Our Top Five / Off-the-beaten-track / Other >>

Here is our list of best of the rest that most international tourists don’t go to. Yet. So you know you’re getting something more authentic than the other tourist hubs, as well as enjoying great value for money. In no particular order….

Clarens & Golden Gate Highlands National Park (Free State)

Clarens is based in the Free State, but is just a few hours drive south-west of Johannesburg. The town itself is based around a picturesque square which is home to many artists, so there are plenty of galleries, bookshops and antique shops where you can browse whilst you consider the range of great eateries in town. To the south of Clarens the Maluti Moutain Range in Lesotho forms an impressive, if impenetrable, backdrop. In their foothills there’s some excellent hiking, fishing and horse-riding to do. To the east the Golden Gate Highlands National Park preserves the immense, spectacular and unique sandstone formations that make this a hiker’s paradise. There are a number of multi-day hiking trails with very basic accommodation to choose from, as well as easier, day or half-day hikes to caves and waterfalls.

Swaziland

Swaziland wins our coveted prize for the most undiscovered gem in Southern Africa. Apart from beaches, there’s everything here and at great value. Swazi’s are proud of their unique heritage and monarchy and don’t carry the baggage of apartheid and its aftermath that some South Africans understandably do. In our experience, they are a very confident, open and optimistic bunch. Even the cities in Swaziland are safe to walk around at night, as long as you use common sense. We’re still not sure how such a small kingdom can fit in such varied and beautiful terrain: from some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Africa in the north-west to the bushveld under the Lembombo Mountains of Mozambique in the north-east; from the remote, virtually uninhabited green valleys of the south-west to the flat, steamy sugar cane fields of the south-east. For the most scenic and simple border crossing imaginable, try the Bulembu route from Baberton – after a long climb the road deteriorates into a dirt track (they are upgrading and it is passable without a 4X4) leading to a couple of small border huts before dropping through plantations to Piggs Peak. We’ve stayed in caves in empty valleys, partied hard at House on Fire, and camped in a game reserve with no-one for company other than a curious giraffe. Swaziland has simply never disappointed.

The Kalahari and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Northern Cape)

We’ll be honest. We have not really explored this region, but it’s on the top of our to-do list. Friends return from the Kalahari with stories of unimaginable expanses of bushveld and salt pans interspersed with islands of vegetation. The wildlife in the Kalahari is ‘wild’ in the true sense of the word – with very few fences covering thousands of square kilometres you can encounter the famous Kalahari lions or herds of elephants that have a peculiar penchant for oranges. Seriously – don’t take oranges with you, even kept in the car as they can smell them regardless of how well you pack them and do serious damage in their desperation to get at them. This is serious 4 X 4 country – take a GPS, tent and ideally go in groups of more than one vehicle (with tow ropes). Summers are sweltering, but night times surprisingly cold with frosts in winter. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park stretches over a vast area into Botswana and offers a haunting emptiness that you won’t find in more populated parks. Big skies, big stars, big distances…

Orange River and Augrabies Falls National Park (Northern Cape)

The Orange River descends from its humble beginnings in the Lesotho highlands to make its way across the harsh semi-desert expanses of the Northern Cape, bringing vegetation and wildlife to otherwise uninhabitable places. This is best seen in the Augrabies Falls National Park where the river has, over 500 million years, carved a deep ravine into the underlying granite, falling vertically over 70 metres at Bridal Veil Falls.  Due to the scarcity of the vegetation, the wildlife is limited to mainly small antelope but the flora is diverse including kokerboom aloes and the Namaqua fig. There are several overnight hikes in the park itself (accommodation is very basic) and we’ve heard awesome reports of muti-day rafting trips along the Orange River where you camp on the beach at night. Be prepared for scorching dry heat in the summers.

Lesotho

Lesotho, in the centre of South Africa, is the highest (on average) country in the world and the vast majority of it is impenetrable for all but the most adventurous owners of 4X4s. Once you do get into the country, you understand how the towering mountains and plunging gorges prevented various colonial powers conquering this tiny mountain state. As roads get upgraded and tourism develops, Lesotho is slowly revealing itself. From the north-west of the country you can make excursions into the remote hinterland with deserted steep-sided valleys. Serious hikers and those wanting to trek on the sure-footed famous Lesothan ponies will not want to leave. Accommodation is typically very basic and come prepared for cold weather – snow is common in winter. The Sani Pass in the south-east is a good day trip from KwaZulu-Natal. You can pay for a lift in a 4X4 and stay at the top, visiting the highest pub in Africa. However the Pass is controversially being upgraded and soon even those in ‘normal’ cars will be able to enjoy the spectacular views for themselves.