Foodie holidays in South Africa

Foodie holidays in South Africa_Carbon Bistro Carbon Bistro in Johannesburg

South Africa’s larger cities have thriving culinary scenes and visitors will find the quality to be very high and prices very affordable by international standards. A celebrated facet of South Africa’s cuisine is the superb variety of good, affordable wine produced mainly in the Western Cape. Cape Town and the nearby Cape Winelands are rightly renowned as the culinary capitals of South Africa, and would form the obvious starting point of any foodie tour of the country.

Foodie holidays in South Africa_Reubens One and Only Crayfish risotto at Reuben’s at the One and Only Hotel, Cape Town

Seafood is particularly recommended anywhere along the coast, while excellent venison can be enjoyed in the vicinity of the Kruger National Park. Oudtshoorn in the Karoo region is famed for its lean, free-range ostrich meat (and eggs), while Durban excels when it comes to Indian restaurants, the latter usually offering a good vegetarian selection.

Foodie holidays in South Africa_roti Roti is a very popular side to curries and stews in Cape Malay cuisine

Don’t forget to try some of the several dishes that are more-or-less unique to South Africa. ‘Cape Malay’ specialties include sosatie kebabs (a variation on the Indonesian satay) and a fruit-sweetened baked mincemeat dish called bobotie. Spicy boerewors ‘farmer’s sausage’ is an integral component of any casual braai (barbecue) countrywide, while biltong is an air-dried strip of salted and spiced beef or game meat reminiscent of American jerky.

Foodie holidays in South Africa_La Motte The Cape winelands pair fine dining with delicious wines | Credit: Sarah Graham

Vaccinations for South Africa

The one vaccination certificate you may be required to show at immigration is yellow fever, and then only if you arrive from or via the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America. Other recommended vaccinations are tetanus and polio. You could also consider immunisation against hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, rabies, typhoid, cholera and tuberculosis. That said, please ensure that you…

South Africa vs Botswana

Botswana is known for its pristine wildlife destinations and natural world wonders Botswana is a more pure wildlife destination than South Africa. Its main safari reserves, for instance the Okavango and Chobe, are less accessible than their South African counterparts, far wilder in feel, and tend to cater more to high-cost, low impact fly-in tourism. Botswana thus offers more of an…

South Africa in September

Spring marks the start of the annual wildflower takeover along the West Coast of South Africa Johannesburg and the highveld is warm by day, cold at night, and dry. Cape Town and the Western Cape is mild by day, cool at night and receives regular rainfall. The Kruger Park and surrounds is hot by day, mild at night, and dry. September is an ideal time for beach holidays on the Indian…

Budget safari holiday in South Africa

Camping is a budget-friendly activity in South Africa | Credit: Getaway Magazine South Africa is well-suited to budget travellers. There are backpacker hostels and affordable B&Bs as well as self-catering options in all major centres. There are also very affordable and well-equipped campsites, usually with hot water in the ablution blocks and electricity. For transport, the perennially…

A South African holiday as a couple

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Medical emergencies in South Africa

If no other assistance is at hand, call a medical emergency service. The government-run emergency number for ambulances in South Africa is 10177. Private 24-hour national emergency and ambulance services include ER24 (084 124), which is linked to a private network of 50-plus MediClinic hospitals, and Netcare 911 (082 911). The police flying squad can be reached at 10111. ...

Family safari in South Africa

A family safari is a lot of fun and kids get to learn about new cultures and the wildlife in South Africa South Africa is one of the world’s best safari destinations for families. It’s mostly malaria-free and offers excellent infrastructure and relatively good road networks. There are also a number of parks that offer self-drive safaris, making it ideal for families wanting to…

Health care in South Africa

Although South Africa has a public healthcare system, it is underfunded and understaffed, and facilities tend to be overcrowded, with some 20% of the country’s doctors employed to serve around 80% of the population. By contrast, private medical facilities compare favourably with anywhere in the world, and also tend to be affordable. ...