactly what you might see with every dive.
One of the things that I’ve always wanted to experience since I started diving was a giant kelp forest. It’s like being able to float through a huge forest underwater. We dove with Into the Blue Scuba Dive Centre located in Cape Town and had an incredible experience. From communication, dive gear, to the dives themselves, we loved our experience with Into the Blue Scuba Dive Centre. They are one of only a few dive shops located close to downtown Cape Town and their team is fantastic. If you’re interested in getting your scuba diving certifications, the company offers everything from entry level to advanced level courses. The dive options are endless with Into the Blue. You can dive with kelp forests, wrecks, seals, cow sharks, mako sharks, and even cage dive with great white sharks!
Our experience in the kelp forest was incredible. The massive vines of kelp made us feel like we were floating through a giant forest. Instead of walking on the ground through the trees, we could float up and down through the jungle of trees! After diving through the kelp forest, our second dive was a wreck dive to see the Sas Pietermaritzburg, also known as PMB for short. Resting 60-70 feet below the ocean’s surface, the PMB used to be part of the British Royal Fleet and was one of the first ships that led the way on D-Day. The wreck was 230 feet long and covered in sea life! My favorite animals we saw were two little pyjama sharks. They were really cute and not shy at all. While we were on the boat we also saw several humpback whales. Three of the divers on our boat had a mom and baby humpback whale swim within a few yards of them! Just another reminder that you never know what you might see when diving in South Africa! If you are in Cape Town and want to dive with Into the Blue Scuba Dive Centre, check out their website here or read our blog post about our Cape Town kelp forest scuba dive.
6. Penguins at Boulder Beach
When I think of penguins I usually picture Antarctica or another cold climate. I love penguins, but hate the cold. So when Em and I got the chance to see penguins on a beach we were all in! Less than 1 hour away from Cape Town is Boulder Beach. This area is the only place in the world where you can see wild African penguins so close! To date, there are anywhere between 2,000 – 3,000 penguins here. It is definitely a must-see experience if you’re in Cape Town.
I was really surprised how close to a town the penguins were located. This is the only place in the world where you can see the endangered African Penguins up close! The little tuxedo-wearing birds first came to the beach in 1982 because the large boulders provided a natural barrier from the harsh waves. The beach is divided into three main areas: the free section, the paid beach, and the protected beach. (These are my names for them, not the official names. 😋) In the free beach area, we saw about a dozen penguins sunning themselves on the rocks, but none on the actual beach areas. Chances are if you’ve seen a photo of people sitting with penguins, it was in the paid beach area. There is one main beach area that is usually full of penguins hanging out in the water and on the beach. Unfortunately while we were there, we only saw two penguins on this beach. We talked to a few locals who were at the beach and they told us that this was very rare and usually there are hundreds here. But getting to see even two penguins for us was an incredible experience. Then just a short walk on the boardwalk we got to see over 100 penguins waddling their way around on the protected beach! (This area also costs, but is included in the “paid beach” ticket.) Because it’s protected, we could only stand on the boardwalk to see the penguins below. However, being our first time ever seeing wild penguins, this was definitely worth the 45 minute drive from downtown Cape Town!
7. Helicopter Ride in Cape Town
The best way to view the iconic city of Cape Town is by helicopter! We took a ride with Cape Town Helicopters and within minutes of being in the air we had a postcard view of Cape Town. From the air we could see the towering Table Mountain, stunning beach towns, and world famous soccer stadium. There’s no denying Cape Town’s incredible beauty. Our helicopter ride left from the popular V&A Waterfront, over the ocean where we saw Sea Point, Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, and Camps Bay. After flying past the Twelve Apostles, we flew over the mountains and over the wineries in Constantia. It was one of our favorite helicopter rides we’ve ever experienced!
We felt comfortable riding with Cape Town Helicopters as they are the #1 rated helicopter company in the city! From our introductory safety instructions to the time we landed we felt completely safe. Our pilot was amazing and did a great job of explaining the different areas of the city. If you’re interested in booking a flight with them, check out their website! We also wrote an additional post about our Cape Town helicopter tour if you want to learn more.
8. Rhino Safari Walk in Swaziland
Okay, so this one may not technically be in South Africa, but it was such an easy day trip from South Africa that I had to include it. One of the most endangered big game animals in Africa are rhinos. Due to poaching, entire rhino populations have been wiped out. At Hlane National Park in Swaziland (now called Eswatini), they are working at regrowing the rhino population. One of the coolest things about Hlane National Park is that you can actually go on a walking safari to experience these incredible animals! Usually there is no way that you would want to be out of a vehicle in rhino territory, but the guides at Hlane have spent years protecting and learning the rhinos’ habits.
Being so close to wild rhinos was one of the most unbelievable animal experiences we’ve ever had! When we first saw them, our guide told us to crouch down and soon the rhinos came trotting out of the trees in our direction! Our hearts were pounding watching the 2.5 ton animals coming straight toward us. White rhinos have poor eyesight, so our guide told us that they were just coming closer to find out who we were. It was definitely one of the coolest, once in a lifetime experiences!
In addition to the rhino experience, another incredible encounter was meeting Tende and Ivana, owners of Bumhi Safaris. They were some of the most inspiring people we’ve met. Through their company Bumhi Safaris, they create custom Swaziland experiences. Everything from a one day to a multi week trip, Bumhi plans it all. But that is just their “day job.” Ivana and Tende also own and operate a non-profit called Charuma Conservation Initiative. Charuma’s goal is to promote ecological restoration through conservation agriculture in a way that provides opportunities for the local communities to support themselves. Spending just one day with Ivana and Tende was super inspiring to us and there are far too many things to write in this post that we learned from them, so if you are interested in reading more about our Swaziland experience with them, check out our Swaziland blog post or the Bumhi Safaris and Charuma Conservation Initiative websites.
9. Sardine Run
For anyone who scuba dives, the sardine run in South Africa is at the top of their bucket list! Every year, millions of sardines migrate just off the coast of South Africa. It’s the perfect buffet opportunity for larger predators like dolphins, whales, and sharks! The photos of this once in a lifetime event are unreal. The only problem with getting to experience this spectacular event is that it only lasts for a short time which makes being in the right place at the right time extremely difficult.
Unfortunately we didn’t experience it, but our dive instructor with Into the Blue Scuba Dive Centre who has done thousands of dives said that it is unlike anything he has ever seen. The large predators herd the sardines into smaller groups called “bait balls” where they can more easily attack the fish. Our dive instructor said that there are some days he would see dozens of sharks, whales, and dolphins feeding on thousands of sardines. Like any experience that relies on perfect weather and wildlife, the sardine run can be a difficult experience to time correctly, but if you do, it will probably be the most amazing dive experience of a lifetime.
10. The Elephant Sanctuary
The largest land animal on earth is the elephant! So when we heard about the opportunity to get to feed and brush these incredible mammals we knew we had to try it. We went to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hazyview. They have rescued 11 elephants from around South Africa. Our guide started by teaching us about elephants, their habits, and their anatomy. Next, it was time to start feeding! We got to feed two bull elephants. I knew elephants were big, but standing next to them made me realize just how gigantic they are! Although they are big, the two elephants that we fed were gentle giants. They loved having their trunks filled with food and even let us feel their thick skin and trunk. Our guides were incredible. They were very patient and also really took care of the elephants. It was an amazing experience that gave us so much more appreciation for these gentle giants! The Elephant Sanctuary has three locations in South Africa: Plettenberg Bay, Hazyview, and Hartbeespoort. If you’re interested in booking an elephant experience with The Elephant Sanctuary, check out their website here.
11. Garden Route
Ever since living in our RV and driving around the US for 2 years, Em and I love beautiful drives. The Garden Route along the southern coast of South Africa is one of the prettiest drives in the country. The 100+ mile coast line is full of rolling mountains, quaint towns, and beautiful shores. The town of Knysna is one of the highlights along the route. Unfortunately Em and I didn’t get to experience this incredibly beautiful part of South Africa, but if it is anything like the incredible coastline we saw outside of Cape Town then the Garden Route would definitely live up to it’s incredible reputation.
12. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park & Other Game Drives
Like Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is one of the best places in the country to see African wildlife. In recent years the park merged with other parks in the area, including Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, making it the first South African National Park that crossed international borders. ¾ of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is actually located in Botswana. The park is abundant with large game wildlife, but is less popular because of its remote location. Probably the most famous animals in the park are the blac -maned lions.
Em and I unfortunately didn’t get to visit Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, or many of the other incredible wildlife parks in South Africa. A few of the other most popular game drive locations in the country are Tsavo Conservation Area, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Pilanesberg National Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and countless others. Pretty much no matter which park you go to, you will have an incredible wildlife experience!
13. Stellenbosch Wine Tasting
If you’re looking for a break from all of the action-packed excitement that South Africa has to offer, then Stellenbosch may be the perfect place to visit. Located less than an hour from Cape Town, Stellenbosch is the Napa Valley of South Africa. Not only is it the most famous grape growing place in the country, but it is even known worldwide! Even if wine tasting isn’t your thing, the area around Stellenbosch is a beautiful place to visit.
We visited Babylonstoren, one of the oldest and most popular Cape Dutch wineries in the country. In addition to making incredible wine, the winery also has incredible restaurants, gardens, shops, and a hotel. We went on a cellar tour where we got to see just how intricate and detailed the wine making process is. Everything from the climate, timing, temperature, and type of wood the wine is stored in can greatly affect the flavor of the wine. At the end of the cellar tour, we got to taste several different wines and food pairings. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the entire wine making process and did a great job explaining everything from how the grapes are grown to how to properly taste the wine and their pairings. After the tour, we had a fun time exploring the beautiful vineyards and the farm. It was a perfect road trip from Cape Town!
