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Kruger National Park
City/Region: Johannesburg
The Kruger National Park is South Africa's oldest, largest and best-known wildlife conservation area, home to a huge variety of wildlife and most famous for its 'Big Five' viewing opportunities. Visitors have an excellent chance of seeing lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino among the enormous variety of wildlife, including over 140 species of mammals, 500 species of birds, reptiles and amphibians. Situated on South Africa's north eastern border, Kruger is a primary destination

for international tourists, and is visited by more than half a million local and international people every year who are attracted by the different safari options as well as the park's excellent range of visitor facilities and choice of accommodation, from luxurious game lodges to cottages and camping.
Phone Number: 013 735 4000
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger
Hours: Park gates: daily 5.30am to 6.30pm (January, February, November and December), 6am to 5.30/6pm (March to October). Camp gates open 4.30am (January), 5.30am (February, March and October to December), 6am (April to September); closing times same as park gates
Admission: R132 (foreign adult), R66 (foreign child under 12) per day; R33 per day for South African residents

Table Mountain
City/Region: Cape Town
Cape Town's most popular tourist attraction is also its most famous physical feature, the flat-topped mountain that stands sentinel over the city. Table Mountain has been proclaimed a nature reserve, protecting its diverse floral species, some unique to its slopes. The views from the top of the mountain are quite spectacular. A Swiss-built rotating cable car carries visitors smoothly up the mountain and back. The mountain-top is equipped with a restaurant and small gift shop, as well as numerous pathways and vantage points. It is possible to climb the mountain via different routes, but inexperienced hikers should take care because Cape Town is prone to sudden weather changes. The walk up can take anything between one and four hours depending on the route and level of fitness. Route maps can be bought at the cable-car station. It is always best to check the website or call the weatherline to see if the cable car is in operation.
Address: Tafelberg Road
Phone Number: 021 424 8181 (weatherline) or 021 424 0015
Website: www.tablemountain.net
Transport: Bus to Kloof Nek from Adderley Street and a 1.5km walk up the hill; minibus taxi from the Parade; Riki taxi; or as part of the Cape Explorer Topless bus tour
Hours: Cable car operates daily (weather permitting) every 10-15 minutes from 8am to 8pm (November); 8am to 10pm (December to January); 8am to 8.30pm (February); 8am to 7.30pm (March); 8am to 6.30pm (April); 8.30am to 6pm (May to mid-September); 8.30am to 7pm (16 September to October). Closed for annual maintenance in July and August.
Admission: Cable car: R130 return, R65 one way (adults); R68 return, R36 one way (children under 18). Other concessions available. Bookings are not available due to changeable weather conditions

Castle of Good Hope
City/Region: Cape Town
South Africa's oldest building, the Castle was completed in 1679 (replacing an earlier mud and timber fort built by the first Dutch Governor, Jan van Riebeeck). Situated adjacent to a parking lot and bus station in Buitenkant Street, its walls mark the original boundary of the seashore where the waves washed up against the fortifications. Its outside aspect is somewhat foreboding, but inside are some interesting features and collections that have been restored, offering a good insight into the early days of the Cape when it was the center of social and economic life. The castle is a pentagonal fortification with a moat and five bastions, each named for one of the titles of the Prince of Orange. The entrance is a good example of 17th century Dutch Classicism, and a bell, cast in 1679 by Claude Fremy in Amsterdam, still hangs from the original wood beams in the tower above the entrance. The castle contains a Military Museum depicting the conflicts that arose during the Cape's early settlement, and also houses the William Fehr Collection of decorative arts, including paintings, furniture and porcelain. Of interest are the dungeons, which bear the graffiti carved by prisoners incarcerated here centuries ago.
Address: Buitenkant Street, opposite the Grand Parade
Phone Number: 021 787 1249
Website: www.castleofgoodhope.co.za
Hours: Daily 9am to 4pm, with tours at 11am, 12pm and 2pm from Monday to Saturday. Self guided tours are possible with the aid of a map, provided by the Castle
Admission: R20 (adults), R10 (children); half-price on Sundays. Concessions available

Houses of Parliament
City/Region: Cape Town
East of the tree-lined pedestrian Government Avenue, which runs through the Company Gardens at the top of Adderley Street, lies the complex of Parliamentary buildings, containing numerous chambers, offices and corridors. It was here that the racial segregation policy of Apartheid rose and fell along with the ascendancy of the National Party which made South Africa the political pariah of the world. Visitors can now book a tour of the legislative complex, the original section of which dates back to 1885, a magnificent Victorian Neoclassical building. Worth exploring, too, are the neighboring Company Gardens that house a range of plants and trees from around the world.
Address: 90 Plein Street, city center (Visitor's entrance)
Phone Number: 021 403 2201 or 021 403 2266 (tours), 021 403 2460 (debates)
Email Address: info@parliament.gov.za
Website: www.parliament.gov.za
Hours: Tours Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm
Admission: Tours are free, but advance booking is essential. Day tickets can also be bought to watch a parliamentary debating session

South African Museum and Planetarium
City/Region: Cape Town
The imposing South African Museum, dedicated to natural history and the human sciences, contains a huge variety of fascinating exhibits from entire chunks of caves bearing rock art, to traditional arts and crafts from several African tribes. The natural history galleries are full of mounted mammals, dioramas of prehistoric reptiles and a collection of whale skeletons, which can be viewed with the eerie sound of whale song echoing in the background. Alongside the museum is the Planetarium, which has a changing program of thematic shows involving the southern constellations.
Address: 25 Queen Victoria Street, Gardens
Phone Number: 021 481 3800 (museum), 021 481 3900 (planetarium)
Email Address: info@iziko.org.za
Website: www.iziko.org.za
Hours: Daily 10am to 5pm. Planetarium shows Monday to Friday at 2pm and Tuesday evening show at 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 12pm, 1pm and 2.30pm
Admission: Museum: R10 (adults), R5 (children), free on Saturdays; Planetarium: R20 (adults), R6 (children)

Greenmarket Square
City/Region: Cape Town
Situated in the Central Business District, near the main station, is Greenmarket Square, the perfect spot to observe South Africa's 'rainbow nation' in all its hues. Once the scene of slave markets, this is the site of one of the city's most vibrant flea markets, where clothing, jewelry, knick-knacks and souvenirs are on sale every day, and tourists and business people rub shoulders in the many sidewalk cafes that surround this busy cobbled square. Be prepared to haggle at the market to get the best prices and be warned, touts are prevalent. On the west side of the square is the Old Town House, dating from the mid-18th century, which is a wonderful example of Cape Dutch architecture and houses the Michaelis collection of Dutch and Flemish landscape paintings.
Hours: Greenmarket Square open daily till 3pm, closed Sundays. Old Town House open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm

