South Africa presents a vast selection of holiday destinations for tourists visiting the country. The Drakensberg Mountains is another place that is still being kept as a secret. It still remains off the normal track, and although some tourists find their way to the Drakensberg , majority don’t.

The most excellent way to start on your journey is by downloading a free tourists’ Map of Drakensberg which will guide you as you search through this locality. This is the only up-to-scale map that can be availed for the area. It illustrates all the back roads, pointing out to the ones recommended and which are not and indicates how far things are. But what I like about the map is that it’s freely distributed, includes all the activities that the region offers and a great selection of the best advised to use.

The Drakensberg begins from the Golden Gate National Park North with and the Clarens and ends at Bushmans Nek in the south. In-between you will come across the Cathedral Peak, the Amphitheatre of Royal Natal National Park, Mweni the most undomesticated region in the mountains, , Giants Castle National Park, Monks Cowl, Injasuti, Kamberg with the finest art drawn by bushmen on rock in the entire Drakensberg Mountains, Sani Pass, Loteni, Garden Castle, and Cobham.

There are numerous activities to get involved in, but the major reason that takes you to  Drakensberg are the mountains. Although each part of the Drakensberg is unique in its own way, there are just a few places you wouldn’t love to miss. The ideal place to visit is the Sentinel peak found on top of the escarpment. The returning walk is 5 hours and brings you on top of Tugela Falls which drop at 948 meters into the Royal Natal National Park. The scenery from the top at the Amphitheatre is perhaps one of the best magnificent views in the whole world that nature offers. Many tourists usually walk to the bottom, but the scenery is not the same as that on top.

The Central and Northern regions of Drakensberg Mountains merge into the Giants Castle National Park. Basically, the experience in whichever section of this area is similar presenting an opportunity to climb the higher places of the Drakensberg Mountains or remain low in the valleys. What makes more interesting is the numerous selections of trails and shortage of other people in this area makes the Giants Castle rather interesting. I suppose the situation will not remain like that forever but the possibility of trekking in the mountains and you do not see another person still happens. From the Giants Castle facing the south direction, the mountains become less dramatic and softer, so you should endeavor this adventure in your tour itinerary. Kamberg is a very good destination that comprises of the unique bushman art works on the rocks.

Bushman Art drawings on the Rock are the most important reason why you should visit the incredible Drakernsberg Mountains. The admirable video presentation that runs for 3 hour before you embark on a guided tour at Kamberg greatly explains the history of the native residents and that of the rock art at Game Park. The rock art in the Giants Castle at the major caves are a good attraction that can easily be walked to. The Didima Rock Art Centre at Cathedral Peak provides a great scenery although these paintings are just reproduced piece of work. Remember, all rock art works must be viewed in the presence of a guide.

Riding of Horses at the bottom of the Drakensberg is an exciting experience that shouldn’t be missed. Sengani horse trails present safe routes for both starters and experienced people. Spionkop game reserve is among the game reserve/parks that e offers viewing game on horse back

Rich with history, the Battlefields Region presents gripping tales of the, Zulu, Voortrekker, British and, Boer history. The Anglo Boer War extended as far as Mooi River in south and these sites are best visited with a specialist guide to it.

The region has a fun and exciting collection of cheese tastings, antiques art galleries, craft shops ,gifts, pottery and leather work. All these varying activities reflect a rare collection of true creativity of the natives of South African. You will embark on a slow journey to view terrific galleries like Millgate, Zombeza Indigo and Fields Gallery, Community projects aimed at development like Eyethu Ceramics, Craft uplift and other local community projects.

A trip to Sani going through Lesotho and a visit to the highest African pub in is mandatory. It is a remarkable 4×4 trail hiking 1330 meters in 6,5km’s Passports are required.

you can view a variety of game at , Spionkop, Golden Gate, Umgeni Lammergeyer hide at Giants Castle Valley and Weenen. For those who love watching birds, this can be done at the Crane Foundation at Kamberg, and the bird of prey display at Falcon Ridge. Fort Durnford in Estcourt offers one of the most complete bird egg collections in South Africa.

For those who seek to adventure the region outside the quad bikes and white rafting water, you could opt for South Africa’s longest slide in cable cars, while enjoying  flying trapeze, hot air ballooning and bicycle tours.

