In terms of wildlife alone, Kruger is one of the world's greatest national parks. The diversity, density and sheer number of animals is almost unparalleled, and all of Africa's iconic safari species - elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and zebra - live out their dramatic days here, along with a supporting cast of 137 other mammal species and more than 500 species of birds.

This magnificent 260-square-kilometre reserve lies at the centre of the 30-kilometre-long Blyde River Canyon, where epic rock formations tower above the forested slopes and offer breathtaking views of the dramatic meeting of the Drakensberg Escarpment and the lowveld. It is one of the world's largest canyons and one of South Africa's most remarkable natural attractions.

Table Mountain, about 600 million years old and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, is truly iconic. You can admire Table Mountain National Park's showstopper and one of the 'New 7 Wonders of Nature' from multiple angles, but you can only really say you have visited Cape Town you have stood on top.

The cable car takes you to the top of Table Mountain in five minutes and leaves every 10 to 15 minutes. Along the way, you will have fantastic views of the mountain and Cape Town. Waiting times vary, but you never have to wait more than half an hour, and then only in the high season (December and January)

Madikwe is the country's fourth largest reserve and one of the best, with 760 square kilometres of bushveld, savannah grassland and riverine forest on the edge of the Kalahari. It offers Big Five game viewing and dreamy accommodation among the striking (and malaria-free) red sand and clay thorn bushveld. Madikwe does not allow self-drive safaris or day-trippers, meaning you have to stay in one of the posh lodges to explore the reserve, but you get what you pay for at these exclusive bush hideaways.

Although the R50 million that made the Big Hole a world-class tourist destination came from De Beers, a tour of the world's largest hand-dug hole gives an honest impression of the Kimberley mining industry's eventful past. Visits begin with an entertaining 20-minute film about mining conditions and characters in the late-19th-century Kimberley, and a walk along the Big Hole viewing platform. The open-air steel apparatus, which rises above the 1.6-km-long, 215-metre-deep gorge, enhances the dizzying views of the 40-metre-deep turquoise water.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a vast, diverse ecosystem consisting of hundreds of kilometres of beaches, lakes, wetlands and forests to explore. The size of the park can be intimidating, but it is worth taking the time to explore this green wonderland from top to bottom.

iSimangaliso means 'Wonders' and indeed, given its extraordinary beauty, it is an apt title. Within the park, Lake St. Lucia is Africa's largest estuary.

This Unesco World Heritage Site, which was used as a prison from the early days of the VOC until 1996, is preserved as a memorial to those (like Nelson Mandela) who were detained here for many years. You can only go here with a tour, which takes about four hours, including ferry rides, leaving from the Nelson Mandela Gateway next to the Clock Tower on the Waterfront. Booking online well in advance is highly recommended, as tours can sell out.

This 2.5-square-kilometre wine and fruit farm sits on the north slope of Simonsberg between Klapmuts and Paarl. The highlight is an 800-square-metre formally designed garden; inspired by Cape Town's Company's Garden, it is an incredible undertaking, with edible and medicinal plants, lotus ponds and espaliers, chicken coops and a maze of prickly pear cacti. Book a place on one of the garden tours (10am).

This picturesque area, with huge boulders separating small, sandy bays, is home to a colony of some 3,000 beautiful African penguins. A boardwalk runs from the Boulders Visitor Centre at the Foxy Beach end of the protected area - part of Table Mountain National Park - to Boulders Beach, where you can go out on the sand and mingle with the waddling penguins. However, don't be tempted to pet them: they have sharp beaks that can cause serious injuries

The Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park, intersected by dark, coffee-coloured swirling rivers, deep canyons and dense forests, covers 650 square kilometres between Plettenberg Bay and Humansdorp, as well as a protected marine area with an 80-kilometre coastline. Elusive Cape clawless otters, after which the Otter Trail (a multi-day walk) is named, inhabit this park; there are also baboons, monkeys, small antelopes and furry little dassies. Birds abound, including endangered African black oystercatchers.

The 550-square-kilometre Pilanesberg National Park is located in an eroded alkaline crater north of Sun City, in a transitional area between Kalahari and wet lowveld vegetation. It is a wonderfully scenic place to see a stunning variety of South African wildlife. Pilanesberg, conceived in the late 1970s as a weekend getaway to nature for nearby city dwellers, remains a haven where lions, buffalo and day visitors still roam

Within the boundaries of the vast Sabi Sand Game Reserve are some of South Africa's most luxurious safari lodges and the best game viewing on the continent. The area is routinely chosen by safari enthusiasts as their favourite destination. Because there is no fence between the various private lodges in the larger Sabi Sand area, they all share the same wealth of birds and animals, but they are all far enough apart that no one gets in each other's way.

The highlight of the area, with stunning views of these huge rock formations, their pointed, grassy peaks resembling giant huts carved into the side of the canyon. There are short walks in the area to points overlooking the Blydepoort Dam in the far north of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.

