South Africa's Natural Wonders 6 Standouts To Explore

Expat Living’s LARA SAGE becomes a fauna and flora explorer as she shares some of South Africa’s lesser known natural highlights, from whales breaching along the coastline and penguins ambling through suburbia, to tree canopies alive with birds.

#1 Whales in De Hoop Nature Reserve

Considered the ultimate place in South Africa for land-based whale watching (from July to November) the De Hoop Nature Reserve, with its 51 kilometres of coastline, offers towering white sand dunes, limestone cliffs and turquoise rock pools. You’ll also experience the wonderful coastal fynbos, a distinctive type of vegetation found here.

The reserve offers a wide range of outdoor activities including walks along the deserted coastline or through the fynbos plains, as well as mountain biking and snorkelling in the rockpools. Or just while away your time on the quiet coves and beaches. More than 260 bird species are found here, including a colony of endangered Cape Vultures endemic to the nearby mountains. Hikers and cyclists can experience close-up encounters with Cape mountain zebras, elands, antelopes, baboons and ostriches.

Morukuru Beach Lodge is a boutique style eco-lodge in the 36,000-hectare De Hoop Nature Reserve. Fully off-grid, it offers just four Ocean View Suites and one Honeymoon Suite. Nearby Morokuru Ocean House, meanwhile, is a decadent, fully staffed sole-use villa. Whichever you choose, this is a great destination for couples or small families travelling the so-called “Garden Route” of the Western Cape, or a wonderful add-on to a Cape Town stay. The properties have all you need, from dune boards for sand surfing to water shoes for the coves. It’s a stylish setting for escaping crowds and being pampered in a sustainable way – all in a jaw-dropping natural location.

#2 Seahorses in Knysna Lagoon