Our rates are inclusive of Dinner, Bed and Breakfast.

Unique SA Holiday Destinations for a Memorable Experience

South Africa offers countless magical travel destinations, particularly if you want to avoid tourist traps and experience something a bit more unique. If you only visit the popular SA holiday destinations listed in travel guides and websites, you’ll only see a small portion of South Africa’s true diversity.

We’ve chosen several places with unmatched beauty and unique experiences. This list includes gorgeous natural landscapes, quirky historical sites, as well as locations with significant archaeological value.

Unique SA Holiday Destinations

The Kruger National Park, Limpopo and Mpumalanga

One of the top SA holiday destinations is the Kruger National Park, which offers an unmatched  Kruger Big 5 Safari Experience. Not only is it the most famous national park in South Africa, but it also boasts the greatest variety of species. It is among the oldest conservation sites in Africa, with thriving animal populations and highly sought-after wild dog and cheetah sightings.

Nights can be spent in a lavish bungalow or by a roaring campfire as you listen to the sounds of nature. Wake up to a champagne breakfast as an elephant strolls by and lions roar in the distance. Then, embark on a self-drive or guided safari to explore one of Africa’s largest game reserves in search of majestic animals like lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, and wild cats. The Big 5 of Africa are the continent’s most famous animals, and seeing them in the Kruger National Park is an experience you are likely to treasure for a lifetime. All year long, close encounters with elephants, buffalo, rhinos, lions, and leopards are common.

The Owl House, Eastern Cape

The Owl House, in Nieu-Bethesda in the Eastern Cape, was home to the well-known South African artist, Helen Martin. The home is the result of her wish to bring colour and brightness into her dark and lonely environment. It has an incredible variety of sculptures, interiors made of colourful glass, and vivid paintings.

Martin, who was divorced in the 1940s and had no living relatives due to the passing of her parents, moved back to her birthplace to work on a project that she grew fixated on. With the help of a worker named Koos Malgas, she started making sculptures of owls, mythological creatures, and sun faces. Over the course of 12 years, she converted her house into a wonderland filled with hundreds of sculptures, shattered glass walls, and colourful windows. The Owl House, with its quirky sculptures and intriguing history, has a magical air to it. Iit is a really unique location that is not quickly forgotten.

The Drakensberg, KwaZulu Natal

One of South Africa’s most breathtaking locations is the Drakensberg. A haven for nature enthusiasts, it is renowned for its hiking paths that wind around picturesque mountain gorges, across serene grasslands, and into magnificent river valleys. But if there’s one unique destination within Drakensberg that you simply cannot miss, it’s the Amphitheatre. The Drakensberg Amphitheatre in the Drakensberg Mountains is a spectacular cliff face spanning 5 km. Surprisingly, the towering natural phenomenon attracts very few visitors. What makes this destination even more magical is the magnificent Tugela Falls, found at the cliff’s peak.

Sterkfontein Caves, Gauteng

A World Heritage Site, the Sterkfontein Caves are the ideal location for aspiring archaeologists or enthusiastic explorers. The caves are a wonderful destination to visit and one of the most significant fossil sites in the world. In the region referred to as the Cradle of Humanity, fossilised hominid and animal remains as ancient as 4 million years have been found. These findings provide important insights into the origins and evolution of humans.Any traveller to South Africa will find this visitor centre to be of the highest calibre, with first-rate displays, knowledgeable guides, a restaurant, and breathtaking vistas. The caverns are well located for seeing one of the most well-known archaeological sites in the world since Johannesburg is just 40 minutes away. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes that you can walk in inside the caves.

Book SA Holiday Destinations: Kruger Big 5 Safari Experience

You can book an unforgettable Kruger Big 5 Safari Experience on the Kruger Gate Hotel website, one of the most unique SA holiday destinations in the country. Or Contact Us to plan and book the ultimate Kruger National Park getaway.

Guest Reviews

Our stay at kruger was nothing less than extraordinary, the resort is located at a prime location making the kruger national park quite accessible, thanks to our safari guide Mr Happy we were able to see the entirety of the big 5 animals. However the most impressive thing was their hospitality, the staff were considerate and polite . The spread offered by the hotel is out of the world and despite being a vegetarian I was able to find multiple options
Lastly I would like to specially thank Head chef Leo, as on our demand , within a span of 10 mins chef leo served us a delicious spread of indian dishes , and although we were not able to finish it , it was genuinely quite tasty . Leo is a gem of person and one of the nicest people i have ever met. It was a delight to stay here and I do hope to visit the place soon

Posted on 03/06/2026 by Google

What a luxurious and beautiful place!
The food buffet had some very tasty options.
Personell was very friendly and helpfull.
We booked a couples massage and boy, how good that felt!
Also did a full game drive in Kruger, well organized.
If we ever come back to South Africa, we are definitely staying in this place again

Posted on 02/06/2026 by Google

These photos our butler was amazing

Posted on 31/05/2026 by Google

The atmosphere is relaxed and beautiful as you are in the park. Service is great. Every staff you encounter says hello and asks how you are doing, as well if you are enjoying yourself.The rooms are very large with lots of storage, seating area inside as well as outside. Bed is very
Comfortable. Would definitely recommend and come again

Posted on 28/05/2026 by Google

Excellent hotel - wonderful place to stay

Posted on 04/06/2026 by Hotels.com

no local localização na equipe excelente um lugar maravilhoso e memorável para ficar

Posted on 02/06/2026 by Hotels.com

Tudo incrível!!! Atendimento, refeição, camas maravilhosas.

Posted on 28/05/2026 by Hotels.com

And the stay was a lot of fun, and the hotel has an unbelievably good location! Right at the gate of Kruger National Park! The food and especially the service are perfect. Our server Tshepo was especially nice - very kind and a gifted singer!

Posted on 29/05/2026 by TripAdvisor

Our stay was absolutely fantastic. We spent four nights at the hotel and enjoyed every single moment. The rooms were spacious, beautifully designed, and very comfortable. In general, the entire hotel complex impressed us with its tasteful architecture and the way it blends perfectly into the surrounding nature. Perhaps that is also why you can often spot harmless animals wandering around the property, which added to the unique atmosphere.

The food was excellent, with a wide variety of options to suit every taste. There was always something for everyone, and the entertainment offerings created a wonderful overall ambiance. What truly stood out was the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff throughout the entire resort — everyone made us feel genuinely welcome.

A special highlight was the pool deck overlooking the river, where animals could occasionally be seen nearby, making the experience even more memorable.

We also booked two full-day safaris directly through the hotel with the guides Culture and Chris. Both guides made the game drives incredibly entertaining and shared fascinating insights about the wildlife and the surrounding area. They always did their best to position us in the best spots for animal sightings, which made the game drives truly unforgettable. We never wanted the day to end.

Overall, we would book this hotel again without hesitation. We are certain this will not be our last visit.

Posted on 28/05/2026 by TripAdvisor

Kruger Gate Hotel continues to offer the very best experience for those venturing into Kruger National Park - accommodation, facilities & service and especially the staff make this at top of the list. We atill meet the resident bushbuck and warthog, as well as ververt monkeys and baboons, wandering the grounds but this is part of the pleasure.

Posted on 30/05/2026 by TripAdvisor

Fantastyczna obsługa

Posted on 02/06/2026 by Booking.com

Excellent location right next to Kruger National Park. The breakfast and dinner buffets were outstanding, with plenty of choice and great quality. We especially appreciated the breakfast packs prepared for our early morning safaris. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, and the safari experiences were fantastic.

Posted on 02/06/2026 by Booking.com

Everything

Posted on 01/06/2026 by Booking.com

Amazing location, beautiful setting, friendly and helpful staff, excellent breakfast.

Posted on 29/05/2026 by Booking.com

Einzigartig die Lage, Komfort und luxuriöse Gestaltung der ganzen Anlage mit Infinity Pool und Blick über den Fluss zum Krüger Park. Besonders erwähnenswert ist das herausragende Dinner in der Arena am Abend mit Feuerstelle , welches wir in dieser Vielfalt und Qualität noch nicht erlebt haben. Hygiene 1a, Dessert und Salate in klimatisiertem Bereich. Freitags zusätzlich BBQ. Das einzige Hotel, in dem wir Wiederholungsgäste sind.

Posted on 03/06/2026 by Booking.com

We booked a 3 night stay in their newly renovated luxury room and it was nothing short of fantastic. Its spacious, bright and clean. The property itself is beautiful, looks like a massive treehouse. Its also big and there are lots of areas to explore. Everything is neatly kept and clean. There is a little shop that is open into the evening incase you want snacks and drinks. It also has safari essentials like maps, info guides and binoculars. Breakfast and dinners were absolutely amazing. Its a nightly rotating menu with lots of classic South African foods. Everything from springbok, kudu, crocodile, pap and wors, bobotie, malva pudding. We opted for shuttle pick up and drop offs from the airport which was super easy. We also booked a guided safari one day, and rented a car for a self drive safari the following day. Being able to book both directly from the hotel was very very convenient. Would absolutely recommend this place to anyone and cant wait to visit again.

Posted on 28/05/2026 by Booking.com

Perfektes Hotel am Kruger Gate. Die ganze Anlage war für uns ein Traum mit super schönen Blick von der Terrasse auf den Sabie River (mit Hippos). Hotel nicht ganz billig, aber günstiger als die mega teueren Lodges im Park. Preis war inkl. HP. Abendessen (Buffet) war hervorragend. Mit das beste was wir hatten. Auch das Frühstück war super. Draussen sitzen direkt am Busch. Zimmer modern eingerichtet (nicht unbedingt afrikanisch). Haben hier uns mal 2 Tage gegönnt und würden nächstesmal garantiert länger bleiben - Daumen hoch!! ;)

Posted on 30/05/2026 by Booking.com

Quarto espaçoso, cama e travesseiros excelentes

Posted on 03/06/2026 by Booking.com

Posizione ottima attaccato al Kruger Gate. Posto bellissimo, personale gentile e disponibile. Safari organizzato dall\' hotel bello! Cena e colazione a buffet.

Posted on 31/05/2026 by Booking.com