Africa Bucket List: Best Things to Do in Southern Africa.

You would encounter innumerable, breathtaking sights and activities if you traveled throughout Africa for the rest of your life. But the majority of us are not fortunate enough to be able to do that. As a result, we have produced two Africa Bucket List posts: one featuring the Top Activities in Southern Africa (this article), and another including the Top Activities in East Africa.

These are a few of the most fascinating and unique destinations and activities in southern Africa.

Top Activities in South Africa
Let’s start with South Africa, which is located on Africa’s southernmost tip. Prepare to discover why it is referred to as “The World in One Country” and grab a pen and paper so you can add more countries to your bucket list of things to see in Africa.

Let Go, Take Off, and Swing!
There are many of chances to jump off objects, swing meters above the ground, or hang off mountains in South Africa.

Garden Route, Bungee off Bloukrans Bridge

On the stunning Garden Route, approximately 40 kilometers east of Plettenberg Bay, you can bungee jump from the Bloukrans Bridge. At 216 meters, it is the highest commercial natural jump in the world.

Swing from KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban Stadium

At the famous Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban, you can actually swing from the rafters—er, arch. After 60 meters of free fall and an acceleration of more than 120 km/h, swing over the football field. Expect a good adrenaline boost because it’s the biggest swing in the world!

Leap from Gauteng’s Soweto Tower

Free-falling activities are available at the Orlando Towers in Soweto. You can rap jump, which is abseiling but forwards, bungee between the towers, free fall into one, or abseil down the side!

You can ride the lift up, hang out on the viewing platform, and then peacefully descend if you don’t want to jump off things and just want to see the views from above.

Abseiling from Cape Town’s Table Mountain

Table Mountain, which overlooks Cape Town, is a popular destination on many people’s bucket lists and provides a wide range of activities for both locals and tourists. For breathtaking views, take the cable car or walk up it.

Abseiling off Table Mountain is a must for thrill-seekers. Nothing brings you closer to nature than dangling from a sheer rock face while the Twelve Apostles, the turquoise Atlantic Ocean, and Cape Town all watch. The experience is expertly supervised by qualified experts like Abseil Africa and is safely tethered. breathtaking vistas and exhilarating adventure.

Investigate the Inner City Hip, hop, and happening in Johannesburg
Johannesburg Inner City was a city that people talked about but never visited for a short time. To put it mildly, it had a reputation as a bad guy. Even now, it’s less of a terrible boy and more of a happening boy.

It’s a lively, bustling, picturesque neighborhood that is rich in history. There is art to be seen, architecture to be admired, incredible people to meet, and incredible tales to hear in this cultural melting pot.

Johannesburg Walking Tours

Guided walking and bus tours of the inner city are offered by Past Experiences. They include a Phuza Pub Crawl, a spicy tour of Fordsburg, and public art excursions. Every taste can find something they like. In any case, it’s a fantastic chance to meet this world-class city and its fascinating residents.

Eat, Drink, and Have Fun in Johannesburg
Within the city Johannesburg is a foodie’s paradise.

With their enticing coffee scent, coffee shops like Father Coffee and Doubleshot Coffee & Tea in Braamfontein offer cozy places to observe the city’s daily activities.

Restaurants range from upscale establishments like Twist at the Mapungubwe Hotel to takeout eateries serving fried chicken and slap chips. Newer establishments like Canteen at Arts on Main coexist with more established ones like The Troyeville Hotel.

There are also plenty of pubs. You can drink vodka at Lenin’s Vodka Bar in Maboneng or hang out with the hipsters at Kitchener’s in Braamfontein. For a food and a drink, visit The Sheds at 1Fox Street. There are food vendors scattered around the Good Luck Bar Shed, which is open Thursday through Sunday, to keep your tummy full.

Surf in J’Bay

The world’s top right-hand surf break and the international JBay Open Surfing Competition are both located in Jeffrey’s Bay. It’s a paradise for surfers and non-surfers alike, with stunning beaches, dolphins swimming in ideal waves, and plenty of sunshine.

There is something for everyone in Jeffrey’s Bay, regardless of your level of surfing experience. Numerous surf schools provide instruction and equipment rentals. You only need yourself and the will to ride the waves that legends like Kelly Slater have already ridden.

