South Africa

The Baviaanskloof Route encompasses the broader Baviaanskloof area, which contains a newly proclaimed World Heritage Site, and offers a mix of sights and activities relating to nature and culture.

Renowned for its great beaches, malaria-free parks and reserves, wildlife and proud heritage and culture, the Eastern Cape offers tourists extreme action sports to gentle flower trails, heritage museums, game reserves and parks. The Coastal Route covers the entire length of the Eastern Cape Province stretching across a number of districts.

This area has so much to offer and many stories to tell.  Stutterheim, at the heart of the area, has a very interesting political  past which allowed people to think that there was a way to deal with inequalities of the past.  We also have a range of adventure tourism and cultural attractions and large amounts of arts and crafts all waiting to be discovered.

These trails are situated along the famous Garden Route. The area offers warm-water sea paddling with its associated marine life, as well as many lakes and estuaries to explore.

Buffalo City boasts a variety of tourist attractions and is rich in cultural and natural resources. The 68km coastline includes 10 estuaries, conservancies, natural heritage sites, rocky shores and 14 sandy beaches. There is a long-standing tradition of beadwork in the area.

This route spans the borders between South Africa and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, providing travellers with the opportunity to experience a diversity of cultures – Basotho, English, Xhosa and Afrikaans.

The Fish River (Nxuba) Valley is located adjacent to a thriving game-farming area of the Eastern Cape. The Mbodla Eco-heritage Route adds an original, Afro-centric, environmental, cultural and heritage dimension to the region’s offerings.

This route is surrounded by dramatic mountains in the heart of the great Karoo and falls within the Nama Karoo Biome. This region is recognised for its herbal plant life, an exceptional variety of scarce birdlife and rock art from the San Bushmen. It is also one of the few, and best, places in the world where fossils are found.

En-route from Durban to Buffalo City, Port St Johns has numerous estuaries, bays and headlands. Small sandy bays and long stretches of open beach are found here, often near the mouth of large rivers like Umzimvubu River and Umngazana.

The charming little village of Clarens, nestled in the Maluti Mountain range, overlooks fertile farmlands amid stunning landscapes, with Lesotho, the mountain kingdom, visible in the distance.

South-western Free State, South Africa: A route that explores vast open spaces, complemented by small towns or villages that pride themselves on surviving in rural remoteness.

The Alex Township of Rhythm – Open Africa route consists of some of the best taverns and shebeens to be found in the townships, plus catering services, arts & crafts and entertainment groups.

In the north-western corner of KwaZulu-Natal, this route has an ABC of core attractions: adventures, art, animals and ambles; berg, battlefields and birds; culture, crafts and charm.

The Drakensberg Experience is located in the Midlands of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The route is centred on the Drakensberg World Heritage Site, which includes Giant’s Castle and the Central and Northern Drakensberg. The route extends from Hidcote in the south to Sterkfontein Dam in the north.

A large route stretching from St Lucia in the south to Kosi Bay in the north and inland to the N2 national highway, this route has a wealth of attractions, accommodation options and activities. It contains outstanding wildlife reserves covering a diversity of habitats.

The N3 Gateway, at present, spans from the Valley of a Thousand Hills in the south to Heidelberg in the north. It traverses four provinces namely KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. Caledonspoort, Puthadijaba and Sani Pass are included, making it a cross border project into Lesotho.

The Nguni Route incorporates an area of scenic landscapes combined with historical and cultural attractions. These are some of the poorest rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, and tourism has been identified as a major job creator here.

A route of diverse attractions at the gateway to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands including the towns of Mpophomeni and Howick.

We have selected a number of sea kayaking routes which showcase those parts of our coastline most suited for paddling and exemplify the wide variety of experiences available to sea kayakers in this country.

The Hlanganani route is situated in the northernmost part of South Africa, in Limpopo (previously known as Northern Province), on the north-west border of one of Africa’s finest parks, the Kruger National Park.

Located in the Kruger to Canyon Biosphere, this route includes the towns of Graskop, Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa. It aims to contribute to the conservation of the biosphere.

The Land of Legend Route, true to its name, offers a platform to explore sacred lands, rippling rivers and awe-inspiring nature sites. Based in Thohoyandou, it is within close range of the Kruger National Park, but deserves more than a stop-over.

The route, named after the uniquely shaped mountain in the Makhado District, showcases the artistic talents of many of its inhabitants, as well as dancers, storytellers, gardeners and singers.

A new concept in tourism, the bush to beach experience provides travellers with the opportunity to have the best of both worlds. Spend a few days in one of Southern Africa’s most renowned game parks before reaching the pristine beaches of Mozambique where you can enjoy scuba diving, snorkelling, angling and whale-watching.

The route, situated in the Limpopo province of South Africa, meanders between the small town of Giyani and Phalaborwa, the only town with a gate into the Kruger National Park.

Follow a trail of myths and legends from the ancient stone wall site of Thulamela to the Mapungubwe World Heritage site in Limpopo Province.

