South Africa hideaways

A classic first trip to South Africa pairs Cape Town and the Western Cape with a safari. Spend a few days in Cape Town for Table Mountain, Robben Island and Cape Point, then savour the Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Drive the Garden Route to Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, then end with a malaria-free safari in the Eastern Cape, or fly from Johannesburg to the Greater Kruger. Our Western Cape hideaways suit the first half, and our reservations consultants can plan the route.

Each region of South Africa suits a different holiday. The Western Cape pairs Cape Town with the Cape Winelands, Hermanus whale watching and the forests and beaches of the Garden Route. KwaZulu-Natal adds warm Indian Ocean beaches, the Drakensberg mountains and Big Five reserves. Mpumalanga and Limpopo hold the Kruger and its neighbouring private reserves, and the Eastern Cape has malaria-free Big Five safaris. Escape to the Karoo for wide skies and stargazing or the Free State for the golden sandstone cliffs of Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

The Kruger National Park is South Africa's signature safari, nearly two million hectares of Lowveld in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, home to 147 mammal and 507 bird species. Along its western boundary, private reserves such as the Sabi Sand, Timbavati and Klaserie have dropped their fences, so wildlife roams freely between them and the park. Kruger lies in a malaria area, though SANParks describes the risk as usually low, so speak to a travel-health doctor before you go. For a malaria-free Big Five safari, choose the Eastern Cape, where Addo Elephant National Park is about 30 minutes' drive from Gqeberha and Shamwari Private Game Reserve lies along the Bushmans River. Our concierge team can plan your safari.

For a private safari lodge in December, look to the Greater Kruger: the Sabi Sand, Timbavati, Klaserie, Balule and Umbabat, along the western boundary of the Kruger National Park. With the fences between them and the park removed, wildlife roams across more than two million hectares. December is summer in the Lowveld, hot and rainy, with thick green bush. It's also malaria season, so see a travel-health doctor before you go. South Africa's long school holidays run from December into January, so book well ahead. Our Mpumalanga and Limpopo hideaways range from tented camps to exclusive game lodges, and our concierge team can help you choose.

Yes. Pilanesberg National Park in North West province, less than three hours' drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria, is a Big Five reserve set in the eroded crater of an ancient volcano. Madikwe Game Reserve, against the Botswana border about four and a half hours' drive from Johannesburg, is Big Five country too. South African Tourism lists both among the top malaria-free reserves for families. South Africa's national malaria guidelines advise against taking children under five into malaria areas unless it's essential, so a malaria-free reserve is the easier choice with toddlers. Ask our team about age guidelines for game drives before you book, and browse our North West hideaways.

South Africa is a year-round destination, but its seasons differ by region. The Western Cape gets most of its rain in winter, while most of the rest of the country gets its rain in summer. The dry months from about April to September are traditionally best for safari in the Kruger, when thinner bush makes animals easier to spot. Southern right whales visit the Western Cape coast from about June to November, and Namaqualand's wildflowers in the Northern Cape bloom around September. Book ahead for the Western Cape's summer peak.

Most international visitors to South Africa fly into O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airport. King Shaka International Airport, north of Durban, is the third major international gateway. Domestic flights link these cities with regional airports, including George for the Garden Route, Gqeberha for the Eastern Cape and Kruger Mpumalanga International, Hoedspruit and Skukuza for the Kruger area. South Africa drives on the left.

It depends on your passport. Many passport holders don't need a visa for a short holiday in South Africa, while others must apply for one before they travel. Entry rules change, so check the current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs, or your nearest South African embassy or high commission, before you travel.

South Africa's UNESCO World Heritage Sites span nature, science and history. In the Western Cape lie Robben Island and the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas. KwaZulu-Natal has the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, part of the cross-border Maloti-Drakensberg Park. The Fossil Hominid Sites, known as the Cradle of Humankind, lie about an hour's drive from Johannesburg. Others include the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape in Limpopo and the Vredefort Dome.

South Africa's wine country lies in the Western Cape, where wine was first made from Cape grapes in 1659. Begin in Cape Town itself, in the Constantia Valley, where Simon van der Stel planted vines in 1685. Stellenbosch, about 50km from Cape Town, is home to South Africa's first wine route, formed in 1971. Near Hermanus, savour cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Book tastings ahead in summer. Our concierge team can plan a day in the Western Cape winelands.

Our South African collection spans more than 500 hideaways, from seaside escapes to off-the-grid cottages, farmhouses, bush homes and safari lodges. More than 380 are in the Western Cape, from Cape Town and the Cape Winelands to the Garden Route. For safari, our Mpumalanga hideaways range from tented camps to exclusive lodges, with more in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and North West. The Karoo, Gauteng, the Northern Cape and the Free State complete the collection, and each region has its own page, so browse by area.

Send an enquiry or call the Perfect Hideaways team on +27 21 790 0972 (Monday–Thursday 8.30am–5pm, Friday 8.30am–4pm SAST). Book early for the December and January festive season. Our reservations consultants can match you with the perfect hideaway. Through our bespoke travel service, we also craft custom itineraries for our guests, shaped around their own dreams and desires.