St Lucia, Kwazulu Natal Private Reserve and Cape Town

Ballito is a lively seaside town on the Dolphin Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, north of Durban, famed for its subtropical climate and golden beaches washed by the Indian Ocean. The social hub of this stretch of coast, it blends sheltered bays ideal for swimming with long sandy shores where surfers gather, while a seafront promenade links coves, tidal pools and viewpoints. The warm waters are visited by dolphins and, in season, by migrating whales, while the reefs invite snorkelling and diving. The town boasts restaurants, cafés and boutiques that liven up the evenings, and makes a convenient base for excursions into the Zulu hinterland and nearby reserves. Ballito is the perfect destination for sea, sun and relaxation with a touch of buzz.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first natural site in South Africa to earn the distinction, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park stretches along the KwaZulu-Natal coast for more than three hundred kilometres, enclosing an extraordinary mosaic of ecosystems. The village of St Lucia, a lively gateway, sits where the great estuary meets the Indian Ocean: its waters are home to hundreds of hippos and Nile crocodiles, best seen on a sunset boat cruise. All around stretch lakes, marshes, coastal forests, some of the world's tallest dunes and pristine beaches where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. The Zulu name "iSimangaliso" means "miracle", and rightly so: here you can spot elephants, rhinos, leopards and an exceptionally rich birdlife, while whales and dolphins pass offshore. St Lucia is the perfect meeting of safari, ocean and untamed nature, in one of Africa's most precious environmental sanctuaries.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is Africa's oldest protected reserve, established in 1895 among the rolling hills of KwaZulu-Natal. This legendary park played a decisive role in saving the white rhino from extinction and is today home to one of the world's largest populations of the species, the pride of its renowned conservation programme. Beyond the rhinos, the Big Five roam here amid savannas, woodlands and watercourses crossing a territory of remarkable environmental variety. The region is deeply connected to Zulu culture, and safaris are often enriched by encounters with the traditions of this proud people. Among lush landscapes and abundant wildlife, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi offers the authentic thrill of Africa's wild origins.

Cape Town rises in one of the most spectacular natural settings on earth, hemmed between the ocean and the towering flat-topped wall of Table Mountain, which presides over South Africa’s most beloved city. The cableway to the summit unveils 360-degree views over the city, the peninsula and the Atlantic, while the trails of Table Mountain National Park — UNESCO-listed as part of the Cape Floral Region — wind through the world’s unique endemic fynbos vegetation. The historic heart reveals itself on foot around the Company’s Garden and the city-centre museums, while the Malay quarter of Bo-Kaap dazzles with its vividly painted houses and historic mosques, the legacy of a community with deep roots and a spice-rich cuisine to sample in its small eateries. Along the seafront, the V&A Waterfront blends a working harbour with markets, boutiques and seafood restaurants, and is the departure point for boats to Robben Island, the prison island where Nelson Mandela spent many years of captivity and which is now a place of memory. To the south the peninsula unfolds along scenic roads such as Chapman’s Peak Drive towards the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, where the oceans seem to meet; along the way, Boulders Beach shelters a colony of African penguins. The beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton, beneath the Twelve Apostles, invite relaxation, while a short drive away the winelands of Constantia, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek offer tastings among vineyards and Cape Dutch architecture. Between grand landscapes, a complex history and a lively food scene, Cape Town is best savoured slowly, letting the sea, the mountain and the African light tell their story.