South Africa’s headline destinations — Cape Town, the Winelands, Kruger, the Garden Route — are famous for very good reason. But a country of 1.22 million square kilometres has infinite more layers to reveal to the traveller willing to go a little further, drive a little longer, or simply turn left where everyone else turns right.
This section is dedicated to those places — the destinations that don’t appear on most itineraries, but that locals keep coming back to and returning visitors often rate as the highlights of their entire journey.
What We Cover
Cederberg Wilderness — Two and a half hours north of Cape Town, a world of ancient rock formations, San rock art, crystal swimming pools, and the darkest, most star-filled skies in the Western Cape.
Storms River Mouth — Tsitsikamma — The dramatic, ancient heart of the Garden Route: suspension bridges over a gorge, ancient yellowwood forests, wild ocean cliffs, and the start of the country’s most coveted hiking trail.
The Wild Coast — Transkei — South Africa’s last frontier. Green rolling hills, Xhosa villages, wild beaches without footprints, rivers that run into the sea, and community lodges that are the best argument for slow, engaged travel in southern Africa.
These are places that South Africans love passionately and guard jealously. Enjoy them, treat them gently, and leave them as you found them.
