South Africa
An Introduction to South Africa
If there was only one word to summarise South Africa it would be ‘diverse’. Diversity seeps throughout the whole country, from the rich to the poor, from the flora to the fauna, and from the dense forests to the dry deserts. There are even stark changes in the climate, to the hot and humid north, to the sometimes wet and windy south.
It doesn’t matter whether you are going to South Africa for a holiday or as a backpacking destination; it caters for both.
Table Mountain automatically takes you to South Africa and is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks; the Drakensberg mountains delight hikers from all over the world and is a beautiful place to explore; the ‘Elephant Coast’ provides pristine, golden beaches that would make any Australian jealous. And if you want national parks, well, South Africa has a few of those too. Test your eye-sight on a safari in Kgalagadi National Park or Kruger National Park and see if you can spot cheetahs, elephants, lions, and a whole host of other animals.
Map of South Africa
Country Expert
Andy Tipp
Andy has been to South Africa twice. Once was on his original gap year, where he spent 6 months living and working on a volunteering projrct at a school in the northern Limpopo province.
The second visit was during his post-university backpacking trip, where he re-visited several places and explored lots of new ones.
To learn a bit more about South Africa from a backpacker perspective, read his personal country guide. To see some nice pictures from his time in the country, check out his photo gallery.
