Top 10 Least Popular Places in South Africa That You Don't Want to Visit

Top 10 Least Popular Places in South Africa That You Don't Want to Visit

South Africa has plenty of well-known draw cards – the Kruger Park, Cape Town, and the Garden Route are popular sites that spring to mind – but its wealth of lesser-known natural wonders, quaint towns and beautiful beach destinations can make a huge difference to your holiday, especially if you are seeking something a little different and far from the milling crowds. Diversity is a word often associated with South Africa, but you only get to see a fraction of it if you stick to the well-tread areas that take top spots in guidebooks and travel sites.

Is South Africa Dangerous for tourists?

South Africa’s crime rates can scare tourists off. In 2018, more than 30 murders were committed per 100,000 people, with Cape Town being the country’s most dangerous city. However, statistics have shown a steady crime decline since the ‘90s. It is also interesting to notice that the overall murder number is higher in places like New Orleans (41 murders per 100,000 inhabitants) and Baltimore (54).

South African safety in numbers

As it often happens, crime is concentrated in pockets of poverty and unemployment. The top 30 police stations for crime collectively make up more than 20% of the national murder rate. The record for the highest number of murders in South Africa is currently held by Nyonga, a township in Cape Town. With more than 300 murders per year and unemployment at a staggering 56%, Nyonga is considered the most dangerous place in South Africa.

Are Tourists Affected by South African Crime?

Every year, more than 15 million tourists visit the country. Should they worry?

If you are concerned by the murder rate, don’t be. In the past 10 years, only 2 foreign tourists were murdered in South Africa — one of them by a fellow tourist from Guatemala. This means that the number of tourists killed in South Africa is close to 0 per year.

Robberies, pickpockets and muggings are also crimes that tourists worry about when going abroad. This is because foreign visitors often carry travel documents and valuables with them while sightseeing, making themselves easy and attractive targets. The bad news is, different types of robberies are a relatively common occurrence in most large cities, including European centers such as London, Paris, and Barcelona. The good news is, there are ways in which you can protect yourself and keep the risk to a minimum.

How to Stay Safe As a Tourist in South Africa

There are simple steps that you can take to ensure your safety as you travel around South Africa. Most of these spark from simple common sense and by following them, you will ensure that tourism in South Africa and safety go hand in hand during your trip.

As a tourist, you should be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times, and avoid being naive — leaving bags unattended in public or in your car is a big no-no, as it is walking alone at night.

Keep in mind the following as you visit South Africa:

• Don’t show that you have valuables on you. Keep your purse and money out of sight, and always close to you.
• If possible, try to move in groups, especially at night. You should avoid hiking alone at all costs. If you are alone after dark, consider using a taxi or Uber — which is very cheap in South African cities — instead of walking.
• Always lock your car and close the windows (yes, that includes while you are driving) and ignore people approaching your car at red lights, stop signs and on the motorway.
• Ask locals or information centers for advice, and read up about the places you plan to visit. Crime is localized and easy to avoid by not entering problematic areas such as townships.

With these simple precautions, you will quickly realize that South Africa is a safe destination for tourists, and will feel secure and comfortable as you explore it. Check out the South African visa requirements to visit this extraordinary country and enjoy every moment of your trip. Remember to apply for the South African visa at least a few days before your trip.

Top 10 Least Popular Places in South Africa That You Don't Want to Visit

1. Tswalu

2. Thirst Land

3. Phinda Reserve

4. Valley of Desolation & Giant Flag Project, Graaff Reinet

5. The Timbavati

6. Nqutu

7. Augrabies Falls National Park, Northern Cape

8. Baberton's Makhonjwa Mountains

9. The Gamkaskloof

10. Mount Ayliff

******

1. Tswalu

Photo; andbeyond

You know you’re heading to the middle of nowhere when the only feasible way to get to a reserve is by private plane arranged by the reserve itself. While South Africa is one of the more developed safari countries in Africa, there are still huge tracts of land with very few people, and Tswalu is one of the biggest.

The current guardians of Tswalu are the Oppenheimer family who took responsibility for restoring this part of the Kalahari to its natural state in 1998. Since then, remnants of its history as a farmed area and non-native species have been removed, and indigenous species and natural processes restored.

This model of conservation is supported by ecotourism with just two lodges, Tswalu Tarkuni and Tswalu The Motse, on the 1,200 square kilometre reserve. Guests come here for walks, rides or drives across the silent red dunes, together with bird-watching, star-gazing, rhino tracking and visits to the habituated meerkat dens.

2. Thirst Land

Photo: flickr

In the nether northerly reaches of the Upper Karoo lie a series of dry salt pans with Brandvlei their fulcrum. Uncannily, and for good reason, these unknown places to visit in South Africa are also known as the Thirst Land (Dorsland). It refers to how rains fall on this flat, dry land. Instead of running off, as it does in other parts of the country, it evaporates, leaving behind salt and other minerals, pans of huge nothingness, where you can drive for 200km without passing a human being or a home.

During the season birds flock to these pans. When they’re dry then those,like Verneukpan, double as a venue for speed racing. There’s a beauty here like nowhere else. Particularly during winter and autumn.

3. Phinda Reserve

Photo: andbeyond

Seven distinct habitats make Phinda one of South Africa’s most rewarding wildlife reserves, and something of a conservation success story. Set on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, the protected area contains woodland, grassland, mountain ranges, river courses, wetlands and – most unusually – sand forest.

