Fishing boats in the picturesque West Coast town of Paternoster (Image: South African Tourism)

For those who want to see small towns and real people across South Africa, get off the toll roads and delve into the wonders of those spiderweb roads on your map.

South Africa’s heartland offers the real gems of this country: The small towns and villages just off the beaten track that take you back to a quieter, more peaceful time and offer spectacular scenery to view and people to meet.

Artists and other “creatives” flourish in the peace and quiet and beauty of these areas.

They also give travellers the opportunity to meet colourful local characters who still have the time to talk and settings that can leave you breathless.

WESTERN CAPE

Knysna

On the Garden Route in the Western Cape, the coastal town of Knysna offers incredible vistas of the lagoon and the ocean and a famous forest that shelters elusive elephants.

At the Knysna Heads, the ocean crashes through a narrow rocky outcrop to feed the waters of the lagoon - a nursery for all manner of sea life, such as the tiny Knysna seahorse. Knysna is rich in art galleries, fabulous coffee shops and excellent restaurants. Not to be missed is Knysna’s oyster festival, which celebrates the exotic food cultivated in the lagoon and harvested in the wild. (more…)

Jacqui Thompson

Leaving Loxton behind we zipped along the excellent tar road and soon leaned into the left hand bend that led into Victoria West.  On our right was the Victoria West Dam where various species of antelope grazed on grass so green it hurt my eyes. The Seekoei River fed the dam and also ran skirted the Northern Cape town.

Our back roads bike trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg was almost at an end. Not because of distance but rather time. The punctures on the dirt road between Sutherland and Fraserburg were partly to blame; they cost us a few days, but a contributing factor was also the laid back pace of life in the Karoo. We had no desire to be on the road for eight hours a day, clinging to motorbike handlebars, eyes squinting in the wind as all that pesky scenery rushed by.  Our starts got later as we enjoyed leisurely brunches with the locals and other travelers rather than early bird breakfasts and when we eventually set off we traveled leisurely with frequent stops to admire afore-mentioned scenery. The daily distances we rode also got shorter, so on this particular slow, sunny Karoo day we covered the magnificent distance of 81 kilometres. We couldn’t help it … Victoria West was such an inviting little town. (more…)

Port Elizabeth’s beaches range from crowded, social and developed, to long and deserted. (Image: South African Tourism)

Otherwise known as Nelson Mandela Bay, as well as being South Africa’s “Friendly City”, Port Elizabeth’s fantastic weather, golden beaches and an enormous range of attractions make it a superb place for a relaxing holday.

Beaches very between crowded, social and developed to long and deserted. Magnificent old buildings reflect the history of the development of the Eastern Cape region, and the city offers cultural activities for an insight into the lives of local communities.

It’s a significant industrial centre, especially with regard to the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, so it’s quite appropriate that it has the country’s most impressive motor museum.

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Bloemfontein - meaning “spring of flowers” - is the capital of the Free State, and a pretty, medium-sized city that lives up to its name. Thousands of rose bushes line the streets to create an amazing spectacle most of the year, but particularly in spring.

The middle of the city is home to a small nature reserve called Naval Hill, where visitors can walk and see small game. Also nearby is the orchid house - another tribute to that lovely name. (more…)

The remote Karoo village of Nieu Bethesda houses a fascinating world of concrete sculpture, fantasy figures and mythical beasts set around a house of luminous paint and multicoloured glass panes.

It is called the Owl House, and was created by the reclusive artist Helen Martins and her labourer Koos Malgas in the 1940s. The structure and its attendant pieces are now considered a masterpiece of visionary art. (more…)

The small village of Qunu lies in South Africa’s Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape, an area known for its unspoilt beauty, rolling green hills and pristine beaches. Qunu is also the home village of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president and the Eastern Cape’s favourite son.

Lying just outside the town of Mthatha, Qunu is where Mandela spent the happiest years of his youth. There, he writes in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, he spent his days doing herd-boy duties, playing in the river and sailing down the “sliding stone”. (more…)

Port St Johns on the Pondo side of the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape is a highlight on any international backpacker’s world itinerary for its natural setting, frontier atmosphere and vast appeal to more adventurous younger travellers.

The village lies on the Umzimvubu River, Xhosa for “hippo”. And therein lies a story: The most famous hippo ever to have visited Port St Johns was back in 1931. Named Huberta, she settled upriver for more than four months during her trek from Zululand down to the Eastern Cape. (more…)