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There is a moment that defines the South Africa golf and safari experience, and it tends to arrive when you least expect it. You are mid-round on a course that would be remarkable for its design alone, and then something moves at the treeline. An elephant. Or a family of warthogs crossing the fairway with complete indifference to your backswing. Or a hippo, half-submerged in the water hazard that your caddie quietly suggested you avoid. At that moment, the scorecard becomes secondary. You are simultaneously on one of the world's great golf courses and inside one of the world's great wilderness areas, and the two are not in conflict. They are, in South Africa, the same thing.
This guide was written for golfers who want more than a great course, and for safari travellers who happen to carry clubs. It covers the courses that genuinely belong on a serious golfer's bucket list, the Game Reserves that deliver the Big Five with the reliability and luxury the best operators in the world have spent decades perfecting, and the itineraries that connect the two into a journey without compromise. South Africa does this combination better than anywhere else on Earth. The following pages explain exactly why, and precisely how to make the most of it.
Yes, and South Africa is the only destination in the world where that combination reaches genuine excellence on both fronts simultaneously. The country is home to some of Africa's finest Championship golf courses, including Leopard Creek, which borders Kruger National Park and regularly hosts wildlife on its fairways, as well as the acclaimed courses of the Garden Route and the Cape Winelands. Those same regions are within reach of world-class Big Five safari destinations: Kruger and its surrounding Private Reserves to the north, malaria-free Pilanesberg near Sun City, and the malaria-free Eastern Cape Reserves accessible from the Garden Route. A well-structured itinerary of ten to fourteen nights can comfortably include four or five rounds of golf at courses of international calibre and three to four nights of luxury safari, without either experience feeling rushed or compromised. For everything you need to plan that trip, the South Africa golf experiences guide is the ideal starting point.
The question most golfers ask when they first consider a South African trip is which to prioritise: the golf or the safari. It is the wrong question, and understanding why is the beginning of planning the right trip.
South Africa is one of the very few places on Earth where that choice is not a compromise. The golf is not "good for Africa." The safari is not "a nice addition to the golf." Both are operating at the absolute top of what their respective fields can offer anywhere in the world. Leopard Creek is not merely an African curiosity: it is regularly listed among the finest courses on the planet by organisations and publications that measure it against courses in Augusta, St Andrews and Pebble Beach. And the Kruger National Park, with its surrounding network of Private Game Reserves, delivers the Big Five with a consistency and a standard of guiding that no other wildlife destination in the world has yet surpassed.
The genius of South Africa as a destination is in how it allows you to move between these two worlds without transition fatigue. A morning round at Fancourt on the Garden Route. A lunchtime flight to Hoedspruit. An afternoon night drive in the Sabi Sands that reveals a leopard draped across an acacia at close enough range to see the individual markings on its coat. These are not compromises or half-measures. They are the full experience of each, held within the same trip and the same country.
This guide covers South Africa in the depth that combination deserves: the courses, the reserves, the seasons, the logistics and the itineraries that bring it all together.
To understand why South Africa has no real rival as a golf and safari destination, it helps to understand the scale and diversity of what the country offers. South Africa has over 500 golf courses, more per capita than almost any country in the world outside Scotland and Ireland. It has produced some of the game's greatest players, Gary Player chief among them, and that heritage has shaped a culture of golf that runs deeper than tourism. The courses here were not built to attract visitors. They were built because South Africans love golf, and many of the finest have become internationally-renowned almost by accident.
The wildlife credentials are equally formidable. The Kruger National Park alone covers nearly two million hectares, making it one of the largest National Parks in the world. Its network of Private Reserves, including Sabi Sands, Timbavati and Londolozi, operate at the very highest level of luxury safari hospitality. The Eastern Cape's malaria-free Reserves, including Shamwari, Kariega and Addo Elephant Park, have transformed the region into one of the most accessible and family-friendly wildlife destinations on the continent.
What South Africa offers that no other destination can replicate is the ability to experience genuine world-class versions of both within the geography of a single trip, connected by efficient domestic flights and a road network that makes self-drive touring genuinely practical.
South Africa's finest golf courses are not concentrated in one place. They are distributed across three distinct regions, each with its own landscape, character and style, and each one worth a dedicated visit in its own right. A well-planned golf safari moves through at least two of them, with the best itineraries covering all three.