St George's Cathedral
City/Region: Cape Town
Cape Town's Victorian Gothic style Anglican Cathedral, founded in 1901, is situated in Wale Street and is historically significant for it is where the enthronement of South Africa's first black archbishop, Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, took place. The Cathedral is unique in that it became a political powerhouse in the struggle against Apartheid, known as 'the people's cathedral', stating openly from the 1950s onwards that it was open to all people of all races at all times. This was a brave stand in the racially segregated society of the time. In subsequent years the cathedral became the venue for many protest gatherings and vigils and on occasions the building was surrounded by police, water cannons and barbed wire. Victims of forced removals were even accommodated in the cathedral at times. As far as architectural merit goes, the cathedral does feature some fine Gabriel Loire windows, including a magnificent Rose Window above the south transept.
Address: Wale Street
Phone Number: 021 424 7360 (Cathedral office)
Email Address: info@sgcathedral.co.za
Website: www.stgeorgescathedral.com

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
City/Region: Cape Town
Five miles (eight km) south of the city center lies the magnificent Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, covering a huge expanse of the rugged south-western slopes of the Table Mountain range. Kirstenbosch was bequeathed to the nation by mining magnate Cecil Rhodes in 1895, and today contains more than 22,000 plants, a research unit, botanical library and nursery. Numerous paths meander through the gardens, including a Braille route for the blind, which are full of lush shrubs and 'fynbos', the Cape's indigenous floral heritage. A tearoom, restaurant and coffee bar are on site. In summertime the delightful setting becomes the venue for Sunday evening open-air concerts, when picnickers relax on the lawns, sipping Cape wine, and enjoying the sunset entertainment.
Address: Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Phone Number: 021 799 8783
Website: www.kirstenbosch.co.za
Hours: Daily 8am to 6pm (April to August); 8am to 7pm (September to March)
Admission: R30 (adults), R5 (children 6-18). Concessions available. Concert fees are applicable on Sunday afternoons during the Summer Sunset Concert series

Beaches
City/Region: Cape Town
Cape Town has some great beaches, but the most easily accessible are on the Atlantic Ocean where the water is unbelievably cold; the locals rarely venture in beyond knee-high depths. The most popular is Camps Bay beach, a long, wide stretch of golden sand packed with locals and tourists alike and backed by a strip of fashionable bars and restaurants. Just towards town is Clifton, whose four beaches, imaginatively called First, Second, Third and Fourth, are situated beneath exclusive houses and apartments set into the cliff that protects sunbathers from the harsh southwesterly wind. First Beach is the largest and most popular with families (the steps are shorter), Second Beach is preferred by the 'camp' and 'hip' crowd, and Third and Fourth are usually frequented by well-toned locals and, when the waves are up, surfers. The small suburb of Llandudno, 15 minutes south of Camps Bay, is home to another excellent beach and is popular with locals from the Southern Suburbs or those keen to avoid the crowds. There are no bars or restaurants here, the nearest being at Hout Bay, another 10 minutes south. Hout Bay's long beach is popular with families and walkers but is not as stunning as its neighbors.

Robben Island
City/Region: Cape Town
South Africa's most widely known tourist attraction is probably Robben Island, seven miles (11km) from Cape Town in the center of Table Bay. For nearly 400 years this tiny rocky island outcrop was utilised as a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment for numerous categories of people ostracised by society, ranging from political protestors to lepers. During the years of Apartheid, Robben Island became synonymous with institutional brutality as numerous freedom fighters, including the island's most famous resident Nelson Mandela, were imprisoned here for more than a quarter of a century. The island is now a museum, symbolising liberation and the triumph of the human spirit. Regular island tours are conducted, lasting three and a half hours. The tours, which are guided by former prisoners, include a visit to the maximum-security prison on the island where an estimated 3,000 freedom fighters were incarcerated between 1962 and 1991.
Phone Number: 021 409 5100 or 021 413 4200
Email Address: info@tourcapetown.com
Website: www.robben-island.org.za
Transport: Boat from the Nelson Mandela Robben Island Gateway in the clock tower precinct at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. Book in advance
Hours: Boats leave at 9am, 10am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm (weather dependent)
Admission: Tours are R150 (adults), R75 (children 4-17), which includes the return boat trip across Table Bay

Groot Constantia
City/Region: Cape Town
The historic Cape Dutch homestead of Groot Constantia, about half an hour's drive to the south from the city center, is the oldest house in the Cape and the main stopping point on the well-signposted Constantia Wine Route. The manor house, originally home to Dutch Governor Simon van der Stel in 1685, is the center of a museum complex. The house itself is furnished with items from the period while an adjacent wine museum exhibits drinking and storage vessels in glass, silver, copper and stoneware dating from 500BC to the 19th century. There are two excellent restaurants on the site, and cellar tours and wine tastings are offered. Other estates on the Constantia Wine Route are Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Constantia Uitsig and Steenberg.
Phone Number: 021 795 5140
Email Address: info@iziko.org.za
Website: www.museums.org.za/grootcon
Hours: Groot Constantia opens daily, museum open 10am to 5pm
Admission: Museum: R10 (adults), R5 (children)

Chapman's Peak
City/Region: Cape Town
Chapman's Peak Drive is one of the most spectacular coastal roads in South Africa, linking the seaside community of Hout Bay to the Noordhoek Valley along the Atlantic Coast, with breathtaking views from along the narrow, winding road blasted into the cliffs. Constructed in 1915, the six-mile (9km) route took about seven years to complete and was built as a shorter, alternative route between Cape Town central and the South Peninsula. Many visitors use this scenic route to reach Cape Point Nature Reserve situated at the tip of the Peninsula.
Phone Number: 021 791 8222
Email Address: info@chapmanspeakdrive.co.za
Website: www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za
Hours: Open 24 hours; the road closes occasionally due to heavy rainfall, or rockfalls
Admission: Chapman's Peak Drive is operated as a toll-road. Light motor vehicles cost R23

Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront
City/Region: Cape Town
This working harbor, historical site and shopping and entertainment development has become one of Cape Town's most visited tourist attractions. The waterfront offers everything from shopping malls, and arts and crafts markets, to live music, cinemas, buskers and a variety of festivals throughout the year. There are also more than 70 eateries ranging from pubs and fast food outlets to five star restaurants, luxury hotels, and a variety of boat trips, harbor cruises and helicopter charters. The Two Oceans Aquarium is the largest of its kind in Africa and is an impressive display of life in the oceans surrounding the Cape Coast (www.aquarium.co.za).
Phone Number: 021 408 7600, or 021 418 3823 (aquarium)
Email Address: aquarium@aquarium.co.za
Website: www.waterfront.co.za
Transport: A Waterfront bus service links the Waterfront to the city center and the Atlantic Seaboard. Buses from the Victoria & Alfred Hotel travel to Adderley Street in the city center, while buses from Breakwater Boulevard outside Victoria Wharf travel as far and the Peninsula Hotel in Sea Point
Hours: Aquarium: daily 9.30am to 6pm
Admission: Aquarium: R76 (adults), R35 (children 4-17). Concessions available

