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South Africa Highlights
TRAVEL GUIDE
SOUTH AFRICA - AHEAD OF ITS TIME
An ideal country to visit year round on a self-drive basis, in a group, on a special interest or special activity holiday. South Africa really is a whole world in one country. European city life, western culture, modern health care, a well maintained network of roads and a functioning economy are combined with the ancient beauty of the nature and traditional culture of the African continent, which never fails to enchant its visitors with its unique wealth of plants and animals.
Travelling with Pulse Africa is so easy because ...
- We have 4 South Africans on our staff and 4 more that have lived here for over a decade - we know our stuff
- Being based here we are the first to know about all the new products on offer and can keep fully up to date with all our old favourites
From Cape Town in the West, the celebrated Winelands and along the Garden Route as far as East London in The Eastern Cape, this area of South Africa offers so much for the visitor.
Known locally as "The Last Outpost" Kwa-Zulu Natal is steeped in history and offers visitors the breathtaking Drakensberg Mountains, countless country house hotels in the Midlands together with excellent game viewing, fishing and some of the country's best golf courses. The area offers some of the best game viewing and wetland areas of South Africa and of course some of the best beaches.
Within easy access of Johannesburg, the Kruger National Park and surrounding areas are home to some of South Africa's most luxurious hotels and game lodges and offers high profile game viewing that is hard to beat. Hiking, trout fishing and horse riding complement each other to ensure that this area is normally number one on any visitor's list.
Sun City and malaria free game viewing in The Pilanesberg and Madikwe National Park's are all within two hours drive of Johannesburg. Combine this with world-class hotels, unique cultural experiences and fabulous shopping in Johannesburg and you have the start or finish to a superb South African holiday.
Our selected regions in South Africa...  |  Cape WinelandsWhether it is its magnificent natural beauty, its rich cultural heritage or its world-renowned wines, the Winelands Region is synonymous with all the best that the Cape has to offer. A 45-minute drive from Cape Town brings you to this area where splendid mountains form a dramatic backdrop to lush vineyards and gabled Cape Dutch homesteads steeped in history. |
 | Eastern Cape Superb game, wonderful cultural destinations and a range of adventure activities, including South Africa's only ski resort, offer you something a little out of the ordinary, while beautiful beaches, great golf courses and attractive towns will ensure you can relax and enjoy one of the quieter regions in the country that sits at the end of the garden route. Malaria free game viewing is a big bonus. |
 | Free State This tranquil land is the geographic and agricultural centre of South Africa. However, The Free State is fast becoming a tourist destination in its own right. Famous for its warm South African hospitality, `boerekos' (traditional Afrikaner farm-style cuisine) and decidedly slower-paced lifestyle, this province has become a draw-card for holiday-makers intent on exploring small-town South Africa. |
 | Gauteng Gauteng is where the creative spirit of a nation converges in a dense, cultural heartland. It is the intersection of African and global trade - incorporating Johannesburg, Pretoria and Soweto. Gauteng is a cosmopolitan, multicultural mix of people from all walks of life, from all corners of the world. |
 | KwaZulu Natal - Coastal Region Throughout the year, holidaymakers flock to their favourite coastal haunts to cultivate a tan, ride the waves, eat, drink and generally have fun. Besides sweeping beaches and calm lagoons where surfing, snorkelling, fishing and swimming are enjoyed, visitors can play golf, bowls and tennis or just soak up the sun. The capital city, Durban, is a bustling seaport and a cultural melting pot. |
 | KwaZulu Natal - Interior Region KwaZulu-Natal is one of South Africa's favorite holiday destinations due to the year-round pleasant climate, fantastic beaches and warm Indian Ocean. |
 | Limpopo Province Now called The Limpopo Province, this region offers so much to do. The game viewing is absolutely fantastic and possibly the best in the country. Spectacular mountain scenery beckons hikers, climbers and bikers alike, while mystic cultural destinations intrigue visitors and non-local South Africans. Private game reserves and quiet country house hotels offer some of the country's best accommodation. |
 | Mpumalanga Province There are so many wildlife destinations in this lovely province you could be excused for thinking there is nothing else. But that would be wrong. Wonderful hiking, beautiful scenery, rafting, fly-fishing and many attractive small towns make this a generally wonderful holiday destination that is ideal for families, honeymooners and those looking for a great bush experience. |
