South Africa is known as "a world in one country" and for good reason. Situated at the southern edge of the African continent, this country is bounded by oceans on three sides, with an interior that has a wonderful assortment of habitats, from lush tropical forests to arid deserts, from mountains to the open savannah of the bushveld.

Historically, South Africa was the pariah of the world under its infamous apartheid regime, but caught the imagination of all with Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1991, followed by the peaceful, first democratic elections in 1994. Since then, it has become one of the top travel destinations in the world, blending elements of both "Africa of old" with modernity. On one hand, one can escape to wild, remote areas and experience exceptional game viewing and true wilderness. Then, just an hour's flight away, there are modern cities and hotels that compete with the best in the world. With 11 official languages and a diverse range of cultures and ways of life, it is no wonder that Mandela has named South Africans "the rainbow nation".

When it comes to wildlife and scenery, South Africa has a plethora of places to see, including a number of World Heritage Sites and incredible game reserves. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is built in a unique Cape Floral Kingdom, one of only six Plant Kingdoms that cover the Earth. There are more naturally occurring, different species of flowers just around Cape Town than there are in the whole of North America or the whole of Europe! In the Eastern Cape lies Mkambati, a small area of 3 000 hectares (6 000 acres) that contains more plants than Great Britain. On the other side of the spectrum are the deserts and arid areas, including the world's first National Park that traverses the borders of two countries, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

The coastline of South Africa is enormous, offering superb scenery, such as sandy beaches and sheer, fynbos-covered cliffs of the Garden Route, as well as amazing wildlife opportunities from southern right whales breaching off Cape Town to coral reefs on the KwaZulu-Natal Coast.

The pride of South Africa's natural heritage is the Kruger National Park. At 2 million hectares and over 300 km long, this enormous area encompasses a savannah landscape with 147 mammal species, over 400 bird species and numerous reptiles, amphibians and insects.