12 Step Planet: South Africa

When I was growing up, the tourist board had a slogan declaring that South Africa was “the world in one country.” This might not be strictly true, but South Africa has much more to offer than just Cape Town and Kruger National Park, fantastic though they are. This issue’s 12 Step Guide is a little different from its usual format. Instead here are ten interesting, beautiful and unique places to visit or do in South Africa as well as some important information you need to know when visiting the southernmost tip of the so-called Dark Continent.

Sun City
Sun City is a massive resort in the North West province. Its landmark hotel, The Palace of the Lost City, is a Disney version of Africa on steroids. Back in the bad old days, Sun City was part of a nominally independent ‘homeland’ called Bophuthatswana – a scattered territory with a tin-pot government controlled by South Africa – which offered a welcome respite from apartheid and Calvinist ideology, being one place where people of all colours could freely mix and enjoy wicked entertainment, such as gambling and topless cabarets, earning it the sobriquet Sin City. Sun City is still something of an adult playground, but with a mini-zoo, elephant rides, water park and babysitting services to keep the kids happy. Sun City is borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa’s fourth biggest national wildlife park, and home of the Big five – the lion, elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo.
Game Reserves
No visit to South Africa would be complete without spending some time in the “veld.” Literally translated this means “field” but the veld is wild, untamed and teeming with creatures big and small that would be happy to kill you. South Africa has hundreds of game reserves offering day trips or accommodation. Guided tours are necessary for many of them because the last thing you want to do is find yourself lost in crocodile breeding grounds or getting chased by angry hippos. Check out www.nature-reserve.co.za for a list of the parks across the country.
The Owl House
The Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda in the Eastern Cape is a testament to one woman’s creative genius... or madness. From around 1945, Helen Martins began sculpting because she was bored with her life. Martins created hundreds of sculptures, mostly owls, camels and people, using cement, glass and wire. During her lifetime, Martins was regarded with suspicion by the locals for her artistic output and because she created her statutes with a mixed race man, Koos Malgas. The Owl House may be smack bang in the middle of nowhere and over 700 km from Cape Town but if you appreciate art and history, it is well worth visiting this spookishly beautiful museum.
The Garden Route
The Garden Route is a long stretch of scenic countryside along the coast from the Western to Eastern Cape. This is an ecologically diverse area and takes in beaches, forests, lakes and lagoons. The Knysna Forest – a sub-tropical forest just off the coast – is a must-see. The signs warn you about elephants, but there hasn’t been a confirmed sighting since the 1980s. Knysna used to be home to hundreds of elephants but they were hunted to almost extinction. Because of this, Knysna elephants are rumoured to be particularly vicious. Also in the vicinity is Oudtshoorn, a Karoo town that is home to the world’s largest ostrich population and the Cango Caves. You can visit the farms and, if you are brave enough, ride one of these vicious birds. The caves are a magnificent underground chamber of stalactites and stalagmites which attract visitors from all over the world.
Luxury Train Travel
South Africa’s five-star trains, the Blue Train and Rovos Rail, travel from Pretoria to Cape Town, but also offer shorter routes such as through the Karoo or along the Garden Route in the Cape. Rovos even does the famous Cape to Cairo route dreamed of by British coloniser and diamond merchant, John Cecil Rhodes. This is a luxurious way to see much of the country, but it is expensive. Perfect for
a honeymoon.
The Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom in Kwa-Zulu Natal is home of the Zulu people, one of South Africa’s largest tribes. Around 1818, the great chief Shaka consolidated the Zulu people and his military reforms and innovative tactics made them arguably southern Africa’s most feared tribe. In 1878 the British tried their hands at “taming the natives” at the Battle of Isandlwana. They underestimated the Zulu chief Cetshwayo whose well-organised Zulu impi warriors delivered the worst defeat the Redcoats ever suffered at the hands of an African tribe. The Zulu Kingdom is crisscrossed with battlefields of skirmishes with other African tribes, Boer settlers and the British. The current Inkosi or Head Chief is Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
The Drakensberg
The Drakensberg (Dragon Mountain) is South Africa’s highest mountain range and over 1,000 km long. The mountains are an area of outstanding natural beauty, and here is where you can find up to 40,000 examples of Bushmen cave painting. The Bushmen, also called the San, Sho or Barwa are hunter-gatherers and thought to be southern Africa’s earliest inhabitants. Their cave paintings are world-famous and many in the Drakensberg region are thought to be around 100,000 years old.
White Water Rafting
South Africa has some pretty rough rivers and white water rafting is a popular sport. The Orange River in the Free State, the Vaal River near Johannesburg, the Doring and Pielmiet rivers in the Western Cape and the Umkomaas River in Kwa-Zulu Natal all offer rapids for thrill-seekers. If you’ve never done this before, do some research on the less intense rapids and don’t attempt white water rafting without an experienced guide.
Clarens
In the Eastern Free State, nestling in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains and close to the Golden Gate National Park (see I told you – there are hundreds of them) you will find the charming little hamlet of Clarens. Clarens is home to some of South Africa’s most famous artists and the town is a lush, peaceful haven dotted with galleries and sandstone buildings. Clarens is close to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho – an independent country landlocked by South Africa and home of the
Sesotho people.
The Otter Trail
Despite all the dangerous animals, South Africa is a hikers’ paradise with hundreds of beautiful routes of all levels of difficulty. The most famous of these is the Otter Trail. The Otter Trail stretches from the Storms River Mouth in the Eastern Cape and ends in Nature’s Valley in the Tsitsikama National Park (yes, another one) and is nearly 43 km long, following the shoreline from sea level to over 150 meters above it. The trail takes four and a half days to complete. Fitness is necessary, as is plenty of water and
bug repellent.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Most major airlines fly into Cape Town and Johannesburg, but not directly from Dublin. KLM and Lufthansa tend to have the best deals. Remember, it is a big country and where you fly in depends on where you wish to start. Having said that, prices to Jo’burg or Jozi as the locals call it, tend to be less expensive than flights to Cape Town, especially during the Summer months. Budget airlines Kalula and FlyMango travel between all the major hubs.
There is a saying that Africa is not for sissies and although it is a cliché, it’s true. South Africa has beautiful scenery, friendly people, magnificent wildlife and incredible nature reserves. There are plenty of animals that will attack you if you annoy them – lions, elephants, rhinos, snakes and poisonous scorpions. Lots of people get eaten by crocodiles every year, most of them tourists who get too close. Don’t get out of your car in game parks unless your guide has told you where it is safe to do so.
South Africa also has major social problems such as a high incidence of HIV/AIDS and crime. Know where you are going and get information from your hotel of areas to avoid. Don’t look like a tourist – maps and expensive camera equipment make you a target. Keep your valuables out of sight, such as under the seat or in the boot, when you are driving.
You should get shots before leaving. Malaria is a problem in much of rural South Africa and mosquitoes are unavoidable in the summer months. Never have unprotected sex and one-night stands are not advisable as a rule. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the locals’ company, but use good sense. Taking someone back to your hotel and using condoms is different to travelling to their house in an area you don’t know.
Now that I’ve scared you, I should mention that I’ve never experienced any unpleasant incidents. South Africa does have a crime problem, but if you exercise caution, especially in urban areas at night, you should be fine.
South Africa’s Summer is November, December and January. During these months temperatures vary between the high 20s to the high 30s. It’s very warm from September to around April, and Spring and Autumn may be a better bet if you are not good with heat. Have sunscreen and water handy at all times of the year.