Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland

James Bainbridge

Description

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet's South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Fill your days with beaches and wineries in Cape Town, spot wildlife galore in Kruger National Park, and hike past majestic mountains in the Drakensberg region - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Cape Town, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Johannesburg & Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park, Limpopo, North West Province, Northern Cape, Lesotho, Swaziland The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland is our most comprehensive guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland, and is perfect for discovering both popular and offbeat experiences. Looking for wider coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's Southern Africa. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Sujets

• Republic of South Africa
• South Africa
• Afrique du Sud

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781788681520
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 21 Mo

Extrait

South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland
South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland’s Top 25
Need to Know
First Time South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland
What’s New
If You Like
Month by Month
Itineraries
Activities
Travel with Children
Regions at a Glance

On The Road

CAPE TOWN
Sights
Activities
Tours
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Information
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
WESTERN CAPE
Winelands
Stellenbosch
Franschhoek
Paarl
Tulbagh
Robertson
McGregor
The Overberg
Kogelberg Nature Reserve
Betty’s Bay
Hermanus
Stanford
Greyton
Gansbaai
Cape Agulhas
Arniston
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Swellendam
Garden Route
Mossel Bay
George
Montagu & Outeniqua Passes
Herolds Bay
Victoria Bay
Wilderness
Garden Route National Park (Wilderness Section)
Buffalo Bay
Knysna
Knysna to Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay & Around
Route 62
Montagu
Barrydale
Calitzdorp
Oudtshoorn
Central Karoo
Prince Albert
Karoo National Park
West Coast & Swartland
Darling
West Coast National Park
Langebaan
Paternoster
Elands Bay
Cederberg Wilderness Area
Citrusdal & Around
Clanwilliam & Around
EASTERN CAPE
Garden Route East
Garden Route National Park (Tsitsikamma Section)
Storms River
Sunshine Coast
St Francis Bay
Jeffrey’s Bay
Port Elizabeth
Addo Elephant National Park
Grahamstown
Port Alfred
Amathole
East London
Hogsback
The Wild Coast
Chintsa
Morgan Bay & Kei Mouth
Coffee Bay
Mthatha
Mthatha to Port St Johns
Port St Johns
Pondoland
Northeastern Highlands
Lady Grey
Rhodes
Eastern Karoo
Graaff-Reinet
Camdeboo National Park
Nieu Bethesda
Mountain Zebra National Park
Cradock
KWAZULU-NATAL
Durban
South Coast
Warner Beach
Umzumbe & Umtentweni
Oribi Gorge
Margate, Ramsgate & Southbroom
North Coast
Umhlanga Rocks & uMdloti Beach
Ballito
KwaDukuza
Zululand
Mtunzini
Eshowe
Ulundi
Ithala Game Reserve
The Elephant Coast
Hluhluwe
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Tembe Elephant Park
Ndumo Game Reserve
The Midlands
Pietermaritzburg
Drakensberg & Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Southern Berg
Central Berg
Northern Berg
Battlefields
Spioenkop Nature Reserve
Ladysmith
Dundee
Isandlwana & Rorke’s Drift
Blood River
FREE STATE
Bloemfontein
Northern Free State
Parys & Vredefort Dome Area
Eastern Highlands & Southern Free State
Harrismith
Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Clarens
Bethlehem
Fouriesburg
Ficksburg
Ladybrand
Gariep Dam Nature Reserve
Philippolis
JOHANNESBURG & GAUTENG
Johannesburg
Soweto
Pretoria
Around Pretoria
MPUMALANGA
Drakensberg Escarpment
Dullstroom
Waterval Boven (Emgwenya)
Sabie
Pilgrim’s Rest
Graskop
Blyde River Canyon
Eastern Lowveld
Hazyview
Nelspruit (Mbombela)
Komatipoort
Barberton
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Sights
Activities
Tours
Sleeping & Eating
Information
Getting There & Around
Private Wildlife Reserves
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Manyeleti Game Reserve
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
LIMPOPO
Polokwane
Bushveld
Mokopane
Bela-Bela
The Waterberg
Soutpansberg
Louis Trichardt
Musina
Mapungubwe National Park
Venda
Valley of the Olifants
Letaba Valley
Tzaneen
Modjadjiskloof
Phalaborwa
Hoedspruit
NORTH WEST PROVINCE
Rustenburg
Sun City
Pilanesberg National Park
Madikwe Game Reserve
Magaliesberg Range
NORTHERN CAPE
Kimberley
The Upper Karoo
Mokala National Park
Victoria West
The Kalahari
Kuruman
Witsand Nature Reserve
Upington
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Augrabies Falls National Park
Riemvasmaak
Namakwa & the Hantam Karoo
Springbok
Port Nolloth
|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
Namaqua National Park
Calvinia
Sutherland
LESOTHO
Maseru
Around Maseru
Thaba-Bosiu
Roma
Morija
Northwestern Lesotho
Teyateyaneng
Leribe
Butha-Buthe
Ts’ehlanyane National Park
Northeastern Highlands
Liphofung Cave Cultural & Historical Site
Oxbow
Mokhotlong
Sani Top
Central Highlands
Bokong Nature Reserve
Katse Dam
Thaba-Tseka
Mohale Dam
Semonkong
Southern Lesotho
Malealea
Mohale’s Hoek
Quthing
Qacha’s Nek
Sehlabathebe National Park
SWAZILAND
Mbabane
Central Swaziland
Ezulwini Valley
Lobamba
Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary
Malkerns Valley
Manzini
Northwestern Swaziland
Ngwenya
Malolotja Nature Reserve
Komati Valley
Northeastern Swaziland
Hlane Royal National Park
Mlawula Nature Reserve
Mbuluzi Game Reserve
Mkhaya Game Reserve