Experience Kruger & Beyond on a Big 5 Safari

Many travelers’ top Africa bucket list item is a Big 5 safari. There are a ton of locations in South Africa where you can visit the Big Five animals. You have an abundance of options to see lions, elephants, Cape buffaloes, leopards, and rhinoceroses in South Africa’s smaller parks as well as the internationally recognized Greater Kruger National Park.

Go to sites like Sabi Sands for a more upscale Kruger safari experience. Visit Eastern Cape wildlife areas like Addo Elephant Park if you’re concerned about the possibility of malaria. There, you may be fortunate enough to view “The Big Seven,” which includes the great white shark and southern right whale. To choose which safari is right for you, talk with one of our ABS advisors.

Namibia’s Top Activities
Sunrise in the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei

Don’t believe that deserts are merely a barren, monotonous expanse of sand. As the sun passes across the sky, the sand changes color and transforms, captivating people for ages.

It’s a treat to see the sunrise from the summit of Dune 45. Because of their high iron oxide content, the red dunes undergo color changes as the sun moves across the sky. You will be astounded by the beauty and isolation of Africa when you combine that with the view of the desert from the top of this 85-meter-tall dune.

Sandboarding the Namib’s Dunes

The wind from the frigid Atlantic cools these additional dunes, which are located just outside Swakopmund, Namibia’s “Adventure Capital.” You can either stand (like snowboarding) or lie on a board on your stomach to surf the dunes here. Expect an exhilarating ride as speeds can reach 80 km/h!

Trek the Canyon of the Fish River

After the Grand Canyon, the Fish River Canyon is the second-largest canyon in the world, measuring 160 km in length and more than 25 km in width. A journey through the canyon is essential for a genuine sense of Africa’s isolation as well as an enthralling look at the region’s amazing geology.

It’s a strenuous five- or six-day journey that requires walking for almost eight hours every day, so it’s not for the unfit. Booking is necessary because the path is only available from May to September (the rest of the year is too hot) and only 30 persons can be accommodated at a time.

Dozing in a canyon sculpted over a billion years, beneath the expansive African sky? An unforgettable experience.

Top Activities in Okavango Delta, Mokoros, Botswana

The Okavango Delta’s rivers, which cover an area of more than 15,000 km2, are known for their serene beauty. As you navigate the channels in mokoros, which are ancient wooden canoes driven by poles, time seems to slow down.

This place doesn’t have a loud motorboat engine or a gasoline odor. The air is pure and wet, and the only sounds you can hear are the pole’s soft splashes and the vast assortment of bird calls. See nature up close and personal at its finest as you watch the dragonflies fly from water lily leaf to reed and keep an eye out for grunting hippos.

Magnificent Flamingos at Makgakgadi Pans

This large region is arid and barren for the majority of the year. It is the location of an old lake that dried up and left behind a number of salt pans. One of these, Sowa Pan, transforms into a pink spectacle unlike anything else you’ll ever see after the rainy season.

During the breeding season, thousands of flamingos visit the region. It’s a vibrant natural procession that must be witnessed to be believed.

Spotting Uncommon Animals
Many of Africa’s most beloved animals, including several incredibly rare species, can be found in Botswana. A lot of work is being done to save these species from going extinct, which is a serious danger!

Lions with Black Manes, Kgalakgadi

Known to be larger than its golden-maned family, these majestic animals inhabit the immense Kalahari Desert.

Khama Sanctuary and Rhinos
The predicament of rhinos is widely recognized. The great majority of these animals, which have a primordial appearance, have been wiped out by the human race.

In addition to seeing these amazing black and white animals, visitors may also learn about them and contribute to their longevity at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, which is close to Serowe.

Moremi’s Wild Dogs

The Moremi region is a good place to try to observe these “painted dogs,” as it is estimated that over 30% of the African Wild Dog population resides there.

To guarantee the preservation of this uncommon breed, the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust is working on projects in Moremi.

Top Activities in Zimbabwe
Go to the Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls is a popular destination on many people’s bucket lists in Africa, and for good reason. With a height of over 100 meters and a span of over 1,700 meters, this magnificent waterfall shoots spray into the air that can be seen from about 50 kilometers away. Beyond bungee jumping and white water rafting, Victoria Falls offers a plethora of other experiences that are a must-do on every bucket list.

