South Africa Tourist attractions

South Africa is now a major tourist destination. Airline tickets to South Africa are now cheaper and more common than ever before. South Africa has only recently emerged from a troubled history, and there are still clear signs of this, but the country contains areas of natural beauty which are attracting people from all over the world. Made up of nine provinces, and housing approximately 50 million people, the country is large, and contains over 1500 miles of coastline. Much of the interior of South Africa is made of arid desert and scrubland, though the climate varies to include mountainous and tropical regions. South Africa contains several large cities such as Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria. Where the latter two, are not generally holiday destinations, and are more stop off points on the way to somewhere else, the latter two, are popular tourist cities, a fact helped by their coastal setting.

Durban is the second most populous city in South Africa, with over 3 million people. The city is located on the coast, and its most famous attraction is the Golden Mile, a stretch of beachfront containing many bars, cafes and restaurants. Alongside the amenities, there exists large scale theme park type attractions such as the uShaka marine world, and the new Suncoast Casino and Entertainment world. Durban is also famous for its surf, and contains several beaches famous for surfing such as the North Beach, as well as a surf museum and an internationally renowned Surf Life saving clubs.

Close to a thousand miles away, close to the Cape of good hope, is South Africa’s number one tourist city, Cape Town. Located on a natural harbour, and Cape Point, with several different beach settings, and Table mountain in the background, Cape Town is often referred to as having one of the most beautiful natural locations of any city. Because it is set around a cape, the beaches in Cape Town vary greatly. Those on the Atlantic coast have colder water, due to it being made up of melted ice caps from Antarctica. Most of the restaurants, bars and nightlife are centered around the Atlantic coast, and it gets a bit more upmarket in Clifton. The skyline in Cape Town is dominated by Table Mountain. A 2 mile long plateau, with steep cliffs on either side, and large mountains called Devils Peak and Lion’s head flanking it, Table mountain provides an impressive view from most of Cape Town. As well as a view, Table Mountain is a popular area for mountain climbing, caving and hiking activities. As well as beaches and hiking, Cape Town has an advanced infrastructure and there are excellent opportunities for shopping. A particular example is the Victoria and Albert Waterfront which contains hundreds of shops and is built on top of the docks.

As well as the coastal cities, South Africa contains some of the most stunning natural scenery in the world. There are numerous nature reserves throughout the country containing wildlife, geographical landmarks and wild animals unlike anywhere else in the world. The Kruger National Park covers 20000 square kilometeres and covers 14 different eco zones, which contain a number of different parks where camping and shops are available. The closest city is Johannesburg, so any flights to South Africa will have to stop off there, and either drive onwards or catch a through flight to the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. The other well known national park in South Africa is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (located in both South Africa and Botswana) which is a part of the Kalahari desert and a haven to all sorts of flora and fauna, and wild animals including Springbok, cheetahs, leopards and more.

With the end of apartheid, and alongside the current development, and as flights to South Africa have become more affordable, South Africa’s tourism industry has been steadily growing for several years now. Whether you are looking for wildlife and open spaces, or beaches and restaurant, there is certainly somewhere in this country that will attract your attention.