Travel and Vacation Destinations in Africa

The countries of Southern Africa offer the international traveler a wealth of incredible travel destinations and experiences to savor. Since 1998 African Sky has provided travel information and vacation packages to all the top destinations in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, as well as to the countries of Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. We also offer safaris and tour packages to lesser-known and off-the-beaten-track but equally impressive highlights in these countries.

Need Advice?

Top Destinations in Southern Africa

The top travel destinations in Southern Africa include remote safari areas, vibrant cities, natural wonders, and areas blessed with unique cultural and adventure activities.

African Travel Overview

We offer a beguiling glimpse of what to expect during your travels to Southern Africa. This contrasting collection of countries and unique destinations share one essential similarity - inherent magic.

The subcontinent of Southern Africa comprises six unique and beautiful tourist countries, teeming with wildlife, unparalleled, diverse scenic landscapes, and many exciting attractions and activities. Africa is also a continent of rich culture and heritage; each Country has its unique history and cultural representations.

South Africa
Kruger National Park | Cape Town | Garden Route
Botswana
Chobe National Park | Okavango Delta
Namibia
Etosha National Park | Sossusvlei | Namib Desert
Mozambique
Bazaruto & Quirimbas Archipelagos
Zambia
Lower Zambezi | Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls | Mana Pools

Countries of Southern Africa

Southern Africa is considered by many as the ultimate travel destination. Six unique countries, all bordering each other, offer travelers a myriad of safaris and tour options.

South Africa

South Africa is the most popular travel destination in the south of Africa, affectionately known as A World in One Country.

Botswana

Botswana is the ultimate destination for those seeking to experience wilderness areas untouched by man.

Namibia

Wide open spaces and remarkable wildlife experiences make a visit to Namibia unforgettable.

Mozambique

Mozambique is the perfect travel destination for those seeking sea and sand.

Zambia

Zambia is a lesser-known but fantastic travel destination in the southern part of Africa.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is home to enchanting landscapes, rich animal life, and Victoria Falls.

Recommended Tour, Safari & Honeymoon Packages

Our luxurious privately guided tours combine South Africa's most sought-after tourism highlights with the Country's finest hotels and lodges for an exceptional travel experience.

There is no travel experience like a luxury African safari. The rewarding blend of complete immersion in the wilderness and indulgent creature comforts is incomparable.

Southern Africa is a premier honeymoon destination, as there is real romance in the country's wild spaces. Our luxury honeymoons couple seclusion with plush spoils.

Adventure Awaits - African Vacation Options

The opportunities for leisure are overtly evident, but the case for adventure is even stronger. Hike to the top of Table Mountain, soar across Sossusvlei in a hot air balloon, experience the original walking safari in South Luangwa, navigate the white water rapids of the Batoka Gorge, swim with wild seals in the Garden Route, explore the waterways of the Okavango Delta in a traditional canoe. An African vacation will create memories that will last a lifetime.

The Journey

There are corners of the world where residents have grown weary of torrents of travelers arriving on their doorsteps to marvel at what makes their homes so unique and special. It is different on the African continent. There is an inherent generosity in Africa that extends well beyond its wealth of natural resources or the goodwill of its people. There is such an abundance of beauty, excess of magic, that the land compels itself to be shared. Throughout your journey, this intrinsic bounteousness will make itself evident in the sheer pride and adoration of the continent's inhabitants, the barrage of wildlife you will encounter on your safaris and the endless stretch of landscapes that appear never-ending in their scope and splendor.

Thank you to African Sky for providing excellent service, planning, and communication for our Southern African sojourn. Andrew worked closely with us to arrange the trip of a lifetime for my husband and me. He worked within our budget and time constraints to cover four countries in 37 days. We would recommend African Sky!

Judy & Donald Baker, USA
Need Advice?

Variety of African Travel Destinations

In Southern Africa, you will find an ancient desert stretched across thousands of kilometers, a tropical paradise with pristine coral reefs and archipelagos, vast stretches of wilderness ranging from woodland savanna and floodplains to lush marshes and thick forests, sprawling cosmopolitan cities and historic towns tucked away in the middle of nowhere. The diversity of the continent is simply unparalleled.

Caprivi

Namibia's Caprivi Strip bursts with wildlife, wilderness, and natural resources. Lush and ample, the region is far removed from the Country's predominantly arid environment.

Makgadikgadi Pans

The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park starkly contrasts other Botswana destinations. You may not encounter a wealth of wildlife, but adventures abound across the endless salt pans.

Phinda

Phinda Private Game Reserve is a unique 170 km² stretch of private wilderness in KwaZulu-Natal's lush Maputaland region. Here you can encounter both the Big Five and marine mammals.

Shamwari

Shamwari Private Game Reserve encompasses a 250 km² malaria-free wilderness in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. It is home to the Big Five and myriad other species of mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Sun City

Sun City is an entertainment mecca not far from Gauteng. Four established hotels offer varying degrees of luxury accommodation, and the resort offers something for everyone.

