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  For many people a beach holiday is the ultimate in heavenly getaways. For other people there needs to be more to it than just sand and sea. Here are 4 suggestions as to how to make your South African beach holiday even more enjoyable. Slackpacking on the Wild Coast Slackpacking is the glamourous twin of traditional hiking or backpacking. If you love to hike but hate having to carry everything but the kitchen sink on your back as well, then slackpacking might be the perfect solution. All you carry [...]

  The West Coast of South Africa is so startlingly different to the rest of the country you may not believe you’re actually in Africa. And while it may be different there are enough National Parks, and game reserves to satisfy any wildlife enthusiast’s need for South Africa’s fabulous wild creatures. Whether you’re a history buff, dedicated foodie, beachcomber, rock climber, or a wildlife enthusiast, you won’t be disappointed exploring South Africa’s West Coast. The Khwa Ttu San Heritage Centre, the West Coast Fossil Park and the guided Lighthouse Tour [...]

  Dutch, French, African, Malay and English historical roots combine in the varied and delicious food you can enjoy when you visit South Africa. And the decadent puddings are certainly no exception. Malva Pudding Considering this is one of South Africa’s most iconic desserts you would not believe the different factions that exist within the pudding loving fraternity. Not only are there differing opinions as to where the name comes from, but also what goes into it. There’s even discussion as to whether it’s actually a Jan Ellis Pudding, an [...]

Nadine, Media Reporter for Touch Down Travel Tech sat down with the CEO, Deon Barnard of Go Touch Down Travel and Tours to speak about the future of travel, in particular to South Africa. Reporter: Personal question to kick off, how long have you been in the travel industry? CEO: I started in 1988 and I’m extremely passionate about the travel industry. I just love seeing how a trip on safari, in particular, affects people -it’s truly life-changing. Reporter: How many travellers pre Covid-19 were you taking to South Africa? [...]

  There’s so much to see in southern Africa! Choosing only a few places can be overwhelming. It’s a vast land, filled with landscapes, animals, and wonder. Hopefully, our bucket lists will help.   The Pilanesberg National Park – South Africa In 1977, within one of the largest circular volcanic complexes in the world, Operation Genesis began, and long-vanished wildlife was reintroduced. It was the largest game resettlement in the world. Now, ecologically rich and malaria-free, and only 3 hours from Johannesburg, the Pilanesberg is home to over 10 000 [...]

  Thanks to South Africa’s historical roots combining Dutch, French, African, Malay and English influences, the country’s food is varied, inspiring and often unexpected. Let’s start with the unexpected. Mopane worms, a delicacy across Southern Africa. Mopane worms These brightly coloured caterpillars of the large Emperor moth have little spikes on their backs, and they feed primarily mopane tree leaves. During the rainy season, and before the caterpillar pupates, they are harvested, just like they have been for thousands of years, by hand. The insides are squeezed out and the [...]

Deciding what to see and experience in Southern can be daunting. There’s just so much to choose from. Hopefully, our bucket lists will help. The Cradle of Humankind – South Africa Where on earth did the 7.674 billion people on earth come from? The Cradle of Humankind has some of the answers. The active archaeological digs and the important three million-year-old fossils found here, make the Cradle one of the richest hominid sites in the world. The heart of the site, the award-winning, world-class Maropeng Visitor Centre, has wonderful exhibits [...]

South Africa has some of the most beautiful and ancient mountains in the world, a number of which are either on the list of the New Seven Wonders of nature, like Table Mountain, or are World Heritage Sites. Deep in the Mpumalanga Province, which translates from the Zulu as ‘the land of the rising sun’, stretches the Barberton Makhonia Mountains, nicknamed ‘the Genesis of Life’ – not least because of the rocky hills, wide grassy plains, verdant valleys, and mysterious forests, as well as the rich diversity of birds and [...]

  Birding - for some people that means craning you head back trying to find some LBJ (little brown job) among the dense vegetation of a bush or a tree that everyone else is raving about and which you only see as it flies away. In South Africa there are at least 6 birds you may only see on safari.  None of them are under 14 cms. And none of them are brown. The tallest of the six, the ostrich, is over 2.75 m and weighs 137kgs! One kick from [...]