South Africa - October 2025

I accompanied a group to South Africa. The tour operator was GTA Skyeways in Vienna. This trip lasted 10 days and included the highlights of South Africa.

We flew to Johannesburg via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines.

The flight time from Vienna to Addis Ababa was 6 hours and 20 minutes. After a layover of 3 hours and 20 minutes, the flight continued to Johannesburg and took 5 hours and 20 minutes. The advantage is that the journey is halved, allowing time to stretch your legs. Addis Ababa airport offers a variety of restaurants and shops for shopping or simply browsing.

DAY 1

We arrived at 13:25 at Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, where our local guide, Denis, was already waiting to lead us through the first leg of our journey.

We spent our first day in Pretoria. After a short photo stop on a street full of blooming jacaranda trees (around 55,000 of these beautiful trees bloom in Pretoria in October), we continued to our first stop – the “Union Building” – one of the buildings in South Africa where the government is based – alongside the two other capital cities of Bloemfontein and Cape Town.

Pretoria is the presidential residence and the executive capital. Cape Town is home to Parliament, the legislative capital. Bloemfontein is the seat of justice and the judicial capital. The Union Building is definitely a highlight in Pretoria. Built in 1913 by the British-South African architect Sir Herbert Baker, it's a semicircular building on a hill with a stunning view of the city. In the beautifully maintained gardens, you'll find a 9-meter-high statue of Nelson Mandela, with a wingspan of 8 meters. He was also sworn in as President of South Africa at the Union Building on May 10, 1994.

Our hotel for the first night was the Court Classic Suite Hotel in the Arcadia district. It's a slightly older hotel with a lot of charm, very clean, and with extremely friendly staff. The food is also very good – dinner was included today and was served buffet-style – very varied – including typical South African dishes.

DAY 2

The program of the day included a bus trip to Hazyview in the Mpumalanga province. The town of Hazyview is located not far from Kruger National Park. The 376 km journey was by a very new and modern bus. The route is very scenic and also took us along the Panorama Route, where various highlights awaited us. En route, we stopped at a motorway service station – this station, called "Alzu," houses 8-9 rhinos, zebras, ostriches, and various antelopes in a very large fenced enclosure. After a break, we continued along the Panorama Route. The first stop was "God's Window," known for its spectacular views – on clear days, you can see as far as Mozambique. Another climb on foot lead us through a rainforest to another spectacular viewpoint.

The journey continued to the Bourke's Luck Potholes – the confluence of the "Treur River" (Sad River) and the "Blyde River" (Happy River). These are natural rock and water formations created over millions of years by stagnant and swirling waters.

For a lunch break on the go, I recommend the restaurant “Harry’s Pancakes” (be sure to call ahead and reserve). It’s located in the town of Graskop. They offer a wide selection of pancakes with both sweet and savory fillings. The service is quick, and there’s also outdoor seating.

The journey continued into Blyde River Canyon to the Three Sisters, also known as the Three Rondavels. These are three hilltops that resemble rondavels, which are round huts with thatched rooves, traditionally built by the indigenous population. The reason for their construction is a superstition that evil spirits hide in corners, and by building a round hut, they are less likely to find refuge.

Our hotel for the next two nights was the Hotel Numbi in Hazyview. The hotel is a sprawling complex – also showing its age, but very clean and everything worked perfectly. In the evening, we enjoyed dinner in a "boma," a restaurant under the stars, surrounded by a wall. Inside, there was a wonderful buffet and open fires. We were treated to a cultural dance and music performance and enjoyed the evening under the gentle South African starry sky.

DAY 3

This day was spent on a full-day safari in the Kruger National Park.

Due to an early morning start breakfast packs were provided by the hotel. From the hotel, we travelled in an open Land Rover towards Kruger National Park. It can be chilly early in the morning but during the day, the air warms up considerably – layering is recommended.

Our ranger and driver was a young man named CJ. There are always many Land Rovers with guests driving around Kruger National Park, and the drivers are in contact with each other via radio and mobile phone. This increases the chances of spotting animals. Kruger National Park covers 20,000 km², so animal sightings cannot be guaranteed. You are not allowed to get out of your vehicle in the park, except at designated campsites.

Until our breakfast break, we saw giraffes, impalas, hyenas, guinea fowl and elephants.

After our breakfast break, we continued our journey and actually spotted a leopard. These animals are extremely shy, nocturnal, and therefore very difficult to locate during the day. Afterwards, we saw Cape buffalo and lions, thus seeing almost the "Big Five" – lion, elephant, leopard, and buffalo. The rhinos remained elusive.

DAY 4

On our way back to Pretoria we passed large citrus plantations. Everything belongs to the company Joubert & Seuns (Sons), and there's also a large shop where you can take a break.

All kinds of goods are offered here – for example, biltong, a typical South African snack made of dried, spiced meat. This snack evolved from historical needs – people needed meat that would keep for a long time, whether for fieldwork or long journeys across the vast country.

We spent our lunch break again at the "Alzu" rest stop, and this time all the animals were right by the fence at the waterhole - the rhinos, the zebras, and the antelopes.

