Things to do

In South Africa there are many things to do. In fact it should probably be called a tourist’s paradise. Not only are the activities versatile but they are very typical to the South African lifestyle.

Aside from having accomodations that can rival those from the western shores such as Britannia Hotel Coventry, South Africa has a picturesque coast line and the landscape, both on the coast and inland, changes drastically as one travels the country.

The roads are not too bad and, in most cases, suitable for self drive tours. (Especially the main roads) The suggestion would be that one flies from a visit in the Cape Town area to Johannesburg and again to Durban. Tours in the different provinces can easily be self drive.

The different provinces offer different things to do although golfing is enjoyable in all provinces:

Western Cape:

This province is renowned for its wines. The area around Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschoek have many different wine farms. Each wine farm offers its own unique cultivars and different tastes in wines, red and white alike.

Some of the most popular golf courses can also be found in this region. A lot of these courses are on security estates and are very exclusive but they can still be played, at a premium off course. There are several other golf courses which aren’t as exclusive but just as enjoyable to play.

Gauteng:

This province is the hustle and bustle of the country... the business hub. Johannesburg was the centre of the gold rush, many years ago and is still the place where things happen.

The good thing about Gauteng is that North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Orange Free State are all within driving distance. Most of the interesting activities are less than three hours drive away from Johannesburg and Pretoria. In some cases one can drive an hour and be in the middle of the bush, looking at a campfire and listening to the night sounds of the wild life.

This province offers prime golfing pleasures. Pretoria alone has more than eight extraordinary golf courses with a few just thirty minutes away in some of the smaller towns around the city.

KwaZulu Natal:

This province is probably the most versatile of all provinces in South Africa with many things to do. The weather is tropical and the Indian Ocean, with its warm waters, makes it the perfect beach holiday destination. It has many small holiday towns along its coast line.

Almost every town has its own golf course making this province a golfers’ heaven. The rest of the family can enjoy a day at the beach or at one of many entertainment parks while golfing is enjoyed by the parents.

A large part of the Drakensberg range runs through KwaZulu and provides some of the most scenic areas in the country.

Game viewing in KwaZulu Natal is very popular and there are many amazing lodges catering for the safari lover, as is the case with deep sea fishing.

Mpumalanga and Limpopo:

These two regions boast with the world renowned Kruger National Park. It runs from the North to the South, flanking the Eastern side of these provinces. The Drakensberg range also runs through both provinces, flanking the bush area on the Western side. Many lodges have sprung up over the last few years offering affordable to very expensive accommodation for tourists.

The main activity in these areas is game viewing. The big five of the wild can be viewed here, along with many other amazing species.

Fly fishing has become extremely popular in the Mpumalanga Highveld over the past view years and golfing is also a favourite pass time.

These provinces should definitely be in the itinerary whenever South Africa is visited.

Eastern Cape:

In this province you will probably find that, although there are wine farms, wine tasting isn’t really the niche. Although this area isn’t as unrefined as the bushveld in Mpumalanga and Limpopo there are also some game farms and lodges where safaris can be enjoyed. Some of the wildlife can also be found in other provinces but some are exclusive to this region.

Golfing, like the Western Cape, is a favourite pass time. Once again, the courses are extremely nice to play on. In the Port Elizabeth area one’s skills can sometimes be tested as it becomes quite windy fairly often.

North West:

The most popular thing to do in the North West province would definitely be game viewing. The bushveld in the Rustenburg / Thabazimbe area is quite unique and typical to African safaris. There are many game lodges in this province, from affordable to very expensive.

One of the biggest landmarks in this province is Sun City. This is not only a gambler’s delight but the place has lots of things to do for the whole family. Game viewing, Elephant rides, golfing (two world class golf courses), a water park, gambling and lots more.

Orange Free State:

This province is famous for its farming activities. Most of the country’s corn and maze are produced in this province. There are also a lot of cattle farming done here. Some of the farms specialize in game hunting and viewing and there are beautiful lodges catering for the wild life enthusiast.

Golfing is also a favourite pass time in the Orange Free State, although not as much as in some of the other provinces. Almost every town has a golf course and the bigger ones have two or more.

Northern Cape:

The Northern Cape is well known for its big diamond mine in Kimberley. The mine is affectionately called “The big hole”. The name is self explanatory and is derived from the fact that it is one of the biggest man made holes, for mining, on earth.

Once again one can find a golf course in almost every town. Golfing in this area is enjoyable and very inexpensive.