Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards has once again voted South Africa as one of the top 10 countries to visit in the world.*

This is in itself is a relief as Ukiyo Live hopes to see people travelling back to this country that brims with warmth and hospitality. A large portion of the South African economy relies on tourism, therefore when travel does fully open again, it will provide a much needed boost for the South African economy.

United Airlines has also just announced a new, non-stop flight route from Newark, New York, direct to Cape Town, South Africa, that will cut the trip to Johannesburg or Europe out of the equation.** Of course South Africa is also an international gateway to other Southern African countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

There are a number of trips that can tick all of the boxes, from enjoying Cape Town’s finest hotels, restaurants, beaches and mountains to flying to the internationally famous Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe that flows year round and is a soft landing into Africa.

The benefit of travelling to the Southern Hemisphere in June – October (Northern Hemisphere summer) is that the weather is more temperate and cool. Particularly, if you’re heading to the bush to search for the Big 5 and more, the foliage is less thick and thus easier to spot elusive animals. Winter days in the bush can be spent by the pool soaking up the sun but expect temperatures to be chilly in the morning and evenings.

There are so many different types of holidays to have in South Africa so if we had to sum it up in a nutshell, here are some of our colleagues’ favourite places.

  1. Swim at Robberg Beach, in Plettenberg Bay, along the Garden Route (Beware of Great White Sharks though)
  2. Visit the Franschhoek valley for exquisite scenery, fine dining and award winning wines
  3. Take a trip to the Kruger National Park or surrounding game reserves
  4. Drive to the Drakensberg Mountains to experience extraordinary biospheres and unique eco systems
  5. Swim amongst the Penguins at Boulders Beach, False Bay, Cape Town but remember to go early in the morning to avoid the crowds

* (June 2021, online edition) https://www.cntraveler.com/story/top-countries-in-the-world

** (May 2021, Business Insider online edition) https://www.businessinsider.co.za/new-direct-flights-from-johannesburg-to-new-york-amid-travel-ban-2021-5