South Africa is well endowed with a wide variety of experiences to explore. From watching the big five in one of the world's biggest national parks to enjoying a relaxing time at our blue flag beaches to surfing at some of the world's best super tubes. You can choose to sift through our unmatched cultural and wine routes or you can opt to learn a lot through our world heritage sites. You can watch whales doing acrobatics at the world's whale watching capital or come up close and personal with the great whites or simply take part in any of the endless adrenalin pumping adventure sports that South Africa has to offer in the air, sea or on land. All this while staying in some of the world class hotels.

Table Mountain

No visit to Cape Town is complete without a trip up Table Mountain - home to some of South Africa's most breathtaking views. Take a guided walk on one of the many routes or simply ride the cable car to the top - it will be one of your lasting memories of SA.

Robben Island

A short cruise from Cape Town's V&A Waterfront by ferry, this legendary island is a must-see on any newcomer's itinerary. This is where Nelson Mandela and his comrades were imprisoned for decades during the Apartheid era. Former inmates will take you on an insightful tour of the prison grounds. This historical island is now a World Heritage Site and a proclaimed nature conservation area.

The Garden Route

From Cape Town along the coast to the Tsitsikamma Forest, this 600-kilometre stretch of small towns, wineries, farms and sea villages has been a traveller's delight for more than a century. Take your time, soak in the scenery, stay over in a guest-house, enjoy the cuisine and let South African hospitality take over.
Beaches
From KwaZulu-Natal to the Wild Coast, from the Eastern Cape to the West Coast, South Africa boasts more than 3 000km of coastline. Pristine beaches, fishing communities, golf estates, luxury hotels and guest-houses dot the landscape as you explore the marine wonderland that is South Africa.

Namaqualand Daisies

Every Spring (August to September), the Northern Cape comes alive with vast fields of daisies in a natural splash of vivid colour. Fed by winter rains, the flower grounds of Namaqualand are a photographer's delight.

The Gold

In the late 19th Century, gold was discovered at various places in the northern reaches of South Africa, leading to a gold rush from all points of the globe. A tussle for the goldfields was one of the contributing factors leading to the Anglo Boer War and the industry - which claims the deepest underground mines in the world - is still one of the pillars of the South African economy.

Cradle Of Humankind

Declared a World Heritage Site, the Cradle of Humankind west of Johannesburg includes, among its numerous sites, the Sterkfontein Caves, where anthropologist Dr Robert Broom discovered the skull of Mrs Ples, a three-million year-old hominid, in 1936. At the time she was thought to be the closest evidence the "missing link" to be found.

Kruger National Park

About the size of Israel, the Kruger Park is the greatest of South Africa's many national parks which attract a great number of visitors intent on drinking in the wilderness. On guided walks, drives or self-drive, visitors have the best chance of spotting the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo) in this park.

The Drakensberg Mountains

A thousand kilometres of mountain majesty, the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains) range is the adventure tourist's playground. It is also perfect for nature photography, easy walking and simple relaxation. Full of game sanctuaries, Bushman rock art sites, challenging peaks and cascading waterfalls, the views in the Drakensberg will compete with anything the rest of the world has to offer.

Soweto

Just South of Johannesburg lies Soweto - the largest of South Africa's "townships". This vibrant city is home to some 2 million people and a number of historical sights. A typical visit to Soweto includes a stop at a traditional shebeen (drinking hall), where you can savour local beer, food and hospitality, as well as a visit to the homes where Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu once lived.

Flights to South Africa - Overview

Although South Africa is one of the most popular destinations for long-haul flights from the UK, direct routings are almost exclusively limited to departures from London. Frequent flights to both Johannesburg and Cape Town are available from London Heathrow, with three major players fighting it out between them - British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and South African Airways. Additionally, Nationwide Airlines offer cheap flights to Johannesburg from London Gatwick, although their flights are considerably less frequent than those which are offered from Heathrow.

Regional departures (direct flights)

Currently, the only opportunity to find direct flights to South Africa from any airport outside London is provided by the Scottish airline Flyglobespan, who operate flights from Manchester to Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Connecting flights

The market of flights to South Africa is nothing like as competitive as it could be, with demand rising steeply over the British winter. This makes finding cheap flights to South Africa a thankless task, and it is not unusual to pay over £1000 return for flights to either Cape Town or Johannesburg during the peak season.

Sometimes, flights can be slightly cheaper if you take an indirect option, although if you don't live near London or Manchester, then this is your only option anyway. Although London still offers the best choice of South Africa flights, the country's strong Dutch colonial links ensure that there are regular South African flights from Amsterdam, which is easily accessible from most UK international airports.

Other European airports which offer frequent connecting flights to South Africa include Paris, Zurich, Milan and Madrid. Flight connections through other countries in Africa are a bit more sporadic, although taking flights with Kenya Airways via Nairobi can often produce some of the best fares. Air Namibia also offers onward connections to South Africa from their hub in Windhoek. Another option is to take flights with Emirates via Dubai, although this is not exactly the most direct route.

Domestic flights

South Africa is a well-developed market for domestic flights, with frequent onward connections being available to cities such as Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein. There are also regular shuttle flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg.