The Satyagraha House was built in 1907 and was where Mahatma Gandhi lived in Johannesburg with architect Hermann Kallenbach for a short time during his 21-year stay in South Africa. Guests can overnight in the guesthouse and arrange a yoga or meditation session in the beautiful garden. more

Where hardened prisoners used to sit and make shoes, there is now a fashion school. Where once convicts had to take their meals in a courtyard, there is now a good restaurant. Project Gateway of Pietermaritzburg has turned city’s Old Prison into a cutting-edge venue for community benefit. more

Hondeklip ('Dog Stone') Bay in the Northern Cape has had many incarnations, from being a humble trading store to a copper port, a crayfishing centre to a diamond diving hub. Today it’s happy to host long-distance tourists who love far-flung adventures and a plate of seafood on a distant beach. more

A team of international experts has been studying ancient evidence left behind at the Pinnacle Point Caves in Mossel Bay and has, so far, come up with vital clues about fish-eating, tool-making Middle Stone Age humankind – and the future effects of global warming. more

The West Coast Fossil Park near Langebaan north of Cape Town has one of the world’s richest concentration of fossils dating back to the early Pliocene era 5 million years ago. Once sabre-toothed cats roamed this land, along with short-necked giraffes, four-tusked elephants and strange, three-toed horses. more

One day he would steal a man’s horse, on another he would give money to a hard-pressed widow – or join in a posse in search of himself. That was Scotty Smith, a Kalahari crook with a great sense of humour and a love for the high road. more

From fancy governors to dandy explorers, from hard-pressed shipwreck survivors to hard-bitten timber barons, from whalers to captains of industry, and from famous artists to world-class polo players, the jet-set elite of South Africa and beyond, Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route has welcomed them all. more

The mostly misty Port Nolloth lies near the southern Richtersveld region, at the top end of Namaqualand, in South Africa's far north-western corner. For more than 150 years it has been an occasionally rowdy seaport catering to copper miners, seafarers, diamond divers, fishermen and, these days, overland travellers with a sense of adventure. more

The Rand Club, in the heart of Johannesburg’s downtown business area, was born in 1887 just after gold was discovered on the reef. The brainchild of the legendary British empire builder Cecil John Rhodes, it’s still there today, changed in some ways, but still an illustrious Johannesburg constant. more

Interested in vehicles that move, shake, rattle and roll? Then visit the James Hall Museum of Transport in the south of Johannesburg. Check out the oldest car on display, early motorcycles, a penny-farthing, steam trains, electric cars, ox-wagons, a travelling library, a fire engine and much more. more

Favoured by old-time adventurers, explorers, modern-day Robinson Crusoes, backpackers and even a wandering hippo, Port St Johns is one of the top destinations along the Eastern Cape Wild Coast. In terms of interaction with the local community, Port St Johns stands out as one of the friendliest places in South Africa. more

When next you’re driving between the two major South African centres of Cape Town and Johannesburg, visit the historic halfway point: Colesberg. Its many attractions, which include a farm stay, a walking tour of the town and mountain bike trails, will keep the family entertained for at least a day or two. more

False Bay has an intriguing history of naval battles, pirate visits and the establishment of scenic little seaports all along its shores. It is also one of the most beautiful bays in the world, and seems to cater for everyone’s holiday needs, offering adventure, leisure, bright lights and great food. more

The gurgle of a Karoo water furrow in action is an unmistakeable sound that will immediately remind you of hot summer days and lounging on the wide porch with a lunch of lamb, cheese of origin and olives – and perhaps a glass of chilled white wine to top it all. more