Self Travel in South Africa - the Roads are Great, Use Them

Self Travel in South Africa - the Roads are Great, Use Them

Possibly one of the best things you can do when travelling is to explore the country you are visiting without a tour group. There is no better feeling then finding some unmarked beautiful area where the locals have possibly never seen a tourist and discovering, first hand, the types of lives these locals live. It also gives a person a profound sense of identity of the country you are exploring. It seems like a more pure experience when you happen to stumble and experience these little jewels in a country.

Having travelled both with tours and on my own, this writer would have to say that, although not as convenient as travelling with a tour group, travelling by myself or a loved one, is definitely the most gratifying and incredible way of experiencing a country, it’s people and their customs. There’s just something special about sitting down and planning the routes you will take, the type of accommodation you’ll be staying in, whether you’ll be trying travelling under your own steam, using public transport or hiring yourself a car. Be your own travel guide!

When travelling by yourself, you would have to budget carefully - or you run the risk of trying to buy up the whole country! A good method of planning is to book your accommodation in advance. If you want to do the backpacking thing, and just wing it then, try and get an accurate price of accommodation in each area. Also try find out how much an average meal would cost or in self-catering circumstances try and find out the average prices of items in supermarkets. Before you leave home, make sure to search for the best car hire prices, or you might just get a nasty shock at some places.

South Africa is a beautiful and large country with a diverse cultural and historic background, incredible scenery and out-of-this-world cooking styles. It has everything to offer from Sub-Saharan to Sub-Tropical Climates and scenery. Wildlife is in abundance from the “Big 5” to the “Little Big 5” and a vast diversity in-between.

One of the most scenic and absolutely peaceful places to start is the Western Cape – that said, it can also be the biggest party you have ever had! In Cape Town you can experience everything from the night life to nature and one of the few places I’ve been where you can experience 4 seasons in 1 day. Some wonderful day trips are to do a wine route, whether Stellenbosch, Durbanville, Worcester, or any of the other beautiful and inebriating routes. Have a picnic at Kirstenbosch Gardens and maybe enjoy one of the incredible sunset concerts in summer, or to try something new go for a fruit picking day which can be done on selected farms.

Up the coast in Knysna you have a host of activities including Canoeing, Mountain bike trails, leisurely beach walks, a visit to the famous lakes around Knysna, Boat cruises, hiking, visiting the Elephant, Bird and Monkey sanctuary in Plett and many more.

If you like your wildlife then go up to Mpumalanga and visit the Kruger National Park which has day tours through the park. If you wanted to stay the night in one of the camps they also have an early morning walk with an armed game ranger (which lasts about 3hrs). Why not go for a walk on the Mountains at Barberton which is at the Swaziland border and where you could find old asbestos mines, old mine tunnels which you can walk through and incredibly diverse scenery.

In Gauteng, go see the Cradle of human kind at the Sterkfontein Caves. These caves have produced over half of the world’s Hominid fossil discoveries. If you want some excitement and something with even more flair, then go on one of the Township tours where you can see anything from Nelson Mandela residence or stay for some traditional African dancing. Remember to try as many of the superb South African delicacies as possible.

Stop in with the kids to Gold Reef City which has an amusement park, casino and where you can even go down a 2000 foot mine shaft tour.

The Northwest province is a land of exquisiteness where you can see the site where Dr. Raymond Dart found the Taung skull in 1924, visit the majestic Magaliesberg and even go see the wild life at the Pielansberg Nature Reserve. If you’re looking for fun and excitement then why not go visit Sun City which has casino’s, golf courses, valley of the waves with some unbelievable super tubes, and waves that would put the ocean to shame.

The Eastern Cape is a place of diverse entertainments and excitement from surfing in the ocean to skiing down Africa’s only snow slopes. The birth place of Nelson Mandela and with the world’s highest bungee jump, the Eastern Cape is definitely a place to explore slowly enjoying all that it has to offer.

The Free State is South Africa’s agricultural capital and a fast growing tourist destination with its slow paced lifestyle and traditional “Boere Kos.” Food though isn’t the only thing you’ll find here; it has an impressive extension of Nature reserves, some amazing routes featuring everything from Diamonds and wine to battles and tradition. You can also go “fossil hunting” or see the amazing rock art created by our African ancestors.

Kwazulu Natal with its Subtropical coastline washed by the warm Indian ocean to its sweeping Savannah’s and the incredible Drakensburg Mountains.

Here you can experience battlefield tours, Zulu crafts and incredible tradions all around.

Where-ever you go, South Africa is full of surprises that are often not covered in tours. You can take a wonderful meander through what looks like flat bush and come to sudden green valleys with its fresh water springs. Explore caves that are things of wonder that makes you realise just where you fit in this world. Climb mountains or just take it easy. A place of diversity with beauty around every corner and a whole lot to be explored.

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David A Nurick

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South Africa