South Africa’s culture and history make for an extraordinary travel destination. From the desert heartland of the Kalahari to the bustle and beat of the country’s biggest city, this is why you should visit South Africa.
Culture makes a country. Its language to its landscapes, its food to its fashions, these all stack up in formations beneath your feet. But the seam of gold running through these sedimentary layers of every nation is its culture.
You don’t have to be in South Africa long to see the gold, the country’s culture is its emblem – its coat of arms.
So much has happened in South Africa that has direct impact on our lives today. From colonisation and early trade to racial atrocities, and the ongoing battle for equality, equity and freedom, South Africa’s seen it all.
Back to the very emergence of human beings right up to the present, this country, covering the southernmost tip of the continent, is relevant to every person on the planet in one way or another.
Why visit South Africa?
To visit South Africa and miss out on experiences that enlighten and educate us on the history of this unique nation is to neglect an essential part of it.
You’d also be missing the piece of this culture’s jigsaw that makes sense of modern-day South Africa.
Soweto, Johannesburg
South Africa is a wealth of incredible history and culture, but one of the most intense examples of this is in Soweto, the biggest township in the country.
Click here to view this video on YouTube.
Soweto – or South West Township as it was once known – was created as part of the Apartheid movement segregating the black community into slums outside the cities.
Now, rather than harbouring the tragedy and horror of years of oppression, Soweto has come to life; its inhabitants embrace their history and are proud to call this important part of South Africa’s past and present home.
Come with us to see what we experienced in this fascinating world while we were exploring South Africa and its incredible culture.
Safari in the Kalahari
Covering the top of the spear of northwestern South Africa, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park spans not only SA but also Namibia and Botswana, and takes up a huge chunk of the expansive Kalahari Desert.
Come with us as we explore the unending dunes of this safari, full of lions, antelope, ostrich, giraffe and an abundance of birdlife.
Click here to view this video on YouTube.
Within the dunes of the Kalahari you’ll also find !Xaus Lodge – a game lodge run by the local bushmen and the only one if its kind.
We also get to meet real San People of the Kalahari and take a guided trek through the wilderness spotting spore, analysing bones and exploring the secrets of the sand.
Mr & Mrs Romance in South Africa
Our time in South Africa was unbelievable. Meeting Kalahari Bushmen in the middle of the desert, spotting lions and antelope, giraffe and hyenas on the unending dunes, learning the Zulu history of the battles of Isandlwana and Rourke’s Drift.
We explored Soweto – the largest township in the country and wondered at the incredible street art of Johannesburg.
We tasted bunny chow by the coast in Durban and discovered the origins of man deep in the hills of the Cradle of Humankind.
Follow us on this extraordinary journey through one of Africa’s most iconic countries.
Click here to view this video on YouTube.
South African Stories
From our time in South Africa, here are more of our stories about this amazing journey. We feel very fortunate to have had this experience.
It has not only changed how we think about travel, but also our world view as well.
This is the effect South Africa can have on you.
In and out of Africa
An overview of our whole trip through South Africa – from our safari in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park to the modern cosmopolitan streets of Johannesburg.
Safari with a difference – !Xaus Lodge in the Kalahari Desert
Our review of the incredible experiences we had in the heart of the Kalahari Desert meeting Kalahari Bushmen, spotting lions and giraffes and learning about the ways of the wilderness at !Xaus Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
We’re incredibly grateful that our first visit to South Africa gave us a view of the country’s culture.
If it’s your first ever visit here, we’d recommend fitting in as many of these destinations into your itinerary as possible.
