By Jaclyn Hurley


Southern Africa simply begs to be explored. It has a huge variety of landscapes, from green hills and mountains to dry plains. There are small towns and traditional villages but also modern, vibrant cities. To experience everything the region has to offer, it's best to rent a car, move away from the most popular tourist spots and hit the back roads.

One of Southern Africa's most popular destinations is the Western Cape province of South Africa. This is home to gorgeous Cape Town, which is a good city to fly into. From Cape Town, head northwards to the Cape Winelands or up along the rugged West Coast. Otherwise, head east through the semi-arid Little Karoo region. You can also stick to the coastal route known as the Garden Route with its forests.

South Africa's eastern coast has a warmer, more humid climate and the ocean is pleasantly warm. The secluded beaches of the Wild Coast are often visited by herds of cattle. More to the north lies the Hibiscus Coast with its holiday resorts. After that you'll find laid-back Durban, where Indian and Zulu cultures meet and where the surfing is great.

If mountains are more your thing, turn inland from Durban and drive towards the Drakensberg, the largest mountain range in Southern Africa. Explore the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Then continue on towards the Free State province of South Africa, where the sandstone mountains soon make way for cornfield-covered plains.

Johannesburg is about 4 hours north of Bloemfontein, the Free State capital. It's one of Africa's largest cities and home to its busiest airport. The South African capital Pretoria is close by and from these two cities, you can do wonderful road trips eastwards to the subtropical Lowveld region with the Kruger National Park as well as to Swaziland and Mozambique.

Another option is to drive northwards through the area known as the Bushveld with its many game farms. At Musina, South Africa's northernmost town, cross the border into Zimbabwe and then drive via pleasant Bulawayo and the Hwange National Park to the spectacular Victoria Falls. Visit Lake Kariba, then head into Zambia.

After Zambia, go south again to Botswana. Go game-viewing in the lush northern parts of this pleasant country and spend some time in the Okavango Delta. Further south is the Kalahari Desert. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers a large part of the Kalahari in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. Namibia is also home to the Namib Desert with its high sand dunes and the country has a German flavor.

Roads in Southern Africa range from well-kept highways to dirt roads. However, a standard car should be sufficient in most areas. Remember that people in the region drive on the left, so stay alert while you're behind the wheel. Take many breaks too, to avoid fatigue. Most cities and large towns in the region have a great selection of car rental companies that offer fantastic deals.




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