Simonstown and Boulders Beach
City/Region: Cape Town
A recommended day excursion from the city includes a trip through the southern suburbs and along the scenically beautiful False Bay coastline via Muizenberg to Simonstown, South Africa's principal naval base. Simonstown lies about 25 miles (40km) from the city and is a quaint town built around a naval dockyard, with well-preserved Victorian buildings, museums, sidewalk cafes and local legends to learn about. One such legend is about a dog called 'Just Nuisance' who 'joined' the British navy, becoming their mascot, when Simonstown was a British base. A short distance from the town is Boulder's beach, famous for its protected colony of African Penguins (formerly Jackass Penguin) that can be viewed from the boardwalks.
Transport: Metrorail suburban train from Cape Town's central station
Admission: Boulders Beach Penguin Colony: R15 (adults), R5 (scholars)

Cape Point
City/Region: Cape Town
Most visitors to Cape Town are keen to make a day trip 40 miles (65km) from the city to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, not only to take in its floral diversity in what at first sight appears to be a bleak landscape, but to stand at the top of the towering promontory at the most southerly point of the Cape Peninsula (not of Africa, visitors must go further afield to Cape Agulhus for this). From the viewpoint and lighthouse at Cape Point, reached via a funicular, it is awesome to watch the thundering waves crashing at the base of the cliffs 686ft (209m) below. The reserve itself is worth exploring, particularly on foot, for those interested in birds and botany. The restaurant at Cape Point has a terrace offering spectacular views. Resident baboons here enjoy the spoils from tourists' snacks - particularly their ice-cream; they can be quite aggressive. Because feeding of the baboons carries a stiff penalty, it is worth ensuring there are no free lunches for these hirsute scavengers!
Phone Number: 021 780 9010/11
Email Address: capepoint@concor.co.za
Website: www.capepoint.co.za
Hours: Daily 6am to 6pm (September to April), 7am to 5pm (May to August). Funicular: 9am to 6pm (summer), 9am to 5.30pm (winter)
Admission: R55 (adults), R10 (children 2-16). Funicular: R25 one way (adults) or R34 return, concessions available

Bayworld
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth's most popular attraction consists of a complex on the beachfront that includes the Oceanarium, a museum, and a snake park. The Bayworld Oceanarium is famed for its performing Bottlenose dolphin shows, enjoyed by thousands every year. Besides the large dolphin pool with its underwater viewing area, the oceanarium also features an aquarium tank where visitors can watch a vast array of marine life through glass portholes as they glide by, including sharks, turtles and rays. The snake park contains an impressive variety of indigenous reptiles in natural-looking enclosures. The PE Museum focuses on cultural and natural history with a wide variety of exhibits, from models of sailing ships and period costumes to giant replicas of dinosaurs that roamed the area in prehistoric times; it is the third-oldest museum in the country.
Address: Beach Road, Humewood
Phone Number: 041 584 0650
Email Address: pr@bayworld.co.za
Website: www.bayworld.co.za
Hours: Museum, Oceanarium and Snake Park: daily 9am to 4.30pm, dolphin and seal shows are twice daily at 11am and 3pm
Admission: 1 December to 31 January and Easter holidays: R37 (adults) and R19 (children). R35 (adults) and R17 (children) at other times. No 7 Castle Museum: R9 (adults), R5 (children)

Market Square
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth's architectural heritage can be traced by taking a walk around the central city Market Square, which features several historic buildings. The centerpiece of the square is the aesthetically pleasing City Hall, dating from 1858, topped with an attractive clock tower. Also in the square is a replica of the Diaz Cross that commemorates the first European to set foot in Algoa Bay in 1488, when Dutch explorer Bartholomew Diaz stopped over on his way east. Alongside the city hall is the Prester John Memorial, dedicated to the Portuguese explorers who landed in South Africa. On the northwest flank of the square is the city's public library, built in 1835 and originally used as a courthouse. The beautiful building is regarded as an excellent example of Victorian Gothic architecture and is interesting in that its façade was manufactured in England and shipped to Port Elizabeth to be recreated piece by piece. In front of the library stands a marble statue of Queen Victoria, which was unveiled in 1903. Slightly downhill from the square, at the entrance to the harbor, stands the Campanile, containing the biggest carillon of bells in the country. Visitors can climb 204 steps to enjoy the view from the top of this monument, which commemorates the landing of the 1820 settlers.

Donkin Reserve
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
On a hill above the center of the city stands a stone pyramid monument with an adjacent lighthouse. The open public space was proclaimed in perpetuity by Sir Rufane Donkin, acting British Governor of the Cape, when the 1820 Settlers arrived in Algoa Bay. Donkin named the new settlement after his wife, Elizabeth, who had died in India two years' previously, and erected the pyramid in her memory. The lighthouse was built in 1861, and today houses the city's Tourist Information Center. Maps are available from the center describing a three-mile (five km) discovery trail through the hill area and central city, taking in 47 historic sites and architectural delights.

St George's Park
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
St George's Park has been a recreational center for the city for more than 150 years, boasting well-landscaped gardens covering 73 hectares. On site is the world famous Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, scene of many an exciting test match series, and the oldest bowling green in South Africa. The park also features the 1882 Edwardian Pearson Conservatory, a national monument filled with orchids, water lilies and other exotic plants. Every second Sunday of the month the park plays host to a vibrant arts and crafts fair. The other major park in Port Elizabeth is Settler's Park, set in the Baakens River valley, which boasts indigenous flora and fauna and offers a delightful stroll along the riverbank.