 | North West Province Close to Johannesburg, The Northwest Province has a number of wonderful little hideaway spots - including the magnificent malaria-free Madikwe and Pilanesberg Game Reserves. And, of course, the improbable Sun City attracts gamblers, golfers and sightseers alike. |
 | Northern Cape Province Wide-open spaces, enormous skies, thundering waterfalls and spectacular game are the hallmarks of this arid province. In spring, a carpet of blooms softens the desert as far as the eye can see. |
 | The Garden Route Where ever you are, you've most probably heard about the Garden Route, and rightly so, for this is one of the most magnificent, awe-inspiring stretches of land in South Africa, with majestic mountains, breathtaking views, a natural garden of rich, colourful vistas, a paradise for bird-lovers and nature lovers, an eco-destination like few others in the world, with miles upon miles of beautiful, white sandy beaches and many things to do and see. The Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River, which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme eastern reach of the Western Cape. It includes towns such as Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Oudtshoorn and Plettenberg Bay. It has a maritime climate, with moderately hot summers, and mild to chilly winters. It is one of the richest all-year-round rainfall areas in South Africa, most rain falling in the winter months, brought by the humid sea-winds from the Indian Ocean. |
 | Trains For many visitors to South Africa, there is no finer way to see the country than on the popular 48-hour weekly journeys between Pretoria and Cape Town. This 1600-kilometre journey is a perfect illustration of South Africa as a world in one country. Travel the grasslands of the gold rich Highveld to the haunting barrenness of the Great Karoo and the spectacular mountain ranges and scenic wine lands of the Cape. |
 | Western Cape - Cape Town Area Vibrant Cape Town nestling under Table Mountain, with its history and beaches is the perfect destination for any visitor, whilst the nearby Winelands host internationally recognised cellars that offer tastings and purchase of noble cultivars. Along the Garden Route, forests, boutique hotels, restaurants, golf courses, malaria free game viewing and endless sandy beaches make this area a must when visiting South Africa. |
Not to be missed in South Africa...  | Throw A Party African Style For a long time now we have been involved in helping friends, family and clients with some of the arrangements needed in planning celebrations or special occasions. Following Sandy's own 50th birthday bash(Pulse Africa's MD) where she arranged for eighty people from all over the world to travel to Kenya we have decided to add this service to our portfolio and offer a one stop shop for that important celebration. Here's how and why. |
 | Ecotraining Started in 1993 with a mission to raise the standard of guiding in Africa EcoTraining is the oldest field guide training company in Africa and was one of the first companies to conduct formal training programmes for nature guides. |
 | Bill Harrop's Original Ballon Safaris A Balloon Safari: Something really different - something really special. It's sunrise. The silence of your balloon safari is punctuated only by the occasional blast of the powerful burners and the faint call of a bird or animal far beneath. The thrill is indescribable - ballooning truly is something really different and special. |
 | White-Water Rafting The best white-water rafting in South Africa on The Ash River near Clarens. Exciting grade three and four white water rafting all year round, 365 days a year! Not rain dependant! |
 | Great White Sharks Of False Bay Spend an unforgettable day with the great white sharks of False Bay. This one day shark trip is centered around shark breaching, shark predation and shark cage diving. High season for great white sharks is from April to the middle of September (with June, July and August being the best three months). |
 | Rent A Harley The unspoiled magnitude of its nature, its wildlife, excellent road conditions and affordability for overseas visitors, make South Africa and Cape Town one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations. The splendour of the Western Cape, with its 10-months riding season, attracts many Harley owners from all over the world. For this Harley-Davidson Cape Town - the only factory Authorized Rental Outlet on the continent of Africa - operates a rental fleet of eleven super comfortable Twin Cam motorcycles as well as one Sportster. All rental motorcycles are equipped with passenger seat and back rest, luggage rack and saddlebags or panniers. Most have a detachable windscreen and highway pegs as well. |
