These are the best places to travel this summer

Must-see attractions in South Africa

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    Workers’ Museum

    Johannesburg

    This important museum is in the restored Electricity Department’s compound, which was built in 1910 for 300-plus municipal workers and has been declared a…

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    Rhodes Memorial

    Cape Town

    Partly modelled on the arch at London’s Hyde Park Corner, this monumental granite memorial stands on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, at a spot where…

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    Fishing boats and Cape Fur Seals in Hout Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, South Africa.

    Hout Bay Harbour

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Partly given over to tourism with complexes such as Mariner’s Wharf, Hout Bay’s harbour still functions and the southern side is a fishing port and…

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    Crooks Corner, situated where South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique borders meet.

    Crooks Corner

    Kruger National Park

    On the outskirts of a beautiful fever-tree forest, Crooks Corner marks not only the confluence of the Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers but also the historic…

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    Clifton First Beach, Cape Town, South Africa.

    Clifton 1st Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The first of Clifton's four beaches strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton. As with the other three, it's almost always sheltered from the wind and offers…

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    A gibbon sitting on a wooden fence in Monkeyland, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.

    Monkeyland

    Plettenberg Bay

    This very popular attraction helps rehabilitate wild monkeys that have been in zoos or private homes. The walking safari through a dense forest and across…

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    View of Blyde River Canyon from Lowveld Viewpoint in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

    Lowveld Viewpoint

    Blyde River Canyon

    Affords stunning views up the canyon, to the glistening Blydepoort Dam at the far end surrounded by forested slopes. The rocky cones of the Three…

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    Clifton 4th beach with people on Valentines day for a special open air concert event.

    Clifton 4th Beach

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The only Blue Flag beach among the four sheltered stretches of sand strung along Victoria Rd at Clifton is popular with families. On calm summer evenings,…

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    Ithala Game Reserve

    KwaZulu-Natal

    Although it's not as well known as other reserves in the province, a trip to Ithala should be on the itinerary of anyone who is looking for spectacular…

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    South Africa, Johannesburg, Origins Centre, Recently Opened Museum On The Campus Of Wits University,

    Origins Centre

    Johannesburg

    This stunning museum explores the African origins of humankind through interactive exhibits. The centre is brilliant for school-age children and holds the…

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    Canto Wines

    Cape Town

    New to the Durbanville wine route, Canto is a boutique winery offering tastings in the church-like cellar/tasting room. Particularly popular is the bubbly…

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    Central Library

    Cape Town

    The Drill Hall, dating from 1889 and where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday, has been sensitively restored and turned into the city’s…

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    South African Jewish Museum

    Cape Town

    You need a photo ID to enter the secure compound that's home to this imaginatively designed museum, which partly occupies the beautifully restored Old…

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    Juma Mosque, Indian area.

    Juma Mosque

    Durban

    The largest mosque in the southern hemisphere; call ahead for a guided tour.

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    Greenmarket Square

    Cape Town

    This cobbled square is Cape Town’s second-oldest public space after the Grand Parade. It hosts a lively and colourful crafts and souvenir market daily…

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    Church Square

    Pretoria

    A statue of Old Lion (Paul Kruger) takes pride of place in the centre of Church Square, which is surrounded by some impressive public buildings. The…

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    St George’s Cathedral

    Cape Town

    Known as the People’s Cathedral, this was one of the few places of worship that was open to people of all races during apartheid. Classical concerts are…

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    Iziko Slave Lodge

    Cape Town

    Dating back to 1660, the Slave Lodge is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa. Once home to as many as 1000 slaves, the lodge has a fascinating…

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    Long Street

    Cape Town

    A stroll along Long St is an essential element of a Cape Town visit. This busy commercial and nightlife thoroughfare, partly lined with Victorian-era…

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    South African Museum

    Cape Town

    South Africa’s oldest museum was undergoing renovations at the time of research, so some galleries were closed. The museum contains a wide and often…

