Things to Do in South Africa

1. Safari in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park: South Africa is undoubtedly one of the best places for Jungle Safari and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is one of the oldest reserves in Africa with over 96000 hectares of wilderness.

The diversity of flora and fauna that you will get to admire here is unmatchable and the hilly terrain of the safari routes makes it even more adventurous, fun, and scenic for the visitors.

Location:Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, KwaZulu Natal Regine, South Africa
Price:ZAR 120 (South African Adult), ZAR 60 (South African Child 4-12), ZAR 240 (International Adult), ZAR 120 (International Child 4-12)
Timing:6:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

2. Sandboarding: South Africa offers one of the biggest as well as the longest sandboard rides at Dragon Dune in Mossel Bay. Sandboarding is one of the most unique activities to do in South Africa with family, to have a fun and memorable time.

If you are adventurous enough, you can stand on the board while sandboarding, however, if you do not feel confident enough, you can enjoy the ride, sitting down, or on your belly.

Location:Dragon Dune, Mossel Bay, South Africa
Price:ZAR 399
Timing:7:30 A.M. – 9:00 P.M.

3. Hippo River Cruise: It is one of the best activities to do in South Africa with family to admire and know about its diverse species of water animals. One gets to admire a wide range of water animals including hippos, crocodiles, and various species of water birds on this 2-hour boat ride.

The guide on board will also let you know a lot of facts about these South African animals and help you get rid of all your questions.

Location:St. Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Price:ZAR 300 (Adult), ZAR 150 (Child 2-12)
Timing:8:30 A.M. – 6:30 P.M.

4. Horse Safari: One of the most unique and adventurous ways to explore the diverse flora and fauna of South Africa is on a horseback. There are various companies that offer tourists to explore the wilderness of South Africa whilst experiencing a horse safari.

Moreover, a horseback safari allows you to experience some of the most gorgeous natural views deep into the jungles of South Africa, making your experience even more memorable.

5. Microlight Flight: One of the most exciting and adventurous things to do in South Africa to witness its beauty is to take a microlight flight over the suburbs and serene landscape of Cape Town.

The micro flights allow the passengers to fly up close over the wilderness of South Africa to witness the various species from an aerial view. In addition, flying in these small motorized flights will definitely feel that rush of adrenaline flow through your streams.

Location:Fisantekraal Airfield, Northern Suburbs, Cape Town, South Africa
Price:ZAR 400 per person onwards
Timing:8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

6. Canopy Tour: Another of the fun and adventurous activities to do in South Africa with family, a canopy tour allows you to zipline from one platform to another, whilst admiring the dense wildlife below.

This activity is available for you to try out at 7 different locations in the country and is a must-try for all nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts, as well as families visiting South Africa.

Price:ZAR 220 per person
Timing:9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

7. Relax in Wine Country: Also known as Winelands, Wine country in South Africa is home to over 300 distinct vineyards. Moreover, the location of Wine Country is such that it will make you fall in love with it, providing you with the views of mountains, the sea, and the vines, all at once.

Also, do not forget to taste South Africa’s very own wine, Pinotage, while you are at its wine capital. If you are a wine lover and wish to spend some peaceful time, relaxing in wine country is probably one of the best things to do in South Africa for you.

Location:Western Cape, South Africa

8. Kayak with crocodiles: If you are a thrill-seeker, trying out this activity must definitely be there on your list of Activities to do in South Africa with family on your visit. At iSimangaliso Wetland Park in St. Lucia, you can get a chance to kayak just a few meters away from the deadly crocodiles, sharks, and hippos.

You will get a chance to paddle around for 2 and a half hours in the near vicinity of these deadly animals and spot various colorful birds chirping around in their natural habitat.

Location:iSimangaliso Wetland Park, St. Lucia
Price:ZAR 125 per person onwards
Timing:6:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

9. Explore Cango Caves: Believed to be inhabited since the early stone age era, Cango caves is one of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world, with its hidden chambers situated deep inside the thick and beautiful layers of limestone rocks.

