Flying over the ocean blue to an island called Unguja, I imagined Zanzibar to be a stereotypical island paradise – bleached beaches, coconuts falling from palm trees, sickly sweet pineapple drinks with those unnecessary little umbrellas – but with the influence of Africa, slavery, and the spice route. Water like liquid sapphire Captures fragments of […]

It’s been only 10 days since Bucketvision uploaded the video below of Cape Town to Facebook, and already it has received over 2.8 million views!!! The bucketlist app – which is currently focussed on Cape Town – posted the video together with a message claiming: “Cape Town, South Africa has been named the most BEAUTIFUL city […]

An American tourist on holiday in South Africa had a once-in-a-lifetime experience when she came across a leopard in her shower! Tally Angle, from North Carolina, posted photos to a Kruger National Park group on Facebook of the leopard “lounging in our outdoor lodge shower” at Singita Ebony Lodge. Tally posted several amazing photos of the […]

The town of Barberton in Mpumalanga was marching to the beat of magnificent military bands this weekend. (Watch videos below.) “Our ‘Freedom of the Town’ military parade was held here yesterday,” says Sheryn Nader, owner of Facebook page Barberton Bliss. “There were four different military groups marching, and it was amazing! Beautiful sounds…” The bands were […]

The owners of Sunland Farm in South Africa, home to one of the world’s most famous baobab trees, have a very pragmatic approach to the “breaking” news that one-third of their gentle giant’s trunk has crashed to the ground. Heather van Heerden says it’s simply “nature’s way of renovating”. Here’s the famous Sunland Baobab – […]

Spring is in the air, and if you haven’t visited yet – the West Coast National Park is alive with fields of wonderful wild flowers (and animals). Fabulous photos on this page, taken this week, are by NIGEL RILEY and ROBYN GWILT. Robyn says: “From the Canola fields last weekend to Dungeon’s on Wednesday, to the […]

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has announced it will unveil new visa regulations before the end of 2016. The legislative reform will aim to provide a balance between the competing interests of the tourism sector and the need to protect the country’s borders and prevent child trafficking. Stringent visa regulations were introduced to South Africa in 2014… resulting in an […]

From the West Coast National Park to Namaqualand, the South African landscape has been transformed into endless fields of fabulous flowers… All photos by KYLE MIJLOF and HESTER SOPHIA-ESTA MARAIS. Travel photographer KYLE MIJLOF – who has visited 59 countries since March 2010 (!) -captured these gorgeous pictures in the West Coast National Park. Kyle recommends if […]

If we could be sure of one thing during our time as expats in Johannesburg, it was that no matter the time of year, there would always be at least one houseguest lodging with us. South Africa seemed to exert an inexorable pull all the way over the Atlantic and across the equator, luring everyone even remotely […]

After an extensive visit to South Africa, a group of boardriders have declared that it is “a land of diversity. Mountainous coastlines vs drought ridden desert. The lavishly rich vs the street begging poor. The wildlife of the savannah vs the wildlife of the city. No other country in the world boasts such dramatic contrast.” Writing for Quiksilver’s […]

And the answer is… Arles, France

Cape Town has come in 10th out of the world’s top 15 cities named in the 2016 Travel & Leisure magazine awards, and is the top city in Africa and the Middle East. Although it was higher than Rome in the top 15, it came off below Florence. The No. 1 city was Charleston, South […]

The first passenger flights to the remote island of St Helena – flying out of Johannesburg – were meant to start in May. At the same time, the famous ship the RMS St Helena announced that its last trip to the island would take place in June. Neither has happened. St Helena, where Napoleon was exiled, […]

A growing number of international tour companies refusing to promote elephant riding is putting South Africa’s elephant-back safari industry under pressure to pack in the lucrative but unethical/questionable practice of riding elephants. With an increasing global awareness for the welfare issues and cruel training methods associated with elephant-back riding, a drive to end the practice […]

Driving across South Africa, from Joburg to Cape Town, is about as local as pap and wors. It’s further than from New York City to Chicago, or from the very tippy top of Great Britain to the very bottom. But it’s way more beautiful too (don’t take our word for it)! For anyone who hasn’t done […]

I’ve always thought of the Red Bus as a touristy thing. You hop on, hop off, get your bearings, see as much as possible in your short holiday time. I’ve also always thought of it as part of those obvious tourist destinations, like Rome, New York, London and Cape Town. But Johannesburg? The truth is, however, that a Red Bus in Joburg is the […]

And the answer is… Brazil. Brilliant photos taken by South African Steven Kramer in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Minas Gerias. More of Steven Kramer’s photographs can be seen here.

It’s one of the most spectacular drives in the world – Chapman’s Peak Drive – and features in the Top 10 of most global lists of beautiful coastal drives. Take a look at this drone footage, filmed by Stefan Bamberger from Global Traveler TV… showcasing the beautiful Western Cape scenery. Watch Video: Chapman’s Peak Drive, […]

I am one of those old-fashioned people who loves going by train. Give me a choice between a plane, bus, car or train, and I’ll take the choo-choo. And I blame that preference on the Trans-Karoo. Actually I’m not sure it was ever officially called the Trans-Karoo, but that’s how I came to know it. I used to travel cross-country as a schoolkid, […]

On a crisp Saturday morning early in June, 100 kayakers set out to paddle across the Cape Peninsula, from False Bay to Table Bay. Their primary mission: To raise public awareness of the city’s waterways and canals, and to show the public’s connection to them. The route for the Peninsula Paddle team – kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders doing […]

For anyone who has been on a South African Airways flight – sitting way back in economy like many of us maybe – here’s a glimpse of what it’s like to be in the cockpit during take-off. This flight was a recent one from Johannesburg to Perth, Australia, on the A340-300. “Our long history of filming […]

The MyCiti bus service in Cape Town has launched a free WFfi service on a number of its buses, and will continue the rollout gradually. The programme will begin on Monday. MyCiti said in a statement on Thursday the pilot on-board wifi offering will provide each passenger on a number of buses in the city centre with 50MB of data […]

When you become an expat, there’s no better holiday than the one back home! As Leonie B-T packs her bags to head back to the UK after a fab holiday in her beloved South Africa, here’s a selection of the places and scenes that make going home so special… Leaving a grey Schiphol Airport in […]

As Johannesburg celebrates one of its big birthdays (that’s one of the questions), the city is showing off its stuff more and more. It was recently called one of the “coolest” cities in the world (that’s another question, by whom?) and travellers are spending more than just one night there. In honour of all that – and […]