South Africa

South Africa is where many Southern African journeys start or finish — the international gateway, and a destination with enough range of its own to justify several days before you ever reach Victoria Falls.

Where you will go

• Kruger National Park and the private reserves — Big Five game viewing with some of the best guiding on the continent; the private reserves allow off-road tracking that Kruger proper does not.
• Cape Town — Table Mountain, the peninsula drive, and a city that comfortably absorbs three or four days.
• The Winelands — Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, an easy and civilised add-on to Cape Town.
• Johannesburg — the main air hub, and the usual connecting point for flights north to Victoria Falls.

When to come

The Kruger region is best in the dry winter months, May to September, when the bush thins and game gathers at water. Cape Town is the opposite — its summer, November to March, brings the warm, dry weather the coast is known for. A trip combining both is a matter of accepting a compromise on one.

Practical notes

Good infrastructure, excellent roads and a wide range of accommodation make South Africa a comfortable first taste of Africa. Direct flights connect Johannesburg to Victoria Falls in under two hours, which is why most of our multi-country itineraries route through it.