South Africa manages to be several trips in one, from Big Five game drives and the elephants of Addo to the Garden Route coastline, the Cape winelands and Table Mountain.
Most people only fit one of those in properly on a first trip, so we’d love to know which you’d choose.
Tell us which one you’d go for and why, whether you’ve been before or it’s still on your list.
Safari to see the big five for sure! There are so few places in the world where you can see these beautiful creatures, and we don’t know how much longer we will have them!
I hitch-hiked around South Africa, from Botswana to Jo’burg, Pretoria, Swaziland (as it was then), then Maputo (Mozambique) and down the coast from Durban to Cape Town for Christmas.
Discovered plenty but missed out on Kruger National Park.
The good thing about leaving something out, is it gives me a reason to return.
Flew from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro for New Year’s Eve on Copacabana Beach.
I think I’d have to pick safari for my first time! I’m also really interested in the hiking/trail side of South Africa, although I haven’t looked into it nearly as much yet. I’m typically comfortable with what AllTrails would classify as moderate hikes, so I’d love to hear from anyone who’s actually hiked there: What are the trails like? I’m especially curious whether hiking in South Africa feels quite different from hiking in places like Europe and North America 
Coast to enjoy the water 
Definately a game drive to spot the big five because I love animals and have never been to South Africa. But it’s a difficult choice to make. I would love to do everything in one trip because I don’t think I’ll go there more than one time because of how expensive it is.
It would have to be safari.
Safari — without a doubt.
For my first time in South Africa, I’d want to experience something I can’t recreate anywhere else: waking before sunrise, stepping into the stillness of the bush, and watching the landscape slowly come alive. Seeing a wild elephant or lion in its natural habitat would be unforgettable — not because it’s simply exciting, but because it would be a reminder of how small we are in a world that existed long before us.
I’d happily save the coast and winelands for another trip. For a first visit, I’d choose the kind of experience that stays with you long after you’ve returned home — the kind you don’t just photograph, but feel
I would love to go to on the Big Five Game drives to see the wild life and experience my dream of adventure.
So hard to choose but probably the Safari
Table mountain AND the safari
The big five for sure
We went to South Africa about 5 years ago and did all the things you mentioned. Would definitely go back for any of it, but the Safari in Kroger National Park was the highlight and an experience of a lifetime, so I’d pick that for sure.
Safaris, and Mandela’s home
definitely the big 5 safari!
I would choose the Big 5 Safari because of the varied wildlife and because it if EPIC South Africa.
The first time I go to Africa it would definitely be The Big Five—lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and cape buffaloes are among the most fascinating animals on the planet. Seeing them in their natural habitat would be truly awe-inspiring!
The most uniquely South African experience. Seeing elephants, lions, giraffes and other wildlife in the wild is something you’ll remember for years. Kruger in particular is famous for the Big Five. 
Safari, for sure! Though Coast would be a close second.
I reckon you could squeeze a day in the Cape and a little of the cost then spend the rest of the time on Safari.
But if that’s too ambitious and I had to chose, I’d pick Safari every time as I’m lucky enough to live in a part of Europe where vineyards can be visited regularly, but we don’t have any of the big five in the wild!
