This is one of the most amazing destinations to visit on the planet and offers so many opportunities to tourists.
If you are in need of inspiration for where to go for your next trip, here are five reasons why you should visit South Africa.
1. Wildlife
A safari is a must-do in everyone's minds and look no further than South Africa's famous Kruger Park, where sights of the Big Five are common, as well as a whole other host of animals. This is your opportunity to book a safari and see wildlife up close and personal - not many things in the world compare to this.
The Kruger National Park is one of the 10 most popular tourist attractions in South Africa and once you go you will realise why.
South Africa is rich with wildlife, and something that is unique to South Africa is spotting wild penguins. Just south of Cape Town is boulders beach, where thousands of African penguins are calling that beach home.
There are lots of volunteer programs in South Africa where you can work with animals if this is of interest to you.
2. Mountains
South Africa has some of the world's best views from top of their many mountains.
The Drakensberg Park consists of many different peaks travellers can climb, from Cathedral Peak to Giant Castle. The hikes can be long and hard, but worth it when the top is reached and can even give you a glimpse of neighbouring Lesotho.
Cape Town has mountains within its city, from the top of the table mountain the city is in clear view as well as Robben island. However the mountain that must be climbed is Lion's Head, especially at sunset, all the lights of Cape Town light up, table mountain change colours and watch the sunset across the sea.
3. Beaches
With an impressive 1,500 miles of coastline to be discovered, it is no surprise that there are some amazing beaches to be found.
Plan a summer trip to Cape Town and discover beautiful beaches like Camps Bay pictured above.
There are some stunning beaches to see on South Africa's wild coast, with hotspots such as Coffee Bay and along the garden route with Plettenberg bay and Muzienberg.
Durban is another popular South African city with a 7km long beach stretching the city front, perfect if you like water sports.
The Atlantic ocean's riptides make the coast a famous surfing route, for beginners or experienced surfers.
4. History
Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town is somewhere tourists can visit to find out what life was like back in the struggle for South Africa's freedom.
Here you can see how the prisoners were treated and can talk to former prisoners about their life inside those walls.
There are other opportunities to find out about South Africa's history such as the Nelson Mandela museum in Johannesburg, and touring Soweto, an important township in the struggle for Apartheid.
5. Food
South-African cuisine is what kickstarted Nandos, so expect spicy food. A lot of Indian food has come popular in South Africa, with twists on traditional Indian curries.
A food to try is bunny chow which is simply a curry with either a loaf or half a loaf of bread. It's prominent in Durban especially, where it was invented. The food in South Africa is not well known but worth tasting.
Book a Trip to South Africa
South Africa really is diverse and beautiful, and a country you really need to visit. Whether you fancy a dream holiday seeing wildlife, a city break to discover the highlights of Cape Town or are planning an epic gap year in Africa, go for it. There are lots of tours in South Africa which are an easy way to discover the highlights of the country.
By Natalia Andersson-Laing
