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South Africa Backpacker Travel Guide

  • Cape Town

    Cape Town Warm. Wise. Beautiful. Moody. The Mother City. The Gateway to Africa. The Crossroads of the Sea. Cape Town has been described in many ways. It is many different things to many differe...

  • Drakensberg

    Drakensberg - KwaZulu-Natal An area of dramatic beauty. Three thousand metre high peaks soar above grassy valleys and crystal clear streams. Superb day and overnight hikes lead the visitor ...

  • Durban & surrounds

    DurbanHot and spicy! Durbs-by-the-sea is South Africa’s most laid-back city. It’s hot, lush, tropical and has miles of great swimming and surfing beaches. Exotic Indian and earthy Zulu in...

  • Eastern Cape

    Eastern Cape - South Africa 500km of coastline with pristine beaches and coastal dunes and a sunny moderate weather in which to enjoy them. Aptly name the ‘Sunshine Coast’. For a refreshing d...

  • Garden Route

    Garden Route - South Africa Tsitsikamma to Mossel Bay has been billed a ’Taste of Eden’. The Garden Route has mystical forests, wetlands, immaculate beaches and narrow, snaking passes that d...

  • Gauteng

    Gauteng - South AfricaDespite its small size, Gauteng is the powerhouse of South Africa. It’s high population and ethnic diversity makes it a melting pot of cultures. It has a sophisticated, fi...

  • Kruger Park area

    Kruger National Park Area Since the park was first opened in 1898, it has grown into one of the best for game viewing in the world. 1863Km ...

  • Lesotho

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  • Mozambique

    Mozambique is a magical mix of African, old Portuguese and Arab influences. It is a travel destination on the rise, but there’s still many charming untouched corners. The long Indian Ocean coastline...

  • Natal Midlands

    Green, gently rolling pastures and pine forests. The Midlands is genteel and olde worlde with art and craft galleries and antique shops. Battles were fought here amongst the Boer, British and Zulu imp...

  • Northern Cape

    The vast Northern Cape is made up of the semi-arid Karoo and the Kalahari Desert. The region beyond is dry and sparsely populated. The river plummets in...

  • Overberg

    Overberg simply means 'over the mountains'. It’s rugged coastline attracts two oceans, whales and sharks. Inland, rich farmlands run along the idyllic Breede River. What to see and do Whale watchin...

  • Route 62

    Route 62 is a pleasant and shorter alternative to the N2 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. It winds through the fertile valleys of the Klein Karoo, ...

  • South Coast

    An 80km stretch of beautiful beaches, glossy mangroved lagoons and canopied milkwood forests. Balmy weather, warm Indian Ocean waters and easy attitudes give the South Coast a year-round holiday feel....

  • Swaziland

    Few travellers are disappointed with their stay in this diminutive kingdom. Backpacker hostels here have always been crossroads for travellers moving between Mozambique, the Kruger Area and St Lucia -...

  • Victoria Falls

    The ’Smoke that thunders’ is 1700m wide and thunders 107m into the Zambezi Gorge. Spray from the falls can be seen and felt from far away. You can get a sense of the vastness of the falls fro...

  • West Coast & Cederberg

    Venture out on the N7 and discover simple pleasures. Life on the West Coast is as uncomplicated as the locals white houses. And most locals are the salt of the earth themselves. The ocean nourishes th...

  • Wild Coast

    An almost unspoilt paradise, simply rural and overlooked by development. The Wild Coast is a rocky coast with remote villages, numerous rivers, waterfalls, unspoilt beaches, lots of open space and unt...

  • Winelands

    Take in the graceful architecture and rolling vineyards nestling amid the soaring mountains of Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Wellington. What to ...

  • Zululand & Elephant Coast

    Zululand and Elephant Coast Steeped in rich traditions, wild game and war, Zululand’s rolling hills are home to many game parks that have firmly established South Africa as the international ...

Use the tabs below to find backpacker travel information for destinations around South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland