South Africa is a destination that stays with you long after you leave. Over the past few years, we’ve traveled through this remarkable country twice, spending a total of around five weeks on the road. During that time, we didn’t just fall in love with its landscapes and diversity, we became deeply fascinated by its complexity.

Because South Africa is so much more than just safaris and the Big Five. It’s a country of contrasts, where breathtaking nature and rich culture go hand in hand with a complex history and significant inequalities between rich and poor. That’s exactly what makes traveling here so interesting and at times, also challenging.

After our trips, we kept getting the same questions. How safe is South Africa really? Is it expensive to travel there? And how do you even plan a road trip like this? Because while it might not seem like it at first, South Africa is surprisingly affordable. You can easily enjoy a generous lunch with a good bottle of wine for €10–€15 per person, and a three-course dinner for around €30–€40.

At the same time, we understand the doubts many people have. Safety often plays a major role in deciding whether or not to visit South Africa, and that’s a shame, because it truly is one of the most beautiful and diverse destinations we know.

That’s why we decided to write this series. In these articles, we’ll guide you step by step through everything you need to know about traveling in South Africa. We’ll cover how the country is structured geographically, which routes and travel styles you can choose from, share our personal experiences, and highlight the most important do’s and don’ts we learned along the way.

So you can hit the road well-prepared, and hopefully become just as enthusiastic about South Africa as we are.