South Africa

South Africa is located at the bottom of the African continent, in the Southern Hemisphere, and is made of up different landscapes, such as, the African Bush, mountains, oceans, deserts and canyons. The Atlantic Ocean is to the west of the country and to the east and south it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. The population of South Africa is 65.5 million people with around 67% of the population living in an urban area. South Africa actually has 3 different capitals, with the UN recognising all 3 of them. Pretoria is where the government sits and houses the president’s offices. Cape Town is where parliament sits and Bloemfontein is home to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Due to South Africa being in the Southern Hemisphere, it means their winter is June, July and August and their summer is December, January and February.

The best time to visit for a Safari is between May and October. This is the dry season which offers peaks viewing of the wildlife. Between November and April it can be harder to spot wildlife because of the lush greenery and warmer temperatures, this is known as the Green Season.

There are many cities in South Africa that are popular with tourists, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban etc. There are many popular areas in South Africa to take a Safari, the most popular being Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger area.

My trip to South Africa consisted of 4 nights in Cape Town, 2 nights in Johannesburg, 1 night in Graksop (Panorama Route), 3 nights Karongwe Private Game Reserve and 2 nights at Glen Africa, just outside of Johannesburg.

Below are some blog pages with places to visit and helpful tips for a trip to South Africa.

Currency

The currency is the South African Rand

How to get there

You can fly directly to Cape Town and Johannesburg from London using British Airways, Virgin Atlantic or Norse airways. The direct flight is typically between 11-12 hours long departing at night.

You can also fly direct from other European countries such as France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

In-direct flights are also available from London via Cairo with EgyptAir, Nairobi with Kenya Airways or Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines.