South Africa is a country of contrasts in the far north bands of mere cats thrive in the Kalahari Desert. In the far south the rocky Cape peninsula juts into the ocean and African penguins thrive upon the beaches. And in between travelers can find abundant wildlife, natural beauty and vibrant culture.

 

One of South Africa’s crown jewels is Kruger National Park. With over 7,000 square miles, Kruger is the largest National Park in South Africa and home to 145 species of mammals and nearly 500 species of birds.

 

You can drive you own car on the park roads but if you like helps spotting the animals, try joining a park ranger for an organized game drive. Rangers also conduct special game drives at night the time when many big cats are out hunting.

 

No matter how you choose to travel, you’ll have the chance to see grazers like elephants, giraffes and zebra. And hundreds of scavengers like wild dogs, lions, leopards and crocodiles.

 

If you want get any closer to a hunter with the enormous teeth, you’ll have to get in the water. South Africa is one of the best known places in the world to go face-to-face with great white sharks all from the safty of a metal diving cage. While June, July and August are the peak time for seeing great whales, you have a fair chance of spotting them at any time from March to October.      

 

One of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa is Cape Town. This cosmopolitan city has been compared to San Francisco for its cool weather, seaside setting and abundance of good food.

 

Nearby wineries offer tours and tastings of leading South African wines.  For a more active day trip, head to the Cape Peninsula which extends about 25 miles from the city to Cape point, here you can hike to a nature reserve and swim at ocean beaches. The reserve shelters a range a wildlife including a troop of baboons that sometimes roams the parking lots. They are not above snatches of mango in groceries so it’s wise to be careful with food when the baboons come to visit. Well, these aggressive monkeys may be a nuisance. They are also a reminder of the wilderness that survives in South Africa. And a wild place is in creatures that made this country unforgettable.