South Africa Travel Guide

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Everything about Africa that stirs the imagination is concentrated in its southernmost country. Lions freely roam vast game reserves such as Kruger National Park, vineyards stretch across the Cape Winelands, and mountains cascade into the sea along miles of beaches. In addition to dream safaris and romantic honeymoons, South Africa offers modern cities with thriving arts and dining scenes. South Africans are welcoming, and the country’s emergence from a turbulent past provides a dramatic history lesson and the promise of something new every time you visit.

Best of South Africa: Cape Town and Peninsula Travel Guide

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South Africa Gallery

hansaplast26 / Shutterstock 1/79Lighthouse in Capetown;

gifted / Shutterstock 2/79Rhodes Memorial in Cape Town;

Neil Bradfield / Shutterstock 3/79Cape Town, Chapman's Peak-01 March 2015: Chapman's Peak mountain pass along Cape Town cliffs.

Soft Focus Photography / Shutterstock 4/79Cape Point, which is the most South Western Point of Africa. Located near the city of Cape Town, South Africa. Towering cliffs overlooking the ocean makes it a year round tourist hot spot; Shutterstock ID 245790346; Project/Title: Top 100 Cape Town; Downlo

Soft Focus Photography / Shutterstock 5/79Cape Town's Table Mountain, Lions head & Twelve Apostles are popular hiking destinations for both locals and tourists all year round.; Shutterstock ID 228074830; Project/Title: Top 100 Cape Town; Downloader: Fodor's Travel

InnaFelker / Shutterstock 6/79CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 30, 2007: Cityscape with The Two Oceans Aquarium located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. ; Shutterstock ID 216711187; Project/Title: Top 100 Cape Town; Downloader: Fodor's

Pocholo Calapre / Shutterstock 7/79Penguin Colony - Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

Adwo / Shutterstock 8/79Cape Town - South Africa

David Steele / Shutterstock 9/79KIRSTENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 29: Visitors relaxing in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on September 29, 2009. Kirstenbosch celebrated its centenary in July 2013.; Shutterstock ID 147156743; Project/Title: Top 100 Cape Town; Downloader: Fodo

fivepointsix / Shutterstock 10/79vineyard near cape town,south africa; Shutterstock ID 144316414; Project/Title: Cape Town, South Africa; Downloader: Melanie Marin

PhotoSky / Shutterstock 11/79Penthouse estate near beach. Shot in Cape Town, South Africa.

Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock 12/79Aerial view of Cape Town University & Table Mountain, South Africa

michaeljung / Shutterstock 13/79overall aerial view of Cape Town, South Africa

Rikard Stadler / Shutterstock 14/79Hiking over Cape town

Darrenp / Shutterstock 15/79Robben Island Prison where Nelson Mandela was held captive; Shutterstock ID 32118451; Project/Title: Top 100 Cape Town; Downloader: Fodor's Travel

Dietmar Temps / Shutterstock 16/79Pond in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, suburb of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

ivepointsix / Shutterstock 17/79Houses, Bo Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa

Dereje / Shutterstock 18/79The beautiful city of Cape Town, with its gorgeous mountains white sand beaches and clear blue water;

Luke Schmidt / Shutterstock 19/79Johannesburg, South Africa - 2010 World Cup Host City;

Gil.K / Shutterstock 20/79JOHANNESBURG, AUGUST 21: Apartheid Museum sign on August 21, 2014 in Johannesburg. The Apartheid Museum is dedicated to illustrating apartheid and the 20th century history of South Africa

Hannes Vos / Shutterstock 21/79Pensive chimpanzee

Sudhir Misra / Shutterstock 22/79Jhb Botanical Gardens

Cedric Weber / Shutterstock 23/79Johannesburg, South Africa - Jan 30 : financial district (Sandton area) pictured on January 30th, 2015, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sandton City ranks among the largest shopping centres in Africa.

Felix Lipov / Shutterstock 24/79Nelson Mandela Bridge at night. The 284 meter long Nelson Mandela Bridge, officially opened by Nelson Mandela himself, which crosses over the 40 railway lines that lie spread beneath its span.

Fedor Selivanov / Shutterstock 25/79JOHANNESBURG - APRIL 18:Airbus A340 disembarking passengers after intercontinental flights on April 18, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Johannesburg Tambo airport is the busiest airport in Africa

Ehrman Photographic / Shutterstock 26/79Nelson Mandela Bridge;

Ratmandude | Dreamstime.com 27/79A sample of a South African flag. Captured in front of the Michael Angelo Hotel. This luxury hotel is overlooking the Nelson Mandela Square, situated in Sandton.

ArtWell / Shutterstock 28/79View of Three Rondavels canyon in Kruger Park, Mpumalanga South Africa

Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH / Shutterstock 29/79Leopard, wildlife, Kalahari, South Africa

dr322 / Shutterstock 30/79Kimberley Diamond Mine Big Hole

BarryTuck / Shutterstock 31/79Cave paintings by the San or Bushmen people in South Africa.

Felix Lipov / Shutterstock 32/79Lisbon Falls is the highest waterfall in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The waterfall is 94 m high and named for the capital city of Portugal. The waterfall lies on the Panorama Route.

