The national parks in South Africa

All those who are attracted to far away places and who are looking for the ultimate change of scenery should consider spending their next holiday in South Africa. South Africa? What do you know about it? If you do a survey of what people think of when they hear the word "South Africa", then these associations usually come up: "Cape Town", "Johannesburg", "Pretoria", "Safari", "wild animals", then at some point " Nelson Mandela and Apartheid. Everything right so far. Let's organize the whole thing a little and give an overview of what you should definitely know about South Africa.

The country of South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is the southernmost country in Africa and at the same time the one that is economically most developed. Comparatively high standards prevail here, an above-average level of education, if you disregard the poor section of the population, and it is also one of the safest countries in Africa - even though it is extremely diverse. It borders Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini, completely encloses the enclave of Lesotho and the coast borders the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. Quite uniquely, the republic has three capitals. Pretoria is the seat of government, Cape Town is the seat of Parliament, Bloemfontein is the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The largest city, however, is a completely different one – Johannesburg. In South Africa, English is the lingua franca. Officially, however, Afrikaans and nine Buntu languages ​​are also spoken. In total, the population is around 60 million people. These are distributed over an area that is almost 3.5 times the size of Germany. With a fairly low population density, there is of course plenty of room for nature and everything that lives here. And that's why South Africa is also known for its breathtaking national parks. And if you want to travel this, you need time and a suitable vehicle. How about a camper? Simply reserve in advance, pick up and take over at the airport, pack up and get started. The itinerary could include these highlights, among others.

You have to have visited these national parks

There are 24 national parks in total. If you want to see them all, you will need a lot of time. So let's limit ourselves to a few of the most beautiful ones. If you start in Cape Town, you are more likely to plan a round trip along the coast and should visit the Winelands and Hermanus. The national parks are more likely to be found in the north and east of the country. A start in Johannesburg would therefore be better to consider. To the east you'll find the well-known Kruger National Park and further south along the coast is the much sought-after iSimangaliso Wetland Park, to the west of which is Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park. If you look at these 3 parks, you should have been on the road for 3-4 weeks. The Drakensberg Park on the border to Lesotho is kitschy beautiful. From here the distances become great. Whether these "jumps" are also feasible in the same holiday? You will need a lot of time. Or you simply travel to dreamlike South Africa again...