I fell in love with South Africa all over again this year. From travelling to the mountains in KwaZulu-Natal, to finding hidden beach escapes in the Western Cape, to rediscovering a whole new side of Johannesburg, South Africa is truly a magical place. One of my highlights was visiting the national parks, including Agulhas National Park, Marekele National Park and Addo Elephant National Park. There is no better way to spend quality time with your loved ones than in nature, surrounded by the big 5 and historical landmarks. These are the top local travel pictures of the year
Addo Elephant Park
Picture: Clinton Moodley.
Addo Elephant National Park conserves the Big 7, stretching from the rugged plains of the Karoo to the untamed coastline.Conveniently located only 40km from Port Elizabeth, Addo offers the best elephant viewing in the country. I captured this image while on a private game drive with foreign tourists earlier this year.
Cape Agulhas lighthouse
Picture: Clinton Moodley.
Picture: Clinton Moodley.
Isn’t this beautiful? I had the opportunity to climb the lighthouse and see Cape Agulhas from the top. The lighthouse was built in 1848 and is the second oldest in South Africa. Based on the design of the Pharaohs of Egypt (280BC), it houses Africa’s only Lighthouse Museum.
Kitesurfing in Langebaan
Picture: Clinton Moodley.
You can literally spend hours watching people kitesurf in Langebaan. It is the most relaxing activity you can do when visiting the West Coast.
Holiday Express train fun
Picture: Clinton Moodley.
When the Holiday Express came to Durban everyone was excited, including Khloe and Kayla Theron from Pinetown. The train excursions take place during Valentines Day, Easter and Christmas.
Kragga Kamma’s new arrival
Picture: Clinton Moodley.
This was one of my favourite wildlife encounters of the year. Despite the hour long wait, I managed to see the day old baby rhino at Kragga Kamma Game Park in Port Elizabeth in March.