It is the oldest attraction of South Africa and allows the visitors to get closer to the history and culture of South Africa as well as the whole of mankind.

Location:Cango Valley, Oudtshoorn, South Africa
Price:ZAR 20 per person
Timing:9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

10. Dive with Great White Sharks: Imagine yourself locked inside a cage with the dangerous white sharks swimming around you deep down the water of South Africa. Sounds adventurous right?

If you are more of a daredevil and wish to experience the beautiful underwater world in a completely new way, it is a must for you to take up this exciting activity on your visit to South Africa.

Location:Kleinbaai Harbour, Gansbaai, Cape Town
Price:ZAR 1500 per person onwards
Timing:6:00 A.M. – 12:00 Noon (Start Time)

11. Visit Robben Island: Robben Island is a symbol of triumph over racism and oppression. This island has been used for various purposes over the past 3 centuries, ranging from being a prison to a hospital for socially unacceptable groups to a military base.

The buildings at the Island shout out history from a dark era of wars and social imbalance. Visiting this place is one of the most important activities to do in South Africa with family if you wish to dive deep into the history of the country.

Location:Cape Town, South Africa
Price:ZAR 600 (non-South African adult), ZAR 300 (non-South African Child)

1. Watch a show at Oude Libertas Amphitheatre: Situated amidst the beautiful landscape of South African vineyards, this open-air theatre is one of the most beloved venues for entertainment in the country and has been host to some of the most popular events, including theatres, musical, and dance events. Spending a night under the starry sky amidst the beautiful landscape at this place is probably one of the best things to do in South Africa at night.

2. Catch an Orchestra Performance: If you love classical music, one of the best things to do in South Africa at night for you is to catch a world-class night orchestra performance of Cape Philharmonic.

3. Experience the nightlife: South Africa has an endless array of nightclubs and pubs where you can enjoy your drinks and dance all night long on the dance floor. Alternatively, you can also opt for a calm and composed dinner with some of the best wines at your disposal. Some of the iconic places in Cape Town to catch a drink are Tiger Tiger Club, and Asoka Bar.

4. Experience an Opera: Your visit to South Africa will not be complete unless you experience an opera performance. It might be one of the most moving and experiential things to do in South Africa at night. Some of the venues that you can look out for are the Baxter Theatre and the Artscape Opera House.

1. Wildebeest Safari: Witnessing the wildebeest movement is probably one of the most beautiful natural scenes of nature. Watching the wil animals move in huge groups from one place to another is probably one of the best things to do in South Africa. You may get to see a wide range of animals, including the zebras, giraffes and many others if you get a chance to join a wildebeest safari.

2. Hot Air Balloon Safari: One of the most beautiful things to do in South Africa is to admire the beauty of its loaded jungles from up above the sky. A hot air balloon safari allows you to float above some of the most densely populated wild areas of South Africa with the added excitement of experiencing a hot air balloon ride.

3. Walking Safari: Could you imagine walking on your foot amidst some of the most dangerous wild animals? Taking up a walking safari is one of the most adventurous things to do in South Africa. It provides you with a chance of interacting with the wild animals up close and grants you with a completely distinct experience.

4. Self Drive Safari: What can be better than driving yourself through the deserted jungles of South Africa? If you love lone adventurous and wish to spend some peaceful time and set up your tents yourself while traveling though the jungles of South Africa, admiring its wildlife, taking up a self driven safari is one of the best things to do in South Africa.

1. Enjoy a Jungle Safari: One of the best and foremost things to do in South Africa with your friends is to enjoy a jungle safari, experience the thrill whilst spotting the African big 5, i.e., Leopard, African Lion, African Buffalo, African Elephant, and Rhino.

2. Climb the Table Mountain: Table Mountain is one of the most popular destinations in Cape Town, the capital of South Africa. Most people prefer taking a cable car up to the top. However, if you are along with your friends and up for a fun-packed experience, hiking up the 3500ft mountain is one of the best things to do in South Africa for you.