Swaziland

Swaziland is a small landlocked Kingdom bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. It offers beautiful natural scenery and the rich cultures and traditions of the Swazi People.

Whale Coast

South Africa's whale coast offers some of the world's finest land-based whale watching. The best time of year for this activity is from June to November.

Exclusive Accommodations

Though you will spend much of your time exploring, you will find that the places where you rest your head at night may be equally compelling. Dwell high amongst the treetops of the primordial Knysna forests, sleep under the Milky Way atop your 'Kulala' in Sossusvlei, relish the exclusivity of a villa on a private island off the coast of Mozambique, listen to lions roar beneath you from your luxury tree house - your adventures do not cease when the sun goes down!

South African Hotels

South Africa is home to some exceptional, world-class hotels. We have carefully selected an appealing range of 4 and 5-Star properties for their unique locations and sensational service levels.

South African Guest Houses

The intimacy and warmth of overnighting in a guest house - particularly in a country as hospitable as South Africa - greatly enhances any African travel experience.

South African Lodges

South Africa boasts the broadest range of safari lodges in this part of the African continent, ensuring that all budgets and all interests are catered to. As many as there are, our selection is the cream of the crop.

Namibia Lodges

Namibian lodges offer dramatic isolation. From Etosha to Sossusvlei, the Fish River Canyon to Damaraland, you'll feel astonishing 'off-the-beaten-track' wherever you travel.

Botswana Lodges

Botswana's emphasis on conserving its wild areas means that most lodges have been painstakingly constructed with the environment in mind, ensuring eco-friendly travel.

Zambia Lodges

Zambia's safari lodges are known for their remarkably wild immersion, breaking all barriers between guests' experience, the pristine wilderness, and the awe-inspiring wildlife surrounding them.

View All Accommodation

Map of African Travel & Vacation Destinations

This interactive artistic map depicts the top vacation travel destinations in the countries of southern Africa. The map highlights locations and provides essential information on rollover.

Please click on the destinations on the left or on the right for more information. Click the country/area to visit that page.

National Park / Reserve
River
Airport

South Africa

A World in one Country

South Africa is richly blessed with diversity, from its captivating coastline to the unique wilderness areas that erupt in spellbinding pockets across the Country. Major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban contribute a cosmopolitan atmosphere without compromising South Africa's natural authenticity

Cape Town

The Mother City

Cape Town is one of the most popular cities on the African continent. Rich with history, natural beauty, gastronomic delights, and cosmopolitan flavors, it is not difficult to understand why. Cape Town is best known for attractions like Table Mountain, Robben Island, and the many fine beaches of the peninsula.

Cape Winelands

Of Mountains and Vineyards

The Cape Winelands produce some of the finest wines available in the world today. The numerous vineyards stretch around the historic towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl, each with a distinctive flavor and cultural highlights. Many award-winning restaurants line the streets.

Garden Route

Eden by the Sea

The Garden Route is one of the most beautiful coastlines on the continent. This sweep of the Southern Coast includes the fine beaches and pleasant waters between Mossel Bay and the Storms River mouth. It is named for its natural beauty, including many leagues of coastal forests.

Sabi Sand

Wild Luxury

The Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve is the premier private game reserve that forms part of the world-renowned Greater Kruger National Park. The reserve is famed for its ultra-luxury lodgings and high frequency of leopard sightings. Sabi Sand is the go-to African travel destination for luxury-loving wildlife enthusiasts.

Kruger Park

Home to the Big Five

The Kruger National Park is a pristine stretch of wilderness roughly the size of Israel - one of the largest protected areas in Africa. The diversity of species, landscapes, and accommodations sets this unique wild paradise apart and draws thousands upon thousands of return visitors.

Botswana

Of Deserts and Deltas

Botswana is inherently a land of contrasts, ranging in terrains from the semi-arid sands of the Kalahari to the lush, reed-lined channels of the Okavango Delta. More than 17% of the Country is protected within national park and game reserves, establishing it as a conservation utopia.

Chobe National Park

Where Giants Roam

Chobe is the third largest national park in Botswana and the most biologically diverse. The Chobe River attracts large herds to its bountiful waters, particularly elephants. The park provides visitors with the opportunity to partake in river-based safari cruises. Relish an African sunset on the Chobe River.

Okavango Delta

A World of Water

Botswana's Okavango Delta is one of the largest inland deltas on earth. This green Eden is a magical world of waterways fed by the Okavango River as it drains the rains from the Angola highlands in the summer months. During the wet season, the delta swells and draws myriad creatures to its fertile spoils.

Namibia

The Living Desert

From the wildlife-rich expanse of Etosha in the north to Sossusvlei's towering dunes in the heart of the Country, Namibia's stark landscapes appear to exist purely to take your breath away. Alternative destinations like Swakopmund, the Skeleton Coast, Damaraland, and the Fish River Canyon contribute surplus desert magic.

