Unspoilt South Africa – Get Off the Beaten Track

South Africa has raised its head as a top travel destination over the last few years. One of the big attractions of this incredible country is its exchange rate that makes travelling to this part

South Africa has raised its head as a top travel destination over the last few years. One of the big attractions of this incredible country is its exchange rate that makes travelling to this part of the world extremely cheap, especially when converting from Dollars or Euros or many other currencies. There are certain landmarks in this country that make it well known throughout the world, but there are a number of other destinations that are a real joy to discover.

The Garden Route

The garden route is very famous around the world. Certain towns have an excellent reputation. Towns like Port Elizabeth, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are names that many travelers are familiar with. One town that fills quite a niche and is famous in surfing circles is known as Jeffreys Bay.

Many surfing competitions are held here throughout the year and the town is famous for the waves it offers surfers – some of the biggest in the world.

A small town tucked away between these is Sedgefield. Sedgefield is situated right on the coast and offers some incredible views over the ocean. It is famous in those parts for its Saturday morning market which has farmers and local producers selling various goods and treats. Travelers simply cannot leave the market without having sampled some of the local produce and the food that has become so well known in this part of the world.

The Southern Drakensberg

The Drakensberg is a region in South Africa that is quite diverse in terms of what it offers. There are a number of quite impressive hotels that are dotted along the length of the mountain range. Some of these offer luxury accommodation and some excellent restaurants.

However the traveler that is looking for a bit of adventure, hiking through the Drakensberg offers an incredible opportunity. There are routes that are suited to all types of climbers.

Day hikes, overnight excursions and even serious mountain climbing outings. Perhaps the most famous of these journeys in the Drakensberg is known as the Grand Traverse. This trip has hikers climbing up the escarpment which is over 1000 m in height and then spending up to 5 nights on top of the Drakensberg before descending the mountain on the sixth or seventh day.

Not known to everyone, but in the southern Drakensberg there is even a ski resort known as Tiffendell. Of course this doesn’t compare at all to the European ski resorts, but it is certainly worth a visit, just like the sites that offer the online betting NZ loves. In this part of the Drakensberg there are some incredible towns to discover. Some worth mentioning are Lady Grey, Barkly East and Queenstown.

Kimberly

Another town or city that deserves some recognition is Kimberly, situated right in the heart of the country. This town is famous for its diamond mine – one of the biggest in the world. But more than that, some of the most famous diamonds ever discovered originated from this mine.

Many of these huge stones form part of Royal collections around the world and people often travel to the town to get a sense of where the incredible gems originated.