Taking a Dip at Devil’s Pool

Devil’s Pool is located on the edge of the falls, just a short swim from Livingstone Island, and can be accessed from the Zambian side of the falls. This ultimate infinity pool in the Zambezi River is only open from May to October, when it’s drier.

Taking the Zambezi by river

The newest sport on the scene is river-boarding, but white water rafting has long been practiced on the rapids beneath the falls. Imagine a boogie board, rapids, or an exhilarating activity. That’s Zambezi river-boarding.

Victoria Falls’ moonbows
In the sunlight, the falls’ spray creates stunning rainbows. However, when each month’s full moon, “moonbows” are formed when the moonlight filters through the spray. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Safari of Elephants in Hwange National Park

Hwange, which is well-known for its enormous elephant population, is the next destination on our Africa Bucket List for southern Africa. You will undoubtedly see these gentle giants if you visit this wildlife park. Additionally, the park is home to 400 different species of birds and more than 100 mammals, so make sure to budget a few days for game viewing!

Top Activities in Mozambique: Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

Mozambique is a diver’s dream with more than 2,000 kilometers of glistening Indian Ocean coastline and an abundance of reefs off it. The region has some of the greatest places in the world for deep-sea diving and snorkeling.

You will be rewarded with amazing views of vibrant fish, stunning coral, and, if you’re fortunate, dolphins, turtles, and rays while snorkeling or scuba diving. The magnificent (and unusually spotted) gentle sea giants known as whale sharks can also be found in these waters.

Taste Peri-Peri Sauced Fresh Seafood

If you haven’t tried Mozambican-style prawns, you haven’t lived! peri peri! The seafood, which includes octopus, big prawns, and crayfish, is fresh from the sea and heavily seasoned in a delicious peri-peri sauce. To mop up the sauce, don’t forget to get a Portuguese roll!

Discover the National Park of Gorongosa

The Gorongosa National Park is located in the center of Mozambique. It’s a park with a purpose and a backstory. The civil conflict in Mozambique nearly ruined the park, destroying many of its ecosystems and driving out the majority of its wildlife.

The park, which is regarded as one of the most environmentally varied in the world, was taken over by American philanthropist Greg Carr in 2004 after he and the government reached an agreement. The animals are coming back and being reintroduced with his assistance. Conservation and the significance of involving the local community are heavily emphasized.

This region is incredibly stunning and deserves a place on the bucket list.

Zambia’s Top Activities
View the Ceremony of Kuomboka

Drums echo across Lealui every April before the heavy rains saturate the plains. The time has come for the Litunga, or Lozi monarch, to relocate from the palace on the Barotse Floodplain to the higher-lying palace at Limulunga.

A barge carrying the King’s black-and-white elephant facsimile and his wife’s cow egret was used to transport the royal family along the vast Zambezi River. A variety of other boats, all accompanied by singing and drumming, follow them. It was an amazing ceremony to watch.

Observe the Migration of Bats

Another yearly event at Kasanka National Park will wow you. Eight million bats congregate there in November and December to eat the fruits that grow there. They all flutter out into the skies in search of food around nightfall, just in time to watch with a sundowner. During the day, they roost in the trees.

Do I need to add that eight million bats are flapping into the sunset sky? (Read more about Africa’s Largest Animal Migrations.)

South Luangwa National Park’s Walking Safari

A walking safari is the closest you can get to nature. These are things that South Luangwa National Park takes great pride in. This is the way to experience Africa in all its beauty and purity, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide whose tracking abilities will amaze you. Learn more about Zambian walking safaris.

Malawi’s Top Activities
Visiting Different Islands in Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi is last on our bucket list for Southern Africa, but it’s by no means the least. You will not want to leave its white sand beaches and warm azure waters, so plan to remain for at least a few days, if not weeks.

Admire the variety of the vividly colored fish in this freshwater lake while lounging in a hammock on the shore, eating fresh fish from the lake, or snorkeling and scuba diving.

The lake contains many islands, some of which are inhabited and others of which have upscale lodges. The stunning Fish Eagle’s cries accompany each of these stunning locations, which offer isolated beaches, excellent swimming areas, and amazing exploration opportunities.