Come to South Africa and do it all

South Africa has a thriving tourism industry and it’s no wonder because the country has an enormous variety of things to see and do. From 5-star seaside accommodation to rugged safaris and mountain resorts South Africa has it all.

When it comes to luxury accommodation it’s hard to top the One&Only at Cape Town’s Waterfront. The One&Only is probably the most luxurious hotel in South Africa bar none. It boasts an idyllic spa and some of South Africa’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Nobu, which is run by Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa. Matsuhisa has the distinction of being one of a few Michelin-starred chefs in the country.

luxury south africa

When comes to fine dining, however, Nobu is topped by Rust en Vrede Estate in Stellenbosch, which won the Restaurant of the Year award from Eat Out, South Africa’s premier restaurant guide.

Of course when it comes to safaris, the Kruger National Park is at the top of the list. South Africa has a number of game reserves and national parks, but the Kruger Park is not only the biggest, it also offers the widest range of accommodation, safaris and related activities.

South Africa is a relatively big country and its attractions are spread out from north to south, east and west. You can minimise the distances and travel South Africa by train. The Blue Train is arguably the most luxurious train in South Africa. The train travels from Pretoria to Cape Town with a stopover in Kimberley, and from Cape Town to Pretoria with a stopover in Matjiesfontein, giving you a peak into small town living in South Africa. It boasts de luxe suites, a wood-panelled lounge and club car, fine dining, and a jewellery boutique.

You can book a range of holidays in South Africa, from package tours that include safaris, seaside attractions and a bit of mountaineering to private deals that allow you to set the pace.

South Africa has what ever you want from your holiday destination, and more.

Namibia reigns supreme as a top African tourist destination

Namibia reigns supreme as a top African tourist destination

Namibia Hilton Hotel, Windhoek

The Hilton Hotel chain is arguably the most well-known accommodation franchise in the world. It represents the ultimate in luxury and countries know that they’ve made it as prime tourist destinations when they’re chosen for a brand new branch. Namibia is the latest country to be graced with a Hilton Hotel as Hilton Windhoek opened its doors at the beginning of June. Hilton Windhoek is the chain’s 40^th hotel in the Middle East and Africa, while Namibia is the 77^th country to benefit from the attractions naturally associated with a Hilton Hotel.

Speaking at the grand opening, Dave Horton, who is the global head of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, said: “Namibia is a growing market with tourist arrivals increasing every year; it offers travellers an opportunity to explore the best of Africa with its many conservation parks, wildlife reserves and the untouched Namib Desert.”

The opening of Windhoek Hilton was well-timed as it came just before the annual Namibian Tourism Expo which was held in Windhoek, but not at the Hilton. The expo was well supported by the Northern Cape, South Africa’s immediate neighbouring province with Namibia.

Dianna Martin, marketing manager at the Northern Cape Tourism Authority, described the relationship between the two countries as “symbiotic” and emphasised the importance of marketing the Namaqualand and Green Kalahari in South Africa along with some of the prime attractions in Namibia to encourage trans-border tourism.

The expo coincided with the Namibia Tourism Board’s (NTB) 10^th anniversary. Once again the timing was fortuitous as Lonely Planet had only recently named Namibia as the 5^th best value holiday destination for 2011. Namibia’s primary attractions, according to Lonely Planet, are the Namib Naukluft National Park for outstanding safaris, Sossusvlei as a travel itinerary essential and Windhoek as a stunning example of a cosmopolitan African city with world class accommodation.

The Namibia Tourism Board was even named as the best tourism board in all of Africa.