Travel advice for South Africa
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to South Africa
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Andy Turner
updated 15.01.2019
Subtropical heat, golden beaches, craft distilleries and spicy curries: Durban is an intriguing mix of urban South Africa and the Indian subcontinent, with a generous sprinkling of hipster culture thrown in. From surf to spirits, we reveal six reasons you should make time for this sunny city.
7 days / from4800 USD
Cape Town and Garden Route - a luxury guided tour
Cape Town and the Garden Route have it all - a fascinating culture, safaris, chocolate and wine tasting, and much more. Discover the coastal city of Cape Town and the Peninsula before heading out to the Garden Route with Knysna and Mossel Bay, where you'll experience some game drives.
view tour ⤍15 days / from4000 USD
The Cape Peninsula and Safaris in Kruger and Pilanesberg
Wildlife in South Africa is still truly wild, a fact that you'll be able to discover in this fascinating two weeks trip. Enjoy whale watching in Cape Town and first safaris in Aquila before heading up north: the famous Kruger and Pilanesberg national parks with all its wildlife await.
view tour ⤍7 days / from3000 USD
Explore the North of South Africa: Sun City and Madikwe game reserve
For those short on time, staying close to Johannesburg may make sense. On this trip, you'll arrive and depart in Johannesburg and then transfer to the theme park Lost City before continuing to Madikwe for a few days of game drives to spot plenty of wildlife.
view tour ⤍17 days / from4500 USD
Secret gem in South Africa - Northern Cape Self Drive
Embark on an epic self-drive adventure from Cape Town to the Northern Cape. Witness the breathtaking floral displays of Namaqualand, marvel at the diverse wildlife in Karoo National Park, and be captivated by the awe-inspiring cascades of Augrabies Falls.
view tour ⤍7 days / from950 USD
A family self drive in South Africa & Swaziland
Take the family on an African adventure in your own rental car, it's the ideal companion to discover Kruger National Park at your own pace. Further on to Swaziland and then Hluhluwe, this trip focuses on wildlife and exploration, all at your leisure.
view tour ⤍3 days / from1000 USD
A Kruger adventure
Kruger National Park is one of the best known national parks in South Africa and always worth a visit. Starting and ending in Johannesburg is the most convenient one, the perfect stop to then take a domestic flight towards George or Cape Town for the rest of your trip.
view tour ⤍17 days / from3650 USD
Safaris, culture & wine - South Africa's must do's
Explore cosmopolitan Johannesburg, go on safaris in Kruger NP, sip wine on the Cape Peninsula and explore the Eastern Cape - this fast-paced itinerary allows you to truly immerse yourself in the culture and lifestyle of South Africa, discovering the most fascinating parts of the country.
view tour ⤍8 days / from2970 USD
Cape Amazing: Cape Town Explored
Visit Cape Town, South Africa's most breathtaking city, as you follow the circular route around the stunning peninsula. Make the most of deserted sandy beaches, quaint towns and rich winelands before you fly to Kapama Private Game Reserve for an encounter with the Big Five.
view tour ⤍17 days / from5000 USD
Best of South Africa
Discover the best South Africa has to offer - start with the marvelous city of Cape Town with its peninsula, further on to the wine lands with gorgeous views of the Garden Route and on to culture, heritage & wildlife in Plettenberg Bay. End your trip with an authentic Kruger experience.
view tour ⤍23 days / from4100 USD
Ultimate South Africa Road Trip
The adventure of a lifetime in your own rental car. Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape, Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route - this itinerary packs the highlights of South Africa in one, easy to follow route. Hop in and get on the road!
view tour ⤍7 days / from1610 USD
Complete Cape Town: Wildlife, Wine and Whales
Discover the natural beauty all around Cape Town. Located on the southwestern tip of South Africa, the area is home to rugged coastlines, undulating vineyards, and expanses of grassland, home some of the largest, wildest and most majestic creatures on earth.
view tour ⤍10 days / from4300 USD
Cycling South Africa's Garden Route
An active, cycling adventure that is perfect for nature lovers. This exhilarating and unique tour takes you through leafy forests and up magnificent mountainsides to absorb break-taking views of the South African countryside.