3. Go Wine Tasting: South Africa is the land of vineyards. Does not matter if you are going wine tasting for the very first time or are already a wine lover, the vineland of South Africa will surely leave you surprised.

4. Try out some adventure sports: South Africa is home to very unique and thrilling adventure sports. Some of the most amazing adventure sports that you must try out with your friends are Microlight Flight, Bungee Jumping, Kayaking, Ziplining, and Sandboarding.

1. Sandboarding: A unique experience to try out in South Africa, Sandboarding is more like snowboarding, just on a huge dune of scenic sand. It can actually be one of the most addictive and fun activities to do in South Africa with family and friends.

2. Skydiving over the Wilderness: South Africa is famous for its budget-friendly and amazing skydiving experiences. There are various locations in South Africa that offer Skydiving experience under the guidance of certified professionals. It is one of the most popular things to do in South Africa on your visit.

3. Scuba Diving: Thanks to the rich underwater life and amazing reefs off the shoreline of South Africa, it provides the guests to have an unmatchable underwater experience. Some of the best locations to try out Scuba Diving in South Africa are Sodwana Bay, Avalanche Reef, Storms River Mouth, and various others.

4. Canopying: One of the most enjoyable activities to do in South Africa with family, a Canopy Tour allows you to experience the jungle life of Africa whilst ziplining amidst the wildlife from one platform to another. Canopying is offered at various locations in South Africa and is a must-try.

Microlight Flight is one of the best things to do in South Africa for a bit of a unique experience and adventure. Some of the best places where you can try out Microlight Flights are as mentioned below:

- Ballito Microlight School, Ballito, Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu Natal: If you wish to experience flying above the clear turquoise waters and admire the beautiful sea creatures, this is the best place to pick for you.

- Microlight Scenic Flights, Petit Airfield, Rudi Street, Petit, Benoni, Johannesburg, Gauteng: Taking a micro flight from this destination will allow you to witness the amazing beauty of Newcastle coastline and Lake Macquarie.

- Fisantekraal Airfield, about 14km from Durbanville, Northern Suburbs, Cape Town: One of the most popular places for microflights, Fisantekraal Airfield allows you to take a flight over Cape Town, with the views of some of the most popular tourist attractions of South Africa.

The best time to visit South Africa is during the cooler months of May to September. It is the best time for a jungle Safari as most of the animals come out in the pleasant weather during this time and the temperatures are adequate for other outdoor activities as well during this period.

By Air: The only way to reach South Africa directly from India is by Air. There are frequent flights from major international airports in India including New Delhi and Mumbai to major international airports in South Africa, including Cape Town and Johannesburg. Airlines that connect India to South Africa are Jet Airways, South African Airways, British Airways, and various others.

In order to procure a South African Visa, one needs to submit their passport, bank statement, the visa application form, proof of hotel booking, their itinerary, to and fro air tickets, passport-size photographs, along with a cover letter mentioning your reason of visit and places of stay during the trip along with other details.

If you have all the valid documents and complete all the required formalities, one can easily get a tourist visa to South Africa.

Some of the most famous things that attract a whole lot of tourists from all around the world is its rich wilderness which allows some amazing safari experiences, its beautiful coastline and the amazing adventure sport destinations. The country is also famous for its amazing wine produce and food. It is also a perfect destination for people who love to witness rich cultural heritage and history.

It is a 2-hour boat ride that takes you amidst majestic water animals of South Africa, majorly, Hippos and crocodiles. On the journey, not only you get to know the water animals in a better way but also get to admire the beautiful water landscape of South African rivers with birds flocking all around.

An approximate 8-12 days of visit to South Africa is highly recommended to completely enjoy your trip. A minimum of 4 days is recommended for Cape Town alone and the rest of the days can be dedicated to exploring the hidden gems of this beautiful country.

Yes, South Africa is a comparatively safe destination for foreign travelers. The risk of crime with tourists at major destinations is comparatively low. However, if you are wary enough, you have no point worrying while touring around the country.