South Africa Holidays

Adam Chapman

In my mind South Africa really lives up to its name of 'the Rainbow Nation' – not only due to its many different types of people but its diversity of scenery, leading it to be described as a 'world in one country'. The country features traditional African savannah and wildlife; Indian Ocean beaches; magnificent mountain ranges; first world cities or awesome deserts. There is no end to the breathtaking scenery and smiling faces.


Contact one of the experts at Mahlatini to help you plan your trip of a lifetime to South Africa.

Sample South Africa Holidays


Luxury Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route Holiday

Trip length:
11 days
Cost from:
£1,125
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

Our holidays are tailor made journeys designed by our expert staff with your individual requirements in mind. The following sample holiday is a 2 week self drive trip taking in Cape Town, the winelands region and the Garden Route. There is also an option for a 3 day safari extension at the famous Shamwari Game Reserve in the nearby Eastern Cape region. The accommodation throughout is top class, perfect for those wanting to travel in style...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Luxury Cape Town & Kruger Safari

Trip length:
11 days
Cost from:
£4,375
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

At Mahlatini we are experts in tailor made holidays. The following itinerary is a sample trip to provide you with a starting point for the design of your individualised trip. This sample holiday is the ultimate in luxury and allows the visitor to combine a stay in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands with a safari in the Kruger Park. The Cape portion is a self drive holiday, however, should you prefer to be transferred this can easily be arranged...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Luxury Kruger & Mozambique Holiday

Trip length:
11 days
Cost from:
£4,275
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

The consultants at Mahlatini are experts in bespoke travel. Allow us to get to know you and we will design you a personalised trip. The below sample is a twin centre holiday incorporating a 3 night luxury safari in South Africa's Kruger Park following by a week spent on the beach on Benguerra Island in Mozambique. The accommodation choices provided are stylish and the trip is designed for guests who want to minimise...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Cape Town, Winelands and Kruger

Trip length:
11 days
Cost from:
£825
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

This sample holiday allows the visitor to combine a 10 night stay in Cape Town and the Cape Winelands with a Kruger Safari. This routing, or indeed the accommodation options, is not set in stone, merely an example of how you may like to spend your time. The trip will begin in Cape Town and end in Johannesburg for international flights into and out of the country. Allow Mahlatini to plan a private tailor made holiday for you along these lines.

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Cape Town & Garden Route Holiday

Trip length:
14 days
Cost from:
£775
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

This sample Cape holiday combines a typical self drive Cape Town and Garden Route trip with an optional 3 night safari at the end. Flying into the mother city Cape Town, you will spend time enjoying the sights of the city before moving on to the fantastic winelands and further to the very scenic, yet stark semi desert Karoo town of Outshoorn, famous for its ostrich farms. Then 3 nights on the Garden Route...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Durban & KwaZulu Natal Holiday

Trip length:
16 days
Cost from:
£2,050
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

The following is a sample of an itinerary which we would suggest for those wanting to truly explore all that the beautiful province of KwaZulu Natal has to offer. It includes a beach stay, a safari, an exploration of the battlefields region and a visit to the magnificent Drakensberg Mountains.

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Cape Town, Winelands & Hermanus Holiday

Trip length:
10 days
Cost from:
£725
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

This sample Cape holiday combines a typical self drive Cape Town and Garden Route trip with an optional 3 night safari at the end. Flying into the mother city Cape Town, you will spend time enjoying the sights of the city before moving on to the fantastic winelands and further to the very scenic, yet stark semi desert Karoo town of Outshoorn, famous for its ostrich farms. Then 3 nights on the Garden Route...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Kruger Walking Safari & Beach Holiday in KwaZulu Natal

Trip length:
9 days
Cost from:
£1,375
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

The following is a set departure 8 day fly in itinerary beginning and ending at Johannesburg Airport. It includes a stay in the Kruger park at either Rhino Post Safari Lodge or Plains Camp (both offer game drives and walking) followed by a 4 night stay in the sunny province of KwaZulu Natal. Here you have a choice of one or two accommodations, Thonga Beach Lodge and / or Kosi Forest Lodge...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Kruger Park Walking Safari

Trip length:
4 days
Cost from:
£300
pp sharing
Trip Description

Mahlatini offer walking safaris in the Kruger Park. Accommodation is in exclusive unfenced tented camps. The safaris run every Mon-Fri (5 day / 4 night) and every Fri-Mon (4 day / 3 night) and transfers to and from Johannesburg are included. Each camp can sleep up to 12 people in large walk-in twin-bedded tents (linen is provided, so sleeping bags are not needed) with sown-in mosquito screens...

view itinerary to read more

Contact Mahlatini for your personalised holiday to South Africa

See more Safaris in South Africa

Back to Top

Sample South Africa Honeymoons

In addition to the sample honeymoons below, you can also combine South Africa & Mauritius for the perfect Twin Center Honeymoon.

Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route Honeymoon

Trip length:
11 days
Cost from:
£875
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

Mahlatini have been planning honeymoons from the start. We understand that this is a special holiday and we will ensure that yours is entirely unique and specifically tailored for you. Below is a sample South African honeymoon encompassing a 2 week self drive trip of Cape Town, the winelands region and the Garden Route. There is also an option for a 3 day safari extension in the nearby Eastern Cape region...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Cape Town & KwaZulu Natal Honeymoon

Trip length:
15 days
Cost from:
£1,900
pp sharing
Trip Description Accommodation

Our honeymoon itineraries are tailored to suit your preferences and can be anything you desire. The below is a sample of one of our favourite honeymoons. The trip combines a safari experience in the Kruger Park in South Africa with a week's beach stay in Mauritius. You would fly into Johannesburg and out of Mauritius with South African Airways and Air Mauritius...

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Contact Mahlatini for your personalised holiday to South Africa

See more Honeymoons in South Africa

Sample South Africa Family Holidays


Cape Town & KwaZulu Natal Family Holiday

Trip length:
15 days
Cost from:
£900
per family
Trip Description Accommodation

This sample self drive holiday is designed to be undertaken by a family during the European school holidays between June and September. At this time South Africa is experiencing its winter but the province of KwaZulu Natal on the Indian Ocean (main city Durban) has a tropical climate and is warm year round...

view itinerary to read more
  • 3 nights in Durban Kwazulu Natal
  • Our recommended accommodation:
  • Oyster Box Hotel
  • 2 nights in Durban Kwazulu Natal
  • Our recommended accommodation:
  • Amazulu Lodge
  • 3 nights in Durban Kwazulu Natal
  • Our recommended accommodation:
  • Hilltop Camp
  • 1 nights in Durban Kwazulu Natal
  • Our recommended accommodation:
  • Shakaland
view itinerary to read more

Cape Town & Garden Route Family Holiday

Trip length:
10 days
Cost from:
£450
per family
Trip Description Accommodation

The following sample family holiday is a self drive trip taking in Cape Town and the Garden Route. There is also an option for a 3 day safari extension in the nearby Eastern Cape safari region. The accommodation throughout is specifically suited to families. At each destination we have included a choice of hotels to provide a sample of the types of accommodation on offer. The trip begins in the city of Cape Town...

view itinerary to read more
  • 2 nights in Hermanus
  • Our recommended accommodation:
  • Abalone Lodge
view itinerary to read more

Sun City & Madikwe Family Safari

Trip length:
10 days
Cost from:
£1,200
per family
Trip Description Accommodation

The below sample holiday is one designed for families and incorporates a stay at the famous Sun City resort with a safari at the malaria free Madikwe Big 5 game reserve. For a unique cultural experience the trip also includes a stay at Lesedi Cultural Village. The trip will begin and end in Johannesburg. Chat to one of Mahlatini's South Africa experts who will tailor a trip for your family along these lines.

view itinerary to read more
view itinerary to read more

Contact Mahlatini for your personalised holiday to South Africa

See more Family Holidays in South Africa

Back to Top

Overview of South Africa

South Africa's extraordinary diversity makes it one of the most popular holiday destinations on the African continent. With its good roads, internal flights and luxury travel facilities South Africa is undoubtedly the most developed country in Africa but it is still possible to get off the beaten track and explore the spectacular natural landscapes of tropical sandy beaches, snow capped mountains and the wilderness of the African bush. South Africa is famous for its year-round sunshine and for this reason it is an excellent holiday destination for honeymoons, family holidays and anyone simply looking to soak up the sun in an exotic location.

Most people who travel to South Africa want to include a safari in their holiday. There are hundreds of regions offering various types of safaris in the country and we will help and advise you on the best area for you. The inclusion of Cape Town (and its surrounding areas such as the winelands and the Garden Route) is equally a desirable inclusion in most South Africa holiday itineraries. What is so great about South Africa is that you can include a safari, a city break and a beach holiday all in one holiday!

Accommodation and service in South Africa is known for being of a very high standard. If you want to spoil yourselves there is no shortage of luxury hotels and safari lodges, many of which are continually rated amongst the best in the world.