No course in South Africa, and arguably no course in the world captures the intersection of sport and wilderness quite like Leopard Creek. Located on the southern border of the Kruger National Park near Malelane in Mpumalanga, the course was designed by Gary Player and opened in 1996. From the beginning its distinction was not merely architectural: it was ecological. The course sits within the Kruger ecosystem, and its fairways, water features and rough are shared, in the most literal sense, with the wildlife of one of Africa's greatest National Parks.
Hippos inhabit the course's ponds and water hazards. Crocodiles are present in the Crocodile River that borders several holes. Vervet monkeys investigate unattended bags. Warthogs cross the fairways. Elephants have been known to appear at the treeline during a round. The course's management works in close coordination with Kruger conservation authorities to maintain both the integrity of the playing experience and the welfare of the animals that treat it as part of their territory.
As a course Leopard Creek stands on its own merits. It has been ranked consistently among the top courses in Africa by leading golf publications, and its dramatic river holes, in particular the 13th which plays alongside the Crocodile River with Mozambique visible across the water, are among the most photographed and most discussed holes on the continent. Access to the course is restricted: it operates as a private members' club, with guest access available through certain affiliated lodge packages. Planning ahead and booking through a specialist such as Africa Travel is essential.
The Garden Route, stretching along South Africa's southern coastline between Mossel Bay and Storms River, is one of the world's great scenic drives. It is also, for golfers, one of the most concentrated collections of high-quality courses anywhere outside of Scotland and Ireland. The combination of coastal drama, mountain backdrop, temperate climate and a tradition of course-building that stretches back over a century makes this region essential to any serious South Africa golf itinerary.
Fancourt, near George, is the centrepiece. The resort hosts three courses: the Montagu, the Outeniqua, and The Links, the last of which was designed by Gary Player to replicate the feel of a traditional Scottish links course in an inland valley setting. The Links hosted the Presidents Cup in 2003 and has hosted multiple editions of the South African Open. As a resort Fancourt operates at the highest level of luxury hospitality, with accommodation, spa facilities and dining to match the quality of the golf.
Pezula Championship Course, perched on cliffs above the Knysna Lagoon, offers one of the most visually dramatic settings in world golf. The views across the lagoon, the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean are genuinely extraordinary, and several holes require carries over ravines or along clifftops that test both nerve and technique. The course is consistently ranked among South Africa's finest.
Pinnacle Point, near Mossel Bay, takes a similar approach to drama: holes carved into coastal cliffs above the Indian Ocean, with fairways that drop and rise against a backdrop of breaking waves. It is a younger course than Pezula but has established itself quickly as one of the region's essential golfing experiences.
For a comprehensive overview of what the Garden Route and the broader South African golf landscape offers, the golfing getaways guide provides region-by-region detail that is invaluable in the planning process.
Cape Town is, by any measure, one of the world's most beautiful cities, and the golf courses that surround it benefit from that setting in ways that are difficult to overstate. The Winelands region, with its backdrop of mountain ranges, its vine-covered valleys and its particular quality of light, provides a setting for golf that is unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Pearl Valley Golf Estate, in the Paarl Valley with the Drakenstein Mountains above it, is the region's most celebrated course and one of the most photographed in South Africa. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, it is a course that combines technical challenge with visual generosity: wide, well-defined fairways, strategic bunkering, and views that make it almost impossible to concentrate entirely on the game.
Steenberg Golf Club, in the Constantia Valley south of Cape Town, offers a different character: a more intimate, parkland-style course set among one of the Cape's oldest Wine Estates, with the Steenberg Mountain providing a constant and dramatic backdrop. The Estate's hotel and restaurant are among the finest in the Cape, making it an ideal base for a wine-and-golf day in the city's immediate surroundings.
Arabella Golf Club, on the Bot River Lagoon near Kleinmond, about an hour east of Cape Town, offers a links-adjacent experience on the shores of a tidal lagoon, with the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve providing both the backdrop and an extraordinary diversity of fynbos flora on and around the course.
For golfers visiting Cape Town, the golfing holidays in South Africa guide provides a detailed overview of course selection, green fee benchmarks, and how best to structure a Cape-based golf itinerary.
Sun City, the resort complex located in North West Province approximately two hours from Johannesburg, is home to the Gary Player Country Club, one of South Africa's most storied venues. The course has hosted the Nedbank Golf Challenge, a DP World Tour event held annually for decades in November, and its combination of parkland design, immaculate presentation and Championship history makes it a bucket-list destination for golfers with any interest in the professional game.
