If you are lucky enough to find yourself in the beautiful country of South Africa, exploring it is one of the greatest pleasures you are likely to experience. Although it has a painful history and a society that is still recovering from the terrible racial strife and rigid class system, this is a land of beauty and wonder. With the exchange rate being so in favor of the American dollar, and even more so for the British Pound or Euro, it would be a crime not to take advantage of everything this glorious land has to offer. See everything that you can possible feast your eyes upon, however make special note of these five treasures.
1. Robben Island
Although this is a fairly obvious tourist spot, there is definitely a reason why it consistently remains a major draw. Robben Island is a beautiful and heartbreaking place to visit. The island provides informative tours given by former political prisoners that have spent time in the Maximum Security prison, which takes up the majority of the land. History comes to life as these men relive the worst moments of their lives and paint a vivid picture of pain and suffering. It is humbling to visit the place where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years, where prisoners who would later become political leaders learned to read and write. Aside from the historical perspective, Robben Island provides beautiful views of Table Mountain, boasts several violent shipwreck sites dating back to the 17th century, and has an immense population of bunnies.
2. Seaview Lion Park
If, like many others, you are visiting South Africa for the chance to meet wild life face to face, Seaview Lion Park is the ideal excursion for you. Nestled on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, the park is a sanctuary for injured or abandoned lion cubs. Although there are also other animals, such as tigers and panthers, they are not the main draw here. Paid workers and volunteers from all over the world spend their time tending to beautiful baby lions and fund their work through the generosity of visitors. Most animals are in large sectioned off enclosures, however if you are in luck and there are very young cubs under the park’s care, you have the extraordinary opportunity to actually play with them, touch them, and take those priceless pictures that will make all your friends jealous. If you are a backpacker, or a student looking to spend your summer doing some important work, you have the option of volunteering at Seaview, and learning first hand how lions are reared in captivity and released into the wild.
3. Simon’s Town
Another impressive romp with the wild life comes in a much smaller package at Simon’s Town. This quaint little place, bearing clear marks of English settlement, offers numerous small-town charms, but their main claim to fame is their extraordinary beach that gives visitors the opportunity to swim, or simply hang out with African Jackass Penguins. It is clear once you set foot on the boardwalk, that the beach does not belong to people but to the penguins, who nest, molt, and interact with each other on every inch of free space they can find. They are adorable, but be careful of coming to close because they do bite if they feel threatened. Most of the time, however, these little creatures are friendly and even curious, oftentimes popping up behind a near by rock to check out what you are doing.
4. Wilderness
Despite its vague name, Wilderness is actually a very clearly defined little coastal town along the Garden Route, South Africa’s beautiful stretch of beach towns that extend from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. There is not much to do here but relax. Far away from any kind of care, Wilderness is a scenic getaway with amazing and affordable bed and breakfasts and the beach right at your toes. Aside from a few basic restaurants, Wilderness is pretty, well, wild and secluded.
5. Cape Point
By far the most cosmopolitan locale on this list, Cape Point is one of the most beautiful spots in Cape Town. A strip of restaurants, shops, and street vendors stretches out on the boardwalk of the cleanest, most attractive beach around. The sand is white, warm, and inviting; the ocean is clear enough that you can take pictures of underwater creatures without a problem. Melding the trendy with the classic, this area is full of gorgeous mansions as well as some of the most picturesque nature views around. The fact that even a poor college student can afford a five-star meal in this kind of neighborhood also goes a long way to making this one of the most entertaining places to visit in the beautiful city of Cape Town.
