Must-see attractions in South Africa

  • Clifton First Beach, Cape Town, South Africa.

    Clifton 1st Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The first of Clifton's four beaches strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton. As with the other three, it's almost always sheltered from the wind and offers…

  • A gibbon sitting on a wooden fence in Monkeyland, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.

    Monkeyland

    Plettenberg Bay

    This very popular attraction helps rehabilitate wild monkeys that have been in zoos or private homes. The walking safari through a dense forest and across…

  • View of Blyde River Canyon from Lowveld Viewpoint in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

    Lowveld Viewpoint

    Blyde River Canyon

    Affords stunning views up the canyon, to the glistening Blydepoort Dam at the far end surrounded by forested slopes. The rocky cones of the Three…

  • Clifton 4th beach with people on Valentines day for a special open air concert event.

    Clifton 4th Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The only Blue Flag beach among the four sheltered stretches of sand strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton is popular with families. On calm summer evenings,…

  • South African Jewish Museum

    Cape Town

    You need a photo ID to enter the secure compound that's home to this imaginatively designed museum, which partly occupies the beautifully restored Old…

  • Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre

    Limpopo

    A few clicks south of Hoedspruit along the R40 and attached to the Kapama Private Game Reserve, the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre was set up to…

  • Nizamiye Mosque

    Johannesburg

    Built as a replica of the Ottoman Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, the Nizamiye Mosque is a real find in the far-northern Jo'burg suburb of Midrand…

  • Spaza Art Gallery

    Johannesburg

    The home, sculpture garden and small 'matchbox' gallery of artist Andrew Lindsay is extraordinary. The garden is dominated by a mobile phone signal tower…

  • Groote Schuur

    Cape Town

    The grandest of Cecil Rhodes' former residences was also home to a succession of prime ministers and presidents, culminating with FW de Klerk. The…

  • Anglo American Head Office

    Johannesburg

    This handsome building, taking up an entire block, has been the mining company's HQ in Africa since 1939. It has an impressive main entrance with delicate…

  • Waterkloof

    Stellenbosch

    The stunning contemporary architecture here is a fine contrast to the familiar Cape Dutch buildings at older estates. The estate specialises in biodynamic…

  • Interpretation Centre

    Limpopo

    The impressive centre, one of the country’s finest modern buildings (it won the 2009 World Architecture Award), was designed in sympathetic resemblance to…

  • Steenberg Farm

    Cape Town

    Steenberg's contemporary tasting bar and lounge, adjoining Bistro Sixteen82, is a gorgeous setting for sampling its great merlot, sauvignon blanc,…

  • Umtamvuna Nature Reserve

    KwaZulu-Natal

    This reserve is on a gorge on the Umtamvuna River (which forms part of the border with Eastern Cape). This beautiful dense forest has great nature walks,…

  • Oranjezicht City Farm

    Cape Town

    Local residents and volunteers have created this fantastic nonprofit venture on land where, in 1709, 'Oranje Zigt', the original farm in the Upper Table…

  • Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre

    Northern Cape

    On a site owned by the !Xun and Khwe San people, who were relocated from Angola and Namibia in 1990, this small sacred hill has 400-plus rock engravings…

  • Goodman Gallery

    Johannesburg

    One of Jo'burg's most prestigious private art galleries, Goodman shows the work of William Kentridge, Sam Nhlengethwa, and many more of South Africa's…

  • Lam Rim Buddhist Centre

    Johannesburg

    Located on the site of an old Afrikaans Dutch Reformed church in a hard hit neighborhood in Jo'burg's western suburbs, the Lam Rim Buddhist Centre is an…

  • Wits Art Museum

    Johannesburg

    Completed in May 2012, this is one of the leading museums of African art on the continent. Although it has an extraordinary collection of 10,000 works –…

  • Painted Stone Garden

    Mpumalanga

    These rocks at the entrance to town are painted in the style of 'outsider' artist Nukain Mabuza, who turned his humble labourer's accommodation on a…

