South Africa is vast and varied, a country where landscapes change dramatically from one region to the next. The far north holds the Kruger and its surrounding private reserves, where lions patrol riverbeds and wild dogs move through mopane woodland. A two-hour flight south takes you to Cape Town, framed by Table Mountain and the meeting of two oceans.

In between lie the vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, the Garden Route’s beaches and forests, the quiet deserts of the Karoo, and the high peaks of the Drakensberg. Each region has its own rhythm and deserves time in its own right.

South Africa works well for a first safari because it’s easy to combine wild places with cultural and culinary highlights, while seasoned travellers return for the variety. It’s a country that can’t be done all at once, but every visit leaves you with reasons to come back.