Beautiful landscapes, abundant wildlife, world-class cities, a rich diversity of people, culture and heritage – and the first Bill of Rights in the world to explicitly protect lesbians and gays from discrimination – is making South Africa the destination of choice for gay holiday makers.
South Africa is welcoming to gay travellers. (Image: Niko Knigge)
Brand South Africa reporter
From Cape Town in the Western Cape through the beautiful Garden Route, up to Johannesburg and on to the Kruger National Park, there is a daisy chain of gay friendly establishments to choose from.
The Mother City and the gay capital of South Africa, Cape Town is enchanting – arguably one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world. Cradled by Table Mountain and looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, it is the oldest city in South Africa, with immense charm and historical interest.
Cape Town’s attractions include the vibrant Waterfront development, eclectic restaurants and unbelievable nightlife. Take a walk or cable-car ride up Table Mountain, enjoy a boat cruise or visit the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The beaches and nature reserves of the Cape peninsula are also close at hand.
Kalk Bay, rustic quiet and welcoming. (Image: SA Tourism)
North of Cape Town is the West Coast, a remote and beautiful place of quaint fishing villages, empty beaches, immense bird colonies and carpets of Namaqualand spring flowers. The West Coast’s unique hospitality is typified by its rustic open air seafood restaurants.
The road to the West Coast runs through a desert. (Image: SA Tourism)
Next on the route is the Overberg region of the Western Cape, with a rich history and dotted with unspoilt villages and towns. Villiersdorp is a good base from which to explore the area of Franschhoek, South Africa’s gourmet capital, with Caledon and its Victorian spa baths only 30 kilometres away. Other attractions include hiking trails, 4×4 routes and a nine-hole golf course lying alongside the Theewaterskloof dam.
Travelling east, the historic Route 62 meanders through a region of exquisite beauty dominated by rugged mountains. In the valleys are fruit orchards, vineyards, elegant Cape Dutch wine estates and charming rural towns. Attractions include hiking trails through the mountains, hot springs and wine-tasting.
Alternatively, follow the southern coastal road to the Hermanus region. Here a series of picturesque seaside villages boast some of the finest land-based whale-watching in the world from August to December, as well as spectacular mountain scenery and sandy beaches for swimming, bodysurfing and sunset strolls.
Enjoy a nature walk among the spring flowers and mountain fynbos, or visit the villages of Arniston and Cape Agulhas – the southernmost point on the African continent. Nearby Gans Bay offers exciting great white shark diving and viewing excursions.
The Klein Karoo – little Karoo – is a wide vista of semidesert, with the name “Karoo” coming from the San word for “thirst”. There are many interesting things to see and do in the region. From port wine tasting to a visit to the world-renowned Cango Caves, or an ostrich farm, the area offers tranquility and peacefulness under a fire of stars at night.
The Garden Route snakes along the southern Cape coast, getting its name from the lush indigenous forests and temperate climate. This region offers a spectacular headlands giving way to superb Indian Ocean beaches. Behind the sand dunes lie wetland lakes, forests and soaring mountains. The route is perfect for both those wanting to relax – as well as for more active types, with a number of operators offering cycling, abseiling, bungee jumping, canoeing and kloofing (canyoning).
Knysna, a spectacular lagoon, a lush indigenous forest and spectacular scenery. (Image: SA Tourism)
Central to the Garden Route is the beautiful coastal town of Knysna, with a spectacular lagoon, a lush indigenous forest and spectacular scenery. Every May the town hosts the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras, a gay festival with four days of non-stop entertainment for anyone who enjoys a party. In July there’s the Knysna Oyster Festival, offering oyster braais, oyster tasting, oyster eating competitions and other molluscular activities, as well as live entertainment and lots of sporting events.
The Eastern Cape stretches from Cape St Francis to the Wild Coast. Its attractive white beaches are backed by undulating rolling pastures, bushveld and forested dunes. This gentle beauty belies both the region’s bloody history and the drama of its interior, with the grand vistas and majesty of the Great Karoo and superb malaria-free game reserves. The Addo Elephant National Park is home to many wildlife species such as elephant, black rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard and many species of antelope.
Elephants gather at a watering hole in Addo Elephant Park. (Image: SA Tourism)
Moving north, the province of Gauteng is home to Johannesburg, known as the City of Gold and the pulsating heart of South Africa’s industrial and commercial life.
The city has a thriving gay and lesbian community, with an annual pride march and a gay nightlife district called the Heartlands – a development bankrolled by the city to the tune of R32-million.
Johannesburg is a cosmopolitan foodie heaven. (Image: SA Tourism)
Close to the city there’s the beautiful Magaliesburg mountain range, ideal for hiking, picnicking and visiting game farms, quaint roadside shops, cheese farms, restaurants and more. Hartbeespoort Dam offers watersports and lazy days messing around in boats, while the nearby Cradle of Humankind World Heritage fossil sites have been developed to allow tourists to explore our fascinating origins.
Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site allows visitors to explore our fascinating origins. (Image: SA Tourism)
In the northeast of the country lies the massive Kruger National Park, an area of land larger than Israel and teeming with all the African wildlife you could wish for. The park has its own rest camps, with chalets, camping grounds and more upmarket accommodation. If it’s real luxury you’re after, there are a number of private game farms on the border of the park where you can enjoy some pampering after a day in the wilds of Africa.
Rainbow in Kruger Park. (Image: Barbara Eckstein)
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