view tour ⤍17 days / from4250 USD
City Life & Safari - South African Gems
The perfect South Africa trip in just 17 days. Start in Cape Town with Mountain Table, Robben Island, the Peninsula and more. Head further to the wine lands for a relaxed stay before proceeding to Kruger National Park - 3 days of safari await before finishing your trip in Johannesburg.
view tour ⤍18 days / from10488 USD
Five Star South Africa
Start your trip in Johannesburg with a few days exploring the city. Afterwards, take the exclusive Rovos Rail to Cape Town with several stops on the way. From Cape Town you will explore the peninsula as well as the wine lands. The Garden Route rounds up this luxurious trip.
view tour ⤍“Durbs” has a rep for being cooler than Cape Town and Jo’burg, and the city has an enviable list of hip places to stay and eat. First up is a fabulous boutique hotel, The Concierge Bungalows, with its attached Freedom Café built out of a shipping container. Then there’s Distillery 031, knocking out locally flavoured spirits (African Rosehip gin anyone?) and the Unity Bar and Brasserie, which brews its own Cowbell Pilsner and grills a mean steak.
Last but not least, make a trip to the Artisanal Bakery in Glenwood, Durban’s answer to New York City's Williamsburg or London's Dalston. The locals here know their sourdough from their focaccia.
Unlike the frigid waters around Cape Town, Durban’s coastline is lapped by the warm currents of the Indian Ocean allowing you to swim or surf without a wetsuit. The best breaks are found at South Beach, where Saffa surfers congregate in the morning before grabbing chicken and tijps (chips) at local institution Afro’s Chicken.
South Beach is just one of many surfing hotspots along the city’s revamped “Golden Mile”. For families, Addington Beach is the best place for some gentle body boarding. If you’re a total “kook” (beginner), book a surf lesson with Ocean Ventures.
Get your historical bearings at Francis Farewell Square, dominated by Durban’s Neo-Baroque City Hall. This is where the swampy trading post of Port Natal was established in 1824 on land ceded by Zulu King Shaka. In 1899, Winston Churchill took to the steps of City Hall to tell tales of his escape from a Boer War POW Camp (a plaque marks the spot).
Across the park, littered with the statues of bewhiskered Victorians, is the Old Court House where a 24-year-old Mohandas Gandhi practised law and caused some consternation by refusing to remove his turban.
A few blocks north, the Kwa Muhle Museum details the indignities of apartheid experienced in the city.
Home to the largest concentration of Indians outside of India, Durban sometimes resembles a mini Mumbai with its sari shops and spice merchants. Aside from the atmospheric appeal of the Indian Quarter, with its mosques and Art Deco architecture, the real highlight is the food.
As well as tasty samosas stuffed with sweet potato and chutney, don’t miss Durban's most famous dish, bunny chow – a hollowed-out loaf of white bread stuffed with curry stew (mutton or chicken rather than rabbit). You’ll find it at any hole-in-the wall curry wallah, but one of the best is served at the Oriental in the Workshop Shopping Centre. Wash it down with the bright pink rose-flavoured milkshake Bombay Crush.
Durban’s townships are as much a part of the city experience as golden sand and bunny chow. Pootling around in a tourist hire car is probably not the best move, however, so it’s worth booking a guided tour with Street Scene. Their township itinerary takes in two areas – Inanda and KwaMashu – and includes a traditional barbecue lunch or shisha nyama (the Zulu version of the South African braai).
To sample some township nightlife head to Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi where the sound systems crank out Kwaito House and stripped-down Durban speciality “gqom”.
To escape traffic-clogged, downtown Durban head to Umhlanga Rocks, which resembles a kind of Malibu or Hamptons by the Indian Ocean. The grande dame of the scene here is the Oyster Box hotel, a 5-star Colonial-style retreat with swishing paddle fans, towering palms and black and white chequerboard floors facing some prime beachfront.
Afternoon Tea at the hotel’s Palm Court is a local institution, while in the evening you can spot dolphins from the Lighthouse Bar.
Andy visited Durban as a guest of South African Tourism and flew with South African Airways. For more information check out southafrica.net.
Top image: City skyline in Durban, South Africa © lcswart/Shutterstock
written by Andy Turner
updated 15.01.2019
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From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to South Africa