Take the Garden Route through the Karoo desert

Possibly the prettiest zone in South Africa, which is no mean feat, is the area known as the Garden Route.

It runs from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and includes the deserts of the Karoo and funky seaside towns with long sandy beaches.

Johannesburg is a dangerous but thrilling city

The melting pot of South Africa, Johannesburg is the teeming, lawless, artistic heartbeat of the country.

It is dangerous but thrilling city. Most tourists stick to the affluent northern suburbs of Norwood, Parkhurst and Melville. The latter is heaving with first-rate restaurants, galleries, bookshops and classy jazz clubs.

Two friends stroll through the streets of Soweto

No trip to South Africa would be complete without a visit to Soweto.

Tourist trips to one of the largest urban sprawls in the world are now run by several companies out of Johannesburg.

Durban is South Africa's seaside playground

Situated in South Africa's subtropical northeast, Durban is the third-largest city in the country and home to some of its best waves.

Nature reserves near St Lucia Estuary offer superb opportunities for hippo-spotting

South Africa is hardly short on coastal towns with excellent beaches, but when it comes to submerging yourself in the Indian Ocean, the pick of the bunch is St Lucia Estuary.

The Big Hole is the largest in the world, with some three tonnes of diamonds removed from here

Situated well off the beaten track in South Africa's north, Kimberley has long been synonymous with diamond mining.

Cape Town is one of the world's most breathtaking cities

Cape Town is one of the world's most stunning cities, blessed with the breathtaking backdrop of Table Mountain which oversees the meeting point of two oceans - the Indian and Atlantic.