SOUTH AFRICA : THE RAINBOW NATION

TOTAL DURATION : 18 Days.

ROUTE / CIRCUIT : Johannesburg – Hoedspruit – Kruger National Park – Panorama Route – Pretoria – Cape Town – Garden Route (Hermanus – Mossel Bay – Reebok – Knysna – St Plettenburg – Port Elizabeth – Durban – Johannesburg.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE : Rs 4,85,000 – 5,00,000 (For 2 Adults & 1 Child).

South Africa is a diverse and beautiful country – its varied cultures, intriguing wildlife, stunning scenery, and remarkable beaches make it a haven for travellers from around the world. The rich history and colourful inhabitants ideally complement the top tourist attractions in South Africa, which creates an unforgettable experience. An incredibly picturesque country in terms of the landscapes and ecosystems on offer; South Africa is an amazing destination for any nature lover to visit. Home to the ‘Big Five’ as well as a plethora of creatures both big and small, this huge country is definitely worth visiting for its abundance of wildlife and the astounding habitats they live in. In fact, the Rainbow Nation as it is known boasts some of the best national parks in the whole of Africa. Consequently, millions of visitors descend upon the parks each year to bathe in the beautiful scenery, hoping for a glimpse of the awe-inspiring animals in their natural habitats.

fossils ever found. To connect these dots between the humans and the animals, I planned my South Africa trip, to pedal backwards on a timeline of human and natural history. From JoBurg’s Constitution Hill and Satyagraha House, Bo Kaap and Company’s Garden of Cape Town and Indian Potpourri of Durban, into the natural wonders of Kruger National Park, Table Mountain and the Garden Route, where rich wilderness has nourished animal and human species for millions of years. I know that was pretty ambitious for an 18-day long trip, so I scratched shopping sprees and long lunches off the itinerary and promise to reward myself in bits & pieces in between on the trip.

Duration of Stay – 4 Days.

Mode of Transport – Uber Cabs / Privately Hired Taxi.

Places of Stay – Forest Haven Homestay (Booking.com) & Sandton Skye Condo (AirBnB).

City Highlights – Constitution Hill / Sandton City / Nelson Mandela Square / Satyagraha House / Apartheid Museum / JoBurg Zoo / Soweto / Maboneng District / Gandhi Square.

Excursions – Hartbeespoort Dam & Town / Lion Safari Park / Cradle of Humankind / Sterkfontein Caves / Sun City / Pilanesberg Game Reserve / Pretoria.

The first place you should visit on your visit to South Africa, is Johannesburg, the biggest city, the heart of South African history, the centre of this country’s story. And the first place you visit in JoBurg is the prison complex on Constitution Hill, where both Mandela and Gandhi were incarcerated. My visit to Constitution Hill made me appreciate the lunacy and wonder of JoBurg. Once, this would have been a divided, seething city, a symbol of inequality and hate. Today, it’s a chaotic, colourful, inclusive organism, and without visiting it, you cannot understand that South Africa isn’t just a tourist destination, but a country with a past, and more importantly, a future. It’s a destination that throbs with the vibrancy of its people – whether you are an explorer, culturephile or a foodie, there’s something for you in this city. Jozi  may not be as pretty as Cape Town, but it’s more alive, and it’s the beating heart of South Africa. So, while Sandton is the buzzing glitterati, Soweto is the biggest symbols of South African struggles, in contrast. In South Africa’s astonishing way of bringing the best out of the worst, one street in Soweto has the houses of both Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize awardees have lived.

Duration of Stay – 3 Days.

Mode of Transport – Self-Driven Car / Privately Hired Taxi / Safari Vehicles.

Place of Stay – Panzi Safari Lodge (Booking.com).

Highlights – National Park Safari / Private Game Reserve Safari / Big Five / Lodge Braii.

Excursions – Panorama Route / Blyde River Canyon.

We were also here to experience “living in the bush”. African safari lodges are known for their comfort and elegance, but they never let you forget you are in the wild. Panzi Safari Lodge in Guernsey Private Game Reserve was one such property, and it didn’t disappoint us at all. An independent jungle cottage right in the middle of the ‘bush’, the approach of the cottage itself was a jungle adventure in itself. We were out on our early morning safari in Kruger with wind in our hair and a wish list in our heads, of spotting each of the ‘Big Five’ game animals : the African lion, African elephant, rhino, Cape buffalo and the leopard. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a safari vehicle must be in search of the big cat, the King of the Jungle. Our ranger Bongani was optimistic because Manayaleti Game Reserve where we were taking our safari is part of Kruger’s Central Grasslands, where big game sightings are common. Its nutritious grasses support large herds of zebra, buffalo, giraffe, impala and wildebeest, which in turn sustain one of the highest lion population found anywhere in Kruger.