Addo Elephant Park
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
The most popular game reserve in the Port Elizabeth area is the Addo Elephant Park, just a 45-minute drive from the city. There are currently more than 300 elephants in residence in the park, which was recently enlarged. Addo was proclaimed in 1931 in an effort to save the remaining 11 elephants indigenous to the area. The elephants are drawn to watering holes at certain times and sightings are virtually guaranteed all year round. There are other animals in the park too, including black rhino, buffalo, zebra, warthog and several types of buck. Guided game drives are available or visitors can do a self-drive tour using the map issued at the entrance. Serviced accommodation is available and there is a restaurant and picnic site at the Park.
Phone Number: 042 233 0556
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/addo
Hours: Daily 6am to 5.30pm
Admission: R100 (foreign adult), R50 (foreign child); South African residents pay R25 per day

Shamwari Game Reserve
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
The multi-award winning private game reserve of Shamwari lies less than an hour's drive from Port Elizabeth and has been responsible for re-introducing numerous species into the Eastern Cape plains, including all of the Big Five - lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo. The reserve offers luxury accommodation, but also hosts visitors on day trips from the city. Day tours include a visit to an African art and culture village to sample Xhosa culture and traditionally brewed beer, and a visit to the Born Free center for abused animals.
Phone Number: 041 407 1000
Website: www.shamwari.com

Grahamstown
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
The historic settler town of Grahamstown, 78 miles (125km) northeast of Port Elizabeth, is presided over, from the top of Gunfire Hill, by the 1820 Settler's National Monument, an arts and theater complex which forms the focus of the town's annual internationally recognized Arts Festival held in July. Grahamstown was founded in 1815 as a garrison to drive the Xhosa eastwards across the Fish River frontier, giving rise to a century of frontier war. The town has an English colonial flavor, and is home to the renowned Rhodes University and some top private boarding schools. There are several museums, including the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology where two stuffed specimens of the coelacanth are on display. The town also boasts the only Victorian camera obscura in the southern hemisphere.
Website: www.grahamstown.co.za

Jeffrey's Bay
City/Region: Port Elizabeth
A short drive to the west of Port Elizabeth is the surfing Mecca of Jeffrey's Bay (known colloquially as 'J-Bay'). The seaside town plays host to the world Billabong Professional surfing contest every July, and is famed for its 'supertubes', South Africa's perfect wave. The town is bustling, with several stores selling branded surfing gear, and several flashy cafes and restaurants. The long stretches of sandy beach around the town are also renowned for their shells.
Website: www.jeffreysbaytourism.com

Francis Farewell Square
City/Region: Durban
This historic square in the middle of Durban is the spot where the city originated as a tiny settlement of itinerant traders and hunters in the early 19th century. It is named for Henry Francis Flynn, one of the prominent inhabitants of the time. Around the square are some interesting sights, particularly the 1910 City Hall on the south side, which is an exact replica of the City Hall of Belfast, Ireland. On the first floor of the City Hall is the Natural Science Museum with an interesting insect section; on the first floor is the renowned Durban Art Gallery. Various musical, song and dance performances are held on the City Hall steps every Wednesday at 1pm. Alongside the City Hall is Durban's local history museum housed in the Old Court House, which was the first public building ever erected in Durban, in 1866.

uShaka Marine World
City/Region: Durban
In January 2004 Sea World closed its doors to the public and reopened as uShaka Marine World, which has become the largest marine theme park in Africa. The park is tastefully themed with African imagery and has five zones offering entertainment, dining, a retail village, water slides and access to uShaka Beach. The Sea World zone incorporates an aquarium, dolphinarium, a seal pool and penguin rookery, as well as interactive activities in the dive tank, snorkel reef and touch pool, while Wet 'n Wild offers heart-stopping, adrenalin-pumping rides as well as water-based activities for the less adventurous.
Address: 1 Bell Street
Phone Number: 031 328 8000
Email Address: mkt@ushakamarineworld.co.za
Website: www.ushakamarineworld.co.za
Transport: Marine World is on the main Point Road bus route and is serviced by Greenline and Mynah buses
Hours: Sea World: Daily 9am to 6pm, Island activities closed Mondays. Wet 'n Wild: Wednesday to Sunday 9am to 6pm. Open daily on public holidays and during government school holidays
Admission: Combined tickets: R135 (adult), R90 (children). Sea World: R92 (adults), R62 (children); Wet 'n Wild: R70 (adults), R55 (children); other concessions available

KwaMuhle Museum
City/Region: Durban
The notorious building that was once the 'Department of Native Affairs' where every black South African in Natal was required to register in the days of Apartheid, now houses a museum dedicated to tracing the history of racial laws in Durban, including memorable video and photographic exhibits. Despite this the building is known to all as KwaMuhle, meaning 'place of the good one', the name honoring a white man who ran the department but did his best to fight the system within its constraints.
Address: 130 Ordinance Road
Phone Number: 031 311 2237
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 4pm; Sundays and public holidays 11am to 4pm

Juma Masjid Mosque
City/Region: Durban
The magnificent Juma Masjid Mosque, the largest mosque in the Southern hemisphere, dominates Durban's central Indian district. It's gilt-domed minarets tower over the bustling commercial area, but inside the marbled worship hall is peaceful and boasts a simple elegance. Tours of the mosque can be arranged. Around the mosque, on Grey Street, are several Indian food outlets, most offering the uniquely Durban 'bunnychow' (half a loaf of bread scooped out and filled with curry). Off of Grey Street is the Madressa Arcade bazaar. Also in the area is the brightly painted Victoria Street Market (on the corner of Queen and Russell streets) offering incense, henna tattoos, spices and other exotic goods.
Address: Grey Street
Phone Number: 031 304 1518
Hours: Weekdays 9am to 4pm and Saturday mornings. Tours are recommended

Durban Botanic Gardens
City/Region: Durban
Durban's botanical gardens are renowned for having the finest collection of plantlife anywhere in Africa. Established in 1851 the gardens, on Sydenham Hill Road west of the Greyville Race Track, are the city's oldest natural attraction, providing a relaxing spot to stroll among huge indigenous and exotic trees, and the stunning orchid house display. The gardens are also abuzz with birdlife and boast a lovely tea garden.
Address: 70 St Thomas Road
Phone Number: 031 2011 303 or 031 309 1170 (tour bookings)
Website: www.durbanbotanicgardens.org.za
Hours: Daily 7.30am to 5.45pm. 5.15pm in winter

The BAT Center
City/Region: Durban
On the Victoria Embankment beside the Durban harbor is a haven for traditional artists known as the BAT Center (an acronym for Bartle Arts Trust). The center features an enormous studio where artists work, a theater, exhibition galleries and a restaurant serving authentic African dishes. There are stunning views of the harbor from the restaurant deck. Nearby is the Maritime Museum, which details the history of the harbor and houses a restored tugboat and other interesting exhibits.
Address: SAS Inkonkoni Building, 45 Maritime Place, Small Craft Harbour, Victoria Embankment
Phone Number: 031 332 0451
Email Address: info@batcenter.co.za
Website: www.batcenter.co.za
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; Saturday 10am to 2pm

