The vast nation of South Africa encompasses a huge range of geographical and cultural diversity, making it an ideal destination at any time of year. Dominating the landscape is a massive escarpment that separates the coast from a massive inland plateau. This is clearest in the east, where the Drakensberg mountains run from the Eastern Cape to Mpumalanga. The country consists of several distinct climactic zones. Cape Town & the Garden Route have a fairly Mediterranean climate. Kwazulu-Natal has a tropical atmosphere, with warm winters, coral reefs and deliciously warm seas. The lowveld area, east of Johannesburg and including Kruger National Park, has fairly extreme day and night temperature variations in the winter, with consistently hot summer days and nights. This area is considered by many to be the archetypal African landscape, with savannah and dry woodland, that is home to elephants and more. Subtropical lowland is found along the coastal plain, stretching from the Mozambique border all the way to the Eastern Cape: here you find a fantastic array of aquatic and semi-aquatic species, including crocodile, hippo, and otter. The fynbos region, in the southwest corner of the country, includes the smallest and richest of the world's six floral kingdoms. While rich in floral species, this region has never had the rich diversity of animal species found in other parts of the country. Still, some lions, leopards, and antelopes are found here. The vast western arid zone stretches from the Kalahari Gemsbok park, and across the Karoo. The Kalahari is home to an extraordinary range of life, including lion, foxes, jackals and more. The highveld plateau sprawls from south of Johannesburg to the peaks of the Drakensburg: mostly covered by semi-desert scrubland and maize fields, the indigenous animal species have plummeted due to the increase of agriculture in this area.

The winter (June to September) is an ideal time to visit the country's many superb game reserves, such as Kruger and Hluhluwe-Umfulozi: relatively cool weather, lower levels of vegetation, and lower water levels drive game towards rivers and waterholes, making game viewing more comfortable and rewarding. This is also a good time of year for whale-watching, off the coast near Cape Town & the Garden Route. South Africa's wildlife includes the Big Five (elephant, black rhino, buffalo, lion & leopard) as well as a wealth of less renowned, but equally intriguing other species, including hippos, zebras, and dozens of sub-species of antelope. Hunting dogs are considered by many biologists to be the ultimate predator, and their pack behaviour is fascinating to behold. Birders will be thrilled by the many migratory and resident species to be found in South Africa: with patience and a keen eye, one can spot over 100 species in a day. Eagles, kingfishers, flamingoes, rollers, hornbills, bee-eaters and more can be spotted throughout the country. The spring (August - September) is a splendid time to appreciate the glorious wildflowers of South Africa: Namaqualand, in the Western Cape, is well known as a botanist's paradise, while Cape Town and the Garden Route are considered by many to be the most beautiful part of the country. Summer, from December - March, can be uncomfortably hot & humid in the eastern provinces, but is a delightful time to experience the Western Cape, and the scenic coastline.

While many visitors are attracted to South Africa by its wildlife parks, the country's dynamic history is increasingly recognized as an attraction in its own right. Throughout mankind's long evolutionary journey, footprints have been left throughout South Africa. As well stunning landscapes, hospitable lodges and superb wildlife parks, the country is also a prime destination for travelers interested in archaeology and ancient history. Man's earliest hominid ancestors lived in the Northern Cape almost three million years ago. The oldest fossil remains of Homo Sapiens were found in the Eastern Cape; it is reckoned these fossils are between 50,000-100,000 years old. Throughout the Drakensberg mountains, San rock art illustrates many of the caves with evocative paintings of shamanic trance states and hunts. Some of these paintings date back 30,000 years. Throughout this period, the people of the region led an egalitarian lifestyle based on a maximum of twenty hours per week of work, with people living in small, flexible social groups. These nomadic hunter-gatherers are the longest-spanning culture of the sub-continent, with small pockets of these people still hanging on to the last vestiges of their traditional culture in parts of Namibia and Botswana.

Herding cultures spread to the region two thousands years ago, bringing sheep, cattle, and, most significantly, a dramatic cultural change, based on social stratification, and the accumulation of personal property. At the same time as herders came to the region, so did Bantu-speaking farmers. As well as farming skills, these groups brought a variety of other skills, most notably metal smelting, which played a central role in future trade.

In the 15th century, South Africa's fraught relationship with Europe began, with Portuguese traders literally blasting their way into Khoi coastal communities. It was almost 200 years before the establishment of a European community: the Dutch East India Company set up an office on the Cape Peninsula in 1652. They soon established a relationship with the local Khoi, based on need, suspicion and resentment, which was to be an unfortunate template for European relationships with the local populace. The British occupied the Cape in 1795. During this same period, the Zulu clan were gaining political prominence, culminating in the rise of the famed warrior, Shaka Zulu.

The discovery of diamonds and gold in the mid-19th century threw South African politics into a new level: from provincial, anarchic backwater, into an economic powerhouse, and keystone of British colonial influence. The Boer Wars at the turn of the 20th century led to British supremacy, and the Union of South Africa in 1910. South Africa's 20th century miseries are widely known to the world, and eloquently documented in memoirs, diaries and prison journals of some of the many protestors of Apartheid. Today, South Africa greets the 21st century with energy and optimism, whilst working to come to terms with its troubled recent history.