) of lions savouring on this huge carcass of wild buffalo. We gawked at this unbelievable spectacle for a while, with Arianna’s excited and happy face saying it silently that her biggest dream has been fulfilled. A little research and detailed study over the internet will help you choose, exactly which property to stay in & around Kruger National Park (Because there are hordes of properties, of all price range), as also it’s very important to choose the game reserve, private or otherwise, where you want to take the safari (Again, there are so many that you are spoilt for choices).

We decided to take the alternate, more picturesque Panorama Route on our return journey to JoBurg. A trip to Limpopo and Mpumalanga regions would simply be incomplete without a drive along the Panorama Route. This route offers some of earth’s grandest designs and man-made wonders all in one winding route. It’s great for photographers, nature-lovers, and families like us who seek out hidden gems. While the list of stop-overs and ‘sights’ are endless on this route, but I am listing out few of my favourites:-

Blyde River Canyon & Three Rondavels – Blyde River Canyon offer views of magnificent escarpments, waterfalls and ancient geological phenomenon such as the Three Rondavels. This awe-inspiring spot can be found at the very top of the Panorama Route and where we suggest starting your journey.

Bourkes’ Luck Potholes – Stunning natural water feature, the Bourkes’ Luck Potholes are the result of decades upon decades of erosion by the Treur River (also known as the Blyde River).

It’s accessible through a well-marked trail from the parking lot off the road.

ng and easily accessible : Berlin, Lisbon and Mac Mac Falls.

Bonus Stop : Lunch at Harrie’s Pancakes – This is another must-do on Panorama Route, especially if you are travelling with kids. I would personally suggest stopping at Dullstroom and check out the Harrie’s Pancakes in this beautiful little town (rather than the ‘hyped’ one at Graskop).

Duration of Stay – 4 Days.

Mode of Transport – Uber Cabs / Privately Hired Taxi / Local Mini-Buses.

Place of Stay – ‘The Harri’ Self-Help Apartment (AirBnB).

City Highlights – V&A Waterfront / Table Mountain / Bo Kaap / Slave Lodge Museum / Company’s Garden / Camps Bay / District Six Museum / National Gallery / Neighbourgoods Market / Castle of Good Hope.

Excursions – Cape Winelands / Cape of Good Hope / Chapman’s Peak Drive / Robben Island / Boulders Beach / Muizenberg Town.

If you’re considering visiting one of the world’s best cities that has an interesting history to explore, think no further than Cape Town, situated at the tip of Africa. Popularly known as the “Mother City”, the city has some of South Africa’s most important history and culture. The city’s beauty is complemented by Table Mountain, which sits majestically in the background. Table Mountain and its adjacent areas were home to the original Capetonians, the Khoi-San people, who inhabited the area before the first Europeans set foot in South Africa. Brilliant drives, wonderful food and drink, scads of culture and more, that’s how Cape Town can be summarised, and all this supervised by the Mother’s City very own mountain. It’s one of those cities that has you surreptitiously snooping about for real-estate prices, and wondering how soon you can move bag and baggage here, dreaming about jogging with your dog on the beach and surfing those startlingly blue waves like a pro. As if Cape Town could get any better, there are so many experiences it has to offer that will leave you swooning in no time.

The ‘Mother City’ has plenty to offer to its loyal children (Read – ‘Tourists’). A visit to the Slave Lodge Museum in the city will bring you face-to-face with the slave trade history in South Africa, while to experience the dream of Capetonians you have to visit the District Six Museum, which was founded in 1994. No postcard of Cape Town can be without Table Mountain in the backdrop. Situated within a national park, reaching the pinnacle of the Table Mountain is a thrilling experience that offers phenomenal, birds-eye views overlooking the city of Cape Town, Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west and south. You can’t visit Cape Town and not go to Robben Island in Table Bay, which represents the country’s dark days, and is now a World Heritage site. 

One of Cape Town’s largest tourist attractions and most visited destinations is the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, South Africa’s oldest working harbour. Situated within an entertainment mecca filled with restaurants, specialty shops, pubs, and theatres, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. Hitting the beaches in Cape Town is yet another most-favoured activity to the locals and tourists alike. The beaches here are classified by the water they face – False Bay (comparatively warm water), the Atlantic Seaboard (expensive seaside getaways) and the West Coast (surfing).Free Walking Tours are available around the town’s important historic areas which are undertaken by volunteers. The nature of these walking tours are not pre-decided, as they have few on offer, such as Cape Historic Tour, The Apartheid Tour, Bo Kaap Tour etc. And to experience a bit of ‘Local Flavour’ of the city, head to the “Neighbourgoods Market” in Woodstock area

. This is a scrumptious lip-smacking market that comes up every weekend here, of artisanal food and organic goodies that will make any food-obsessed zombie of anybody.

