Lesser-Known Local Attractions You Should Visit At least Once
Date : 29 June 2023
The beauty of South Africa is that we are never limited when it comes to top class holiday destinations. Tourists flock to our shores from every corner of the world to visit our beautiful attractions. While we all know that there is beauty in our Table Mountain, Kruger National Park and Drakensburg Mountains, to name a few, it is undeniable that are most awe-inspiring destinations can be found in the little towns nestled between our larger destinations.
This winter, travel to the smaller, cosier spots. Our country has so many beautiful hidden gems, that it’s quite hard to list them all in one article. Here are a handful of some of the most stunning winter destinations in South Africa:
HOGSBACK
Better known as the inspiration for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Hogsback offers a magical escape. Situated in the Amatola Mountains, you are guaranteed night skies filled with stars, cosy restaurants, and beautiful hiking trails. If you’re lucky, you may even experience the annual winter snow, which all the hamlet’s restaurants and accommodations are well prepared for with crackling fireplaces. If cosy evenings by the fireplace and beautiful hikes to magnificent waterfalls are your ideal winter getaway, the Hogsback is the place to go.
CLARENS
If warm, cosy nights in-front of the fireplace and an action-packed day is your thing, then Clarens is the place to be this winter. Situated at between the Rooiberge and Maluti Mountains, it’s the ideal place to take in the beautiful scenery while embarking on an adventure! The Golden Gate Highlands National Park is a mere 20km drive from this Free State town and Lesotho is not too far away either. You’d need to be sure to include ziplining or a go on the bungi trampoline, before heading off to town to see the world class art this hidden gem has to offer.
PORT SHEPSTONE
Let’s be honest: Not everyone enjoys crackling fires and multiple layers of clothing. This is where our country is truly amazing. We can experience snow in one corner and perfectly mild, summer weather in the other. Port Shepstone is a large town about 27km away from Margate, that offers warm weather and beaches all year round. Surrounding the Mzimkhulu River, it’s an ideal destination for water babies who don’t want to be stifled by the colder winter weather and offers a short drive to Oribi Gorge, which offers one of the most beautiful rock formations South Africa has on offer.
CHINTSA
Sticking to the shore, we have the beautiful Chintsa just on the verge of the Wild Coast. It’s a small village situated along pristine white sand beaches that offers that all year mild weather that makes a seaside destination top choice. Chintsa is the ideal place to kick back and relax, whilst enjoying all the best of South Africa’s coastline. Affordable accommodation, beautiful sand dunes and lush coastline bush is what draws Chintsa’s annual visitors to its turf.
HAZYVIEW
Ok, so maybe this is venturing a little too close to one of our bigger destinations, but Hazyview gives you all of the best qualities of small village living, with big tourist attractions surrounding you. This town is almost at the epicentre of some of South Africa’s biggest tourist attractions, such as the Kruger National Park, God’s Window and Pilgrim’s Rest. For an inland adventure with extraordinary day trip destinations to choose from, Hazyview is the ideal spot for your winter holiday.
The beauty of all of these small towns, is that so many are not even a half a day’s travel from nearby cities making them destinations that can be visited for a week or a weekend. Before you let the winter weather get you down, start planning your next weekend adventure to one of the rejuvenating destinations.