Top Five: Places to see in South Africa

There is lots to see in South Africa, but here are what I consider to be the most important or the most important. The following are in no particular order...

5) The Big Five
4) The Garden Route
3) The Drakensburg Mountains
2) Cape Town
1) The Wild Coas

The Big Five in Kruger National Park. There are also a number of other game parks, and they really do offer the same thing. Most of the parks you can enjoy nice accommodations and the Big Five, as well as many other of South Africa's native species.

The Garden Route is a wonderful way to spend a week...or two...or four. There are lots of beautiful stops and plenty of interesting things to see [and do] along the way. Many of the towns are nestled right along the ocean and many also have gorgeous national parks very close by.

The Drakensburg Mountains are a must if you can get yourself out to the north-eastern portion of the country. Absolutely breathtaking with its lush expansiveness and rather treacherous roads. Rumor has it that they were the inspiration for The Lord of the Rings setting...

The five major tourist attractions of Cape Town are Table Mountain, Robben Island, a Cape Peninsula tour, shark cage diving and a tour of the Winelands. Though, after a semester studying marine biology, I don't feel as though shark cage diving and teasing animals is quite an environmentally friendly practice...If you get the chance, try to also hit up the beautiful waterfront district, as well as the lively Long Street. Be aware, though, that Cape Town doesn't represent much of 'Africa,' as it is very European-influenced.

The Wild Coast is much like the Garden Route, but more preserved and less traveled, which defiantly appeals to someone like myself. Many native villages still exist relatively undisturbed along this coast and there the water is a bit a warmer to swim in.

Source:http://blog.mlive.com/spartan_abroad/2008/07/top_five_places_to_see_in_sout.html