What to do in South Africa

Splashes of colour paint the dry landscape of Namaqualand in August. Drive just a few hours up the west coast from Cape Town, and you are transported to a world of colour and beauty. It only happens for a few weeks, so make sure you get there in time.

One can often miss the details of the bush—a leopard track in the sand; a rare bird call; or a unique flower—when bumbling in a vehicle. Guided walks are a fantastic way to explore the Waterberg area, with its soaring massif and rolling plains. These can be in the form of a gentle stroll to identify insects and birds - or spot a porcupine quill, track animals through the bush, or learn the medicinal properties of various trees and plants. If you're in the area, your expert guide may take you to see the gallery of San rock paintings dating back thousands of years. Return to camp for a hearty brunch!

Part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Sodwana Bay on South Africa's east coast is rich in natural biodiversity, a place of whales, sharks, dolphins, manta rays and turtles. Go fishing, scuba diving or kite-surfing, join a turtle tour, and explore the area's birds and wildlife on nature walks, quad bikes or game drives.

Experience the Garden Route National Park's restless breakers, rocky coastline and indigenous forest, its magical world of marine life. Meet the Knysna seahorse, Brenton blue butterfly or colourful Knysna turaco. Walk on the beach, go canoeing on rivers and fresh-water lakes or head for the hills on foot or on your mountain bike.

Armed with your camera and your creativity, depart from camp in the golden hour (sunrise or sunset). Your guide will lead you on a 4x4 drive to find the ultimate photo opportunities, whether it is herds gathered around waterholes, a leopard slinking into a tree after an evening of hunting or elephant marching across the savannah. Get tips on framing, angles and letting nature take the lead from photography experts, and return to camp with a reel of epic snaps! Some camps offer a specially adapted photographic vehicle to ensure you get the best shots, and a processing studio to make edits and get prints

If you dream of seeing dolphins, seals and whales (in the right season), Knysna's liquid landscapes bring your dreams to life. On board the magnificent 50-foot Outeniqua yacht, take in the gentle estuary views before crossing through the Headlands to experience the delights of the Indian Ocean. While you meander down the coast, watch for playful dolphins, soaring seabirds and more, before returning to the picturesque Knysna lagoon.

Bumble through this beautiful nature reserve in an open top Land Rover, as experienced guides track down cheetah, lion and rare black rhino. Game drives in Phinda are always remarkable, whether you are out on the open plains or under the cover of the magical sand forest.

The Hemel-en-Aarde road takes you into the hilly wine country beyond Hermanus. The cool ocean air enriches these vineyards and the small-scale production keeps things personal. Enjoy a different view into the valley at each farm, sipping a crisp sauvignon blanc or tucking into a delicious food and wine pairing.

The rugged coastline and white beaches of the Eastern Cape's Wild Coast are untainted by development. Round thatched huts and free-roaming cattle dot the rolling hills while indigenous forest blankets deep gorges. This is Xhosa country, birthplace of Nelson Mandela, a place of unusual rock formations, shipwrecks and surfing dolphins.

Sleep under a canopy of stars in the dry Kalahari air where no light pollution dims their brilliance. The raised sleep-out platform, called Malori or 'dreamer', has a thatched overhang and weather-proof blinds. Here, in a safe environment, you can immerse yourself in the Kalahari and feel the romance of its night skies.

There's a reason why some call the Cedarburg 'The Louvre of Africa', with its many examples of intricate Khoisan rock paintings that cover the caves and overhangs in the mystical mountain landscape. Short hikes will take you to thousand-year-old paintings depicting antelope and humans, made using animal blood and plant sap as pigments.

Explore the miracle of iSimangaliso Wetland Park with its eight ecosystems, beaches and diversity of plants and animals. There's lots to do, from nature trails, boating, fly-fishing and snorkeling to bird-watching and game drives in search of leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo and giraffe. Visit 700-year-old fish traps and learn about the area's cultural heritage.