Stunningly stark, arid, rocky landscapes echo cultural intrigue and roaming animals in Mapungubwe National Park. Mapungubwe, a Unesco World Heritage Site, contains South Africa's most important iron age site. You can do excellent birding here, as well as wildlife, including lions, leopards and elephants. But the park is as much about history as wildlife - archaeological finds from the 1930s can be seen at the excellent Interpretative Centre and the site itself can be visited on a guided tour.

On the beaches next to this pleasant coastal suburb, the British won their battle of the Cape in 1806. The panoramic views they offer of Table Mountain across Table Bay are fantastic, but these beaches are also popular with kitesurfers and windsurfers; seeing them riding the waves on weekends is an impressive sight. Robben Island is also easy to see from here.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is one of South Africa's best-known, most evocative parks. It covers 960 square kilometres and is best visited during the dry winter months (May to September), when animals congregate at water sources (the white iMfolozi and black iMfolozi rivers flow here), and the normally lush vegetation thins. However, summer visits can also be very rewarding, especially in the open savannah areas.

Highlight of Jo'burg's northern suburbs is Liliesleaf Farm. This was the secret headquarters of the ANC (African National Congress) from 1961 until a dramatic raid in 1963 in which several of the organisation's leaders were captured, including Nelson Mandela. Free tours provide all the background information, but you can also explore it at your own pace and learn the story of South Africa's liberation struggle through a series of high-tech, interactive exhibits.

This historic working port has a spectacular location and many tourist-oriented attractions, including masses of shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and cruises. The Alfred and Victoria Basins date from 1860 and are named after Queen Victoria and her son Alfred. Too small for modern container ships and tankers, the Victoria Basin is still used by tugboats, fishing boats and various other vessels. In the Alfred Basin, you can see ships under repair.

Spice Route is known for its complex red wines, especially the Flagship syrah. Besides wine, there is a lot going on, including glass-blowing demonstrations, wine and charcuterie pairings (R85), a chocolatier (tutoring tasting R35), grappa distillery and a superlative microbrewery (tasting R35). Besides the chic restaurant headed by celebrity chef Bertus Basson (from R140 to R215), there is a pizzeria (from R70 to R150).

Sterkfontein Caves, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, has a permanent exhibition on humanoids and a walkway down to the impressive caves and past the excavation site. Tours leave every 30 minutes (the last tour is at 4pm).

The main attraction in the Swartberg Nature Reserve is Gamkaskloof, a narrow valley better known as Die Hel. Die Hel, one of the most remote settlements in the country, is reached via a staggering dirt road that is best tackled with a 4WD. On arrival, you will find a tea room, a small museum and self-contained accommodation. Elsewhere in the reserve are excellent hiking and mountain biking trails and plenty of opportunities for bird watching

Partially housed in a building that resembles a giant grass mound on one side and gleaming modern steel on the other, Maropeng is an all-in-one information centre, visitor attraction and entertainment complex. The fascinating array of interactive exhibitions here covers the history of mankind from the very beginning. A new exhibition showcases the discovery of the Homo naledi species in 2013 in the Rising Star caves.

Located 70 km north of Port Elizabeth, South Africa's third-largest national park protects the remains of the huge herds of elephants that once roamed the Eastern Cape. When Addo was declared a national park in 1931, only 11 elephants remained; today there are more than 600 in the park, and you would be unlucky not to see any

Timbavati borders the western boundary of Kruger National Park and has an excellent mix of wildlife, conservation and good accommodation. The accommodation settings are less opulent than those of Sabi Sand, so it tends to be more reasonably priced, without missing out on too many amenities. The reserve was once known for its population of white lions. Much more reliably, we saw the Big Five on a single game drive.

Popular with families, this surf beach is known for its row of colourfully painted Victorian bathing chalets. Surfboards can be hired and lessons can be booked at several shops along Beach Rd. The beach slopes gently and the sea here is generally safer than elsewhere on the peninsula.

These bizarre cylindrical holes were carved into the rock by whirlpools at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur rivers. Bridges span the rivers and offer impressive views. There is a small museum with information on the geology, flora and fauna of the gorge, a busy café and an 80-metre-long lichen trail.

The name of the Twelve Apostles is said to have been coined by British governor Sir Rufane Donkin in 1820. There are actually more than 12 buttresses on the seaward side of Table Mountain, and none are individually named after an apostle. Called De Gevelbergen (Gable Mountains) by the Dutch, they are best seen around sunset from Camps Bay Drive.

Partly dedicated to tourism with complexes such as Mariner's Wharf, Hout Bay harbour is still functioning and the south side is a fishing port and processing centre. Cruises and snorkelling/diving trips to Diver Island depart from here.

Klaserie has a private game reserve of 600 square kilometres (or 60,000 hectares) in the greater Kruger area and has strong conservation reputations.

The Bo-Kaap means 'Upper Cape' and is one of the most photographed parts of the city with its vividly painted houses with low roofs, many of which are historical monuments, stretched along narrow cobbled streets. This part of the city was initially a garrison for soldiers in the mid-18th century and was where freed slaves began to settle after emancipation in the 1830s. The most picturesque streets are Chiappini, Rose and Wale.