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  • Africa
    • Introduction
    • Egypt
    • Morocco
    • Kenya
    • South Africa
  • South Africa
    Overview
    • Introduction
    • Fact file
    • Where to go
    • When to go
    • Getting there
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    Explore
    • Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula
    • The Western Cape
    • The Northern Cape
    • The Eastern Cape
    • KwaZulu-Natal
    • Free State
    • Gauteng
      • North West Province
      • Mpumalanga
      • Limpopo
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  • Things not to Miss
This part of the Eastern Cape offers peace and seclusion along a remote and spectacular subtropical coastline. KwaZulu-Natal’s finest game reserve offers an unsurpassed variety of wildlife-spotting activities, from night drives to self-guided walks and even donkey trails. A tour around the vast, sprawling township – South Africa’s largest – provides a graphic idea of how the majority of black South Africans live. Durban, Africa’s busiest port, boasts a large Indian population, brightly coloured Hindu temples, buzzing markets and zinging curries. For more information, see the section on Durban. Hike in the “dragon mountains”, which harbour South Africa’s highest peaks, plus waterfalls, rock art and awesome panoramas. Beautifully decorative Basotho huts are characteristic of the eastern Free State’s Maloti Route. Encounter elephants and the rest of the Big Five at the end of the Garden Route. Find traditional handicrafts in rural and urban areas alike, such as the Venda region of Limpopo. The Cape’s wine estates combine stunning scenery, Cape Dutch architecture and some fine vintages. The most precipitous pass in Southern Africa, connecting Lesotho to KwaZulu-Natal. Spot wildlife on a guided hike in Kruger National Park. The rocky promontory south of Cape Town is one of the most dramatic coastal locations on the continent. The Garden Route’s most spectacular coastline, where you can cross Storms River Mouth by footbridge. View cheetahs, meerkats and other desert dwellers amid the harsh beauty of the Kalahari. Following the winter rains, Namaqualand’s normally bleak landscape explodes with colour. Cape Town’s oldest residential area is filled with colourful Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture. Get spine-tinglingly close to lions and other big game at Southern Africa’s ultimate wildlife destination. Fierce, rugged and hot, the Richtersveld has some of the most dramatic mountainscape in the country, sparsely populated by science-fiction vegetation. Johannesburg offers the best nightlife in South Africa, attracting top musical performers from around the country and abroad. The most spectacular way to ascend Cape Town’s famous landmark is also the easiest – the revolving cable car. Slide down mountainous dunes or watch whales from the high vantage point they provide. Just half an hour from Cape Town is the notorious offshore jail where political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, were incarcerated. Regularly visiting the southern Cape Coast, whales often approach surprisingly close to the shore.