The Boys Choir of Drakensberg is a popular choir worldwide and perform  majorly on  Wednesdays from 3:30 pm. Bookings are: 036 / 468 1017. Try not to miss this heartening cultural experience. Another beautiful cultural experience is the Mpopomeni Zulu tourism, where tourists have the privilege to meet indigenous people, you will be briefed about their history of how they settled here and have a taste of some of their traditional food. This exciting experience with real people doesn’t feel touristy in any way.

You could alternatively opt to be spoilt with one of the numerous health spas.

South Africa’s beaches are considered to be among the finest beaches in the entire world. The 2798 kilometer coastline lining this country has numerous outstanding beaches. Other than sun bathing the whole day or swimming, South Africa’s beaches have a lot of activities to offer and these include: kite surfing, diving, surfing, and climbing along the shoreline.

Port St John’s has an incredible coastline. The beach is somewhat underdeveloped although it is a great destination for swimming in the shoreline waters and sunbathing.

Port Elizabeth has a number of beaches that provide safe surfing and swimming. This King’s Beach is the most renowned beach around this area together with the Humewood Beach.

Cape Vidal, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has one of the most popular beaches in South Africa. The beach’s edge is characterized by long stretches of sand and many attractive rock pools. One of the major activities which take place at this beach is whale watching and it’s done in the month of October.

The Durban’s South Beach is perfect for surfing and swimming. It is a component of the world renowned Golden Mile. This beach offers a number of exciting activities for the visitor. Africa’s largest marine acreage of prime beach land, is found in  uShaka Marine World – which is marine the largest theme park in Africa.The Umhalanga Rocks are situated north of Durban. This beach is a favorite to many especially during school holidays in this country. It is visited by families and offers a variety of entertaining activities such as boogie boarding, swimming and surfing. This beach also has warm tidal pools and rock pools.

The Camps Bay is located in Cape Town. This is the answer to majestic St Tropez in South Africa. Popularly known in all corners of the world, this beach is a bona fide delicacy for all visitors. Other attractions at the beach are the Twelve Apostles, stunning views of the Lion’s Head and breathtaking sunsets over the waters. The neighboring bars and restaurants offer comfortable relaxation after a days surfing and swimming.

Boulders Beach which is a fraction of the Table Mountains National park is paradise for many African penguins. The beach has an affordable entrance charge that is well paid off by the spectacular scenery of enormous granite boulders. This beach is ideal for whale watching between November and January.

In the small town Hermanus – Grotto Beach which is among the top beaches in South Africa is located in the little Hermanus town. The immaculate conditions and first-class facilities make it a superb vacation destination. The calm Hermanius town hosts a festival annually to remember the spring relocation of southern whales. This is the best destination for watching whales in the whole world.

There are a number of great beaches along the Western Capes Garden Route. Among them is the Noetzie Beach. This beach is prominent for holding three castles.  Not very far from it is the Buffels Bay beach. Its immaculate sand certainly will make the visit exciting and you won’t be disappointed.

Those are just a few of the numerous beaches found in South Africa.

Sodwana Bay – Kwazulu Natal

The sandy beach section along South Africa’s coast line is a favorite destination for many holiday makers. The golden dunes are bordered by green vegetation and surrounded by warm waters from the Indian Ocean. On this South African coral reef there is a lot of diving and you will be able to see a variety  of underwater species of life, such as whale-sharks.

Nature’s Valley Beach – Garden Route

This sandy beach is surrounded by a forest and a big lagoon. This part of coastline is still fairly wild and undomesticated so don’t expect to find ice-cream shops or lifeguards there. The lagoon also provides a nice alternative if theWhen the sea waters are too cold for swimming in, the lagoon serves as an alternative. Nature’s Valley is located next to Tsitsikamma National Park. The rugged and spectacular natural reserve set near the mouth of the River Storms. There is a lot of adventure and a number of activities like kayaking, world’s uppermost bungee, tree-canopy tours and abseiling.

Plettenberg Bay – Eastern Cape

This stunning beach is well-liked by many tourists and is an ideal destination for watching whales particular between June and October. The modestly sweeping ocean waves make this Bay a perfect place for the large mammals.

Coffee Bay – Wild Coast

Although the roads to this Coffee Bay are dirty, the eye-catching setting of this place pays off for the bumpy ride. The Hole in the Wall There is a remarkable geographical feature that is carved into the sides of the cliffs as a Hole in the Wall. On traveling north of the Cwebe and Dwesa Nature Reserves, you will find a beautiful and undomesticated coastline.

Llandudno – Cape Town

This is majorly composed of the surrounding close by Camps Bay, but those in the know frequent Llandudno is a more isolated and serene bay that is as fine-looking as its renowned cousin. Other than being sheltered from the harsh Cape winds, Llandudno is has a rocky peninsula to be explored, and you can also watch the sharks and seals.

Only real wine expert can understand that the South Africa wine itinerary is fine. Although the ascending hills and dropping valleys in Cape town’s inside cities provide the perfect landscape for growing grapes and produce some of the world’s best wines, newer vineyards and wineries have emerged in places never thought to be possible, and this is along South Africa’s coastal areas. With the occasional strong winds and calm temperatures, no one had ever imagined that these areas would ever be suitable for cultivating good grapes to produce the best wines.

The very hard working vintners in South Africa have showed every one that great wine can be produced Cape point- the Two Ocean, Walker Bay and Elim Valley in Cape Agulhas have been winning various international and local awards and are evading the viticulture world by surprise. These grapes grow under unfertile soils and very harsh weather. They produce exceptional first –class  white wines, with light and a rich flavored texture.

The coastal regions begin from the tip of Africa at Elim Valley which is at Cape Agulhas. The existing vines in this region are somewhat old although they have just recently entered the global market. Originally, vineyards were grown to provide the missionaries with wine to be used for religious blessing and other functions. It was later discovered that these vines could produce wines that could be distributed so they started bottling and even labeled the wines.

On traveling further west, you will arrive at the Heaven and Earth Valley- Hemel en Aarde Valley and there you will learn that most of the Walker Bay vineyards are situated there. Most of the wines are crispy and flavored with unique aromas. There are a few fruity flavored and strongly spiced vanilla or earthy toned wines. This area not only produces interesting and mild red wines but also a great selection of white wine. The vineyards are moderately protected in a valley and they receive calm weather and cold breezes from the Atlantic Ocean.

When you go further west, you will reach the False Bay region, where its waters are much warmer and the beaches are packed with travelers on holiday. This area is close to Cape Point and it experiences both Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean breezes. The Two Oceans wines are produce from here and their unique interesting flavor has made them a favorite for many during meals. Other than being light, they have liked great flavor. Vintners at Cape Point recently started producing red wine and lately have seen the first red grapes harvest which they claim appears to shows potential.

When you go to the coastal area of South Africa, Endeavour not to miss these wine itineraries. You can also visit the Constantia region which manufactures award-winning wines from it estates. Groot Constantia is the oldest wine producing farm in the whole of South Africa and it is located in this region. It offers tasty meals, enjoyable wine tasting and luxurious accommodation. Anyone can mistake this to be lay in the coastal region but actually it is located immediately above the mountain from Noordhoek being only at 10-15 minutes from the western part and15-20 minutes from the Eastern area at Muizenberg.

There are quite a number of more wine itineraries that you should not miss, particularly Winelands comprised of Paarl and Franschhoek, Tulbagh, Stellenbosch, Boland comprised of Breede River Valley and Worcester, Swartland and Wellington, and many more inside regions.  Also, there are many attractive vineyards and wine farms along River Orange’s banks in Mpumalanga Province, in Karoo where the semi arid conditions produce grand Muscadels and of late in KwaZulu-Natal and Free State.

It is wise to include most of the coastal wine areas in your tour itinerary so that you can get the privilege to explore to vineyards and wine industries. In the cool coastal climate, you are bound to enjoy this delicately flavored wine with your meals. Another reason why you should not miss this is the spectacular beauty of the place itself. From your tour you can enjoy a number of activities such as cycling, surfing, paint balling, hiking, shark diving, boating, whale watching, scuba diving abseiling, swimming, paragliding, mountain biking and climbing, hang gliding, snorkeling, and visiting of the numerous attractions along South Africa’s coast. Among these are the town of Hermanus, Hangklip, Boulders Beach with its numerous penguins, lighthouse and museums at Cape Agulhas, the spectacular Clarens Drive and Cape Point and its beautiful features.

Whichever destinations you may choose to visit during your wine tours in south Africa, you  will discover the diverse variety of wines as you taste them. In conclusion, the more wine places you visit the more variety you will taste.