Mahlatini have a number of South Africans in their sales team with extensive knowledge on the country and its key attractions. Our personalised itineraries are designed using our expert knowledge and travel experience.

When to travel

There is never a bad time to travel to South Africa. The summer months run from September to May and are generally hot and sunny. During summer you may experience short afternoon showers after the heat of the day but these are quick and very pleasurable in cooling things down.

The winter months are only really June, July and August. Being slightly cooler by no means dismisses it as a holiday destination. The vast majority of the country experiences warm and dry winters. Temperatures are generally cool in the morning and evenings allowing for a comfortable night's sleep and fresh start. The day time temperatures can range from 18 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees, depending on the region.

The whole country can be visited during the summer months but there are certain regions we recommend more specifically for the winter months such as Durban and KZN and the Kruger Park. Cape Town and its surrounding regions can experience cool and wet winters but this usually doesn't deter people too much as the weather comes in coastal fronts, meaning this is not a continuous cycle. Also the whales are calving on the Cape coast during the winter months providing another highlight to your trip.

Speak to us about your specific interest and we will advise you on the best time of year to travel to the region which suits you best.

How to travel

All holidays will start in one of two cities, Johannesburg or Cape Town, both of which host the international airports, although a new international airport is currently being built in Durban.

Those who begin in Cape Town have a number of route options. One of the most popular itineraries in South Africa is taking in Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route. For those wishing to tag a safari onto such a trip, the destinations which work best are the Eastern Cape safari region and the Kruger Park safari. Sometimes, particularly in the winter months, it is best to cut out the Garden Route and after a visit to Cape Town, fly to Durban to explore the beaches and game reserves of KwaZulu Natal. In these cases the departure airport would be Johannesburg which is linked to many domestic airports such as Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape), Durban and the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport.

Those who begin in Johannesburg again have a number of travel options of offer. Sun City and its neighbouring game reserve, Pilanesberg is a 2 – 3 hour from the city and the malaria-free Big 5 game reserve Madikwe is also within an approximately 4 hour drive of Johannesburg. To access the Kruger from Johannesburg there are numerous flights to bordering airports as well as airstrips within the park itself. You can also drive to the Kruger area from the airport which would be anything from 5 to 8 hours. Durban is a mere 1 hour flight from Johannesburg and of course you may wish to begin your trip from Johannesburg and end in Cape Town, which is easily reached in a 2 hour flight.

Johannesburg is also a departure point for those wishing to visit other Southern African countries such as Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi and Mauritius. The city of Johannesburg itself is often used as simply a stopover point between destinations however we do recommend that you stay a couple of days in the city to really explore one of the most economically successful cities in Africa. The city played a significant role in the Apartheid struggle and is now the centre of the emerging new South Africa. Why not take in a Soweto Township tour, visit the famous Apartheid Museum or shop until you drop at Nelson Mandela Square or Sandton City?

The combinations are endless and this is why we recommend that you speak to one of our South African born experts who will guide you on the best options for you.

Getting from place to place in the country is easy, safe and there are various transport options. Self drive in South Africa is particularly popular. Many customers report on how safe and easy it is to drive in South Africa. If you do not wish to drive we can easily organise road transfers where applicable. There are numerous domestic airlines operating between all the major tourist locations and light aircraft charter and helicopter flights are also easily arranged. In certain areas tourists can make use of public transport, but services may be limited and it is best to seek our advice on what services to avail of and where.

Quick Facts

Flights:
Flights from Europe to Cape Town and Johannesburg take between 11 & 12 hours.
Vaccinations:
Malaria prophylactics are required in certain areas such as the Kruger and northern KwaZulu Natal. The rest of the country is malaria free.
When to travel:
South Africa is a year round destination with each season having its own advantages and highlights. Summer months run from Oct – May and the winter is short between June and Sept. Winters are generally warm and dry in most parts.
Visas:
Most Europeans and Americans do not require a visa but there are stipulations on the number of clear pages and the validity in your passport. Please chat to us regarding the latest information.
Weather:
Click here for weather information.

Customer Review

Holiday to South Africa during December 2011

South Africa Review

Beautiful country wth large variations - from lush green to semidesert.

Rated...

Signed:

Anonymous

South Africa Factfile

Timezone:
EAT (UTC+2)
Language:
English, local languages
Currency:
South African Rand
Best time:
Year round destination
Flights:
9 hours from Europe
Visas:
Not needed for many Europeans, call for info
Weather:
Click here for weather information