This route lies at the foothills of the Blouberg Mountain in Limpopo and offers an experience that can only be found in Africa. A range of projects with authentic arts and crafts, as well as accommodation in a pristine setting can be found. Vistors can go on adventurous hikes, see cultural and natural heritage and interact with 'real' people.

The region in which this route is located is known as the Cultural Heartland, which is one of the seven registered tourism regions of Mpumalanga province. The general route area is located about 100km north-east of Pretoria, South Africa’s capital city situated in Gauteng, which is the smallest but richest province in the country.

The Augrabies Contrast Route is a land of contrasts. This arid zone, with its rugged mountains and desert-adapted species, is stifling hot in summer (up to 45ºC) and chilly in winter nights. The Great Gariep, known more commonly as the Orange River, winds through the landscape and brings it life.

The two focus areas in this route are Kimberley’s Platfontein, where the !Xun and Khwe San tribes live, and the Kalahari. This route stretches over a distance of roughly 600km and captures breathtaking contrasts.

Northern Cape, South Africa: This route centres on Upington, an oasis fed by the Orange River and surrounded by the harsh Kalahari Desert.

Northern Cape, South Africa: This route, full of natural and cultural treasures, extends north of Upington into the area of South Africa that fits between Namibia and Botswana. It incorporates the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Northern Cape, South Africa: This route stretches from the west coast to the Kamiesberg Mountain Range and links with the Namaqua National Park in the Namaqualand region, famous for its wild flowers. The route is in the centre of the Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot.

The Karoo Highland Tourism Route is situated in the north-eastern part of the Western Cape and southern part of the Northern Cape in South Africa. The route covers small Karoo towns such as Matjiesfontein, Sutherland, Fraserburg, Williston, Carnarvon, Loxton, Victoria West and Beaufort West and is commonly referred to as the Great Karoo.

Northern Cape, South Africa: This route centres on the town of Kimberley, where a diamond mining rush began after the first stone was discovered in 1866. Surrounding Kimberley are the sites of some important battles of the Anglo Boer War, as well as rock art sites.

In the Northern Cape of South Africa, where the Kalahari and the Nama-Karoo deserts meet, the Great Gariep River (Orange River) flows, bringing life to the typically arid worlds on both sides, and turning the area into an oasis. It is here that travellers can experience the Kokerboom Food and Wine Route.

Northern Cape, South Africa: This route covers the mountainous desert region in the north-west corner of South Africa. The Richtersveld has the highest diversity of succulent plants in the world and is also of interest to artists, geologists and those interested in indigenous culture.

Lying at the southernmost tip of the African continent, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, is the Overberg, a fertile area surrounded by mountains and sea starting from a point 100km east of the city of Cape Town.

The City of Cape Town initiated the development of this route that offers visitors a different experience of the city, in that it focuses on sustainable development issues.

Western Cape, South Africa: This route highlights the 'benefits beyond boundaries' of all reserves under Cape Nature Conservation.

The Dwars River Escape Route covers the entire Dwars River Valley, located near the university town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape of South Africa. The route covers a relatively short distance, but it is a valley packed full of attractions and activities for the tourist.

The Kanna Biodiversity Route is situated in the Little Karoo Priority Area of the Succulent Karoo. This is in the eastern part of the Western Cape and forms part of the scenic Route 62. Towns that form part of this route are Ladismith, Van Wyksdorp, Zoar, Calitzdorp and De Rust.

Western Cape, South Africa: This route goes through the townships of the Cape Flats. The Khanyisa Cape Route is all about  pointing tourists to other destinations in the townships, not just the beaten track to struggle route landmarks.

The Garden Route is South Africa’s Garden of Eden, a combination of long, deserted beaches and tranquil lagoons, lush green forests and mountain ranges. Tourists can enjoy the abundant natural resources and meet local people while directly supporting the poorer communities and contributing to their sustainable future.

The Porterville Blue Crane Route links the various attractions in and around the town under the banner of Blue Crane conservation, as the route is one of four Blue Crane routes in the Western Cape.

The route is situated south of the Great Karoo in the valley surrounded by the Groot Swartberg, Outeniqua and Kammanassie mountains, along the Garden Route in the Western Cape province, South Africa.

The Southernmost Blue Crane Route is set in the south Western Cape region of South Africa and as the name suggests, the key feature of this route is South Africas national bird.

The route stretches into the hidden corners of the Agulhas Plain, near the southern tip of Africa, as well as to Stanford, Gansbaai, Baardskeerdersbos, Pearly Beach, Elim and Wolvengat.

The San (Bushman) rock paintings in the Cederberg, Nardouwsberg, Koue Bokkeveld and Olifants River Valley north of Cape Town are amongst the most accessible in South Africa. The sites on this route together have about 25 rock shelters with hundreds of individual paintings.

This 250km stretch of coastline is truly one of South Africa’s jewels. Rolling hills, lush coastal forest, quiet estuaries, wild seas and friendly people. The Wild Coast, aptly named for its seas, can be wild and adventurous.

The Xairu Blue Crane Route is one of four blue crane routes in the Western Cape. It is located in and around the town of Heidelberg, which is about 276km east of Cape Town on the N2 national road. Heidelberg is fondly known as the “gateway to the garden route”.