Understand

South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland Today
History
Environment
Wildlife & Habitat
Music
Food & Drink
People & Culture

Survival Guide

Safe Travel
Directory A–Z
Accommodation
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Insurance
Internet Access
Language Courses
Legal Matters
LGBT Travellers
Money
Opening Hours
Photography
Post
Public Holidays
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Volunteering
Women Travellers
Work
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Health
Language
Behind the Scenes
Map Legend
Our Writers
Welcome to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland

South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland are a microcosm of the African continent, containing dramatic mountain ranges, golden crescent beaches, wildlife-stalked wildernesses, vibrant cities and centuries of history.

Dramatic Landscapes
The region’s landscapes are stunning, from the burning Karoo and Kalahari semideserts to the misty heights of the Drakensberg range and the massive Blyde River Canyon. Even in urban Cape Town, you need only look up to see the beautiful fynbos (indigenous flora) climbing the slopes of Table Mountain, while nearby, two of the world’s most dramatic coastal roads lead to Cape Point and Hermanus. Add the vineyards carpeting the Cape Winelands, the Garden Route’s old-growth forests, mountain ranges from the Cederberg to the Maluti, Indian Ocean beaches and the Swazi highveld, and there’s a staggering variety to enjoy.

History
Museums from Jo’burg to Robben Island, many including exhibits on the apartheid era, will help you to understand the fabric of South African society. Continue your history lesson with a township visit to the likes of Soweto (Jo’burg) or Langa (Cape Town), chatting to locals and learning that, despite the heart-wrenching past, there is great pride here and an immense sense of promise for the future. Lesotho and Swaziland’s backstories are intertwined with South Africa; learn more at spots such as the mountain lodges occupying Lesotho’s historic trading posts.

Outdoor Adventure
The three countries’ ever-changing scenery is the perfect canvas on which to paint an activity-packed trip. Try rock climbing in the Cederberg, surfing off the Eastern Cape coast, abseiling from Cape Town’s Table Mountain, bungee jumping from the Garden Route’s Bloukrans Bridge, swinging into Graskop Gorge, or rafting and mountain biking in Swaziland. If adrenaline sports aren’t your thing, opt for a hike: options include multiday treks through wildlife reserves, day walks in the Karoo semidesert, ‘slackpacking’ trails along the Cape coast, and hikes into the Drakensberg and Maluti ranges.

Wildlife
South Africa and Swaziland comprise one of the continent’s best safari destinations, offering the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) and more in accessible parks and reserves. You can drive right into renowned parks such as Kruger, Kgalagadi and Swaziland’s Hlane Royal, or join khaki-clad rangers on guided drives and walks. But it’s not all about big-game sightings – wildlife watching here also teaches you to enjoy the little things: a leopard tortoise ambling alongside the road, a go-away bird chirping its distinctive chant, or a coastal encounter with seals, whales or a great white shark.

Valley of Desolation | HOUGAARD MALAN PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES ©

Why I Love South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland
By James Bainbridge, Writer
Before my first trip to South Africa, I was, despite my travel experience, slightly nervous about visiting this country with a reputation for crime. Then I touched down in Jo’burg and headed into the bushveld, finding all the beauty and wildness of Africa accompanied by excellent lodges, restaurants and wildlife reserves. By the time I caught Shosholoza Meyl’s train across the Karoo to Cape Town, I was hooked. After experiencing the Mother City’s varied lifestyle of gastronomy, culture, mountain walks and beaches, I met my wife here and got to stay.
For more about see our writers
South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland’s Top 25

Cape Town
Overlooked by flat-topped Table Mountain, with its cable car, walking trails and abseiling, Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Fill your days here visiting beaches and Constantia wine estates, wandering the V&A Waterfront, catching the ferry to Robben Island and, above all, meeting the easy-going Cape locals. In complement to its considerable natural charms, the city is benefitting from ongoing urban renewal, with world-class restaurants, hip food markets and design-savvy arcades opening in once-industrial neighbourhoods such as Woodstock and the Waterfront’s Silo District.

view from the Table Mountain Cableway | CHIARA SALVADORI / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences
Kruger National Park
Kruger is one of Africa’s great wilderness experiences and the mightiest of the country’s national parks – a trip here will sear itself in your mind. Its accessibility, quantity and variety of wildlife, and staggering size and range of activities make Kruge