See South Africa on These 2 Superb Road Trips

South Africa is home to some stunningly diverse landscapes, languages, and cultures. This makes it the ideal destination for your first (or next) road trip. The country’s sprawling territory will invite you to discover amazing tropical beaches, extraordinary mountain ranges and a plethora of interesting creatures. The country is vast, making it ideal for a road trip. However, with size comes the inevitable compromise of where to start and how much to see. Below are two of the best road adventures South Africa has to offer. Both will leave you with a taste for exploring more of this colourful country.

Durban to Clarens

Start your adventure in the bustling urban city of Durban; home to a number of vibrant cafes and bars that will keep you entertained before you begin. When you’re ready to start, take the N3 up through the Midlands (they’re slightly different to the UK version) to the spectacular MidmarDam and Howick Falls. The latter is a stunning backdrop for a spot of food to replenish yourself before moving on. Prepare yourself for a step back in history as nearby Howick is the site where Mandela was captured by police in 1962 after a year on the run. To commemorate this tragic day, an exhibition is located nearby in honour of Mandela’s struggle.

From here the Midlands Meander gets into full swing with cafes, shops and microbreweries lining the road. Nottingham Road Brewing Company is one such watering hole that offers a selection of unique beers for visitors to sample. It will be hard work restraining yourself from the required minimum to drive! After this, the 3000m high peaks of the Drakensberg mountain range come into full view offering jaw-dropping vistas. Continue to the Free State and you will be on the way to the delightful destination of Clarens where you will find cosy restaurants and lively events in the public square.

Johannesburg to Pilanesberg

Johannesburg is the kind of bustling urban sprawl that one can expect from a vibrant fast-growing country. Despite this fact it is surprising just how quickly you can leave this all behind and find yourself immersed in nature and ancient culture. For example, the Sterkfontein Caves are nearby and contain findings of some of the oldest human skeletons in the world. The Wonder Cave is South Africa's third largest and well worth a look. To add historical context to these fascinating sites the Maropeng museum offers an interactive experience for visitors eager to learn more.

When you’ve had enough of the sprawling caves rev up the engine to seek out the Big Five. This journey will take you through the phenomenal forest-covered mountains of Magaliesberg. If you’re looking to get out of the car seat, then a heart-racing zip wire course is available through the treetops. After this, briefly join the N4 highway before taking the R565 towards the Pilanesberg National Park, in the words of your Sat Nav, “you have reached your final destination”. And what a destination this is. The 550-sq-km park is a safe haven for hippos, rhinos, elephants and much more. From the safety of your car, you will get unprecedented views of some of the world’s most majestic animals.

Drive with Peace of Mind: Car Hire Excess Insurance

These car journeys are just two of countless motor adventures to be had in South Africa. Whilst you’re there enjoying the sites give yourself peace of mind with car hire excess insurance. This will let you concentrate on the beauty knowing that the detail is sorted.  

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Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you're looking for the best car hire excess insurance Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.