Zululand Battlefields
City/Region: Durban
Zululand, ancestral home of the Zulu people and site of many a bloody battle between the British, the Boers and the Zulus during the 19th century, is best explored as a self-drive adventure, although many tours are available from Durban. Every town in this area of northern KwaZulu-Natal has a story to tell or an event to commemorate and tourism offices throughout the region provide maps and guides to assist visitors in making the most of the history, culture, scenery and wildlife. The landscape varies from plains, to rolling hills, river valleys and lush forests. This land once encompassed the Zulu kingdom led by legendary Shaka Zulu, who clashed with the British and the Boers in many epic battles. Center of the Zulu nation is the small town of Eshowe. King Shaka was born close to the town, and it was also the site of a 10-week siege during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Other towns of note are Ladysmith and Dundee, near which were fought the historic battles of Rorke's Drift, Blood River and Isandlwana. There are numerous 'living museums' in the form of Zulu cultural villages open to visitors in the area.
Phone Number: 031 366 7500 (Tourism KwaZulu-Natal)
Website: www.battlefields.kzn.org.za

Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
City/Region: Durban
In the far north of Kwa-Zulu Natal are a string of nature reserves and game parks, of which the largest and most exciting is the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, dominated by the fascinating St Lucia estuary and lake system. It covers five distinct ecosystems varying from dry thorn scrub to tropical forest and is bordered by giant dunes, beaches and tropical reefs. Big Five game viewing is on offer, and this is the only place in the world where you will see hippos, crocodiles and sharks co-habiting in the same lagoon. There are comfortable rest camps in the park. The Wetland Park has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Phone Number: 033 845 1000 (KZN Wildlife)
Hours: Open 24 hours daily, office hours are daily 8am to 4.30pm
Admission: Entrance to St Lucia village is free. An entrance fee is applicable to all the reserves

Midmar Dam
City/Region: Durban
North-west of Durban in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal is the Midmar Public Resort Nature Reserve, offering accommodation, picnic sites and recreational opportunities around the huge Midmar Dam. At the main entrance is the Midmar Historical Village, a reproduction of a 19th century redbrick village with tree-lined streets, a village church and Hindu Temple. Many of the buildings are originals that have been relocated to the site from towns and villages elsewhere in the province. There are also vintage steam train rides on offer and Shire horse carriage rides, as well as several shops, restaurants and exhibition halls. Midmar is also the center of the Midlands Meander arts and crafts route, which winds through the Midlands along the R103 road, taking in more than 65 participating attractions dotted across the countryside, ranging from herb farms to antique shops and artists working with stained glass. The huge dam stages the annual Midmar Mile, the world's largest open water swim.

Drakensberg Mountains
City/Region: Durban
The jagged peaks of the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains) tower over the eastern border of Kwa-Zulu Natal with Lesotho, providing a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. The mountains abound with hiking trails, climbing routes, 4x4 trails, pony treks and adventure pursuits, all accessible from numerous resorts in the lower reaches. Some of the more popular resorts are Champagne Castle, Cathkin Peak and Cathedral Peak, while Giant's Castle and its game reserve are famed for the more than 500 rock paintings left behind by the San people on cave walls. Eagles soar around the peaks in the Royal Natal National Park in the north, where the dramatic scenery includes the Amphitheater, a five-mile long (8km) curved basalt wall. The region is largely untamed, and criss-crossed by lengths of rugged dirt roads. The only road that breaches the mountain range and crosses the border to Lesotho is the hair-raising Sani Pass, which is topped by the highest pub in Africa.
Phone Number: 031 366 7500 (Tourism KwaZulu-Natal)
Website: www.drakensberg.kzn.org.za

Gold Reef City
City/Region: Johannesburg
This entertainment complex is essentially a theme park full of thrill rides, but was designed to be a re-creation of Victorian Johannesburg during the gold-rush era. The park, four miles (6km) south of the city center via the M1 motorway, was built around the No.14 Crown mineshaft that began operations in 1887 and closed in 1975. During its production years 1,400 tons of gold came out of the shaft. Visitors can now descend into the old mine shaft to experience life at the rock face, and watch gold being poured and minted. Gold Reef City also houses a number of museums, and offers performances by traditional gumboot dancers. Youngsters particularly enjoy the rides like the Anaconda roller coaster and Thunder Mountain River Rapids. There are also plenty of restaurants, bars, a massive casino, and a Victorian hotel for those wanting to stay the night.
Phone Number: 011 248 6800
Email Address: info@goldreefcity.co.za
Website: www.goldreefcity.co.za
Hours: Theme park: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 5pm; open daily during Gauteng school holidays; closed on Christmas day
Admission: Weekdays: R80, which includes minor rides, and all shows and entertainment; access to major rides costs an additional R30. Weekends and holidays: R110 inclusive of all rides and entertainment. Concessions and family tickets available

Newtown Cultural Precinct
City/Region: Johannesburg
This complex of buildings in the city center has been upgraded and restored as part of the city fathers' urban renewal policy and provides several attractions. The Market Theater and Museum Africa, for instance are housed in a Victorian building in Bree Street that was originally Johannesburg's fresh produce market. The Museum Africa is particularly worth a visit with its exhibits that tell the story of the city from its beginnings to the present day, including an interesting section about the Treason Trial of the 1950s in which Nelson Mandela and other activists were accused of plotting against the state. The same building houses a photography museum and the Museum of South African Rock Art. At its eastern end is the Market Theater, famed for being the venue for many protest theater productions in the Apartheid era. Also in the area, in President Street, is the South African Breweries Center, which offers a tour detailing brewing history through some reconstructed gold-rush pubs and shebeens (township bars). Along Jeppe Street is the Oriental Plaza, the commercial center for the Indian community.
Hours: Museum Africa open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm
Admission: Museum: R7 (adults), R2 (children)

Johannesburg Zoo
City/Region: Johannesburg
The Johannesburg Zoo is a favorite place for locals to take a stroll among the numerous enclosures that house more than 3,000 species of animal, including polar bears that can be viewed underwater in their pool. Of course the Big Five are all in residence too. A tractor-tram does circuits of the zoo for those who don't fancy walking. On the eastern edge of the zoo is the Museum of Military History, which has some interesting exhibits like tanks, fighter aircraft and submarines.
Address: Jan Smuts Avenue, main public entrance on Upper Park Drive, Parkview
Phone Number: 011 646 2000
Email Address: info@jhbzoo.org.za
Website: www.jhbzoo.org.za
Hours: Zoo open daily 8.30am to 5.30pm
Admission: R36 (adults), R21 (children 3-12); other concessions available