After arriving in Pretoria, our guide Denis showed us even more highlights during a city tour. In the city center, we visited the house of Paul Kruger, which is now a museum. Paul Kruger was the president of South Africa at the end of the 19th century and a key figure for the Boer people.

Our hotel for that night was again the Court Classic Suite Hotel. The same hotel where we spent our first night.

DAY 5

To get to our next highlight in the program we had to fly from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, where the Garden Route begins. Our guide for the second leg of the trip, Vera Matic, flew with us, and from Port Elizabeth we took a bus directly to Knysna.

On the way, we stopped at Tzitzikamma National Park. From the parking lot, you can walk along boardwalks and steps through the rainforest directly along the coast to the mouth of the Storms River. A suspension bridge spans the river. The walk to the bridge takes about half an hour.

Our hotel in Knysna was the Graywood Hotel, a large wooden building with spacious rooms. Dinner was reserved at the Drydock Restaurant in the harbor. The harbor in Knysna has been transformed into a leisure area called "Waterfront," modeled after the Waterfront in Cape Town. Here you'll find shops and restaurants right on the small harbor where you can admire many beautiful boats. The harbor is within walking distance of the hotel.

DAY 6

Continued our drive via Wilderness, George and over the Outeniqua mountain pass to the ostrich capital of South Africa, Oudtshoorn.

Photo stop in Wilderness, a kilometer-long stretch of beach on the Indian Ocean. Here you get the impression that the beach goes on forever.

The route to Oudtshoorn lead us away from the coast and through the interior.

A recommended place to take a break is the Red Berry Farm, where you can enjoy a wide variety of berries prepared in many different ways.

The first highlight of the day was the Cango Caves.

The Cango Caves have been a protected monument since 1891 and are considered one of the most important geological and tourist natural wonders of South Africa.

Only a small part of the caves is accessible to visitors – the rest remains reserved for research and nature conservation.

Afterwards, we visited the Cango Ostrich Farm, a show farm where you can learn a great deal about ostriches. At the subsequent dinner, we also had the opportunity to taste ostrich meat.

Our hotel for the night was the Protea Riempie Estate Hotel, a newer building with rooms in the form of rondavels or bungalows.

DAY 7

We continued our journey through the semi-desert of the Little Karoo to Paarl. Here we visited the Language Monument, which illustrates the development of the national language Afrikaans from various influences.

After another drive along Route 62 between the Swartberg and Rooiberg mountains, we reached Calitzdorp, famous for its port wine. The Port Wine Festival takes place here every year. From there, we carried on to Ladysmith, named after the wife of Harry Smith. A town, Harrismith, was also named after him. They were a very popular couple in the 19th century. She, Juanita, came from South America and married Mr. Smith when she was only 14. It was a childless but very happy marriage.

We stopped in Barrydale – a small town with 4200 inhabitants. The Orange Pumpkin Restaurant is a popular stop – also because of the large souvenir shop, where we could buy souvenirs for a moderate price.

We stopped for lunch in the wine town of Robertson. There are many wine producers here. At the "Old Meul" restaurant, we are served good food and excellent wine. Everything is homemade, and the service is very fast.

Our destination was Cape Town, specifically the Onomo Inn on the Square. The hotel is located in the heart of Cape Town on Greenmarket Square. A souvenir market is set up in front of the hotel every day. The hotel is clean but a bit dated. The breakfast is very good.

DAY 8

When in Cape Town the itinerary has to include a trip to the Cape of Good Hope. Before that, the group made a detour to Table Mountain, as the weather was perfect for a trip up the mountain with the cableway.

We then drove along Chapman's Peak Drive, one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world. The 10km road offers breathtaking views of white sandy beaches and steep cliffs. The road begins in Hout Bay, then climbs in sometimes very tight switchbacks to Chapman's Point, the highest point on the road, before descending back to sea level near Noordhoek. From there, we continued to the entrance of the Cape Nature Reserve. After a longer break, the route lead us back via Boulder Beach, home to approximately 700 African penguins.

DAY 9

Trip to Stellenbosch and city tour including the village museum. Stellenbosch was founded in 1679 by the Dutch East India Company as a trading base, and the townscape is still characterized by Cape Dutch architecture and many restored buildings.

We took a break at the Zevenwacht winery where we had the opportunity of wine tasting and also enjoyed a light lunch.

In the afternoon we made our way to the Company Gardens and the Cape Malay Quarter, where we had the opportunity of buying various spices in a shop.

DAY 10

On the last day, we spent the morning at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town's harbor. The name "Victoria & Alfred" commemorates Queen Victoria and her son Prince Alfred, who, as a young naval officer in 1860, laid the foundation stone for this harbor.

Originally, the port served to supply British ships during their long sea voyages to India.

Today, the Waterfront is a colorful mix of history, culture, shopping, and entertainment.

Over 450 shops offer everything from international fashion brands to local handicrafts and African souvenirs.

In addition, there are many cozy cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy fresh fish, South African cuisine or simply a good coffee – always with a view of the harbor.

At midday we traveled to the airport, where we began our journey home. We flew back to Vienna via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines.