South Africa 2017
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8<br />
Did you know?<br />
Top left: KwaZulu-Natal’s<br />
coastline. Bottom left: Penguins<br />
at Boulders Beach; AfrikaBurn,<br />
an event held annually in<br />
the Tankwa Karoo; Monster<br />
Mountain Scooters<br />
Due to its sheer size and diversity, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />
throws up plenty of surprises for visitors. If you<br />
think you know all about the Rainbow Nation, read on!<br />
Snow wonder: You can ski and snowboard at <strong>South</strong><br />
<strong>Africa</strong>’s only alpine resort, Tiffindell, 2,720 metres<br />
above sea level on Ben McDhui mountain in the southern<br />
Drakensberg, Eastern Cape. The ski season runs from the end<br />
of May to the end of August.<br />
Beach life: KwaZulu-Natal’s 120km coastline is lined<br />
with pristine beaches that can be enjoyed year-round<br />
in its sub-tropical climate in resorts such as Ballito, Umhlanga,<br />
Margate, Ramsgate, San Lameer and <strong>South</strong>broom. All<br />
swimming beaches have shark nets.<br />
Surf or dive: Action-seekers can go surfing off Durban or<br />
try shark cage-diving and snorkelling at top diving site<br />
Aliwal Shoal, 45 minutes south of Durban. Surfing dudes also<br />
congregate on the beaches of Port Elizabeth. faliwalshoal.co.za<br />
Burn, baby burn: Unusual <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> festivals include<br />
AfrikaBurn, a regional event of America’s Burning Man, held<br />
each April on an isolated farm in the Northern Cape desert just<br />
outside Tankwa Karoo National Park. It involves music, colourful<br />
costumes, wacky vehicles and giant art installations, some of<br />
which are burnt at the festival’s end. afrikaburn.com<br />
Monster thrills: Enjoy an exhilarating<br />
downhill ascent on Monster Mountain<br />
Scooters at Table Mountain (Cape Town),<br />
Garden Route National Park (Kynsna) and the<br />
Drakensberg Mountains (KwaZulu-Natal).<br />
features 'Lizzie' the articulated T-Rex, by art<br />
collective Fata Morgana<br />
With over 560<br />
wineries and<br />
4,400 producers,<br />
<strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>’s<br />
Winelands offer<br />
ample tasting<br />
opportunies.<br />
Visit during the<br />
autumn harvest<br />
(February-April),<br />
when the weather<br />
is warm and<br />
winds are light<br />
Tee off: Enjoy world-class championhsip golf for<br />
amazing value on courses that include include Fancourt<br />
Resort near George and Sun City’s two Gary Player-designed<br />
layouts in the North Wet. A round at top-rated Durban Country<br />
Club costs just R565 (about £33), and R160 (£10) plus a<br />
discretionary tip for a caddy.<br />
Animal magic: You don’t have to be in a game reserve to<br />
spot wildlife. See zebras on Table Mountain, penguins at<br />
Boulders Beach near Cape Town or Stony Point near<br />
Hermanus, ostriches around Oudtshoorn, sea lions in Hout Bay<br />
and baboons at Cape Point.<br />
Seal of approval: Playful, wild Cape fur seals often<br />
interact with snorkellers on shallow-water snorkelling<br />
trips to Duiker Island, in Cape Town’s Hout Bay, which is home<br />
to 5,000 of the mammals. Cool Atlantic waters and thick kelp<br />
forests help keep the sharks away.<br />
Sex and grub: Ronnies Sex Shop is actually a remote<br />
pub on Route 62 (90 minutes/150km from Oudtshoorn)<br />
in the Klein Karoo that’s now a popular pitstop after it was<br />
renamed from Ronnies Shop to drum up passing trade. Its<br />
restaurant is called the Roadkill Café.<br />
High drinks: <strong>Africa</strong>’s highest pub is located 2,873<br />
metres up in the Sani Mountain Lodge, at the top of<br />
spectacular 4x4 trail Sani Pass in KwaZulu-<br />
Natal’s Drakensberg Mountains, bordering<br />
Lesotho. The Sunlands Baobab Bar has<br />
been serving customers from inside a huge,<br />
hollowed-out baobab tree on a mango farm<br />
near Tzaneen, Limpopo, since 1933.<br />
saspecialist.southafrica.net