South Africa

South Africa is an exhilarating and often spectacularly beautiful destination, sometimes described as 'a world in one country' because it has everything from deserts and forests to savannahs and mountains, beaches and islands, game reserves and vibrant cities.

There are few better places to see Africa's wildlife or enjoy excellent restaurants and local wine, beaches, sports of all descriptions, whale-watching, flowers, diamonds, train journeys... the list goes on.

The team at Original Travel has travelled the length and breadth of South Africa, staying at the best lodges and trying out the best activities (and wines). Our favourites include the Kruger Park and adjoining private game reserves, which are easily combined with those in KwaZulu-Natal, the kingdom of the Zulus, where some of the fiercest battles of both the Anglo Zulu and the Boer Wars took place under the peaks of the dramatic Drakensberg Mountains.

Cape Province, stretching the length of the southern coast, has a marvellous Mediterranean climate at its most agreeable between December and April. Its capital, Cape Town, is the ideal place from which to begin an exploration of the south starting with its own attractions of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens and Robben Island, then along the Wine Route and further still into the Great Karoo or east via the Garden Route.