A safari in South Africa isn't complete without a game drive in the Kruger, a stomping ground of the Big Five and a plethora of other wildlife. Depart from camp as dawn breaks or in the cooler afternoon, as your guide introduces you to the wonders of the Kruger. Keep your binoculars at the ready to spot the hordes of plains game (especially in the centre of the park), hippo yawning from the river and the endangered African painted dog. Our pick for the best time to go is in the quieter months of April - May and October - November. Stop for refreshments under the limbs of a baobab before returning to camp.

When you see the dorsal fin silently slice the clear water, you know a Great White Shark has arrived near your boat. Secured in a special steel cage, you then descend below the surface for a little one-on-one with this terrifying, beautiful creature - it's nerve-wrecking, yet extremely rewarding.

The arid Kalahari is one of the best places to see the secretive aardvark and pangolin, sightings highly sought-after even by Big Five aficionados. Both animals are nocturnal so your guide will try to find them on an early evening safari. Stay alert and you might spot other wildlife too.

Explore on foot to enjoy changing landscapes, see indigenous plants of the Cape Floral Kingdom up close, spot a jewel-bright sunbird or hear the call of the African fish eagle. You might even see mammals that are protected in the Cederberg wilderness, like Cape mountain zebra, bontebok, bat-eared fox and klipspringer.

Rumble out of camp in the early morning light or closer to dusk, to explore the Waterberg's landscape of craggy cliffs, crystaline streams and plains dotted with mighty baobabs and leafy fever trees. Your expert guide knows all the right places to look (and in the Waterberg, it won't be far) for members of the Big Five, wallowing hippo and herds of plains game. Stop to take as many mental and real pictures as you can before driving on to spot even more wildlife. After a cuppa or cooling drink, return to home base, eyeing out plenty of animals on the way!

Imfolozi Game Reserve, in Zululand, is famously known as the place where the southern white rhino was saved from extinction. It remains the best place to see both white and black species. There are two trail options: one where you stay in and walk out each day from a base camp, and the other where you walk between satellite camps; but fear not, donkeys carry the heavy stuff. The chances of not seeing rhinos here are slim, making it just about the only place left in Africa where that claim can be made. The spectre of Zulu history pervades the place.

A short drive over a mountain pass will take you away from the coast to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, to visit the famous Cango Caves. Set in a limestone ridge, these drip-stone caverns will impress you with their narrow stone passageways and towering rock formations, their vast halls of stalagmites and stalactites.

If the Cape Winelands aren't in your sights on this trip to South Africa, get a taster with a visit to a wine estate in idyllic Constantia Valley. In the suburbs outside of Cape Town, Constantia is home to a number of top-shelf vineyards with long histories from family establishments to renowned wine makers. Our favourites are Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia. Enjoy a tour of the winery, sample unique harvests and meet the wine makers. A few hours in Constantia makes a fantastic addition to your Cape Town itinerary and, if you visit in the afternoon, grab lunch before spending golden hour amongst the rows of grapes - it makes for some lovely photo ops.

Perhaps the most elusive member of the Big Five, the leopard, ranks highly on most safari bucket lists and the private reserves on the western edge of Kruger are just the place to find them. Venture out on a game drive where your expert guide will take you to the known haunts of the local leopards. Although they are masters of camouflage, leopards spend their days draped over tree branches near the Kruger's coursing rivers. Keep your eyes peeled for its distinctive silhouette and swishing tail! We rate the October - November impala calving season to be the best time to do some leopard-spotting, and you may even watch in amazement as the big cat nabs their prey and drags it up a tree in a matter of seconds. Whether it's lazily snoozing under the leaves or in the heat of the hunt, seeing a leopard in the wild is unforgettable.

This marine expedition starts with a boat trip to Dyer Island and the infamous ‘Shark Alley’, where you’ll dive with the ultimate underwater predator, the great white shark. Whilst the morning is an adventure of the adrenaline-filled variety, the afternoon brings a more sedate activity: wine-tasting. Choose to explore the pretty town of Stanford, the grape-strewn Hemel-en-Aarde Valley or Bot River and enjoy a leisurely lunch amid the vines and a wine-tasting or pairing at one of the many world-class estates in this part of the world.