Sterkfontein Caves
City/Region: Johannesburg
The ancient dolomite caves with an underground lake, situated a few miles north of Johannesburg, form part of what archaeologists call the 'Cradle of Humankind'. Sterkfontein is recognized as one of the world's most important palaeontological sites, having yielded fossil deposits dating from up to three and a half million years ago, spanning the development of hominids. Among the most famous finds are the 'Taung child', 'Little Foot' and 'Mrs Ples'. Because the cave environment is fragile, visitors are not allowed into certain areas, particularly those that scientists are working on. There are however guided tours of one of the sections, which include the massive Hall of Elephants. A visitor center includes the Hominid exhibition, conference facilities and a restaurant.
Address: Kromdraai Road, seven miles (12km) north of Krugersdorp
Phone Number: 011 956 6342
Website: www.sterkfontein-caves.co.za
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm; tours run every 30 minutes until 4pm
Admission: R75 (adults), R45 (children)

Pretoria
City/Region: Johannesburg
Only half an hour's drive beyond Johannesburg's northern suburbs lies South Africa's administrative and diplomatic capital city, Pretoria, founded by the pioneering Afrikaans Voortrekkers who built the city as the capital of their Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek in the mid-19th century. Pretoria is an attractive, green city, with purple-hued Jacaranda trees lining its streets that are presided over by the Union Buildings, designed by Sir Herbert Baker. They perch like an acropolis on a hilltop and house the offices of the President and senior government officials. There are numerous other historic buildings too, including the Voortrekker Monument, a memorial commemorating the pioneers' penetration of the interior. Pretoria is also home to South Africa's National Zoological Gardens, which is one of the world's finest zoos.
Website: www.pretoria.co.za

Hartbeespoort Dam
City/Region: Johannesburg
North of Johannesburg lies one of South Africa's oldest dams, built in 1923, which provides a favorite day trip for city dwellers set against the Magaliesberg mountain range. A scenic road encircles the dam, culminating in a tunnel just before it reaches the dam wall and the Hartbeespoort village. The village offers a small zoo and snake park, cableway, bird park, aquarium and several restaurants and curio shops.
Phone Number: 012 253 1567
Website: www.hartbeespoortdam.com

Warmbaths
City/Region: Johannesburg
On the national road north towards Zimbabwe is the flat area known as the Springbok Flats, part of the Great Rift Valley. About 80 miles (125km) north of Johannesburg on the edge of the Flats lies the town of Warmbaths, named for the hot mineral springs that rise to the surface there. The spring yields about 20,000 liters of water, enriched with sodium chloride, calcium carbonate and other minerals every hour. The town has now become a popular spa and holiday resort, considered to be one of the most modern of its kind in the world. It has a large indoor pool with underwater jets, outdoor hot and cold swimming pools, wave pools, and water slides.

Sun City and the Palace of the Lost City
City/Region: Johannesburg
Situated in the Bojanala region of the North West Province, the 'Las Vegas' of South Africa is one of the largest adult entertainment centers in the world, with casinos, golf, live shows, and the architectural wonder of the Lost City. The vast resort complex is one of South Africa's top attractions for gambling, entertainment and opulence, a luxury theme park for adults that was the multi-million dollar dreamchild of South African entrepreneur, Sol Kerzner. The Lost City, with its African theme of life-size animals, has at its center a luxurious 'palace' decorated with mosaics, frescoes, palm fronds and elephant tusks. Surrounding it are lakes, forests and a tropical beach. There are a variety of watersports and The Valley of the Waves, the most advanced waterpark in the country, has among other things a wave machine capable of generating almost seven-foot (2m) waves. The resort complex also borders on the Pilanesberg National Park, home to the 'Big Five' and a popular game-viewing destination.
Phone Number: 014 557 1000
Website: www.suninternational.com/resorts/suncity
Transport: The resort offers a daily shuttle express service between Sun City and Johannesburg (from the airport, Eastgate Shopping Center, Sandton Sun Hotel and Fourways Mall)

Lowveld National Botanical Garden
City/Region: Mpumalanga
Covering 393 acres (159 hectares) on the banks of the Crocodile River at Nelspruit, the Lowveld Botanic Gardens has the largest collection of cycads in the world and the biggest assortment of indigenous trees in South Africa, totaling 650 of the 1,000 known species. The gardens have 600 plant and 245 bird species occurring naturally on its turf, but about 2,000 more plant species have been added to this collection making this haven a feast for botanists. A two-hour trail meanders along the Crocodile River banks and passes three waterfalls.
Address: Off White River Road
Phone Number: 013 752 5531
Website: www.sanbi.org/lowveld/mainpage.htm
Hours: Daily 8am to 6pm (September to March)and until 5pm from April to August
Admission: R15 (adults), R5 (children)

Pilgrim's Rest
City/Region: Mpumalanga
Had it not been for its picturesque setting, Pilgrim's Rest would probably be a ghost town. It is, however, a popular tourist destination, existing today for little other purpose than to entertain and inform visitors about its colorful heyday. It all began in 1873 when a Scots miner, Alex 'Wheelbarrow' Patterson, shouted 'Eureka', having discovered gold at Pilgrim's Creek. Before long fortune seekers had clogged the little valley, and the town of Pilgrim's Rest was born. Mining continued for decades, but started to dry up in the 1940s and the final mine closed in 1972. The town has now been declared a national monument and many of its corrugated iron buildings have been restored. These now exist as living museums, and some as souvenir shops. There is an Information Center on the Main Road where visitors can learn the history of the town before exploring it. Pilgrim's Rest is part of the scenic 'Panorama Route' north of Nelspruit.
Phone Number: 013 768 1060
Website: www.pilgrims-rest.co.za

Blyde River Canyon
City/Region: Mpumalanga
The spectacular vista of the Blyde River Canyon, with its sheer cliffs dropping into a bush-covered valley, is part of the scenically breathtaking Panorama Route, worth doing as a self-drive trip from Nelspruit, or on a bus tour. Other sights on the route include the Three Rondavels, a trio of green-clad peaks set in the canyon and the Bourke's Luck Potholes, huge holes in the mountainside formed by grinding sand. The Blyde River Canyon is the biggest 'green' canyon in the world, and the third largest canyon on earth, smaller only than the USA's Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. The river itself also offers some challenging white water rafting.