Johan Swanepoel / Shutterstock 33/79Red hartebeest running in dust - Alcelaphus caama - Kalahari desert - South Africa

Johan Swanepoel / Shutterstock 34/79Springbok resting on green grass - Antidorcas Marsupialis - Kalahari - South Africa

Vincent van Oosten / Shutterstock 35/79Aug rabies National Park - Northern Cape, South Africa

Andre van der Veen / Shutterstock 36/79Fresh roasted bread and mutton kebabs in dishes on a table

Neil Burton / Shutterstock 37/79Cheetah relaxes by the road, South Africa

Grobler du Preez / Shutterstock 38/79Oryx between flowers, Namaqualand, South Africa

AnetaPics / Shutterstock 39/79Suricate or meerkat (Suricata suricatta) family Earth males looking for enemies look in all directions ErdmÃ¤nnchen; Shutterstock ID 55167352; Project/Title: Fodor's South Africa; Downloader: Fodor's Travel

meunierd / Shutterstock 40/79Impalas Hluhluwe imfolozi park South-Africa

Peter Guttman/Peterguttman.com 41/79White Rhino, Bela Bela, South Africa

Peter Guttman/Peterguttman.com 42/79Neck-stretching brass coils announce marrigage as do a beaded jocolo wedding apron that mirrors the primary colors of the decorations hand painted by the mguni-speaking Ndebele. Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa

Peter Guttman/Peterguttman.com 43/79Neck-stretching brass coils announce marrigage as do a beaded jocolo wedding apron that mirrors the primary colors of the decorations hand painted by the mguni-speaking Ndebele.

Peter Guttman/Peterguttman.com

e2dan / Shutterstock 46/79Southern white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum) at watering hole

ivepointsix / Shutterstock 47/79Houses, Bo Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa

Dietmar Temps / Shutterstock 48/79Pond in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, suburb of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

hansaplast26 / Shutterstock 49/79Lighthouse in Capetown;

lcswart / Shutterstock 50/79DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - JULY 2, 2014: Many unknown early morning fishermen fish on Blue Lagoon beach in Durban South Africa;

lcswart / Shutterstock 51/79DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - JULY 2, 2014: Many unknown early morning fishermen fish on Blue Lagoon beach in Durban South Africa;

lcswart / Shutterstock 52/79DURBAN; SOUTH AFRICA - MAY 3; 2014: People walk along concrete pier towards commercial and residential buildings on beachfront in Durban South Africa;

lcswart / Shutterstock 53/79DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 18, 2014: Many unknown people on South Beach against "Golden Mile" city skyline in Durban, South Africa

ChrisVanLennepPhoto / Shutterstock 54/79Air Flying Landscape Rural Habitat Air flying birds eye view of rural habitat homes in thousand hills terrain landscape .

EcoPrint / Shutterstock 55/79Amphitheater and Tugela river, Drakensberg mountains, Royal Natal National Park, South Africa

orangecrush / Shutterstock 56/79Magaliesberg mountains, South African landscape

JaySi / Shutterstock 57/79Giraffe crossing road in Kruger national park, animals of South Africa

Simon_g / Shutterstock 58/79A cattle Egret sitting on the back of a Zebra looking in opposite directions;

Delpixel / Shutterstock 59/79Impalas, South Africa

Delpixel / Shutterstock 60/79Tourists observing a female leopard, South Africa

Reinhard Tiburzy / Shutterstock 61/79KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA NOV 9: Visitors in a land-rover on Safari in Africa are watching a herd of wild elephants crossing a road. November 9, 2013, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Dave Pusey / Shutterstock 62/79Baby Elephant

Birdiegal / Shutterstock 63/79Giraffe Drinking Water - Kruger National Park

francesco de marco / Shutterstock 64/79kruger national park south africa tourist reception roads and landscapes of the African park

meunierd / Shutterstock 65/79KRUGER PARK SOUTH AFRICA MAY 15: Lions crossing a road in front a tourist car on may 15 2007 in Kruger South Africa. It is estimated that 550-700 people are attacked by lions every year.

Johan Swanepoel / Shutterstock 66/79Big male lion lying in dense grassland - Kruger National Park - South Africa

Pal Teravagimov / Shutterstock 67/79Beautiful African sunset reflected in water, in the Kruger National Park, South Africa;

bikeriderlondon / Shutterstock 68/79Rear view of a group of tourists in jeep looking at elephant;

Moments by Mullineux / shutterstock 69/79Collared sunbird sitting on aloe flower, Kruger National Park, South Africa;

Edrich / Shutterstock 70/79Mountain Scape;

J Reineke / Shutterstock 71/79Wild african leopard in tree;

Daleen Loest / Shutterstock 72/79Leopard, Termite Mound, Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, South Africa

Villiers Steyn / Shutterstock 73/79A leopard sleeping in a tree

Elzbieta Sekowska / Shutterstock 74/79Rhino, Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa

gifted / Shutterstock 75/79Rhodes Memorial in Cape Town;

Etienne Volschenk / Shutterstock 76/79Brown Hooded Kingfisher. Photographed in a Casuarina Tree in Richards Bay, South Africa.;

Peter Guttman/Peterguttman.com

milosk50 / Shutterstock 78/79PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 13, 2012 - Church Square in The Pretoria. People during the day resting on the grass in the center of the square.