Despite the cosmopolitan, almost European feel of places like Cape Town, South Africa is still, indisputably, African. And this means there is wildlife in spades. The attraction of the Kruger’s, 20,000 km² of protected land, is well documented – and the private reserves on the western edge are, in our opinion, the best place in the world to see the Big Five of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino in the wild. Other private and national reserves dot the country, but it is perhaps the unexpected wildlife encounters that are more rewarding: snorkelling with seals, kayaking with penguins, learning about big cat conservation, or trying to spot the soaring Lammergeier Vulture.