Tsitsikamma National Park
City/Region: Garden Route
Tsitsikamma is the word of the indigenous Khoi-San people meaning 'place of many waters', which accurately describes the naturally beautiful thin 50-mile (80km) stretch of coastline that makes up the Tsitsikamma National Park, Africa's oldest and largest marine reserve. The park boasts many attractions, including a giant Outeniqua yellowwood tree that is hundreds of years old. The region is criss-crossed by hiking trails, including the world-renowned Otter Trail, starting at Storm's River and running along 25 miles (41km) of spectacular coastline to Nature's Valley. A number of private operators, notably Storms River Adventures, offer numerous adventure activities in the area such as black-water rafting and abseiling, mountain bike tours and fishing trips. A particularly exciting diversion is to undertake a 'canopy tour' of the forest, gliding across the treetops on steel cables strung between platforms.
Phone Number: 042 281 1607
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/tsitsikamma
Hours: Daily 7am to 7pm
Admission: R80 (foreign adult), R40 (foreign child) per day; South African residents pay R25 per day

Bo-Kaap
City/Region: Cape Town
Bo-Kaap, or the old Malay Quarter, was declared an exclusive residential area for the Muslim Cape Malays under the Group Areas Act of 1950 during the Apartheid years, forcing people of other religions and ethnicity to leave, and today is still closely associated with the Muslim community. The houses have been restored and colorfully painted, and the steep cobbled streets, mosques, minarets and blend of Cape Dutch and Edwardian architecture make it one of the most interesting historical and cultural areas of the city. The Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street documents the history of the Cape Malays Tel: (021) 481 3939.
Website: www.iziko.org.za/bokaap

Spier Wine Estate
City/Region: Cape Winelands
Not only one of South Africa's most famous and most popular wine estates, historic Spier is also an internationally renowned cultural resort that offers luxurious accommodation, conference facilities, shopping, fine dining, and a variety of recreational activities, including golf, horse riding, picnics, and a cheetah park. An outdoor amphitheater traditionally presents a variety of music, theater and dance during the Spier Summer Arts Season that also seeks to promote, showcase and develop emerging South African talent. Situated in the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands region, Spier also boasts world-class wines in what is the oldest working cellar in South Africa, and together with its other facilities, is the most unique development in the wine world.
Address: R310 Lynedoch Road
Phone Number: 021 809 1100
Email Address: info@spier.co.za
Website: www.spier.co.za

Oom Samie se Winkel (Uncle Sam's shop)
City/Region: Cape Winelands
This famous Stellenbosch institution is a shop set back in time, where a huge variety of interesting products can be purchased from shelves crammed with sweets, dried fish, wine, clothing and tobacco. It is well worth a look, if not to buy anything, then to experience how locals traded 200 years ago.
Address: 84 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
Phone Number: 021 887 0797

Huguenot Monument and Museum
City/Region: Cape Winelands
A major tourist attraction in the Franschhoek valley, the historic Huguenot Monument was erected in 1938 to remember and honor the French Huguenots who arrived in South Africa in 1688 after fleeing persecution in their home country. The nearby museum documents the history of the settlers, from their flight from France to their arrival and successful establishment of the Franschhoek wine region in the Cape of Good Hope. The museum contains a variety of Bibles, documents, furniture, utensils and artifacts, which illustrate the life of the Huguenots in the Cape.
Address: Franschhoek
Phone Number: 021 876 2532
Email Address: hugenoot@museum.co.za
Website: www.museum.co.za
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 2pm to 5pm
Admission: R5 (adults), R1 (children)

Afrikaanse Taalmonument (Afrikaans Language Monument) and Museum
City/Region: Cape Winelands
The Afrikaans Language Museum pays tribute to a unique language that is only 300 years old, created from the melting pot of nationalities and languages in the Cape. The Dutch settlers, French Huguenots, slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar and West Africa and the local Khoi people all needed to communicate, and so was born the language that could be used by all. The struggle to gain recognition of Afrikaans as an official language was carried out from Paarl, and the museum commemorates the people that played an important role in the process, as well as exploring the language in its diversity and learning about the people who speak it today. The Language Monument on Paarl Mountain was erected in 1975 to honor the Afrikaans language and is the only language monument in the world. The contribution to Afrikaans from the Western world, as well as from Africa, are represented by the three linked columns and three rounded shapes respectively, while the 187-foot (57m) pillar symbolises the growth of the language.
Address: Museum: Gideon Malherbe House, 11 Pastorie Avenue, Paarl. Monument: Paarl Mountain
Phone Number: 021 872 3441
Website: www.taalmuseum.co.za
Hours: Museum: Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm. Monument: Daily 8.15am to 5pm
Admission: Museum: R10 (adults), R2 (children). Monument: Adults R10, R2 for children

Blood River/Ncome Heritage Site
City/Region: Battlefields
Following the treacherous murder of Piet Retief and his men at the hands of Dingaan, the Zulu chief, the Voortrekkers, led by Andries Pretorius, prepared for battle against the Zulu kingdom on the banks of the Ncome River on 16 December 1838. They formed an impenetrable laager (a defensive camp encircled with their ox-wagons) and fought the 15,000-strong impi attack until the Zulus finally fled, leaving thousands dead and the river red with blood. The violent encounter became known as the Battle of Blood River. The Blood River/Ncome Heritage Site commemorates this significant battle with monuments and museums to both the Voortrekkers and the Zulus on either side of the river, so giving the visitor a more complete perspective of events. On one side is the Ncome Monument and Museum Complex, dedicated to the fallen Zulu warriors, while the Blood River Monument and Museum is located on the west bank and features a life-size replica of the Boer wagon laager.
Address: The site is 30 miles (48km) east of Dundee, off the R33
Phone Number: 034 271 8121
Email Address: ncome@telkomsa.net
Website: www.ncomemuseum.co.za or www.voortrekkermon.org.za
Hours: Ncome Monument and Museum, daily from 9am to 4pm. Voortrekker Monument daily from 8am to 5pm/6pm in Summer
Admission: R30 (adults), R8 (children). Ncome Monument and Museum free

Isandlwana Hill
City/Region: Battlefields
The battle at Isandlwana Hill on 22 January 1879 stunned the British Empire in what was to be the worst defeat in the history of their imperial warfare. The news that an entire battalion of British troops had been wiped out by a 'native' army was unbelievable. The Zulu kingdom, under the leadership of King Cetshwayo, had been gaining strength and was perceived to be a threat to the British colonists, refusing to submit to British rule. British troops were ordered to invade Zululand, but grossly underestimated the Zulu warriors, and the surprise attack on the British camp on the slopes of Isandlwana Hill left thousands dead. Today the battlefield is dotted with memorials, and mounds of white stones that mark the British mass graves.
Address: The battlefield is 50 miles (80km) south east of Dundee off the R68
Phone Number: 034 271 0634
Hours: Daily 8am to 5pm

Rorke's Drift
City/Region: Battlefields
Fought on the same day as the nearby battle at Isandlwana Hill, the Battle of Rorke's Drift is remembered as one of the most famous sieges of the Anglo-Zulu War. Survivors from Isandlwana fled to the Swedish mission station that was used as a British field hospital and storehouse, and sounded the alarm. Inside, the 139 men, many of them seriously ill or wounded, barricaded themselves in and prepared for the onslaught of 4,000 Zulu warriors. The Battle Museum dramatically tells the tale of the 'Heroic Hundred' who desperately defended the station for 12 hours, until the Zulus finally retreated with a heavy loss of life. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders, the most ever given at any other battle in British history.
Address: The site is 26 miles (42km) from Dundee, off the R68
Phone Number: 034 642 1687
Hours: Daily 8am to 5pm
Admission: R10 adults, concessions available