Twenty years ago, when Aardvark Safaris started, Phinda’s wildlife was still somewhat depleted, but thanks to a pioneering programme of large mammal relocation it has become one of Africa’s greatest biodiversity hotspots. Wildlife drives and walks introduce the region’s wildlife at your own pace: there are 415 bird species to spot, though you’re likely to break off to pay attention instead to herds of elephant as they meander past.

Visitor numbers in the reserve are strictly limited, with just a handful of lodges offering accommodation of the highest standard. Choose Phinda Homestead if you’re looking for a luxurious, sole-use villa, or Phinda Mountain for views of the Ubombo mountain range and the surrounding Zululand bush.

4. Valley of Desolation & Giant Flag Project, Graaff Reinet

Photo: wikimedia

The Valley of Desolation is filled with vertical cliffs and dolerite columns towering 120m into the air – the result of 100 million years of volcanic forces. Nearby, the Giant Flag Project is a South African flag currently being created completely out of plants that will be so large, it will be visible from space!

Few countries can get close to the diversity of the landscape in South Africa, particularly its jaw-dropping rock formations. The Camdeboo National Park in the center of the country is home to something just as iconic as Table Mountain. The huge columns of rock look like they can tumble down anytime. Yet, these 120-meter-tall dolerite rocks formed throughout centuries of erosion, strong winds, and heat, continue to stand strong and intact. During your visit to Camdeboo, you can either admire this natural wonder from various lookout points or join adventurous activities like paragliding or skydiving.

5. The Timbavati

Photo: discoverafrica

Spreading luxuriantly over much of northeastern South Africa, the Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s finest wildlife reserves, a treasure trove of wildlife in a region of exceptional natural beauty and an essential part of any South African safari.

The Kruger stretches for over two hundred miles from south to north, getting ever quieter and more remote until it reaches the little-visited tracts of Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou and Mozambique’s Limpopo national parks to combine into the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Peace Park.

The best sightings are probably around the Sabi Sands area as this is where most of the rhino live, but there is, if anything, more wildlife further north in Timbavati: these are also the two regions where you’ll find the best lodges and camps such as Tanda Tula and Ngala Tented Camp.

These lodges have perfected a varied safari experience. Daily wildlife drives, walking trails, night drives with spotlights and birdwatching sessions are backed by hospitality of the highest standard. Cuisine is superb, and the lodges elegantly rustic with guest rooms combining the ultimate in luxury with picture-windows overlooking untrammelled bush.

6. Nqutu

Photo: superstock

Nqutu is a small, rural village in South Africa where kids start their day at 4 am in the morning. After fetching water, letting the family’s cows out to graze, and helping feed and cloth their younger siblings, they start preparing for the trek to school. And it really is a trek. 10 miles there, 10 miles back, and with the constant threat of robberies, rape, animal attacks, and hazardous river crossings on both sides. As Harvard Law Today writes, because of the many hours lost traveling to and from school, the children have to fit a full 24 hour day into something much less. As a result, many have to sacrifice school work, sleep, and health, with long-term consequences on their ability to reach their full potential. Despite various initiatives that have attempted to ease the problem, it’s still a grim situation and an even grimmer place to live.

7. Augrabies Falls National Park, Northern Cape

Photo: twitter

One of the Northern Cape’s most impressive and beautiful natural areas, Augrabies gets far less attention than it deserves. When the Orange River is in full flood, Augrabies’ deafening falls are at their most impressive. Not for nothing is Augrabies named for a Khoi word meaning great noise. The strong waters tumble down starkly eroded granite formations, and you can walk along various trails to the beautifully named scenic spots, including Moon Rock and Echo Corner.

Keep an eye out for rock hyrax (dassie), klipspringer buck, mountain zebra and black eagles.

8. Baberton's Makhonjwa Mountains

Photo: satourismonline

Not only do they sound otherworldly, but the Makhonjwa Mountains – just outside the little historical town of Barberton – contain one of the oldest geological structures in the world. Yet it remains one of the unknown places to visit in South Africa. It’s known as the Greenstone Belt – the best-preserved volcanic and sedimentary rock the world has found up to now.

And it dates back 3.6 to 3.25 billion years (to put that in perspective, that’s back when continents were only just starting to form). There’s a route you can drive, or you can take arranged tours. Just contact tourism in Barberton – they’re pretty jacked.

9. The Gamkaskloof

Photo: roxannereid

This hidden kloof has a story attached to it. The unknown places to visit in South Africa contains a narrow valley 20 miles long and roughly 600 feet wide, cut off from the rest of the world for years, and known as Die Hel (the hell) for reasons that might describe the hell of a journey in or out (it drops almost 579 meters very quickly) that those who lived here had to make to reach civilization.

Today it’s a difficult drive, but at least there’s a road. Best done on a road bike or 4×4 vehicle with a driver who knows what he’s doing. You’ll find it in the Swartberg Mountains. It’s signposted.

10. Mount Ayliff

Photo: algoafm

If basic comforts like a flush toilet, running water, and electricity float your boat, do yourself a favor and avoid Mount Ayliff. As one of the poorest villages in the poorest regions of South Africa, Mount Ayliff is a grim, depressing place that seems to be going nowhere fast. Only 16 percent of people have piped water inside their yard or dwelling, the unemployment rate is over 50 percent, and 90.2 percent of people are struggling to get by on less than R1600 per month. It might not have the crime and the corruption of some of South Africa’s bigger cities, but that’s scant cancellation to the residents struggling to get through the day.

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