Classic South Africa: Kruger to the Cape

Rising from the plains of the north, Joburg is a modern metropolis, the powerhouse of South Africa, its veins coursing with rivers of gold. Yet for all the country’s natural wonders, it is human history that is writ large in Johannesburg: moving museums chart the difficult story of Apartheid, while the Cradle of Humankind is home to the largest concentration of ancient human fossils ever discovered, a fascinating glimpse into where human life began. 

Set within the wild confines of Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand promises some of the finest wildlife-watching in South Africa. Seasoned safari-goers spend their days watching leopards snooze from the branches or waiting patiently for an elephant herd to trundle down to the riverbed, before returning to some of the most opulent lodges in the country, trading tales beneath immense, star-laden skies as the trilling, night-time melodies of the bush recommence.

Grootbos is a gentle escape set between the mountains and the sea, a place of balance after Kruger’s wild adventures and before the bustle of Cape Town. This is one of the most exclusive corners of the wilderness, with only two luxury lodges hidden amongst the rambling fynbos, where every day brings new, peaceful excursions: botanical-themed walks, whale-watching cruises or horseback rides, all where the Indian Ocean embraces the Atlantic on a blurred, blue horizon.   

Stand atop Table Mountain and see fertile seams of natural beauty threading through the city below, from the fynbos-covered hills of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to the soul-melting sunsets of Lion’s Head and the sands of Boulders Beach, home to thousands of African penguins. Down by the docks, the chic V&A Waterfront is hosts the Zeitz MOCCA, the largest collection of contemporary African art in the world, while the food and wine across melting pot Bo-Kaap and trendy Woodstock are an artform themselves.