Etosha

The Size of Switzerland

Etosha National Park is Namibia's most wildlife-rich stretch of wilderness. At 22 270 square kilometers, it is even larger than the Kruger National Park. The area's arid nature drives the animals to converge around the scattering of water sources, ceding spectacular sightings.

Sossusvlei

Dunes for Days

With its otherworldly landscape and breathtaking beauty, Sossusvlei is one of the top travel destinations in Southern Africa. The 'vlei' forms part of the vast Namib Desert and boasts some of the highest dunes in the world. The extraordinary silvery night skies contrast the blaze of vivid red in the day.

KwaZulu Natal

Of Mountains & Monarchs

KwaZulu-Natal is one of South Africa's most diverse provinces. It is home to the proud, rich culture of the Zulu kingdom, a host of Big Five game reserves, leagues of historic battlefields, the most scenic stretch of the Drakensberg Mountains, and sun-drenched beaches that line the shores of the temperate Indian Ocean.

Makgadikgadi Pans

Lunar landscapes

At 16,057.9 KM2, the Makgadikgadi Pans create one of the largest salt flats in the world. Exploring this vast, flat, otherworldly environment is an inherently unique experience. Tear across the pans on a quad bike adventure, or wander on foot in the wake of local San bushmen for a more interpretive introduction.

Windhoek

Capital Charisma

Windhoek counts amongst the more quaint and remote capital cities on the continent. Surrounded by vast stretches of desert and barren mountains, Windhoek is nevertheless located within the heart of the Country and serves as the perfect gateway to Namibia's top travel destinations.

Swakopmund

Where the Sea Meets the Desert

With its well-preserved German colonial architecture and traditional brauhäuser, Swakopmund appears enchantingly stuck in time. The coastal resort town is swept by the towering dunes of the Namib Desert and the frigid waters of the Atlantic, creating a unique environment conducive to a wealth of outdoor pursuits.

South Luangwa

Valley of the Leopard

South Luangwa National Park is the cream of the crop of Zambia's safari areas. It is the birthplace of the original African walking safari, and the 9 050 KM2 wilderness offers extraordinary opportunities for interpretive game viewing. You'll encounter great elephant and buffalo herds, unique plains game, and predators like lions and leopards.

Kafue

The Big Cats of Busanga

At 22 400 KM2, Kafue National Park is Zambia's largest conservation area. This sprawling wilderness hosts captivating ecosystems like riverine forests and tremendous stretches of grassland. Busanga Plains is the most sought-after region famous for its particularly bold lions. These cats frequently make forays into the camps.

Lower Zambezi

The Mighty Zambezi

Lower Zambezi National Park is concentrated around one of Africa's most prolific waterways – the mighty Zambezi River. This lush environment draws ample wildlife, particularly elephants and various plains game species. The park is ideal for water-based safari activities like boat cruises and canoeing.

Bazaruto Archipelago

Diving for Days

The Bazaruto Archipelago's six pristine islands are easily accessible from Vilankulo. This marine sanctuary is a diver's paradise, with an astonishing variety of dive sites to explore that cater to various levels of experience. Benguerra Island offers the finest combination of bewitching island ecosystems and unspoiled coral reefs.

Quirimbas Archipelago

Island indulgence

The Quirimbas Archipelago offers a wealth of near-virginal private islands and some of the most exclusive diving opportunities in the Indian Ocean. This protected marine national park is where you go to truly get away from it all and relish unadulterated luxury island living.

Zambia

Walk on the Wild Side

Zambia is a steadily emerging safari destination with pristine tracts of wilderness all across the Country. In addition to Victoria Falls, visitors to Zambia can explore stunning safari areas like South Luangwa National Park, Kafue National Park, and Lower Zambezi National Park, each with its unique treasure trove of wild wonders.

Victoria Falls

The Smoke that Thunders

The Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world and ranks amongst the 'Seven Wonders of the Natural World. This extraordinary sight occurs in the majestic Zambezi River between the southern African countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The thunder of the falls can be heard from a great distance.

Zimbabwe

Kingdom of Yesteryear

Zimbabwe is named for the great archaeological ruins of the awe-inspiring kingdom that existed here hundreds of years ago. The Country offers easy access to the world-renowned Victoria Falls and sprawling safari areas like Mana Pools National Park and Hwange National Park.

Mozambique

Private Island Paradise

Mozambique is southern Africa's remote tropical paradise. Just off its coast, within the temperate waters of the Indian Ocean, you'll find captivating clusters of islands surrounded by pristine coral reefs. These primeval archipelagos have been preserved through minimal development and effort, offering an exclusive experience unavailable elsewhere.

African Travel Tips & Advice

So you've chosen your destination. Now when should you travel? What should you pack? What are medical precautions necessary? The sections below answer the most pressing questions regarding your travels to Southern Africa. Should your queries remain unresolved, feel free to reach out to us directly for additional travel advice.

View Travel Tips