South Africa is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world today. It is a diverse and beautiful country rich in natural resources. It’s about the size of Spain and France combined and boasts of interesting wildlife, grand scenery, and sparkling-blue beaches. Here are the Top 5 Tourist Attractions in South Africa.
Apart from the amusement parks and casino resorts, you will find a number of tourist attractions. It will create a great and unforgettable escapade experience for everyone. Its popular tourist attractions showcase a diverse and picturesque tradition and highly regarding native products like exquisite wines and handicrafts.
Top 5 Tourist Attractions in South Africa
1) Sun City Resort
Sun City’s area is known as the Africa’s Kingdom of Pleasure. It’s a 2 hours drive from Johannesburg and is considered the best luxury casino resort in the country. Sun City’s complex has 4 hotels, 2 championship golf courses, 2 grand casinos, a South African cultural village, and home to thousands of crocodiles within its sanctuary. It’s also located adjacent to Pilanesberg Game Reserve which is considered the most popular public game reserve in the country.
This resort and hosted various concerts and events, including the Miss South Africa and Miss South Africa Teen Pageant. These pageants take place annually in Sun City’s Super Bowl Arena and the Valley of Waves. It also hosted the Miss World competition five times from 1992 to 1995, and 2001. The resort was also is known for Sun City Agreement.
In 2001, Sun City also hosted 2nd IIFA Awards. Held at the Superbowl Arena, it honored both the technical and artistic excellence of professionals in Bollywood for that year. At this place the same year on 19 May, Irish vocal pop band WeWestlife held a concert also.
In 2014, the film Blended starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler premiered at the resort on 2017.
2) Kruger National Park
This park is the biggest game reserve in the African continent and one of the main tourist destinations in South Africa. Kruger National Park boasts more species of mammal than any African game reserve. These include the Big 5, cheetahs, giraffes, and lions. Kruger is a self-drive destination with tent camps and luxury lodges available for tourists.
This is one of the biggest game reserves in Africa. Spread over an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in northeastern SA and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west.
Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898 and it became South Africa’s first national park in 1926.
To the south and west of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo respectively. To the north is Zimbawe and Mozambique rests to the east.
The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere and it is designated by the UNESCO as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve.
The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.
3) The Drakensberg Amphitheatre
Drakensberg’s name is Dutch and means Dragon’s Mountain. The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in the country rising to 3,482 meters (11,420 ft) in height. The unique geographical structure of the Amphitheatre is considered one of the most beautiful cliff facades in the world.
The Amphitheatre is a dramatic cliff face that is stretched more than five kilometers (3.1 miles) in length. The cliffs along the entire length of the range are more than 1.2 kilometers high. This massive structure lays still and silent, looming over the magnificent Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Amphitheatre is part of the northern part of the Drakensberg, and is home to the Tugela Falls. It flows into the Tugela Gorge with the kind of power and grace that only nature can create. This is the second-highest waterfall in the world, with sheets of water that drop 948 metres (3 100 feet) before crashing to the bottom.
You can also enjoy hiking here as it has many such trails that start at the car park above Witsieshoek Resort and takes visitors to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources. You will also find a short climb (on-chain ladders) right to the top of the Amphitheatre, from where hikers are privy to one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Drink in views of the gorge, the mountain range, and the best of African landscapes as far as the eye can see.
4) Durban Beach
Durban’s beaches feature a vibrant ambiance which is likened to Miami Beach’s festive vibe. The Durban Beach stretch boasts of a party atmosphere sporting a genuine beach culture. It’s also known as the Golden Mile for its golden sands and tropical sunshine that embraces Durban’s coasts.
Durban’s beaches are located along a stretch of golden sand, known locally as the Golden Mile. From Blue Lagoon’s fishing spot to the sunken Vetch’s Pier, a host of flat, sandy beaches invite you to set down an umbrella and towel, and while away hours in the sun.
Gifted with robust wages, warm water, and seemingly endless stretches of sandy beaches, you’ll soon know why Durban (eThekwini) is everyone’s favourite seaside playground. Warm and sunny most of the year, Durban’s beaches offer public amenities, protective shark nets, beacons to indicate safe bathing, and lifeguards on duty for most of the day.
5) Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is the only park in the country under a formal conservation effort in KwaSulu Natal where you can see lions, rhinos, leopards, elephants, and buffalos live in their natural habitat. This park makes your Safari adventure a memorable experience as you enjoy touring this great collection of Fauna and Flora.
Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, formerly Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Game Reserve, is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa. It consists of 960 km² (96,000 ha) of hilly topography 280 kilometres (170 mi) north of Durban in central Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts. The park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where each of the big five game animals can be found.[2]
Due to conservation efforts, the park in 2008 had the largest population of white rhinoceros in the world.
Signs of Stoneage
Throughout the park, there are many signs of Stone Age settlements. The area was originally a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom, it was established as a park in 1895. The Umfolozi and Hluhluwe reserves were established primarily to protect the white rhinoceros, then on the endangered species list.
The area is heave for many animals as tsetse flies carrying the Nagana disease are common, which protected the area from hunters in the colonial era. However, as the Zululand areas was settled by European farmers the game was blamed for the prevalence of the tsetse fly and the reserves became experimental areas in the efforts to terminate the fly.
Historical Account
Farmers called for the slaughter of game and about 100,000 animals were killed in the reserve before the spraying DDT in 1945 that solved the problem. However, white rhinoceros were not targeted and today a population of about 1000 is maintained. On 30 April 1995, the then President Nelson Mandela visited the then Hluhluwe Game Reserve to celebrate the park’s centenary. Hluhluwe–Imfolozi was originally three separate reserves that joined under its current title in 1989.
Synopsis
There are The Top 5 Tourist Attractions in South Africa which you should not miss out on visiting if you ever plan a trip to South Africa.
