South Africa Vacations, Tourism & Travel Information

Jo'burg is even more cosmopolitan nowadays, tingling with the anticipation of playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A visit to Gauteng and Jo'burg would be incomplete without the Soweto tour - pay homage to Nelson Mandela, Hector Petersen, the Apartheid Museum, and experience the pulsating, beating heart of black South Africa. JAG is the Johannesburg Art Gallery, and if you have the time, take in a show at the Civic Theater. Gold Mine - a subterranean restaurant deep inside a former gold mine, is an experience unique to Jo'burg.

Soweto (Photo credit - Andr-Pierre)

• Constitution Hill
• Soweto
• Apartheid Museum
• JAG
• Joburg Zoo
• Gold Mine
• Civic Theatre

Cape Town and expansive Western Cape is the antidote the hustle and bustle of Jo'burg. The V&A Waterfront is a harbor hot-spot for tourists, located in between Robben Island - Nelson Mandela's former prison home, and Table Mountain - where you get a spectacular aerial view of Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope on the cableway. For rest & relaxation, visit the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and enjoy the languid pleasures of Cape Point and the Constantia Valley vineyards.

V&A Waterfront (Photo credit - Paul Mannix)

• V&A Waterfront
• Table Mountain
• Robben Island
• Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
• Cape Point
• Constantia Vineyards

Jo'burg and Cape Town get all the limelight, but beyond that, South Africa has a plethora of beautiful cities, famed nature preserves and natural wonders. Durban is South Africa's most populous city, and Pretoria is one of South Africa's 3 Capital Cities - the other two being Cape Town and Bloemfontein, which is also famed for being 'The City of Roses.' Kruger Park has always been a popular destination for safaris and adventure tourists, made even more famous by YouTube. The paradox of the richness of Kalahari's diamond fields and the harsh life that the desert tribes lead has been the subject of countless documentaries, books and films like Blood Diamond. Another spectacular attraction is the underground wonder of the Klein Karoo - the Cango Caves.

Kruger Park (Photo Credit - LaertesCTB)

• Jo'burg
• Soweto
• Cape Town
• Pretoria
• Durban
• Bloemfontein
• Cango Caves
• Kruger National Park
• Kalahari Desert