Sun City's proximity to Pilanesberg National Park is one of the combination's great practical advantages. Pilanesberg is a malaria-free Big Five Reserve of approximately 55,000 hectares, close enough to Sun City that a morning game drive and an afternoon round of golf on the same day is entirely achievable. For golfers who prefer not to take anti-malarial medication, or who are travelling with children, the Pilanesberg option makes the golf-and-safari combination accessible without any health compromise.
The safari dimension of a South African golf trip is not an afterthought. It is, for many visitors, the experience they carry longest. Choosing the right Reserve, and understanding what each one offers relative to the others, is as important as choosing the right courses.
Kruger National Park is the foundation of South African safari. Covering nearly two million hectares of savannah, woodland and riverine bush in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, it is one of the largest National Parks on the continent and home to a wildlife population of extraordinary diversity: the Big Five, wild dog, cheetah, over 500 bird species, and a habituated lion population that has been studied by researchers for decades.
The Park itself is accessible by self-drive, with an extensive network of camps and rest camps providing accommodation at every budget level. For the golf safari traveller, however, the most compelling option is the network of Private Game Reserves that share unfenced boundaries with Kruger's western flank. Sabi Sands, Timbavati and Londolozi are among the best known, operating luxury lodges that provide exclusive game drives, expert guiding and the kind of intimate wildlife encounters that the public Park's volume of visitors cannot always replicate.
Leopard Creek's proximity to the Kruger and the Private Reserves makes the pairing almost self-evident: a round or two at the course, followed by nights in the Sabi Sands represents the golf-and-safari combination in its purest and most satisfying form. The full depth of what this area offers, from leopard tracking in the Sand River to guided walks with armed rangers, is covered in detail in the Kruger National Park safari guide.
Not every golfer wants to factor anti-malarial medication into a trip. South Africa's malaria-free Game Reserves provide a genuine and excellent alternative that sacrifices nothing in terms of wildlife quality.
Pilanesberg National Park, adjacent to Sun City, has already been mentioned. It is Big Five territory, with a particular reputation for rhino and elephant sightings, and its malaria-free status makes it an ideal first safari experience for families or for visitors with health concerns.
The Eastern Cape Reserves, including Shamwari, Kariega and the publicly-accessible Addo Elephant Park offer malaria-free Big Five game viewing within reach of the Garden Route and Port Elizabeth. Addo is home to one of Africa's densest elephant populations, and the Private Reserves in the region consistently rank among South Africa's most luxurious safari experiences.
Timing a South Africa golf and safari trip requires understanding that the country spans multiple climate zones, and the optimal window for golf in the Cape is not necessarily the same as the optimal window for safari in the Kruger. The good news is that with careful planning, an excellent trip is achievable in virtually any month of the year. For a detailed breakdown of what each month delivers across the country's regions, the best time to visit South Africa guide is an essential planning resource.
The Western Cape and Garden Route operate on a Mediterranean-influenced climate: warm, dry summers from October through April, and cooler, wetter winters from May through August. For golfers, the summer months offer the most reliable playing conditions: long days, warm temperatures and minimal rainfall. October and November are particularly good, with September and April also excellent. December and early January can bring warm, occasionally windy conditions in the Cape itself, though the Garden Route remains largely sheltered and plays beautifully throughout the summer.
The Lowveld region around the Kruger and the Private Reserves has a subtropical climate with a distinct wet season from October through April and a dry season from May through September. For safari, the dry season is widely regarded as optimal: vegetation thins, animals concentrate around water, and game viewing is more predictable and often more dramatic. Wildlife is excellent year-round however and the green-season months of October to April offer lush landscapes, excellent birdwatching and the spectacle of newborn animals.
For golf at Leopard Creek specifically, the dry-season months of May through September offer the most comfortable playing conditions. December and January, while playable, can be very hot in the Lowveld, with afternoon thunderstorms that may interrupt a round. Morning tee times are strongly recommended if playing in the summer months.
For golfers planning a trip primarily around South Africa's golf peak season, October through April represents the prime window for the Cape and Garden Route courses, which are the country's most internationally celebrated.
Sun City and Pilanesberg operate year-round, with the summer months (October to April) bringing heat and occasional afternoon storms in the North West Province. The Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club typically takes place in November, and visiting during that week offers the opportunity to watch top DP World Tour professionals play the course before stepping onto it yourself.