When a place is called ‘Kaap die Goeie Hoop’ (Afrikaans for Cape of Good Hope), it demands a visit, because gooey hope is something to hold on to, especially when you are nearing the pounding waters that inspired the legend of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship doomed to never make home.

Duration of Stay – 4 Days.

Mode of Transport – Self-Driven Rented Car.

Place of Stay – Mix of B&B and Homestays (AirBnB).

Highlights – Hermanus / Mossel Bay / George / Knysna / St Plettenberg Bay / Tsitsikamma Forest / Stormsriver Village / Port Elizabeth.

Excursions – Clarence Drive / Oudtshoorn / Cango Caves / 7-Passes Drive / Diepwalle Forest / St Francis Bay / Addo Elephant National Park.

With its temperate Mediterranean climate, the south of the country is delightful to explore and the Garden Route which encompasses the whole of the coastline is lovely to drive along. Made up of three diverse protected areas, this entire stretch is certainly worth visiting for the beautiful landscapes you will find. The Garden Route is one of South Africa’s most popular tourist attractions and is generally thought to stretch from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth along the Indian Ocean and also includes parts of the inland. A trove of indigenous canopied forests, mountains, rivers, tranquil lakes and golden beaches grace this extensive South Africa region. If you start in Cape Town you can combine the road trip with one of the scenic drives along the coast. Yes, flying is quick and easy but most of the magic of exploration lies on the ground. When you couple breath-taking scenery with a well maintained road network, South Africa is an ideal road trip destination. While some distances between major centres can seem slightly daunting, but with a little planning you can easily break the drives up by experiencing the warm, welcoming people in the smaller towns as well as the gorgeous landscapes.

There is so much to see and so much to do on this route, from stopping to gawk at ostriches, to hit the beach for a bit before heading inland to be awed by tall gigantic trees, from learning all about the species of ‘rescued’ big cats, to track a rhino family, and yes, going on a ‘Family Ziplining’ Canopy Tours and even to fling off an airplane in a free-fall mode. The drive itself, even without all its sparkly accessories, is stunning, throwing up a wide range of landscapes. The Garden Route really does give credence to South Africa being called the Rainbow Nation. This scenic stretch of route certainly does paint a beautiful picture and as such the multi-coloured landscapes are simply stunning. We started our journey at Cape Town and culminated at Port Elizabeth, thereby covering the complete stretch of Garden Route. I am just jotting down few of my personal recommendations on this picturesque route.

Hermanus – A coastal town on the way from Cape Town to the Garden Route. Whale watching in Hermanus is between July and September. It’s a nice stop with beautiful sea views, great seafood restaurants, good wine, and a relaxing holiday vibe.

Oudtshoorn – Cango Caves is a system of caves and tunnels, while Ostrich farm and Cango Wildlife Ranch, is a must-visit for the little ones.

(George) – An old road that connected George and Knysna, with a couple of bridges and narrow passes through the canyon.

Diepwalle (Garden Route National Park) – A hidden forest paradise, 20min drive from Knysna with great wooden camping decks in the forest, three hiking trails, a community coffee shop.

– A very small and cozy village with many guest houses, hotels, hostels, restaurants, coffee shops, and Tsitsikamma zip lining canopy tour.

Duration of Stay – 3 Days.

Mode of Transport – Uber Cabs / Privately-Hired Taxi / Sightseeing Bus.

Place of Stay – Madeline Grove B&B (Booking.com).

City Highlights – Golden Mile Beachfront / Wilson’s Wharf Waterfront / uShaka Marine World / Umhalanga Pier / Florida Road / Victoria Street & Zulu Muthi Markets / Moses Mabhida Stadium / Wessa (Bluff) Whale-Watching.

Excursions – Inanda Settlement / Shongweni Dam & Game Reserve / Rocky Bay Shark-Cage Diving / Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve / Umgeni Steam Train.

Durban, once the home of the great Zulu Kingdom and today the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, is nothing like the conventional South Africa that exists in our heads. There’s no rugged bush and wilderness, nor any of the Big Five running around in close vicinity of Johannesburg, nor the ‘party-through-the-night’ vibe that Cape Town conjures up. Instead, it has balmy days even in winter, miles of sun-flecked beaches, pods of bottlenose dolphins frolicking about the lukewarm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, so close to the shoreline you can see them from the beach itself, and a landscape generously peppered with sugarcane fields and indigenous acacias and marula trees. Durban’s weather is as sporting as its people, and takes a turn for the better, so we set out to explore the city, in its colourful open-top sightseeing bus called ‘Durban Rickshaw Bus’. It’s a fine way to get introduced to this vast city with numerous suburbs and attractions in a quick timeframe of couple of hours. From the long stretches of Golden Mile beachfront to the bustling areas of Victoria Street and Zulu Muthi Markets, and from the numerous waterfronts including the uShaka Marine World Waterfront to the enchanting mix of old and new cityscape, this 3-hour bus journey shows you all.