Ladysmith Siege Museum
City/Region: Battlefields
During the Anglo-Boer War, Ladysmith was besieged for 118 days, when thousands died, either during battle, or from the lack of food and water. The museum is considered to be one of the best Anglo-Boer War museums in the country, with a collection of artifacts, documents, firearms and uniforms on display, as well as a series of excellent photographs, which vividly tells the story of the siege of Ladysmith that involved numerous battles between the Boer and British forces.
Address: Murchison Street, Ladysmith
Phone Number: 036 637 2992
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday until 1pm, Sundays by appointment only
Admission: R2

Township Tours
City/Region: Cape Town
The N2 highway that connects Cape Town International Airport to the city is lined with townships, consisting of a mixture of shacks and solid buildings. During the days of apartheid, people of color were not allowed to live in the white suburbs and were banished to areas away from the city. Township tours allow visitors to experience how the majority of Capetonians live in the townships that surround the city. Guides, often residents, take visitors around to meet the people, see community projects, have a drink in a 'shebeen' (township pub) and shop for local crafts. Each township has its own colorful character, and despite their difficult living conditions, residents are generally hospitable and delighted to receive visitors. Townships were once no-go areas for many people, but today a visit is becoming a popular experience for tourists to Cape Town. Visit Langa, the oldest of South Africa's black townships, established in 1923, or the newest and second largest in the country, Khayelitsha, which dates from the 1980s. Guguletu and Nyanga were set up in the 1950s. Visitors are advised not to visit the townships alone; there are many tour companies that offer tours, including transport to and from the township areas. Contact the Cape Town Tourism Visitor Information Center or its satellite, the Sivuyile Tourism Center in Guguletu for information about tours, accommodation and entertainment in the townships.
Phone Number: Cape Town Tourism Visitor Information Center: 021 487 6800, or Sivuyile Tourism Center: 021 637 8449

Stellenbosch
City/Region: Cape Winelands
At the heart of the wine industry is the pretty town of Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa and regarded as the wine capital of the country with over 110 cellars in the area. The Stellenbosch vineyards were established by the Dutch governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, who arrived in 1679 and noted that the combination of rich soil and ideal climate were perfect for viticulture. In 1971 the first wine route in South Africa was opened, and today the Stellenbosch wine route is perhaps the best known and finest that the country has to offer, producing award winning wines from estates such as Morgenhof, Kanonkop, Warwick and Zewenwacht. Spier Estate is renowned as a unique cultural resort that is famous for its Summer Arts Festival, and boasts the oldest working wine cellar in the country. Stellenbosch is also steeped in South African history and Afrikaans culture and was settled by the Dutch East India Company to produce food for passing ships. Old oak trees line the streets where Cape Dutch architecture, museums and national art collections are a reminder of the town's heritage. The town also boasts the world's only Afrikaans university, a premier educational institute, which has produced many great sporting heroes, including more than 155 Springbok rugby players.
Website: www.stellenbosch.org.za

Constantia
City/Region: Cape Winelands
Constantia is the origin of wine production in South Africa, and one of Cape Town's most exclusive suburbs. The Constantia wine route is the oldest yet smallest wine route in the Cape, consisting of just five wine farms that concentrate on producing few wines of international quality. Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa, home to the first governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, and the valley's most recognized wine farm. Between the estates of Klein and Groot Constantia, Steenberg, Buitenverwachting and Constantia Uitsig, visitors will also find some of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in the country.
Website: www.constantiawineroute.co.za

Franschhoek
City/Region: Cape Winelands
Fleeing religious persecution in France in the 1700s, more than 200 French Huguenots arrived in the Cape and were settled in the valley that soon became known as Franschhoek (French Corner), which is today situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands region. Many of the settlers were experienced wine producers and they soon recognized the potential of the region for wine and fruit production, establishing wine estates throughout the spectacular Franschhoek Valley in surroundings of magnificent scenery and towering mountains. Today the town is famous not only for its splendid wines and beautiful vistas, but also as the gourmet capital of South Africa, boasting the highest number of award-winning eateries in the country. Restaurants such as Le Quartier Français, La Petite Ferme, Haute Cabriere and Boschendal are among those that are internationally acclaimed and some of the top restaurants in South Africa. The Huguenots did not only bring their viticulture and French culinary flair however, they also left behind a rich legacy of arts, architecture and hospitality, which are still visible today.
Website: www.franschhoek.org.za

Paarl
City/Region: Cape Winelands
Situated at the foot of the second-largest granite outcrop in the world, the town of Paarl in the picturesque Berg River Valley is the biggest town in the Cape Winelands, and features some of the most superb examples of Cape Dutch, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco architecture. It has a rich history, boasting the Drakenstein Prison where Nelson Mandela spent his last years in captivity, and overlooking the town from the slopes of the Paarl Mountain is the Language Monument, which symbolises the birth of the Afrikaans language. Along with its historical background, Paarl is also known for its award-winning wines, particularly its reds, which can be sampled along the world's first 'Red Route'. Paarl's wine route includes over 40 cellars, among them Nederburg and KWV, and many of them also make a variety of delicious cheeses.
Website: www.paarlonline.com

Mossel Bay
City/Region: Garden Route
The rather industrialized town of Mossel Bay, about 250 miles (400km) east of Cape Town, is traditionally regarded as the gateway to the Garden Route and is famed for being the spot where the first European set foot in South Africa. The Portuguese explorer, Bartholomew Dias, came ashore here seeking water after battling a fearsome storm at sea in 1488. The town now commemorates this event with the Bartholomew Dias Museum complex in Market Street, which houses a Maritime Museum and a life-sized replica of the caravel in which Dias sailed. Mossel Bay has some good beaches and all the trappings of a seaside holiday town, with cruises available from the small harbor to view seals, whales and dolphins, and shark cage-diving adventures. The nearby village of Albertinia sports the only Aloe factory in South Africa, and visitors can call in to sample medicinal and skincare products made from this indigenous plant.
Website: www.mosselbay.net

Wilderness
City/Region: Garden Route
The village of Wilderness, set on the Touws River estuary, is fast developing with a plethora of luxury holiday homes lining the cliffs and hills along the long sandy beach and river. It is, however, a pretty spot surrounded by a chain of fresh-water lakes, and encompassing the Wilderness National Park with about nine miles (15km) of inland waterways. There are some wonderful hiking trails and canoe trips offered through the Park wardens, and numerous accommodation facilities are available.

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