South Africa is a popular choice amongst travellers wanting to experience their first safari. In fact, according to South African Tourism, it’s estimated that close to nine million people travelled to South Africa in 2015.
If you’re planning on going on a safari to South Africa, here’s a great itinerary two week itinerary to use.
Spend five days in Cape Town
Best time to visit Cape Town – Between the summer months of January to April.
Did you know that Cape Town was appointed the best place in the world to visit by the New York Times in 2014?
Cape Town has so much to offer – palm-fringed beaches, five-star gourmet restaurants, rolling vineyards, historical museums and much more.
What to do in Cape Town
Visit Table Mountain
Table Mountain is one of the New7Wonders of Nature and is one of Cape Town’s iconic landmarks.
The quickest and easiest route up Table Mountain takes the average person between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete.
To speed things up a bit, you can take the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway car up and down the mountain, which provides you with breathtaking views of Cape Town, Robben Island and the surrounding peninsula.
Shop at the V&A Waterfront
Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is home to some of the best restaurants of Cape Town, a great shopping mall all located in the historical harbour of Cape Town, recognisable from a distance due to its massive ferris wheel which provides far-reaching views of the city.
Visit Cape Point
Named the ‘Cape of Storms’ by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, Cape Point, located in the Table Mountain National Park is the most southwesterly point of Africa.
Cape Point provides you with insight into Cape Town’s rich history and is also home high diversity of flora – as it falls within the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In fact, it’s estimated that is home to nearly 20% of Africa’s flora.
Visit Robben Island
Another World Heritage Site, a visit to Robben Island takes travellers deep into history of South Africa. It is best known for being the prison where Nelson Mandela had spent 18 out of his 27 years of imprisonment.
Where to stay in Cape Town
The Cape Grace Hotel
The Cape Grace Hotel is situated at the V&A Waterfront, providing you with a base to explore the city, five-star restaurants and historical landmarks.
Instagram images of Cape Town
Spend four days in Johannesburg
Best time to visit: During the spring and dry summer months of September to April
Johannesburg the largest and fastest growing city and the commercial capital city of the country.
Johannesburg is also the second biggest city on Africa, behind the Egyptioan city of Cairo. It’s also a rich archaeological site known as the Cradle of Humankind on the outskirts of the city. In fact, 40% of the world’s human ancestor fossils have been discovered in Johannesburg.
What to do in Johannesburg
Visit the Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum illustrates the racial discrimination system that divided South Africa between 1948 and 1994.
To experience what it was like, the museum is open from 9.00 till 17.00 every day, except for Good Friday and Christmas.
Visit their website for more information: http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/visiting-us.
Experience a Soweto Township Tour
Soweto is the largest black residential area in the South Africa, but also the most metropolitan township in the country. A tour of Soweto will show you how the residents are staking a claim in politics, fashion, music, dance and language.
Where to stay in Johannesburg
Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa
The Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa is a private retreat providing you with luxury at it’s finest giving travellers the opportunity rejuvenate and explore the city of Johannesburg away from the hustle and bustle of South Africa’s financial capital.
The Peech Boutique Hotel
Situated in the suburb of Melrose, the Peech Boutique Hotel is a stone’s throw away from the city’s main shopping and business hubs and positioned in a suburb with boutiques, cafés and an adjacent park.
Instagram images of Johannesburg
Spend 5 days in Kruger National Park
Best time to go: May to September is the easiest time to spot wildlife in the Kruger National Park.
South Africa’s Kruger National Park attracts over a million visitors each year – for good reason as well – it provides you with an excellent chance of witnessing Africa’s Big Five.
The Kruger National Park is one of the biggest game reserves in Africa, in fact, it’s roughly the same size as Israel and Belgium.
What to see in Kruger National Park
The Big Five
Kruger is home to the Big Five, South African National Parks estimates that there are walking around about 1,500 lions, 12,000 elephants, 2,500 buffalos, 1,000 leopards and 5,000 rhinos, both black and white rhinos.
In total, Kruger National Park is home to around 49 fish species, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals.
Where to stay in Kruger National Park
Imbali Safari Lodge
The Imbali Safari Lodge falls within the Imbali Safari concession offers you spacious, private chalets furnished in a luxurious way. The rooms are looking over the N’waswitsontso riverbed and its surrounding bush.
Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge
The Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge is situated on an ancient elephant route on the Kruger National Park’s Mluwati River. Endowed with modern day opulence and luxury, travellers have the chance to experience the lifestyle and rich culture of the Shangaan heritage and traditions.
Instagram images of Kruger National Park
Author: Vihann Van Wyk
Published: 20 April 2016
Last Update: 6 May 2024