14. Durban
One of the most famous beach cities in South Africa is Durban. It’s also the third biggest city in the country based on it’s population. The most famous area in the city is called the Golden Mile. It attracts tourists from all over the world with its tower skyscrapers lining the beach. Many people have compared this stretch to Miami in the US. The Golden Mile has a long promenade that is perfect for strolling along the beach. Durban is also a great place for surfers. So if you’re looking for a place to relax after all of the action packed activities in South Africa, the city of Durban is a great choice.
15. Drakensberg or Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve
South Africa also has incredibly beautiful mountains. The Drakensberg are gorgeous, green mountains that run along the border of Lesotho. The most popular view of these impressive cliffs is called the Amphitheatre. During the summer the base of the mountains are covered in lush green grass and several different flowering plants. The Drakensberg Amphitheatre is about a 5 hour drive from the beach city of Durban.
If you are going on a safari in Kruger and Drakensberg is too far out of your way, Blyde River Canyon (aka “The Panorama Route) is another option for beautiful scenery. This area is home to a majestic, lush canyon that is full of waterfalls and scenic overlooks. Some of the most popular scenes in the canyon are called God’s Window, Three Rondavels, Mac Mac Falls, and Lisbon Falls! Most of the stops do cost an entrance fee, but usually weren’t more than $1-$2 (USD). The entire drive was beautiful. We loved road tripping our way through the canyon stopping to take in the beautiful overlooks along the way!
16. Johannesburg & Pretoria
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and one of the largest cities in the entire continent. Almost everyone we talked with in South Africa referred to the city by its nickname Jo’burg. International travelers usually head to the coastal cities of Cape Town or Durban as Johannesburg is more of a business oriented city. Jo’burg is often the starting point for safaris to Kruger National Park. However, just because it is often overlooked doesn’t mean that there aren’t things to see. Johannesburg is a great place to visit to learn more about the tragic past of South Africa’s apartheid. Some of the best places to learn about the country’s history are the Apartheid Museum, Soweto & the Mandela Museum, and Constitution Hill.
Less than an hour drive North from Johannesburg is the city of Pretoria. This charming, smaller city is the administrative capital of South Africa. Similar to Washington D.C. in the US, Pretoria is full of monuments, museums, and impressive buildings. Many people also visit Pretoria National Botanic Garden and Freedom Park for their beautiful landscapes. Pretoria makes a great day trip from Johannesburg.
17. Rappelling Down Table Mountain
One of the best and most thrilling views of Cape Town is rappelling from the top of the iconic Table Mountain with Abseil Africa!
We’ve been rappelling before, but this takes rappelling to a whole other level. Abseil Africa is a company that offers a 1,000 meter rappel with beautiful views of the beach and mountain coastline below. Our rappelling guides, Warren and Owen, made the entire experience so fun and safe. Anytime you are planning on bouncing off the side of a 1,000 meter mountain, you want to make sure safety is the #1 priority. Abseil Africa uses two professional rappelling ropes that hold a total of five tons! (So even if you had a big breakfast that morning you still don’t have to worry about the ropes holding you. 😄) For extra safety, the guides are there to hold you so there is no chance of anything going wrong. The rappelling itself was so much fun. Bouncing off the wall is probably the closest I’ll ever feel to walking on the moon.
Whether you are looking to conquer your fear of heights or just looking for a thrilling way to see Cape Town, we definitely recommend checking out Abseil Africa on Table Mountain!
How We Got Around
South Africa is the perfect place for a road trip. From Cape Town to Johannesburg and everywhere else in between, the country is full of beautiful places to explore. Since we were staying in South Africa for 6 weeks, we knew that we had to get out and explore the country on our own. That’s how we found Kenings Car Van and Truck Hire. They are a family-owned vehicle rental company with locations in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg. They offer everything from compact cars to 4×4 trucks and Mercedes Sprinter Vans. One of things that sets Kenings apart from other rental companies is their involvement in their local community. They go above and beyond by offering scholarships for college students and internships to South African young adults.
We loved the freedom of exploring this beautiful country by car. By renting the car, we were able to experience so many more of the things on this list. Around Cape Town, some of our favorite road trip stops were Cape of Good Hope, Chapman’s Peak, the penguins at Boulder Beach, wineries of Stellenbosch, and several beautiful beaches around False Bay! From Johannesburg, our favorite day trips were to Kruger National Park, Blyde River Canyon, and Pretoria. Areas that we would love to explore in the future are the beach town of Durban, Drakensberg, and the Garden Route. If you want to read more about our road trip around South Africa, read our blog post here.
It is hard to believe that so many diverse and beautiful things exist in one country! South Africa was one of our longest stays out of all the countries that we visited and we were so thankful for every minute of it!!
