South Africa Hotels

Situated at the southern tip of the African continent, the Republic of South Africa (also referred to as SA or RSA) is a very large state with an ethnically diverse population of 50 million people. There are 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho and Zulu. One of the world's most beautiful countries, known locally as the Rainbow Nation, South Africa is a very special holiday destination. It feels as though there are many worlds within this one nation with its numerous different peoples, mixture of cultures and hugely diverse landscapes. You will be spoilt for choice when trying to decide which type of South African holiday to take; a safari adventure in the Kruger National Park (or one of several other national parks), a tour of Cape Town, one of the most breathtaking cities in the world, and the surrounding winelands, whale-watching or a tailor-made adventure holiday with the chance to go surfing, skydiving, abseiling and mountain-biking in spectacular locations.

Your holiday to south Africa will be set against a backdrop of lush green vegetation, rugged mountains, golden deserts, dramatic rivers and canyons and glorious beaches. The climate in South Africa varies considerably depending on the altitude and proximity to either the Indian or Atlantic Oceans. It is worth remembering, however, that the seasons in the southern hemisphere are the exact opposite of those in the northern hemisphere.

On the whole, Winter (June to September) is cool, Summer (November to March) can be warm, humid and wet, Spring (September to November) has pleasant temperatures and Autumn (April and May) has perfect warm weather. Flights to South Africa have the advantage of taking you to a part of the world where there is hardly any time difference to the UK so jet-lag can be avoided, especially if you take a night flight and are able to sleep. A direct flight from London to Johannesburg takes 11 hours .