South Africa

WARNING: From 1st October 2014 new rules come into force at the point of entry which are designed to stop child trafficking and abduction. Anyone entering the country with children (including those leading school trips) will be required to produce a formal documentation. Find out more HERE

Types of trips: Adventure, Arts, Culture and History, Leisure, Trekking and Exploring, Wildlife, Safari and Nature, Sports Tours

Best known for: Variety of Languages and Cultures, Plant Diversity, Wildlife (Leopards, Giraffes, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino), Gold and Diamond Mines, Nelson Mandela.

Why Go?: It may be a long way down there, but South Africa is certainly somewhere you won't forget in a hurry. To make the journey worth while you'll find a plethora of things to do which would not be an option in Europe; Safaris, historic monuments, natural wonders...all incomparable places often set next to big cities. 

Fact File

Population: 54,000,000

Capital: Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judicial), Cape Town (Legistative)

Language(s): Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, English, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Ties to the UK?: Language

Landscape: Flat top mountains, vast flatlands, rivers, lakes, forests.

Climate/Seasons: Ranges from hot deserts to cooler lush subtropical climate of the Mozambique border.

When to Go: If you're going on a Safari the best time is between May and September although there is no time of year where you wont have a great experience. For city adventures maybe aim for the summertime.

Reasons to Visit: Something you just aren't going to find in Europe, you'll have a very good reason for looking further afield especially if you're looking to go on Safari

How to Get There: Fly, it's your only option and flights to the main airports are regular and quite well-priced for the distance. There are smaller chartered flights for navigating the rest of the country but you should aim to minimize the distance you cover once you are there.

Places to Go: Kruger National Park, Drakensburg, Garden Route, Winelands

Famous People: Nelson Mandela, Charlize Theron, J.M. Coetzee, Desmond Tutu, Elon Musk

Natural Wonders/Wildlife: Table Mountain, Cape Point, Leopards, Giraffes, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino

History: Nelson Mandela and the Republic, Apartheid, Boer War

Architecture: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town City Hall

Culture: Folk Music, Food, The Ndebele Culture

Sport: Football, Cricket, Rugby Union, Boxing, Hockey, Tennis, Golf

Events: 2010 FIFAa World Cup

Watch Out For: Child Legal Documentation required for entry, Crime hotspots, Sunburn, Sunstroke, South Africa requires a passport to have an entire blank visa page in order for you to enter the country and reserve the right to refuse entry if you do not have one.

Medical Issues: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/africa/south-africa.aspx#des...

Watch this video about visiting South Africa