The ideal South Africa golf and safari itinerary is not a single fixed route but a framework that can be adapted to the number of days available, the courses most important to the individual golfer, and the balance between fairways and bush. The structure below represents the classic approach: a journey through three of South Africa's most compelling golf regions combined with a concluding safari experience of genuine depth. For the full curated version, the South Africa golf and game drives itinerary provides a day-by-day breakdown with accommodation recommendations and logistical detail.
Arrive in Cape Town, allowing a day of acclimatisation and city exploration before the golf begins. The Cape's courses demand full attention, and arriving rested improves the experience of every round. Pearl Valley, with its Nicklaus design and mountain backdrop, is the natural centrepiece of the Winelands section. Steenberg or Arabella can supplement the schedule depending on the number of days available. Evenings in the Cape are spent among the wine estates of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or Constantia, at restaurants that rank among the finest in the southern hemisphere.
A scenic drive or short domestic flight east brings you to the Garden Route, the heart of South African golf. Fancourt near George is the base for most serious golfers, with The Links and the Montagu course providing two days of golf at the highest level. Pezula, a forty-minute drive further east to Knysna, is worth the detour for the quality of its setting alone. The Garden Route also offers outstanding coastal scenery, whale watching in season, and the Outeniqua Pass for those who enjoy the country's spectacular mountain landscapes.
A domestic flight from George to Hoedspruit or Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport brings you to the Lowveld. Leopard Creek is the golfing objective, but the journey through the Mpumalanga Escarpment via the Blyde River Canyon is one of South Africa's most scenic drives and worth incorporating if time permits. A round or two at Leopard Creek transitions the trip from golf-primary to what follows: the safari.
Three to four nights in a Private Reserve adjoining the Kruger provides the safari counterweight that completes the trip. Sabi Sands is the most celebrated of the options: its leopard sightings are legendary, its lion prides are habituated, and its lodges, some of which have operated for over forty years, set the standard for luxury safari hospitality in Africa. Game drives take place twice daily: early morning, when predators are active and the bush is cool and golden, and in the late afternoon extending into darkness, when the nocturnal world reveals itself by spotlight.
The transition from Leopard Creek to a Sabi Sands lodge takes less than an hour by road, making it the most seamless golf-to-safari handover in any itinerary anywhere in the world.
Practical preparation makes the difference between a trip that flows and one that loses days to avoidable friction. South Africa is a sophisticated travel destination with excellent infrastructure, but the combination of multiple regions, domestic flights, and both golf and safari logistics rewards careful advance planning.
South Africa's two main international airports are O.R. Tambo International in Johannesburg and Cape Town International. The choice of entry point depends on the itinerary: Cape Town makes sense for trips that begin in the Winelands or on the Garden Route; Johannesburg for trips that start at Sun City, Leopard Creek or the Kruger ecosystem. Domestic flights between Cape Town, Johannesburg and regional airports, (George for the Garden Route, Hoedspruit or KMIA for the Kruger area), are frequent, affordable and operated by South African Airways, FlySafair, Airlink, and Cemair amongst others.
Departure City | Airport | Approx. Flight Time to Johannesburg (JNB) | Typical Route |
London | Heathrow (LHR) | 11h 00m | Direct (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic) |
London | Heathrow (LHR) | 11h 30m (to Cape Town) | Direct (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic) |
Amsterdam | Schiphol (AMS) | 11h 00m | Direct (KLM) |
Frankfurt | Frankfurt (FRA) | 11h 00m | Direct (Lufthansa) |
Paris | CDG | 11h 30m | Direct (Air France) |
Zurich | Zurich (ZRH) | 11h 00m | Direct (Swiss) |
Dubai | Dubai (DXB) | 8h 30m | Direct (Emirates) |
Doha | Hamad (DOH) | 9h 00m | Direct (Qatar Airways) |
Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi (AUH) | 9h 00m | Direct (Etihad) |
Addis Ababa | Bole (ADD) | 5h 30m | Direct (Ethiopian Airlines) |
Nairobi | JKIA (NBO) | 4h 00m | Direct (multiple carriers) |
New York | Newark | 15h 00m | Direct (United) |
Los Angeles | LAX | 18h 00m to 21h 00m | Via London, Dubai, or Doha |
Sydney | Kingsford Smith (SYD) | 13h 00m to 15h 00m | Via Perth, Dubai, or Doha |
Singapore | Changi (SIN) | 10h 00m to 12h 00m | Via Dubai or Doha |
South Africa operates a visa-free entry system for most major nationalities, including citizens of the United Kingdom, European Union member states, the United States, Canada and Australia. Stays of up to 30 days (extendable in some cases) are permitted without a visa for most qualifying nationalities. No eTA or pre-travel online application is required for visa-exempt nationalities, though passports must have at least two blank pages and six months validity beyond the intended stay. Entry requirements should always be verified through official South African government channels before travel.
