3) St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal
Moving up the coast and through the areas of Transkei and Wild Coast, lies the beautiful KwaZulu-Natal with its tropical climate and spicy food. Tucked away on the North Coast is the small town of St Lucia, surrounded by sea, estuary and game park. It’s a wild sort of place, with sightings of leopards in the area and hippos wandering down the main road. All in all, it is the perfect place to go looking for adventure.
Where to stay
In St Lucia, the best place to stay is on Mackenzie Road, as it is close to the shops, restaurants and activities. None is better located than Kingfisher Lodge (www.stluciakingfisherlodge.co.za) right at the end of the main road, bordering an indigenous forest and looking out over the St Lucia Estuary. This 130-year-old colonial homestead is home to abundant birdlife and at night, guests have also been known to spot the occasional hippo grazing on the lawn or drinking from the swimming pool.
Things to do
The town is surrounded by nature, so naturally most of the activities are geared towards interacting with and observing the wildlife. The St Lucia estuary, which winds its way past the town and is teeming with hippos and crocs and other wild animals, is normally the first place on a visitor’s must-see list. Guests can go on an animal-spotting cruise along the estuary (www.advantagetours.co.za), while the more daring can opt to embark on a kayak safari (www.kayaksafaris.co.za).
Between June and December, whale-watching boat rides out to sea are popular. From November and March, the turtle tours are also highly recommended (www.eurozulu.com). Adrenaline addicts are also spoilt for choice in the area: Sodwana Bay, 170 km to the north, is one of the world’s top-ten dive sites, while events such as the iSimangaliso St Lucia Half Marathon race in May and Imfolozi Mountain Bike Challenge in July (www.wildseries.co.za) are annual events to look forward to.
A two-minute drive to the north of the town lies the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (www.isimangaliso.com), South Africa’s first World Heritage Site. This is a game park brimming with wildlife, and the picnic spot at Mission Rocks, with views out over the reserve and ocean, is a spectacular place to watch a sunset from. Take a short drive inland from St Lucia and you’ll find the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve, the oldest game reserve in Africa. This 96,000 hectare reserve boasts the ‘Big five’ and some breathtaking viewpoints; most notably the Hilltop camp area (www.kznwildlife.com).
4) Clarens, Free State
Having travelled up almost the entire eastern coast of South Africa, our list of top destinations now heads inland. Passing through the majestic Drakensberg Mountains, which resemble a snowy, winter wonderland during the colder months, travellers will arrive at the foothills of the Maluti Mountains and town of Clarens. With a population of just under 7,000 people, this small but lively town is suitably nicknamed the ‘jewel of the eastern Free State’.
Where to stay
What’s better than snuggling up in your own castle during the cold winter months? Rapunzel’s Tower (www.castleinclarens.co.za) offers just that! This castle, which sleeps a maximum of four guests, contains decor collected from around the world to create a luxurious fantasy land. Guests after some pampering could also choose to stay at the four-star Mont D’Or Hotel (www.montdor.co.za), which boasts picturesque views of the mountains and valley, some French charm and even a fully equipped day spa. In addition, the hotel organises ski getaways to Afriski, in Lesotho, including transport, ski passes and lessons.
Many fly-fishing enthusiasts travel to Clarens due to the abundance of cold, clear streams and dams promising trout fishing at its best. Sediba Lodge (www.sedibalodge.co.za) has three self-catering lodges on their trout farm, while The Clarens Golf Estate (www.theclarens.co.za) also offers fishing from their well-stocked dam.
Things to do
Being well situated between Durban, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg means that there are plenty of weekend visitors, resulting in a delightful choice of activities to keep you occupied. Clarens is known as an artist’s haven, so spending some time in the art galleries is highly recommended. Keep an eye out for the galleries of well-known artists Johan Smith and Richard Rennie, both located close to the town square, as well as an interesting array of quaint coffee shops and craft shops. Events to diarise include the Craft Beer Festival (www.clarenscraftbeerfest.com) in February and Cherry Festival in November (www.cherryfestival.co.za).
History buffs will also be well entertained in Clarens, starting with the Clarens Museum in the centre of town (http://clarens.co.za). Around the town lies many other items of historical interest. For example, guests can admire the bushmen paintings at Kiara Lodge, visit Surrender Hill (an Anglo Boer War site) or walk the dinosaur trails with David Groenewald (www.clarensinfo.co.za). Once again, adventure enthusiasts will be in their element with white-water rafting, hot-air ballooning and abseiling all on offer. Golden Gate Highlands National Park (www.sanparks.co.za) is also close by, with its memorable sandstone formations.
5) Soweto, Gauteng
Even further inland lie the bright lights of Gauteng. This is the centre of South Africa, with Pretoria as the capital city and Johannesburg as the financial hub of the country. Soweto, which borders Johannesburg, is a melting pot of African languages and cultures, with a vibrant atmosphere and plenty of activities to see and do.
Places to eat
Vilakazi Street is the epicentre of the tourism industry in Soweto, and it’s also where the best restaurants are located. While in the area, be sure to experience the taste of African township cuisine at its best from places such as Restaurant Vilakazi (www.restaurantvilakazi.co.za) and Sakhumzi Restaurant (www.sakhumzi.co.za). Both offer plenty of traditional food, like mogodu (lamb tripe), umleqwa (chicken) and isibindi (liver), as well as western-style foods. Nambitha (www.nambitharestaurant.co.za), an upmarket restaurant in the same area, specialises in Sunday lunches, while Wandies Place (www.wandies.co.za) is a smaller restaurant in the suburb of Dube, which has hosted household names such as Richard Branson and Evander Holyfield with its cosy atmosphere and buffet meals.
Things to do
It’s worth spending some time remembering three of Soweto’s most famous people; former President Mr Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Hector Pieterson. Mandela and Tutu both lived on the now-famous Vilikazi Street, the only street in the world to claim two Nobel Peace Prize winners. Mandela House (www.mandelahouse.com) has been restored and is open to visitors, while 700 metres away is the Hector Pieterson Museum (www.soweto.co.za).
A township tour is probably the best way to see the city and all its highlights. Tours can be as short as two hours to as long as an overnight tour, such as Themba Day Tours and Safaris (www.sowetotour.co.za) or Soweto Township Tours (www.sowetotownshiptours.com). Most tours will visit all of the attractions, as well as a shishnyama (informal braai) and shebeen (informal bar).
The apartheid museum (www.apartheidmuseum.org) illustrates the entire story of apartheid, with an amazing array of pictures, videos and artefacts from the past. To explore it properly takes at least two hours and is time well spent. Another attraction is the FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City Stadium or simply The Calabash; venue of the 2010 Soccer World Cup final. Not far away, and a prominent landmark in Soweto, is the Orlando Towers (www.orlandotowers.co.za), part of an old decommissioned power station. The towers are now brightly painted and easily identifiable as Soweto’s adventure zone. Options include a bungee jump, a controlled free fall, paintballing and a power swing. All of these activities include breathtaking views of Soweto as you prepare to somehow make your way back down to solid ground.
