Cheap flights to South Africa

Overview

Despite South Africa’s anguished past, the country that occupies the southern tip of Africa has re-invented itself along the lines of a modern destination featuring a mixture of out-of-this-world scenery with a vibrant cultural heritage that combine to create an unforgettable experience.

Many visitors arriving on cheap flights to South Africa head for Cape Town, the oldest city in southern Africa. Its trendy restaurants and a hopping nightlife scene nestle comfortably in the beautiful coastal setting. Further north lies Johannesburg, a vibrant and edgy city, that many travellers see en route to Kruger Park, the world’s biggest and probably best-known wildlife reserve.

Many of the towns on South Africa’s long coast along both the Indian and Atlantic oceans also attract many visitors. Durban, located in KwaZulu-Natal province, features the best surfing beaches in the country while Port Elizabeth and its café culture attracts many travellers heading for the Garden Route. This area along the country’s coast boasts a combination of forests, beaches and lagoons that are one of South Africa’s most popular destinations.

South Africa climate

South Africa is generally sunny and hot in the summer, which lasts from December to April. The winter is mild. The country is large and has many different climates. The Cape is cold and wet in the winter, with snow falling in the mountains. Northern areas get regular thunderstorms on summer evenings, while winters are warm by day and cold at night. 

What is good to know if travelling to South Africa?

• There is no shortage of national parks in South Africa. Of these, Kruger is both the largest and best-known. Established in 1898, it features 147 mammals, 114 types of reptile and 507 species of birds. So while hippos, crocodiles and Impala antelopes (most common animal in South Africa) can all be found here, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes and elephants also abound. Big cats also call the park home with 1,500 lions, 900 leopards and 300 cheetahs on display.  Rest camps are scattered throughout Kruger and they range according to your budget from huts to family cottages to luxury guest houses.
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is actually two national parks combined (Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana). Although it measures a staggering 3.6 million hectares, vegetation here is limited with many of the local animals congregating around the Auob and Nossob rivers. The most common animals are round squirrel and suricate (meerkat) though badgers, anteaters and fox are also in evidence.
• On the coast whales, turtles and penguins can all be seen. Watch breaching whales at Hermanus, south of Cape Town, where a whale crier calls out the location of whales. African Jackass Penguins call Boulder’s Beach in Simonstown (Simon’s Town) home and nesting Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles can be seen at St Lucia in KwaZulu Natal. These tend to nest between November and January but do not hatch until the period between January and March.
• The Apartheid Museum and MuseuMAfricA in Johannesburg offer a glimpse at the country’s history and culture, respectively. South African Lipizzaners jump into action on Sunday mornings in Kyalami.
• In Cape Town a cable car whisks visitors to the top of Table Mountain. The ride covers the 1085m of elevation in under ten minutes and features a rotating floor offering unobstructed views of the city below.

South Africa airport overview

The spacious and attractive Durban King Shaka International Airport, known also as La Mercy Airport, was built in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Replacing the cramped Durban International Airport, the facility is large and modern, with state-of-the-art facilities that rival higher-traffic destinations Cape Town and Johannesburg for convenience. Named for the famous Zulu king of the 19^th century, the architecture of the airport contains hints at the region’s culture, and eagle-eyed passengers will find many traditional Zulu shields.

Handling a little more than half of its 7.5 million passenger capacity, the airport rarely feels crowded. This is partly due to the limited number of destinations available on direct flights to Durban King Shaka Airport. Air traffic is primarily focused on local flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, George and East London. Most international flights to Durban International Airport connect via Johannesburg, but there are flights available to Mauritius, Maputo and Dubai.

The main annoyance of the airport is not the service or facilities, but its remote location 22 miles (35km) north of Durban. The current total lack of public transport options make getting into town an expensive prospect if you don’t have someone to pick you up.