David Attenborough’s ‘Africa’ this week was all about the Cape.  From the heights of the Drakensberg to the swamps of Mozambique’s Gorongosa, the programme really showed the diversity of this massive area.

Travelling the huge distances that were shown is not really viable for most of us in any short space of time of course, but there are ways to capture the essence of the richness of this southern African region. And if you were to pick one country, it would have to be South Africa.

In South Africa you can indeed start in the Drakensberg mountains.  Whether you decide to hike, pony trek or simply enjoy the scenery and wildlife from a vehicle is up to you.  From here you could head for the Kalahari Desert. Explore the arid scenery for the often surprisingly prolific signs of life – perhaps even meeting meerkats!  From the desert, try going to the swamps and waterways of Isimangaliso (the St Lucia Wetlands) on the east coast above Durban.  The coastline here has stunning beaches perfect for relaxing, but also some of which are loved by turtles which come to lay eggs here. In the Indian Ocean off this coast you can spot whales, dolphins, and at the right time of year, shoals of millions of sardines! And of course inland there are always wildlife reserves where you can spot a myriad of Africa animals such as elephants, zebras, lions, antelopes, warthogs …

We can’t all be David Attenborough, but it is very possible for us to get a real feeling for the beauty, vitality and drama of this area of Africa.  If you have 2-3 weeks a trip to southern Africa can be eye-opening and inspirational.

For ideas of holidays in South Africa, have a look at our web pages, but remember that Tribes can always put any trip together for you as a tailor made adventure.

Amanda Marks

Amanda Marks is the founder and managing director of award-winning tour operator, Tribes Travel. Having started travelling professionally in her mid-twenties as a tour leader in Africa and the Middle East, she set up Tribes with her husband Guy in 1998. She travels regularly both alone and with her family, and is committed to sustainable travel so we can protect the earth's diversity and beauty for future generations.