 | Table Mountain Abseiling Abseil off Table Mountain, a 112 m controlled descent. Step off the top, at 1 000 m above sea level, and abseil into pure vertical space. This is the world's highest commercial abseil, surrounded by beautiful views and the deep blue Atlantic at your feet. Operated on a daily basis if weather allows. |
 | Private Guiding The Pulse Africa Way PRESS RELEASE: Exclusive African safari consultants, Pulse Africa, are expanding their services to their clients, by creating a private guiding division. |
 | The Ant Experience! A game viewing on horseback experience. Ant's Nest and Ant's Hill are two beautiful lodges each set in their own private game reserve owned and run by the Babers, whose family have lived in the Waterberg since 1865. Both lodges offer you the chance of a fabulous riding safari and for those families or groups that consist of non riders, there are a range of other activities on offer. |
 | Ant's Nest - The Best In Africa For Families? Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill are two exceptional bush homes situated on adjoining private game reserves in the malaria free Waterberg, 3 hours north west of Johannesburg. Ant and Tessa Baber have a general policy of taking only one family, group or couple at a time, allowing guests exclusive use of the lodge of their choice. Their aim is to provide a uniquely flexible safari experience offering guests a wide choice of activities, keeping everyone entertained from the youngest to the oldest, the fittest to the most in need of a rest.. |
 | Winelands Countryside Tour Visit the Cape Winelands with its backdrop of majestic mountains, lush valleys, quaint villages and scenic vineyards. |
 | Cape Town Peninsula Scenic Tour A very popular tour that offers a spectacular coastal journey through to Cape Point - the romantic meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. |
 | A Leisurely Sojourn By Luxury Train To Victoria Falls Since its establishment in 1989, Rovos Rail has earned an international reputation for its truly world class travel experiences. Step aboard the wood panelled coaches and enjoy fine cuisine in five-star luxury as some of the most varied scenery imaginable unfolds beyond the windows on your journey to Victoria Falls and beyond...... |
 | Entertainment For The Whole Family Deep in the rugged bushveld, in the heart of an ancient volcano, lies the world's most unique resort. This is the internationally acclaimed Sun City. |
 | Historic Battles Amongst The Rolling Hills Of Kwa-Zulu Natal The KwaZulu-Natal battlefields have always been very much worth a days trip reliving the past. The Drakensberg and Natal Midlands offer many opportunities to re-discover British, Zulu and Boer clashes on the battlefield. Infact KwaZulu-Natal now hosts the Battlefield Route, an experience that is a South Africa tour highlight. |
 | South Africa's Beaches - Yours to Pick & Choose From Whether it's icy cold or nicely warm... You'll find almost any kind of beach in South Africa. |
Our South Africa favourites...  | Kalahari Dreaming - South Africa This special offer allows visitors the chance to experience a totally different aspect of South Africa with four nights at Tswalu Desert Reserve in the arid Northern Cape Province. The lodges(one can be rented on an exclusive basis)offer a unique luxury desert experience and are ideal as a stand-alone get-away, or as an add-on to an existing visit to South Africa. |
Best time for visiting South Africa ... Cape: best time: September - March / good time: April - May, Bush: best time: March - October / good time: November - February, Kwa-Zulu Natal: best time: Sept - March / good time: April - August
Meet our South Africa experts...  | Candice Bradley Candice has been welcomed onto the Pulse Africa team as a Southern Africa, Mozambique and Mauritius specialist. She has travelled extensively throughout her home country of South Africa as well as to Mauritius. Candice is passionate about making travel dreams become realities, creating life changing holiday experiences that will be never forgotten." |
 | Stuart Inglis If you are interested in any of our destinations, but unsure of what you are looking for, what is available or where and when to go, then Stuart, Pulse Africa's Sales & Marketing Director who has travelled extensively throughout Africa, may be the ideal person to talk to. |
 | Natasha Springer Natasha is one of our Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana specialists. Her passion and in depth knowledge of these countries will ensure that your holiday will be a once in a life time experience. |
 | Robyn Tobias Robyn has been in the safari industry for over fourteen years and is an expert in providing safaris and holidays that are both unique and highly personalised. She has a passion for nature and the outdoors and has an eye for picking the very best camps, lodges and hotels that are out there. Robyn is a highly respected travel consultant and her specific area of expertise is southern Africa. |
Ask the experts for the best personalized advice...