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    18 Gangster Museum

    Cape Town

    Gangsterism is the blight of the Cape Flats, and this innovative living museum shows the treacherous path that too many in these communities follow into…

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    Spioenkop Nature Reserve

    KwaZulu-Natal

    The Spioenkop Nature Reserve is a tranquil spot surrounding a dam on the Tugela river that zebras, white rhinos, giraffes, antelope and over 290 bird…

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    Robberg Nature & Marine Reserve

    Garden Route

    This reserve, 8km southeast of Plettenberg Bay, protects a 4km-long peninsula with a rugged coastline of cliffs and rocks. There are three circular day…

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    Mgungundlovu

    KwaZulu-Natal

    The military settlement of Mgungundlovu (Ungungundhlovu), Dingaan’s capital from 1829 to 1838, is southwest of Ulundi on Rte 34 (the road linking Vryheid…

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    Sammy Marks’ Museum

    Pretoria

    This handsome mansion, 20km east of central Pretoria, was built in 1884 for the industrial, mining and agricultural magnate Sammy Marks. Now it’s a…

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    Grand Parade

    Cape Town

    A prime location for Cape Town’s history, the Grand Parade is where the Dutch built their first fort in 1652; where slaves were sold and punished; and…

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    Lake Eland Game Reserve

    KwaZulu-Natal

    The reserve has over 40 species of animal and 200 bird species. You can head off on a self-drive (R60 per person) or a wildlife drive (R250 per person,…

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    University of Cape Town

    Cape Town

    For the non-academic there’s no pressing reason to visit UCT, but it’s nonetheless an impressive place to walk around. Unfortunately, it has experienced…

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    Wynberg Village

    Cape Town

    Declared an urban conservation area in 1981, pretty Wynberg Village is also known as Little Chelsea or Chelsea Village, a nickname it gained in the 1950s…

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    Fort Nongqayi Museum Village

    KwaZulu-Natal

    Based around three-turreted Fort Nongqayi, the museum village also includes the Zululand Historical Museum, with artefacts and Victoriana; the excellent…

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    Two Rivers Urban Park

    Cape Town

    Covering some 240 hectares around the confluence of the Liesbeek and Black Rivers, this new park is one of the city's largest, with the potential to…

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    Nizamiye Mosque

    Johannesburg

    Built as a replica of the Ottoman Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, the Nizamiye Mosque is a real find in the far-northern Jo'burg suburb of Midrand…

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    Luthuli Museum

    KwaZulu-Natal

    A tribute to Chief Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli – president of the ANC from 1952 and Africa’s first recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace (1960) for his…

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    Karoo National Park

    Western Cape

    The Karoo National Park covers 900 sq km of impressive Karoo landscapes and representative flora. Lions have been reintroduced and you might also spot…

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    Spaza Art Gallery

    Johannesburg

    The home, sculpture garden and small 'matchbox' gallery of artist Andrew Lindsay is extraordinary. The garden is dominated by a mobile phone signal tower…

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    Goukamma Nature Reserve

    Garden Route

    This reserve is accessible from the Buffalo Bay road, and protects 14km of rocky coastline, sandstone cliffs, dunes covered with coastal fynbos (fine bush…

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    Groote Schuur

    Cape Town

    The grandest of Cecil Rhodes' former residences was also home to a succession of prime ministers and presidents, culminating with FW de Klerk. The…

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    Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve

    KwaZulu-Natal

    This awe-inspiring gorge is known for its dizzying scenery and family-friendly activities. There are plenty of walking trails, birdwatching opportunities…

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    Rorke’s Drift Battlefield

    KwaZulu-Natal

    Rorke’s Drift Orientation Centre, on the site of the original mission station, is an impressive museum, especially for fans of the film Zulu. The Zulu…

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    Smuts House Museum

    Pretoria

    JC Smuts' home for over 40 years has been turned into an interesting museum. With a wide veranda and shady trees, it has a family atmosphere and gives a…

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