South Africa's malaria situation varies significantly by region, and understanding this is essential for a golf safari itinerary that crosses multiple areas. The Kruger Lowveld, including the area around Leopard Creek and all Private Reserves adjacent to the Kruger, is a malaria risk area. Prophylaxis is strongly recommended for any visit to this region, particularly in the wet summer months (October to April) when mosquito activity is highest. Sun City, Pilanesberg, Cape Town, the Garden Route and all Eastern Cape Reserves are malaria-free. For golfers who prefer to avoid antimalarials entirely, structuring the itinerary around malaria-free Reserves is entirely feasible without sacrificing the quality of the wildlife experience. Travel insurance with comprehensive medical cover is recommended for all visitors regardless of itinerary.
Packing for a combined golf and safari trip presents a specific challenge: golf attire and safari clothing have some overlap in terms of neutral colours and light, breathable fabrics, but the specific requirements of each are different. Most golf courses in South Africa have dress codes that include collared shirts and tailored shorts or trousers. Safari clothing requires neutral tones (khaki, olive, beige), layering options for early-morning game drives that can be cold even in summer, and closed footwear for any bush walk. The safari clothing and packing guide covers the safari side in comprehensive detail and is worth reading alongside any golf course dress code requirements. Golf clubs can be hired at all major South African courses, reducing the burden of travelling with a full set.
South Africa's currency is the South African Rand (ZAR). The Rand has historically provided excellent value for visitors from the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, meaning that green fees, accommodation and dining costs are frequently a fraction of their equivalent quality at home. Green fees at leading courses range from approximately ZAR 800 at respected regional courses to ZAR 4,000 to ZAR 6,000 or more at Leopard Creek and Fancourt's Links. Caddies are available at all major courses and are an integral part of the South African golf experience: local knowledge on the greens, wildlife advice in the rough, and company on the walk that adds considerably to the pleasure of the round. Tipping caddies is standard: ZAR 200 to ZAR 400 per round is appropriate depending on the quality of service.
South Africa is a high-demand golf destination, particularly among UK and European visitors who travel between October and April. Leopard Creek tee times, in particular, require advance booking: demand consistently exceeds availability, and access is managed carefully given the course's private club status. Top Garden Route courses and the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City also benefit from early reservation. For trips combining golf and safari in peak months (November to January for festive travel, October and April for shoulder season), a twelve-month booking window is ideal for both course access and lodge availability.
A South Africa golf and safari itinerary is a logistically complex proposition. It involves multiple domestic flights, tee time reservations at courses with limited guest access, lodge bookings in Private Reserves that operate years in advance for their best rooms, safari activity scheduling, and the kind of ground-level knowledge of who to call when a tee time needs to move or a lodge is unexpectedly full.
The specialist advantage in South Africa is not simply about convenience. It is about access. Leopard Creek does not simply sell tee times to the public. Access to the best rooms at Sabi Sands lodges requires relationships that take years to build. Green fee discounts and caddie pre-arrangements at Fancourt, Pearl Valley and Pezula are available to specialists who send regular business and are unavailable to individual travellers booking independently. The difference between a golf safari that is good and one that is genuinely exceptional almost always comes down to the depth of the specialist's relationships with the people who control access to the experiences that matter most.
Africa Travel's dedicated South Africa golf specialists combine golf expertise with safari knowledge in a way that is rare in the travel industry. They have played the courses. They have stayed in the lodges. And they have designed itineraries for golfers at every level, from those hitting their first round on African soil to single-handicappers who have crossed the country multiple times and want something new. For the complete picture of what a golfing holiday in South Africa can look like, exploring what a specialist can build is the most efficient and rewarding starting point.
South Africa is considered one of the world's premier golf destinations for international visitors. The country offers over 500 courses across a range of landscapes and climates, from coastal links-style layouts to mountain parkland courses and bush settings that sit within the wildlife areas of the Kruger ecosystem. Green fees are excellent value by international standards, caddies are an integral part of the experience at most courses, and the overall quality of course maintenance, design pedigree and playing conditions rivals anything available in Europe, North America or Southeast Asia. The addition of world-class safari experiences within the same trip makes South Africa uniquely compelling among global golf destinations.
