Southern Africa is a fascinating region to explore. Here you'll find vast open landscapes that range from lush green to dry desert, from mountains to plains that seem to stretch on forever. You'll also find friendly and welcoming people and modern cities. Many visitors stick to popular tourist destinations but to experience the real Africa, you need to venture beyond the safari lodge. Unfortunately the public transport system isn't the best or most reliable, so rent a car and go on a road trip you'll never forget.
One of Southern Africa's most popular destinations is the Western Cape province of South Africa. This is home to gorgeous Cape Town, which is a good city to fly into. From Cape Town, head northwards to the Cape Winelands or up along the rugged West Coast. Otherwise, head east through the semi-arid Little Karoo region. You can also stick to the coastal route known as the Garden Route with its forests.
South Africa's eastern coast has a warmer, more humid climate and the ocean is pleasantly warm. The secluded beaches of the Wild Coast are often visited by herds of cattle. More to the north lies the Hibiscus Coast with its holiday resorts. After that you'll find laid-back Durban, where Indian and Zulu cultures meet and where the surfing is great.
After you've explored the coast, it's time for the mountains. The Drakensberg is Southern Africa's biggest mountain range. Part of the Drakensberg is the Maluti Mountains, which make up most of the country of Lesotho. From Lesotho, continue on into South Africa's Free State province. Here the sandstone cliffs are soon replaced by vast plains covered in cornfields and sunflowers.
From Bloemfontein in the Free State it's only about four hours to Johannesburg, the largest city in the country. North of Johannesburg lies the South African capital, Pretoria. From this part of the country it's about five or six hours to the Kruger National Park and only a couple of hours more to the mountains of Swaziland or the beaches of Mozambique.
You can also head northwards instead. Drive through the wooded Bushveld region where you'll find plenty of game farms and will start seeing boabab trees. At Musina, cross the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe. Then explore Bulawayo and the Hwange National Park before spending some time at the Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba. Afterwards, continue on into Zambia.
After Zambia, go south again to Botswana. Go game-viewing in the lush northern parts of this pleasant country and spend some time in the Okavango Delta. Further south is the Kalahari Desert. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers a large part of the Kalahari in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. Namibia is also home to the Namib Desert with its high sand dunes and the country has a German flavor.
Most roads in the Southern African region are easily traveled by normal car, even if many of them are gravel roads. There are many car-rental companies to choose from in the cities and rates are usually quite reasonable. When driving in the region, stop regularly during your trip so that you'll be rested. This is especially important since distances between destinations are often quite big and in Southern Africa, people drive on the left, which may take some getting used to.
One of Southern Africa's most popular destinations is the Western Cape province of South Africa. This is home to gorgeous Cape Town, which is a good city to fly into. From Cape Town, head northwards to the Cape Winelands or up along the rugged West Coast. Otherwise, head east through the semi-arid Little Karoo region. You can also stick to the coastal route known as the Garden Route with its forests.
South Africa's eastern coast has a warmer, more humid climate and the ocean is pleasantly warm. The secluded beaches of the Wild Coast are often visited by herds of cattle. More to the north lies the Hibiscus Coast with its holiday resorts. After that you'll find laid-back Durban, where Indian and Zulu cultures meet and where the surfing is great.
After you've explored the coast, it's time for the mountains. The Drakensberg is Southern Africa's biggest mountain range. Part of the Drakensberg is the Maluti Mountains, which make up most of the country of Lesotho. From Lesotho, continue on into South Africa's Free State province. Here the sandstone cliffs are soon replaced by vast plains covered in cornfields and sunflowers.
From Bloemfontein in the Free State it's only about four hours to Johannesburg, the largest city in the country. North of Johannesburg lies the South African capital, Pretoria. From this part of the country it's about five or six hours to the Kruger National Park and only a couple of hours more to the mountains of Swaziland or the beaches of Mozambique.
You can also head northwards instead. Drive through the wooded Bushveld region where you'll find plenty of game farms and will start seeing boabab trees. At Musina, cross the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe. Then explore Bulawayo and the Hwange National Park before spending some time at the Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba. Afterwards, continue on into Zambia.
After Zambia, go south again to Botswana. Go game-viewing in the lush northern parts of this pleasant country and spend some time in the Okavango Delta. Further south is the Kalahari Desert. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers a large part of the Kalahari in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. Namibia is also home to the Namib Desert with its high sand dunes and the country has a German flavor.
Most roads in the Southern African region are easily traveled by normal car, even if many of them are gravel roads. There are many car-rental companies to choose from in the cities and rates are usually quite reasonable. When driving in the region, stop regularly during your trip so that you'll be rested. This is especially important since distances between destinations are often quite big and in Southern Africa, people drive on the left, which may take some getting used to.
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