South Africa is a beautiful country which offers worthwhile exploration opportunities for both local and international travellers.
It boasts an abundance of incredible attractions to visit. Through exploring various attractions, one is able to gain a better understanding of the country’s rich history, as well as to take a closer look at its breathtaking natural beauty and diverse cultures.
Here’s a look at some of South Africa’s most popular tourist attractions worth visiting:
Kruger National Park
Picture: AnnaKate Auten/Unsplash
The iconic Kruger National Park is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country and on the continent. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife and offers some of the best game viewing opportunities in the world.
Tourists are attracted by a number of factors, including the Park’s massive size, the chance to view the Big Five, as well as the variety of game drives and thrilling walk safaris which are available.
Image: Rémi Prévost /Unsplash
Apartheid Museum
Located in Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum is one of South Africa’s most important historical attractions. The popular museum affords visitors the opportunity to learn more about the country’s past, and specifically the Apartheid era.
Visiting the attraction presents the chance to travel down memory lane as you delve into how segregation took place based on race, language and even hair texture.
Apartheid Museum. Picture: Wikimedia Commons / Katangais.
The museum boasts a number of interesting and informative exhibits. These include text panels, film footage and painful stories which expose the atrocities committed during the Apartheid era. This attraction stands not only as an informative reminder of the past, but also as a beacon of hope for all mankind.
Table Mountain
Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain (Picture: Getaway Gallery)
Table Mountain is popularly known for its flat top appearance which resembles a table surface. Overlooking the Mother City, the popular attraction is a favourite amongst nature lovers and adventure seekers. It offers picturesque views, as well as some impressive flora and fauna.
Tourists grace the natural wonder for a number of reasons. There is an opportunity to enjoy a memorable hike, or even an experience on the exciting cableway. Importantly, it is worth noting that the Table Mountain Cableway will be shut down for maintenance from the 15th of July to the 2nd of September 2024.
Vilakazi Street
Vilakazi Street, photo by Teagan Cunniffe.
Soweto’s Vilakazi Street stands firm as one of South Africa’s most popular attractions. It is the only street in the world which can claim to have had two Nobel Laureates, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as residents. The street is rich in history and offers an authentic experience which oozes the energetic buzz of township life.
Cradle of Humankind
Picture: Melanie van Zyl
The popular Cradle of Humankind is home to limestone caves which carry a rich fossil record for human evolutionary studies. As such, it is a very important tourist attraction not only in South Africa but for the continent as a whole.
The site’s official visitors’ center showcases in-depth detail pertaining to how humans previously lived. Tourists flock to the attraction to learn more about human evolution, as well as to enjoy an insightful and fascinating historical experience.
Robben Island
Picture: Getaway Gallery
Located in Table Bay, Robben Island holds symbolic value that is found in its sombre history. The attraction is famously known as the place where the late struggle icon, Nelson Mandela, was jailed.
At various times between the 17th and 20th century, it was used as a prison and military base. It also served as a hospital for socially unacceptable groups, including an isolated leper colony in 1845.
Tourists visit the attraction to learn more about South Africa’s history, as well as to gain a better understanding of the harsh conditions which various political prisoners were subjected to.
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