The answer depends on which regions the itinerary prioritises. For Cape Town and the Garden Route, October through April represents the warm, dry summer window that provides the most reliable golf conditions. For safari near Kruger, the dry season from May through September is generally optimal for wildlife viewing, though the green season (October to April) offers its own distinctive qualities. The most practical approach for a combined golf and safari trip is October to April for Cape and Garden Route golf, combined with either a dry-season safari add-on in May to September or a summer safari where the heat is managed through early morning activity times. An Africa Travel specialist can design an itinerary that balances both optimally given the specific dates available.
Leopard Creek operates as a private members' club, and access for non-members is restricted and managed carefully. It is not possible to book a tee time directly as an independent visitor. Guest access is available through specific lodge packages and operator relationships, and a specialist with an established relationship with the club, such as Africa Travel, is the most reliable route to securing a round. Demand consistently exceeds supply for visitor slots, and advance planning of six to twelve months is advisable for those with the course on their must-play list.
Several of South Africa's best safari areas are malaria-free, making them ideal for golf safari travellers who prefer not to take anti-malarial medication. Pilanesberg National Park in North West Province is a Big Five Reserve adjacent to Sun City and operates as a malaria-free destination year-round. The Eastern Cape Reserves, including Shamwari, Kariega, Gondwana and the publicly-accessible Addo Elephant Park, are all malaria-free and offer excellent wildlife experiences including the Big Five. Parts of KwaZulu-Natal, including sections of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, have variable low malaria risk depending on the season. The Kruger Lowveld, including the Private Reserves adjoining the Kruger's western boundary, is a malaria area and prophylaxis is recommended for visits to this region.
A minimum of ten nights is recommended to do the combination justice without any component feeling rushed. A ten-to-twelve-night itinerary can comfortably include three golf regions, (Cape Winelands, Garden Route and Leopard Creek), with three to four nights of safari in a Private Reserve. Fourteen to sixteen nights allows the trip to breathe: more time on the courses, more days in the bush, and the opportunity to incorporate the Mpumalanga Escarpment or KwaZulu-Natal into the route without the sense of constant movement. Golfers who want to focus primarily on the Cape and Garden Route with a shorter safari extension can create a compelling trip in eight to ten nights.
No. Club hire is available at all major South African golf courses, and the quality of rental equipment at the top venues - Fancourt, Pearl Valley and Leopard Creek among them, is generally high. That said, golfers who play regularly with their own clubs and prefer the consistency will find travelling with a set entirely practical: South African Airlines and most international carriers accept golf bags as sports equipment, typically at an additional charge. Trolleys and caddies are available at all leading courses, and caddies are strongly recommended both for the local knowledge they provide and for the distinctive character they add to a South African round.
Budget varies considerably depending on the length of trip, course selection, and level of safari accommodation chosen. A mid-luxury itinerary of twelve nights, covering three or four rounds at leading courses and three nights in a well-regarded private reserve, typically starts from around USD6,000 to USD9,000 per person, including internal flights but excluding international airfares. A high-end itinerary featuring Leopard Creek, Sabi Sands accommodation at the top tier of lodges, and stays at the finest Winelands and Garden Route hotels will be significantly higher, in the range of USD12,000 to USD20,000 or above per person. South Africa's favourable exchange rate for visitors from the UK, Europe and the US means that what those budgets deliver in terms of quality and experience consistently exceeds expectations.
South Africa is a country with urban crime challenges in certain areas, particularly in the central business districts of Johannesburg and parts of Cape Town. However the tourist areas that form the core of a golf and safari itinerary - the Winelands, the Garden Route, the Kruger ecosystem, Pilanesberg and the established safari lodge networks, operate to high security standards and are generally safe for international visitors exercising standard precautions. Golf resorts, safari lodges and the leading hotels in Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Garden Route all maintain professional security arrangements. The advice most frequently given by Africa Travel’s experienced specialists is to avoid unfamiliar urban areas after dark, to use reputable car hire or pre-arranged transfers for all road journeys, and to follow local guidance. Comprehensive travel insurance is recommended for all visitors.
| For more information, why not speak to one of our experts on 020 7843 3500 or email info@africatravel.co.uk |
Africa Travel's Chris Wain has once again been named one of the world's top travel specialists by Conde Nast Traveler.
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