Table Mountain and Devil's Peak stand sentinel over the twinkling lights of Cape Town. Known as the Mother City, this is the South African dream, all sun, beaches, bars, beautiful people, vineyards and magnificent scenery.
A day spent exploring it should end by joining the locals on their post-work pilgrimage to beachfront bars for sundowners, followed by a tour of the steamy jazz clubs, a stroll along Long Street or some late night clubbing.
Journey north in the footsteps of the pioneers, or Voortrekkers, and you'll find a richer, more diverse African experience beyond this young, urban playground.
Intrepid visitors to notorious Johannesburg will be surprised to find friendly locals and a frenzied nightlife. Nightlife of a very different kind can be witnessed while sipping beer around the fire of your boma in one of South Africa's many, world-renowned wildlife parks. Get out your khaki safari gear and head into the veld for a glimpse of the Big Five. Luxury eco-camps dot the bush for those who like a bit of comfort in the wilderness
Not as well known as the Kruger National Park and the white lions of Timbavati, the Garden Route stretching through Knysna and Plettenberg Bay offers access to hundreds of unspoiled beaches, some world famous surfing spots, and the fringes of indigenous forests once inhabited by forest elephants.
Heading inland again, the Drakensberg Mountains, the undulating hills and sugarcane fields of KwaZulu Natal are your introduction to a coastline of tropical splendour and colonial charm.
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