If you are having travel FOMO like we are, maybe you should start planning your post lockdown trip. While it is unclear when travel will restart in the country due to rising Covid-19 cases, planning helps keep one's travel dreams alive.
Here are 3 South African scenic trips ideas for your post-Covid-19 trip:
Where: Johannesburg to KwaZulu-Natal
For families who would like to make the five-and-a-half-hour road trip from Johannesburg to KwaZulu-Natal, the N3 and the R34 offers the quickest route. When leaving Johannesburg, be sure to stop by the township of Intabazwe, where you can immerse yourself in Zulu culture. When you arrive in KwaZulu-Natal, take a drive through Empangeni.
Here you would be able to visit the Thula Thula Game Reserve, which is home to all kinds of wildlife including leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos. If you want to spend a night, stay at BON Hotel Empangeni. The next day you can travel to Durban, a two-hour drive from Empangeni.
Free State
For those who didn’t know this, the Free State is often referred to as the heart of South Africa because it is embraced by several other provinces and it shares the borders of the lush mountainous areas of Lesotho.
Free State has endless amounts of beauty, including South Africa’s most valued San (Bushman) rock art.
Bloemfontein is also known for being the birthplace of J.J.R Tolkien, the famous author of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. If you or any of your family members are a fan of this great author’s work, you’d love to visit the home where he was born, located at 19 President Steyn Street. For a good history lesson, visit Bloemfontein National Museum, which is home to preserved anthropological and cultural displays.
Mpumalanga
A road trip to Mpumalanga from Johannesberg has been a popular choice for travellers over the years. The three-and-a-half-hour journey offers some phenomenal sightings.
Mpumalanga is known for its wonderful game reserve, the Kruger National Park, which is home to South Africa’s iconic Big Five. If you’re looking for a place to rest up near the Park, Bucklers Africa Lodge would be perfect for you or you could book one of Kruger's lodges. Mpumalanga is also known for having the world’s third-largest canyon, the Blyde River Canyon.