Birding in South Africa is most spectacular at Nylsvley Nature Reserve, which protects a significant portion of the country’s largest inland floodplain – totalling 16 000 hectares when water levels are highest during summer. Up to 80 000 birds can be found at Nylsvley at the same time. more

The De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary near Pretoria, started in 1971 on her parent's chicken farm by Ann van Dyk, has assumed a crucial role in cheetah rehabilitation and breeding. Now called the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, the sanctuary also contributes to the conservation of African wild dogs and Cape vultures. more

Great white shark breaching happens almost exclusively around Seal Island in False Bay, south-east of Cape Town, where you can witness this spectacular hunting behaviour. The best time to see this jaw-dropping natural phenomenon is from mid-April to mid-September, when baby Cape fur seals are abundant. more

Go to the Agulhas National Park and you can instantly accomplish a whole lot of must-dos. See the southernmost lighthouse in Africa. Explore the true wonder of fynbos in spring. Hear about strange shipwrecks. Watch whales slap their tails as you explore a talcum-white beach. more

Cheetahs are the fastest mammals on Earth. Their explosive speeds as they hunt in the open grasslands would leave the fastest human sprinters gasping in their dust. But cheetahs are vulnerable to extinction, occurring in fairly low numbers in most countries and reserves, except for a few notable exceptions. more

Tee off in the African wilds when you head out on the Limpopo Golf & Safari Route. This is where you get to play golf in the heart of the African bush while staying at exclusive game lodges and enjoying close encounters with the Big 5 and other wildlife. more

Birding in Madikwe Game Reserve gives you hours of rewarding sightings, from raptors and terrestrial birds to bush and water birds. Situated in the North West Province, next to the Botswana border, Madikwe is one of the few game reserves worldwide proclaimed specifically for sustainable land use as a game reserve. more

Birding in Rustenburg will fill any birder – from beginner to expert twitcher – with delight. Tick off hundreds of birds including raptors, waterbirds, bushveld birds and LBJs (little brown jobs) in a superb variety of habitats ranging from mountains, bushveld and grasslands to huge dams. more

The flamingos of Kimberley's Kamfers Dam offer a rare and lovely sight – thousands upon thousands of these pink birds stretching for as far as the eye can see. This area is 1 of only 4 breeding sites in Africa for lesser flamingos and is a must-see for any birder. more

Sefapane Lodge is a game lodge on the doorstep of the Kruger National Park, offering guided game drives, wonderful food and the chance to take a never-to-be-forgotten evening safari into South Africa's most famous wilderness area. more

Glen Afric – about 40 minutes from Johannesburg and 20 minutes from Pretoria – offers unusual wildlife encounters. You can go on game drives, guided walks and horse rides, or go walking with elephants. And the animals you meet are mostly famous – many have appeared in adverts, movies and TV series. more

Skim the treetops and fly where eagles dare to get a bird's-eye-view of Africa's animal kingdom when you go game-viewing from a hot air balloon. Up at dawn, then up, up and away on an aerial safari to search for the Big 5 from the sky. more

Some of the more popular birds found along the Southern KwaZulu-Natal Birding Route include the blue swallow, Drakensberg rock jumper, crowned eagle, bearded vulture, mangrove kingfisher and an eclectic variety of cranes. Add some spectacular scenery and you have a birding route to please both the twitcher and casual birder. more

Zululand, in the KwaZulu-Natal province, is the most diverse birding region in southern Africa. Here you will find an incredible array of more than 600 recorded species that inhabit coastal, riverine, grassland, wetland, forest, woodland, cliff, gorge and valley habitats. more