5 Lesser-Known Points of Interest in South Africa You’ll Want to Visit

It’s no secret that South Africa has some of the most beautiful cities and towns, just waiting to be explored. If you don’t want to visit the usual touristic areas around South Africa, here’s a list of 5 of the less popular, but incredible places that will definitely make your trip memorable.

1. Augrabies Falls National Park

Located in the Northern Cape, Augrabies Falls National Park is the perfect place for hiking and camping. The highlight of this park is Orange River’s incredible Augrabies Falls. With a height of 60m, the falls have been an astonishing view for many years. Other attractions inside the park include Moon Rock, which is a Martian-like landscape, and Kokerboom or the Quiver Tree. At the park, you will have the opportunity to go hiking and explore the area around you. To top it all off, you can spend the night watching millions of stars fill the sky, especially on moonless nights.

2. Chintsa

The gorgeous Chintsa Beach, located on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast, is known as the best place to relax and meet fellow travelers from all over the world. With the availability of both Wild Coast forest and beach landscapes, Chintsa Beach has become home to the renowned Buccaneers Backpackers hostel. The hostel is laid out almost like a backpacker village, not to mention that it’s also surfer heaven due to the availability of strong waves. There are also chances to go horseback riding or mountain-biking in addition to the accessibility of tours to local townships or brewery excursions.

3. Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle of Humankind is a world heritage site that is less than an hour’s drive away from Johannesburg. It’s located near the Witwatersberg and Magaliesberg, which are among the world’s oldest mountain ranges, allowing you to see more sights on the way. The exhibition center allows its visitors to sail through various stages of Earth’s formation using an underground boat. Not only do visitors get to enjoy an abundance of birdlife, flora, and fauna, but they also get to delight in rock climbing, river rafting, abseiling, and hiking.

4. Osfontein Corbelled Guest House

Found in Carnarvon, the Osfontein Corbelled Guest House is a great site for those looking to spend the night at an exotic location. Corbelled houses are actually quite unique to South Africa. They only appear in the Carnarvon area. If you’re looking to head out to the middle of nowhere, with nothing but stars and candles to light your way, the Osfontein Corbelled Guest House is the ideal place for you to spend the night.

5. Sani Pass

If you’re looking for adventure and a chance to go to marvelous heights, head out to Sani Pass. This mountain, which extends up to 9429 feet above sea level, is located in the Kingdom of Lesotho. Although the trip to the top of the mountain can be bumpy, with lots of twists and turns, it’s worth the view you get to see when you reach the top. Additionally, visiting Sani Pass gives you the chance to meet Basotho people and learn more about their culture.

Conclusion

South Africa is undeniably one of the most beautiful countries in the world. You can also access easily the cities as there are flights from Durban to Cape Town, which is the capital of South Africa, where you can see sweeping views of the city, the busy harbor and boats. It is not hard to see why it is a rich tourist attraction. But, like most countries, there are always those hidden gems that few people know about. With this list, we guarantee you will be able to enjoy South Africa on a completely different level.