Don’t Underestimate South Africa
Nick Strauss
Thinking of going on a family vacation? Sick of the same boring vacations every year? Well cancel your tickets for that Florida timeshare and come to South Africa! I know what you may be thinking, “Africa? I don’t want to go see the Sahara in 120 degree weather!” Well don’t worry, South Africa is the southern most tip of Africa and has 1,739 miles in coastline! Go get your beach on in some of the worlds most beautiful beaches!
Camps Bay in Camp Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa!
If you are more of a city person, one of the most exotic, beautiful and unique cities in the world is Cape Town, which is on the most southern tip of Africa.
To truly experience all the culture of South Africa, it is a necessity to spend a couple nights in the cultural center of this beautiful county, Johannesburg. There you will find everything from vibrant music to fantastic shopping. Many people think that Africa is lacking big urban cities, but those people are missing out on one of the worlds best! The city is filled with fantastic museums about the countries rich history, enough markets to spend your entire retirement fund, and enough concerts and events to keep you jumping all the way through the night!
The Apartheid Museum is a chilling museum showing the county’s dark past. Through film, text and audio exhibits will help you realize the struggles that these shockingly resilient people have gone through. While you may have reserves to spend an afternoon in this museum, I promise you that you will be grateful that you went.
Now don’t worry, if you’re still looking for that safari fix, South Africa can still help you with that. South Africa has over 22 national parks, and is wild renown for its safari excursions. If it catches your fancy, you can hire a tour guide to give you a tour of the amazing South African wildlife and expansive geography.
If you’re brave enough you can visit one of the many Rhino Game reserves throughout the country.
South Africa is filled with a abundant number of rivers and lakes that flow into beautiful mountain waterfalls. Taking kayak tours with the hippos in these rivers is a common occurrence! Waterfalls like this one are peppered all throughout South Africa (Tugela Falls)
The climate in South Africa varies very differently by the region, but all of the country tends to have late thunderstorms that dissipate quickly in the afternoon, which gives the whole region the unique African smell. The Western Cape tends to have weather much akin to the Mediterranean. (sounds nice!)
If you’re into hiking, South Africa has more than enough mountains to quench your desire. Mountain Mofadi has 3 different reachable peaks at 11,319 ft. The Eastern Cape alone has over 1,143 different peaks to be explored. All together the entire country has over 5 thousand peaks!
As a society we tend to put Africa in a box; just deserts and conflict. This type of thinking is preventing people from visiting the most beautiful country in the world. South Africa is rich in culture with an amazing and storied past. Along with its culture, South Africa also has one of the most unique lands in the world, as it contains beautiful beaches and great mountains. The southern tip of Africa should, by no means, be overlooked when thinking about a new exotic trip.