James Bainbridge - South Africa: Lesotho & Swaziland

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Rhinos at waterholes, township art, clouds pouring over Table Mountain, Kalahari dunes, Drakensberg peaks, Swazi and Zulu ceremonies: Southern Africas famous trio is rich with adventures and experiences, culture and scenery.

Vineyards, Franschhoek ()
MASSIMO RIPANI/CORBIS

South Africa, its mountains, deserts and rivers leading to vibrant cities and sprawling townships, is truly a rainbow nation in the experiences it offers. This vast and beautiful, troubled but developing lands diversity is reflected by its world-famous associations: Table Mountain, Soweto, the Big Five, Zulu culture, Robben Island, big skies, broad smiles and the Drakensberg. To get the most out of your time here, ditch any preconceived ideas about South African history and society, pack a pair of binoculars for spotting lions and get ready for a country that stuns and surprises at every turn, from the Wild Coasts bendy back roads to Cape Towns lanes.

South Africa has a reputation as Africa light an accessible corner of the continent, relatively safe and comfortable. It does indeed shine on this front, offering superb accommodation and opportunities to interact with various African people and cultures; wildlife watching in terrain from bushveld to the Kalahari, at prices well below some nearby countries; and scenic spots where you can just relax and enjoy the lekker (tasty) views and hospitality, including the Cape Winelands, Indian Ocean getaways, wilderness lodges and refined Karoo towns.

Groups including the Brits, Boers, Zulu and Xhosa have jostled for position at the tip of Africa, resulting in todays multicultural mash-up. In a country with 11 official languages, you can learn how to cook Cape Malay curries, visit a shebeen and catch some township jazz, see reed dances in Zululand (and over the border in Swaziland), visit craft cooperatives in former homelands, and eat samosas in Indian-dominated Durban. Meeting locals whose lives were directly affected by momentous 20th-century events, you will hear stories laced with the courage and humour that got them through apartheid. Escaping the westernised bubble of the tourist trail rewards with a broader view of this fascinating, fragmented land.

Nature reflects social diversity in the regions landscapes, ranging from the parched Kalahari and Namakwa to the Drakensbergs towering peaks, overlooking Zulu rondavels (round huts with conical roofs) and, across the Lesotho border, Basotho ponies trekking between villages. In just a couple of weeks, you could travel from the predator-stalked Kruger National Park, down the tropical east coast, and across the wide-open Karoo to the Capes sublime mix of mountains, vineyards and beaches. In such varied terrain, activities range from shark-cage diving to some of Africas greatest multiday hikes, and from wine tasting to spotting southern rights in the worlds best land-based whale-watching spot.

Xhosa woman, Lesedi Cultural Village ()
MARTIN HARVEY/CORBIS

Whether you take the easy way up in a revolving cable car, or put in the leg work on the climb, attaining the summit of Table Mountain () is a Capetonian rite of passage. Weather permitting, your rewards are a panoramic view across the peninsula and a chance to experience the parks incredible biodiversity. Schedule time for a hike the parks 24,500 hectares have routes to suit all levels of fitness and ambition, from gentle fynbos -spotting ambles to the five-day, four-night Hoerikwaggo Trail.

IAN TROWER/CORBIS

Kruger National Park

One of South Africas great wilderness experiences and the mightiest of all the countrys national parks (), a trip here will sear itself into your mind. Its accessibility, numbers and variety of wildlife, staggering size and range of activities make Kruger unique and compelling. From wilderness trails and bush walks to mountain biking and remote 4WD trails, there are myriad opportunities to enjoy both the wild and the wildlife. Kruger is simply one of the best places to see animals big and small in Southern Africa.

KARL LEHMANN/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Drakensberg Region

Majestic, stunning and mysterious, the mountains and surrounds of the World Heritagelisted uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park () are among the countrys most awe-inspiring landscapes. Drakensberg means Dragon Mountains (in Afrikaans), and the Zulu named the range Quathlamba (Battlement of Spears). People have lived here for thousands of years, evidenced by the many San rock-art sites. With Zulu villages, excellent eateries, wilderness areas and wildflowers, the Drakensberg region is the perfect place for photographers, hikers and adventurous travellers.

Monks Cowl (), uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
IAN TROWER/CORBIS

Sipping in the Winelands

Whitewashed Cape Dutch architecture dots the endlessly photographic landscape of rolling hills and neat rows of vines. This is the quintessential Cape () for crisp sauvignon blancs.

Stellenbosch
HOBERMAN COLLECTION/CORBIS

Wild Coast Walks

The hauntingly beautiful Wild Coast () is aptly named. With its rugged cliffs plunging into the sea, remote beaches, Xhosa villages, and history of shipwrecks and stranded sailors, its a region ideally explored on foot. From the Great Kei River near East London to Port St Johns, pathways hug the shoreline, snaking across denuded hillsides and gorges, and overlooking massive southern right whales and dolphins in the turquoise blue seas. Power down in rustic accommodation or overnight with families in traditionally designed rondavels (round huts with conical roofs).