Celebrating Nelson Mandela Day: The Highlights of South Africa

Every year on 18 July, the world marks Nelson Mandela International Day, the birthday of the man who spent 27 years in prison and emerged to lead South Africa into a new era. The United Nations asks everyone to give 67 minutes of their time to a good cause, one minute for each of Mandela's 67 years of public service. It is also a fitting moment to look at the country he called home, because South Africa rewards the curious traveller like few places on earth. Here is our guide to its highlights, and the itineraries that link them together.

Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula

Cape Town sits between Table Mountain and two oceans, and it earns its reputation. The cable car takes five minutes to reach the summit, where the views stretch from the city bowl to Cape Point. Down at Boulders Beach, a colony of African penguins goes about its business a few metres from the boardwalk. The V&A Waterfront handles food, shopping and harbour life in one walkable stretch.

For Mandela Day, one visit stands above the rest. Robben Island, a short ferry ride from the Waterfront, is where Mandela spent 18 of his prison years. Tours are led by former political prisoners, and the guide's account of cell block B is one of those experiences that quietly stops you in your tracks. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it gives the rest of your trip context that no guidebook can.

Cape Town opens three of our South Africa itineraries, with four nights to settle in before the route moves on.

The Winelands: Stellenbosch and Franschhoek

An hour inland from Cape Town, the Cape Winelands swap ocean views for mountains and vines. Stellenbosch is the historic heart, with oak-lined streets, Cape Dutch architecture and cellar doors within easy reach of town. Franschhoek, settled by French Huguenots over 300 years ago, has grown into the country's food and wine capital, and the wine tram is a sensible way to visit several estates without anyone needing to drive.

Our South Africa's Garden Route Explorer gives you two nights in Stellenbosch, while South Africa's Garden Route & Mauritius Beach Escape stops in Franschhoek instead.

The Whale Coast and the Garden Route

From the Winelands, the coastal road leads to Hermanus, widely regarded as one of the finest land-based whale watching spots anywhere. Southern right whales arrive between June and November, which means a Mandela Day departure lands right in the season. You can watch them from the cliff path in the centre of town.

The Garden Route proper runs east from here. Mossel Bay brings maritime history, Knysna serves oysters fresh from its lagoon, and the forests and suspension bridges of Tsitsikamma reward a day on foot. Plettenberg Bay rounds it off with golden beaches and a resident seal colony. This is fly-drive country at its best, with short distances, good roads and a new reason to stop every hour.

Both Garden Route itineraries cover this stretch as self-drive holidays, with 13 nights on the Garden Route Explorer and 16 nights on the Garden Route & Mauritius Beach Escape.

Safari and the Big Five

No highlights guide to South Africa is complete without a game drive, and the country offers several distinct ways to do it.

Kruger National Park is the classic. Roughly the size of Wales, it holds lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo alongside more than 500 bird species. Our Cape, Safari & Falls itinerary pairs three nights in Kruger with Cape Town and Victoria Falls across 10 nights, finishing with the roar of the Zambezi at one of the largest waterfalls on the planet.

The Eastern Cape reserves offer a different rhythm. Kariega and Amakhala sit at the end of the Garden Route, both malaria-free, which makes them a natural finish to a self-drive trip. Each of our Garden Route itineraries ends with game drives here before you fly home from Port Elizabeth, in the province Mandela himself was born in.

For families, the Bush & Beach South Africa & Mauritius Family Adventure is built around Bakubung Bush Lodge in the malaria-free Pilanesberg, where children are welcome on game drives. Three nights in the bush lead to seven nights at Heritage Awali Resort & Spa in Mauritius, an all-inclusive resort with a dedicated kids' club. Safari first, sandcastles second.

 

Making It Count

Mandela once said, "It always seems impossible until it's done." He was not talking about long-haul travel planning, but the sentiment holds. South Africa can look complicated on paper, with internal flights, self-drive stages and safari logistics to arrange. That is where decades of multi-centre experience earns its keep. We put the route together, we include your car hire or transfers, and every booking is protected by ABTA and ATOL.

However you spend your 67 minutes this Mandela Day, we hope this guide brings South Africa a little closer. When you are ready to see it for yourself, our team is here to help.