1. Panorama Route, Mpumalanga

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There’s a reason the vantage points along the spectacular Panorama Route have names like God’s Window and Wonder View. The eye (and the furiously snapping camera) can hardly take in the 25,000 hectares of majesty all at once.

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The Panorama Route is home to one of the world’s largest canyons, the Blyde River Canyon and the impressive Three Rondavels, Lisbon Falls, Berlin Falls and Mac Mac Falls.

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The region is not only home to thrilling scenery, but a plethora of plant and animal life too.

2. The Wild Coast, Eastern Cape

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The Wild Coast offers so much more than just a ‘hole in the wall’ (even though that is an incredible natural sight to behold). Did you know that each afternoon the cattle of the Amaphonda people wander down to the beach and wade in the water at Port St Johns beach?

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Untamed beauty stretches from the Mtamvuna River in the north of the Eastern Cape to the Great Kei River in the south.

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But the most beautiful parts of the Wild Coast are not accessible by car and involve getting on a horse or into some serious hiking boots. And the views then, the uninterrupted landscapes, are well worth the effort.

3. Orange River

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When South Africa’s longest river floods, the Augrabies Falls (pictured above) are an absolutely magical site.

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The great river caters for everything from cruises to canoeing and river rafting.

4. Magaliesberg, North West Province

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Magaliesberg is a 120km long mountain range, 100 times older than Everest, most known for being the birthplace of Humankind.

Now Humankind escape from the hustle and bustle of Jozi to the modest (or luxurious, depending on your taste) Magaliesberg.

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A mountaineers paradise, Magaliesberg offers canopy tours, hot air ballooning and horse riding in the mountain foot hills.

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If you want to keep adventure to the minimum but still want the panoramic views, the Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway extends to the top of the Magaliesberg mountain range by Hartbeespoort Dam, and is an absolute must.

5. Tsitsikamma, Western and Eastern Cape

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There is a reason the Western Cape’s Garden Route is crawling with tourists. But the highlight of the entire route has to be the 80km long stretch of coastline known as Tsitsikamma, the garden of the Garden Route.

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Tsitsikamma is a khoi word meaning “place of abundant or sparkling water” and boasts a variety of different hikes and activities for every passerby.

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If you’re seeking an adrenaline rush of note, you can find the highest commercial natural bunjy jump in the world at the the Bloukrans bridge, 216 meters (709 feet) above the Bloukrans River.

6. Oribi Gorge, KwaZulu Natal

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21 kilometres inland of Port Shepstone lies the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve. The magnificent 24km long gorge has been carved out of sandstone over thousands of years by the Umzimkulwana River.

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Tall sandstone cliffs, forests, trails, rivers, rapids and ravines allow for a variety of adventure activities including zip lining, abseiling, hiking and river rafting.

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The gorge is home to 255 bird species and a host of fauna including the rare samango monkey and the difficult to spot Oribi (pictured above).

7. Cango Caves, Western Cape

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Located at the foothills of the Swartberg range near Oudtshoorn, the Cango Caves are filled with halls, limestone formations and tiny passages to squeeze through (the smallest being 15cm).

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While today it is a popular tourist attraction, in the Middle and Later Stone Ages, people used to live in the entrance to the caves.

Perhaps the only downside is that the entire Cango Caves extends for four kilometres of tunnels and chambers, but only a quarter of this is open to the public.

8. The Drakensberg

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You can’t take a bad picture of the “Dragon Mountains”, and no picture does the Great Escarpment justice.

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The Tugela Falls (pictured above) is believed to be the world’s second-tallest waterfall with the combined total drop of its five falls being 948 meteres (3,110 feet). Some argue that it is in fact taller than Venezuela’s Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world.

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While hiking the numerous trails is one of the most popular things to do, there are many horse-friendly trails too. A rich San history can be traced through the thousands of rock paintings in the caves along the Clarens Formation.

9. Otter Trail

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A five-day hike spanning about 43 kilometres (26km long as the crow flies), the Otter Trail stretches from Storms River Mouth in the east to Nature’s Valley in the west.

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The scenery along the trail is ever-changing and is punctuated by caves, waterfalls, sandy and rocky beaches, rock outcrops, ravines and indigenous forests.

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The trail is the oldest official hiking trail in South Africa, and is named after the Cape Clawless Otter.

10. Route 62, Western Cape

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This scenic route is an alternative to the N2 and stretches from Worcester, along the Breede River Valley, through Robertson, Ashton and Montagu, the Klein Karoo landmark towns, and then through to George.

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Along Route 62, the longest wine route in the world, the eye is treated to glorious mountain passes, green valleys, crystal streams and an abundance of indigenous flora. Keep an eye out for South Africa’s national bird (and an endangered species) the Blue Crane!

Also read:

9 South African places vs their UK counterparts

8 Of the greatest South African place names

Nine words British people use that mean something different to South Africans

10 South African words we use for food which confuse the rest of the world

11 of the funniest things South Africans tried to sell on Gumtree

Five things you should never say to a South African