"Land of contrasts and contradictions" South Africa by CatherineReichardt

South Africa Travel Guide: 11,841 reviews and 27,852 photos

I have lived in South Africa on and off for over 20 years - I came on holiday, and realised that I could never explore this part of the world in the sort of detail I wanted as a tourist, so returned home, packed my record collection into half a dozen tea chests and returned two months later! During that time, I have been lucky to visit much of this vast and beautiful country - both in the course of my work and as a tourist - and have tried to understand the complex dynamics of this land of contrasts and contradictions. I don't know how far I've succeeded in gaining this understanding, but I've certainly had heaps of fun in trying!

What I've tried to include in my travel pages is what I'd have liked to have known when I first visited South Africa - it's such a big place which offers such diverse travel options, that with limited time and prior knowledge, it is difficult to know where to focus and what to prioritise.

In my travel pages you'll find my perspective on the obvious big tourist destinations such as Cape Town, hopefully with a slightly different spin which may guide you towards some of the lesser known (and often more interesting) attractions. At the other end of the spectrum, I also give tips on obscure attractions such as the Botshabelo German Mission outside Middelburg - a town about which nobody else has apparently seen fit to write!

I have also focused on my home town, Johannesburg (and its near neighbour, Pretoria). Jo'burg gets extremely bad publicity and is easy to malign, but is nonetheless the point of entry for the vast majority of tourists and is a vibrant, cosmopolitan frenetic, schizophrenic sort of place that has a surprising amount to offer the visitor if only you know where to look.

We all tend to focus on our own priorities - thus in my travel tips, you'll find that I write a lot about things to do and places to go that are suitable for small children. Being an inveterate traveller and late recruit to parenthood, adjusting to travelling with little people after twenty years of only being responsible for myself came as quite a shock, and I have personally found it difficult to access relevant information on travelling with children to more offbeat destinations. For those in a similar position, I am happy to report that South Africa is a tremendous - and surprisingly easy - place to travel as a family, even if your kids are very small. The predominance of outdoors activities, the usually good weather and the ready availability of self-catering accommodation make travelling with kids very straightforward, and although the long haul flight may be daunting for international visitors, those coming from Europe should draw comfort from the fact that most kids seem to take an overnight flight (with virtually no time zone difference) in their stride.

Of course, I cannot but help reflect my other interests: beautiful landscapes, fascinating wildlife, social history, quirky museums, unusual modes of travel, hearty food and cold beer!

Up front I should confess to being both opinionated and irreverent with a dark sense of humour, a strong appreciation for irony and a well developed sense of the ridiculous. So, by means of a public health warning, I should state that this website is not suited to those who place great importance on political correctness!

This is still work in progress, but nevertheless enjoy - I hope that it is of use and will inspire you to explore this fascinating part of the world.

The 'first division' destinations

As you might expect, my South Africa pages are perpetual work in progress.

From a tourist's point of view, my 'first division' pages that are probably of most interest to the first time visitor are as follows:

My Bloemfontein page
My Cape Town page
My Cederberg page
My Clanwilliam page
My Durban page
My Hartbeespoort page
My Johannesburg page
My Kimberley page
My Pretoria page

However, bear in mind that much of the charm of South Africa is in its 'second division' attractions, which may be less celebrated, but are equally (if not more) interesting, especially to the repeat visitor.

The 'second division' pages

My Addo Elephant Park page
My Alexander Bay page
My Bathurst page
My Betty's Bay page
My Chrissiesmeer page
My Citrusdal page
My Darling page
My Drakensberg page
My Dullstroom page
My Eland's Bay page
My Eshowe page
My Fochville page
My George page
My Groot Marico page
My Himeville page
My Hluhluwe page
My Hoedspruit page
My Kalk Bay page
My Kathu page
My Klerksdorp page
My Kloof page
My Kruger page
My Kuruman page
My Ladybrand page
My Lambert's Bay page
My Langebaan page
My Machadodorp page
My Mafikeng page
My Magaliesberg page
My Middelburg page
My Mmabatho page
My Nelspruit page
My Nieu Bethesda page
My Nieuwoudtville page
My Nottingham Road page
My Ohrigstad page
My Ottosdal page
My Paarl page
My Pietermaritzburg page
My Pilgrim's Rest page
My Potchefstroom page
My Pringle Bay page
My Richards Bay page
My Roosenekal page
My Sannieshof page
My Simon's Town page
My Sun City page
My Underberg page
My Vanrhynsdorp page
My Vryburg page
My Warmbaths (Bela Bela) page
My Witbank page

Pros and Cons

Pros:Diverse, affordable, hospitable, sports-obsessed and ridiculously beautiful with brilliant wildlife, fascinating history and culture
Cons:Petty crime and a virtual absence of public transport
In a nutshell:South Africa quite literally offers something for all ages, interests and budgets and provides a fascinating foray into the developing world

Intro Updated Aug 24, 2012
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Reviews (27)

'One stop' service stations on all highways - South Africa

'One stop' service stations on all... Transportation (7)

(work in progress) The good news for the traveller that's willing to self drive is that South Africa has an excellent... more travel advice

Help with packing your bags in supermarkets - South Africa

Help with packing your bags in... Shopping (5)

(work in progress) One thing that you'll note in South Africa is that because labour is still relatively cheap, anything... more travel advice

Wire and bead sculptures are almost irresistable! - South Africa

Wire and bead sculptures are almost... Shopping (5)

(work in progress) In terms of local crafts, I have yet to come across another place that offers the diversity of... more travel advice

Forecourt attendants make your visit a... Transportation (7)

Visitors used to serving themselves are often surprised at the number and helpfulness of South African forecourt (petrol... more travel advice

Comments (4)

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Redang Oct 30, 2012 at 3:58 AM

Hello, what's the best time to go to SA?
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  CatherineReichardt Oct 30, 2012 at 4:57 AM
  
  The answer is obviously, "Anytime, Santi"!
  Seriously, it depends on what you'd like to do. Game viewing is at its very best in the (Southern Hemisphere) winter, whereas that's not the best time for most of the coastal regions. Having said that, there's never a 'bad' time to go game spotting, and even in winter, the northern coast of KwaZulu Natal is perfectly viable for a beach holiday.
  The one piece of advice I would offer is to avoid the long school summer holidays (early December - mid January) and Easter which are peak period, so things get more crowded and expensive.
  My personal favourite times to travel are spring/early summer (late September - November) and autumn (March/April).
  Is this just an idle enquiry, or does it indicate serious intent? We'd love to see you in these parts ;)
  Regards
  Cathy
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LoriPori Nov 10, 2011 at 4:00 AM

omg I loooove biltong. Sometimes, I could just hop on a plane and get a fix of this delicious treat. I had kudo biltong and it tasted amazing. Thanks for the memories. Lori
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GentleSpirit Nov 8, 2011 at 11:07 AM

Cathie, I loved your description of biltong and some of the stuff expats would crave:) Your sense of humor adds something special to your way of describing things:)
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Durfun May 12, 2010 at 10:26 AM

Wow, All geared up. Indeed, Let the games begin!