How about a trip to South Africa Central Highlands
A Brief Summary
Essentially incorporating Free State, North West and the eastern reaches of the Northern Cape, this is a large region situated on an elevated plateau in the heart of the Rainbow nation. The Northern Cape is huge… and empty! At least of people. Some wildlife does exist here, but they can be tricky to spot given the vastness of the size and the dryness of the edges of the Kalahari Desert. One Notable feature of this landscape is the worlds largest hand-dug hole at the world-renowned diamond mines of Kimberley… while very, very impressive, it is a long way to see a whopping big hole in the ground. Free State is very reminiscent of the US Midwest, with it’s rolling hills and gently flowing fields of agricultural produce. The largest city here is Bloemfontein, a clean and relatively compact city of museums and access to nature reserves.
North West however, is very different and the main reason tourists visit this area in their droves. It is the home of Sun City, an aptly named, very sunny city in the middle of nowhere where gambling, golf and theme and water parks take over. Sound familiar? Well, it’s nickname is the Vegas of South Africa and it’s very easy to see why. While not on the same scale as the US version, it is an impressive sight and probably considerably better for families with children! This is a really mixed bag of an area and one you’re more likely to visit for a long weekend or few days while on a longer tour of this astonishing country, but one you should take the time to incorporate!
Location
About the Weather
In the heart of South Africa, this elevated region has a climate with hot, very sunny summers and warm, although not at night, very sunny and very dry winters. Rain from May to Sep is unusual, falling on 2-3 days a month, with skies almost always clear. Summers, from Oct to Apr are hot, averaging over 26°c most days, often well above 30°c, with infrequent heavy, thundery showers, but still abundant sunshine, with 9-11 hours of sunshine a day. Nights in summer drop to 13-16°c, while winters can see temperatures at night drop well below 0°c
Travel by Air (from UK)
Direct Flight
No Direct Flight
Ultra Long Haul
15 hours
(Avg from UK)
Travel by Air (from UK)
will take approx...
Ultra Long Haul
Weather Summary
Average Rainfall
(per month)
60mm
Average Sunlight
(per day)
10 (hrs)
Average High Temperature
30.1°C
Average Low
13.8°C
Cost of living
Alcohol
Crime
LGBTQ+
Visas
So does that sound good? If so, it’s time to get booking and get out there!
Trippee is proud to partner with some of the best names in the travel industry, and we only work with accredited and licensed companies so you can always feel safe trusting a link from us.