  • Newtown Pillars

    Johannesburg

    The massive concrete pillars holding up the M1 Highway in Newtown have become an outdoor art gallery, featuring ever-changing graffiti murals by some of…

  • Grande Provence

    Franschhoek

    A beautifully revamped, 18th-century manor house that is home to a stylish restaurant and a splendid gallery showcasing contemporary South African art…

  • Yukon House

    Johannesburg

    A Victorian mansion built between1906 and 1911, Yukon House was home to two Johannesburg mayors during the early 20th century. Today, owners Loretta and…

  • De Grendel

    Cape Town

    Established in 1720, the closest of the Durbanville wineries to Cape Town has a jaw-dropping view of Table Mountain from its tasting room. There's also a…

  • Villiera

    Stellenbosch

    Villiera produces several excellent Méthode Cap Classique wines and a highly rated and well-priced shiraz. Excellent two-hour wildlife drives (adult/child…

  • Clifton 2nd Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The second of Clifton's four sheltered beaches strung along Victoria Rd. As at the others, vendors hawk drinks and ice creams along the beach, and sun…

  • Clifton 3rd Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The prettiest of four sheltered beaches strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton is popular with the Capetonian gay crowd, though plenty of straight folk…

  • Bobbejaankrans

    Kruger National Park

    This overlooks a section of the Timbavati River that animals often visit to slake their thirst. It's especially good early morning or late afternoon.

  • Renosterpan

    Kruger National Park

    This waterhole north of Berg-en-dal usually lives up to its name (renoster is rhino in Afrikaans). Late afternoon is best.

  • Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

    Kruger National Park

    A 600-sq-km (or 60,000 hectare) private wildlife reserve in the greater Kruger area, Klaserie has strong conservation credentials.

  • Transport Dam

    Kruger National Park

    This large water hole is where the famous YouTube video 'Battle at Kruger' (lions versus buffaloes versus croc) was filmed.

  • Bay of Plenty Beach

    Durban

    At the heart of the beachfront along Durban's Golden Mile. Popular with sunbathers and beach-sports enthusiasts.

  • Mutual Heights

    Cape Town

    Clad in rose- and gold-veined black marble, Mutual Heights is the most impressive of the City Bowl’s collection of art deco structures. The facade is…

  • Gum trees (Eucalyptus) in rain forest Tokai Forest, Western Cape Province, South Africa

    Tokai Forest

    Cape Town

    This wooded section of Table Mountain National Park is a favourite spot for picnics, mountain biking (weekends only) and walks. To reach the forest, take…

  • The Knysna Lagoon, Western Cape Province

    Knysna Lagoon

    Knysna

    The Knysna Lagoon opens between two sandstone cliffs known as the Heads – once proclaimed by the British Royal Navy to be the most dangerous harbour…

  • FYNBOS. KNOWN FOR ITS HIGH PLANT DIVERSITY. CAPE FLORAL KINGDOM. KOGELBERG NATURE RESERVE. SOUTH AFRICA.

    Kogelberg Nature Reserve

    Western Cape

    Proclaimed in 1988 as South Africa's first Unesco Biosphere Reserve, the Kogelberg has incredibly complex biodiversity, including more than 1880 plant…

  • Gandhi Square

    Johannesburg

    in 2002 Van der Bijl Sq was revamped and renamed Gandhi Sq in honour of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi. Look out for the bronze statue representing him as a…

  • Rand Club

    Johannesburg

    Founded in 1887, this version of the illustrious (and once whites- and men-only) club dates from 1904. It's now open to all, and so long as you're not…

  • The Castle of Good Hope Cape Town South Africa. Oldest surviving Colonial building in South Africa. (Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

    Castle of Good Hope

    Cape Town

    Built by the Dutch between 1666 and 1679 to defend Cape Town, this stone-walled pentagonal castle remains the headquarters for the Western Cape military…

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