SOUTH AFRICA
November: The Maluti Mountains, Free State Clarens gets the credit, but it’ s the wider Maluti Mountain landscape around it that deserves the spotlight. In November, the Highveld offers electric storm skies, golden grasslands, and the ochre sandstone of Golden Gate Highlands National Park glowing as if lit from within. Less visited than its Drakensberg neighbour, this corner of the Free State rewards hikers, trout anglers, and anyone who appreciates a landscape that changes entirely by the hour. Seek out the smaller dorpies, such as Fouriesburg, Ficksburg, Clocolan, where cherry blossoms arrive in November. The Ficksburg Cherry Festival is well worth the visit.
December: Kosi Bay, KwaZulu-Natal While the Western Cape heaves with December visitors, the far north of KwaZulu-Natal offers a different proposition entirely: a labyrinthine estuary system of four interconnected lakes, ancient Thonga fish traps still in use today, and one of the most profound wildlife encounters available without a game drive. From November through January, leatherback and loggerhead turtles haul themselves onto the beaches at night to nest, a ritual unchanged for 60 million years. Guided night walks bring you close enough to witness it properly. Take your passport and enjoy a day trip to Ponta do Ouro in Mozambique for lunch on the beach.
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