South Africa

South Africa is one of the most rewarding first-time international trips an American traveler can take, but it's also far enough and different enough that a little local insight goes a long way. Here's what you need to know before you book. Flights and Travel Time Direct flights from the US to Johannesburg are available from New York (Newark) with United Airlines, and historically from Atlanta with Delta, with flight times of roughly 15 hours nonstop. If a direct flight isn't

Cape Town's Table Mountain and beaches get all the postcards, but some of the city's most unforgettable experiences live in its wildlife, its neighbourhoods, and its history. Here's a side of Cape Town worth building into your itinerary. African Penguins at Boulders Beach Just outside Simon's Town, Boulders Beach is home to a colony of African penguins living right alongside the sand, close enough to walk among (via protected boardwalks) rather than watching from a distant bo

If your idea of a great holiday involves boots, a backpack, and a view earned by climbing rather than driving to it, South Africa has terrain that belongs on your list. The Free State and the Drakensberg mountain range, in particular, offer some of the country's most rewarding, least crowded hiking. Mushroom Rock: One of South Africa's Strangest Landmarks Near the village of Clarens in the Free State sits Mushroom Rock, a sandstone formation carved by centuries of wind and wa

First-Timers in South Africa: The Flowers and Coastline of Namaqualand Most first-time visitors head straight for Cape Town, Kruger, and the Garden Route, and those destinations deserve their reputation. But tucked into the Northern Cape is one of South Africa's strangest, most beautiful phenomena, and one almost no international visitor knows to look for: Namaqualand. The Flower Kingdom Most Visitors Never See For most of the year, Namaqualand looks like semi-desert: dry, ru