Audley seminar: Getting the best out of South Africa
The beautiful scenery in Franschhoek
On Friday I attended another of the travel seminars. This week’s subject was ‘Getting the best out of South Africa’ run by some of the South Africa specialists at Audley. I have never been to South Africa and was keen to find out more!
Visit our Audley Seminar Programme for more information on seminars coming up or call us on 01993 838 000 to find out more.
The seminar was both entertaining and informative and gave a very useful overview into travelling to South Africa with Audley and some of the highlights of a trip there. Now is a wonderful time to travel to South Africa and very good value as well!
The seminar was divided into four sections and we heard about: Cape Town & the Garden Route; KwaZulu Natal; Wildlife & Safari and Off the beaten track: By train.
Cape Town & the Garden Route
The classic route of Cape Town and the Garden Route is many people’s first introduction to South Africa and with good reason.
View from Table Mountain
A few nights in Cape Town is a good start, with time to visit Table Mountain, either on foot or if you prefer, by cable car! The best time to visit is in our winter months, when the weather is better, there are fewer people and better offers.
The Winelands is an hour from Cape Town and is the gourmet capital of South Africa. You can enjoy amazing wines on a guided tour, tailored to your exact interests, such as wine tasting on horseback or the interesting sounding chocolate and wine tasting!
Whale watching is also a highlight of time in this area, with trips in Hermanus, which also has some of the best land-based whale watching.
The scenic beauty of the Garden Route is well worth exploring, along its 300 km of coastline.
KwaZulu Natal
KwaZulu Natal is known as the province with everything and is renowned for its scenery, relaxation, food, beach, safari, history and other activities. It is perfect for a second visit to South Africa or for the more adventurous!
Highlights of this area include the Midlands, Drakensberg, the Battlefields and the beach.
The Battlefields are a fantastic place to visit and a guided tour here is fascinating.
You can also take part in turtle tracking on the beaches, as well as go on safari in one of the reserves.
Wildlife & Safari
Lion in Kruger National Park
South Africa is one of the best places to see the Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant) , either in a private game reserve or in Kruger National Park.
The rangers and trackers who travel with you on the game drive are highly skilled and find the animals for you.
Time on a safari is made up of a number of games drives per day, interspersed with time at leisure and wonderful meals! A real highlight is going on a night drive when you can see the big cats hunting.
The main areas to go on safari are the Eastern Cape, the Kruger, (particularly Sabi Sands), Madikwe and Tswalu.
Off the beaten track: By train
There are 2 luxury rail journeys in South Africa and both run from Pretoria to Cape Town and vice versa. They are the Blue Train and Rovos Rail and are both world famous, for the service as well as the wonderful scenery you pass on your journey. There are also excursions off the train.
The Blue Train is the more modern of the two, with all mod cons, while Rovos Rail is a more authentic experience and the decor on board reflects this. Whichever train you choose, you’re sure to have an unforgettable experience!
If this has whetted your appetite to see South Africa for yourself, visit our website to find out more about a tailor-made trip to South Africa with Audley, contact one of our dedicated South Africa specialists on 01993 838 550 or contact us online.
