South Africa, the beautiful country, full of surprises. It is diverse country, about the size of France and Spain combined or duble the size of Texas. Its varied cultures, intriguing wildlife, stunning scenery, and remarkable beaches make it a haven for travelers from around the world. My list of top 10 things to do in South Africa includes riding an Ostrich, Sandy Beaches, Dive With Great White Sharks, spending the night in a tree-house, Visit a Game Reserve, playing golf, Hike the Wild Coast, Surfing in SA and Go on a Soweto Tour.
Here is list of Top 10 Things To Do in South Africa.
10. Dive With Great White Sharks
Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water. South Africa has an incredibly diverse shark population. A quarter of the world’s shark species (98 to be precise) dwell in South African waters and around 40 of these call the waters around Cape Town home. If you’d like to see the Great White Shark without losing a leg then let me introduce you to the wonderful world of cage diving. Cage diving with the Great White Shark is a relatively new adventure sport in South Africa. There are several operators who offer cage diving packages and most of them concentrate around an area known as “shark alley” in Gansbaai, just 2 hours drive from Cape Town. Great White Shark diving is the marine equivalent of seeing the Mountain Gorilla in its natural environment. It’s an adventurous and unique opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with a magnificent animal.
9. Sandy Beaches
Want to whip off all your clothes and hangout naked in front of strangers? Sandy Bay beach is the only beach in South Africa where it is (unofficially) considered acceptable to tan and bathe completely naked. Going to the beach should be first priority when visiting sunny South Africa. There are various Blue flag beaches to choose from; from Clifton in the Western Cape to Kelly’s Beach in Port Alfred, you have to spend a day at one of these gems. If it’s too chilly to lie on the beach, there is always the option of sailing. Learn to sail at one of the many training centers.
8. Hike the Wild Coast
The Wild Coast, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape region, is one of the most beautiful coastlines on earth and much of it is only accessible by foot. There are fantastic natural sights including waterfalls, isolated beaches, untouched forests and rivers. The hike also offers the chance to mix with locals like the Xhosa and the amaPondo.
7. Go on a Soweto Tour
Soweto is a township brimming with culture and history. The half and full day tour offers you the opportunity to meet some of the locals who are happy to show you around their basic home structures. Soweto is inhabited by over two million people, with homes ranging from extravagant mansions to makeshift shacks. Soweto is a city of enterprise and cultural interaction. It is a popular tourist destination with sites such as Kliptown, the home of former President Nelson Mandela, the Hector Petersen Memorial site, restaurants and shopping. Go out with a local guide for a cycling tour around the community and get to know what makes this township unique.
6. Surfing in SA
The South African coastline is defined by a series of points and bays, technically logarithmic spiral beaches, because of their mathematically determined shapes. And, as any surfer worth his or her bar of Mr Zogg’s Sex Wax knows, points and bays are the salt and water of surfing. What you may also know is that the quality of the surf depends on the size of the swell and the direction of the wind. For that latter reason, the Cape Peninsula (with Cape Town at its northern end) is pretty much a 360 degrees, 365 days a year ride.
5. Stay in a Tree-House
Tree-house lodging is a fantastic eco-friendly idea and there are several options to choose from. Just like Teniqua Treetops is a tented tree-house resort in the Western Cape, not far from the beach. The Jaci’s Tree Lodge with individual houses on stilts built around giant Leadwood trees in the heart of the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve. The Sycamore Ave and Pezulu Tree-House Game Lodge in Timbavati, the luxurious thatched tree-houses where you can get eye to eye with passing giraffe.
4. Cango Caves
If you are in the Karoo region there is another thing except Ostric Riding, you simply cannot miss out on, the Cango caves. Less than 30 km from Oudtshoorn, at the head of the picturesque Cango Valley, lies the spectacular underground wonder of the Klein Karoo – the Cango Caves. Explore the dripstone caverns, with their vast halls and towering formations in a limestone ridge close to the Swartberg Mountains. The principal cave is one of the country’s finest, best known and most popular tourist caves and attracts many visitors from overseas. Although the extensive system of tunnels and chambers go on for over four kilometers, only about a quarter of this is open to visitors.
3. Ride an Ostrich
How many people can say they’ve ridden an ostrich? If you visit Oudtshoorn in the Karoo, South Africa, and if you dare, you could try to sit on an ostrich, ride the ostrich and perhaps even take part in an “Ostrich Derby” . Riding an ostrich takes a lot of skill but amateurs are welcome to try their luck in Oudtshoorn, in the Karoo. Ostrich farms abound in this semi-desert area of South Africa, there are hundreds of them. Oudtshoorn is the place to master riding this ungainly but strangely attractive, non-flying bird. If you’re feeling very confident, there are regular races to be enjoyed as well but you should probably leave those to the professional ostrich jockeys.
2. Playing Golf at a Top Resort
South Africa is covered in golf courses. It is almost perfect golfing country, ideal weather, plenty of space, wonderful scenery and a population obsessed by sports and the outdoor life. Add in one of the world’s all-time great champions, Gary Player – as a national sporting hero, and it is little wonder that South Africans and tourists alike flock to play on some of the world’s best and most affordable courses. There is even the option to mix it up a little – golf, spa and safari.
1. Visit a Game Reserve
Kariega Game Reserve is a family-owned and operated private game reserve in South Africa stretching across 10,000 hectares of pristine wilderness in the Eastern Cape. The Kurger National Park, Agulhas National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Umgeni Valley Reserve and a number of other game reserves each offer a unique experience showcasing Africa’s most beautiful and majestic animals. Go on a safari and stay in a family lodge. See the stars at their brightest in the open field where fireflies are the only source of light.
