What's New

While the rest of the world hurtles deeper into the 21st century, Africa continues to connect us with realities that are powerful, primal, and timeless. South Africa has its foot in both worlds, and reporting on what's new for the fifth edition of this guide is a little like enjoying the calm before the storm: With the countdown to the 2010 Soccer World Cup -- the first to be held in Africa -- starting in earnest in 2007, the country is about to benefit from a massive investment in infrastructure and tourism projects. New buildings and stadiums are transforming the skylines of Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Socially, too, the country is experiencing rapid change. Political debate is finally moving away from tired old racial clichés as the ruling party is driven by working-class demands that the elite finally deliver on the promised "better life for all." Meanwhile a steadily growing economy, while unable to lift everyone out of the filthy trenches that surround the "shacklands" of South Africa's urban centers, has created a new middle class, referred to as the "black diamonds," with real economic clout and a tough, sassy attitude that defines the way South Africa conducts itself both domestically and abroad. Tourism, now comprising almost 10% of the country's GDP, is also reshaping the land, especially in the Eastern Cape, where vast swathes of overgrazed farmland continue to be reclaimed as wilderness preserves and are restocked with the game that once roamed here freely. Best of all, unless you're set on a five-star safari experience, the dollar and pound remain strong against the South African rand (calculated for this guide at R7.20 = $1 and R14 = £1, but do check the current rate before you leave).

Cape Town & The Western Cape

Cape Town and the Western Cape are still the favorite destinations for long-haul tourists, and the restaurant and accommodations scenes here continue to grow. Stiff competition in Cape Town's accommodations sector has -- for the first time in over a decade -- resulted in relatively small accommodations tariff increases, with a few hotels and guesthouses even rolling existing rates over to the following year. There has also been a welcome increase in cut-price domestic flights, with Mango offering unbelievably good deals, such as R200 ($27/£14) seats for flights connecting Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront was sold to a consortium in 2006, and the plan is to maximize the entire development over the next few years, with six new hotels set for completion by the end of 2008. As a result, much of the Waterfront looks more like a building site than a top attraction, so you might consider basing yourself instead on the slopes of Table Mountain or in Camps Bay. Alternatively, take a look at the suites and apartments in the City Bowl (the city center), which in recent years has enjoyed an urban regeneration, with 19th-century heritage blocks redeveloped into residential units, many available to rent. In fact, the entire "self-catering" category (often referred to here as "all suites," in which rooms or suites come with a small kitchenette) is growing, as is the upscale villa rental sector; the best of these come with a housekeeper and a chef. Another welcome development is the regeneration of the False Bay seaboard. If you've been to Cape Town before, or just don't like a big-city vibe, base yourself in or near the quaint harbor of Kalk Bay (in refurbished Randlord mansions, like the new Rodwell House).

Moving on from Cape Town to the Garden Route, I have always referred to the R62 as "the road less traveled" -- this is still less traversed than the more direct N2, but that's not to say it hasn't become immensely popular, as the number of swanky new guesthouses en route (like Mardouw Country House) attest.

Eastern Cape

Samara is the newest Eastern Cape private game reserve; this indigenous wilderness covers four of the country's seven biomes, and is home to more than 60 mammal species -- but lion, buffalo, and elephant are not among them. If tracking free-roaming lion is a priority (and you're averse to taking antimalarial medication), the Eastern Cape has two new Big 5 private reserves -- Blaauwbosch and Pumba. And, if you're watching your budget but like a little luxury, a number of excellent guest lodges service safaris into the ever-expanding Addo Elephant National Park, of which the new Hitgeheim joins Elephant House as particularly good options.

Johannesburg & Surrounds

Johannesburg -- where, due to current flight schedules, you will have to spend the night if you're traveling onward to Botswana -- is always going to be a city in flux. Besides a slew of name changes to represent its transformation from colonized cash cow to African boomtown (Johannesburg International Airport is now known as Oliver Tambo Airport), Jozi has a few new star attractions. At the Origins Centre you can get a DNA test to trace your own ancestral origins. Constitution Hill is where you'll find the new Constitutional Court as well as the notorious 19th-century Old Fort, where brutalities of the worst kind were perpetrated on innocents in the name of apartheid.

Melville is still central to a night out on the town in Jo'burg, but for a lazy luncheon followed by a bit of retail grazing, Parkhurst and adjoining Parktown North are the new "it" suburbs, with much of the action centered on Parkhurst's 4th Avenue.

A few hours' drive north of Jozi is Welgevonden and low-key Marakele National Park, where the recently opened 12-unit Marataba lodge enjoys one of the most remote settings in South Africa. But the real treat lies even farther north, in Madikwe, South Africa's "Big 7" reserve, where Morukuru's two self-sufficient, gorgeously appointed villas made my best-of listings this year.

Kruger National Park

It would appear that Kruger and surrounding reserves have finally reached a saturation point, with little to report by way of new lodges in this area. My old favorite, Singita, keeps raking in the awards -- from Best in the World (Travel + Leisure) to the Zagat Guides' Top Small Hotel and Top Rooms. MalaMala has completed its much-needed image makeover, but for my money, only Rattray lodge makes the grade. MalaMala has handed over its Kirkman's Camp to CC Africa, and even though the camp is no longer a great value, it's looking tip-top. Meanwhile, the Varty brothers have taken back control of Londolozi, giving all the camps a thorough revamp -- bag one of the two Private Granite Suites located right on the river and you've got yourself the best-located room in the Kruger. But if you want to enhance your safari with a sublime spa experience, The Waters of Royal Malewane Bush Spa combines excellent game viewing with the best bush spa in Africa.

Durban

Durban's city center and much of the so-called "Golden Mile" is now looking very shabby. Best to base yourself on the Ridge (where I've added a new guesthouse recommendation), and come evening wander along Davenport Road in Glenwood, Durban's new dining district. Or stay in the charmless but beach-based suburb of Umhlanga Rocks, where the Beverly Hills Hotel has undergone a much-needed face-lift.

Victoria Falls

President Mugabe has driven the Zimbabwean economy into the ground, with inflation now running close to 5,000%. Thankfully, Victoria Falls seems to operate almost independently, but accommodations on the Zambian side of the falls are understandably the more popular (and pricey) option, while their Zimbabwean counterparts stand forlornly empty. Having always advocated staying on the Zambian side, it's time to buck the trend. Not only does staying on the Zimbabwean side translate into great savings, with class acts like Matetsi and Stanley & Livingstone offering unbelievably good value, but the local community needs your tourist dollars.

Botswana

Dollars are what you'll need for Botswana, and plenty of 'em. Despite the fact that the Okavango Delta and Chobe camps are becoming ever more expensive (annual rate increases of $100 a night are almost the norm), you'll struggle to get a booking during peak season, particularly at the Wilderness Safaris camps. That's why Wilderness Safaris is looking to extend its footprint in Zambia, the neighboring country that is fast becoming known as Africa's hottest new safari destination. You'll find some guidelines to Zambia in chapter 2 as well as chapters 10 and 11; certainly if you'd like to experience nature on a scale that is liberating and humbling, untamed, and untouched, Zambia is the place to do so. While Botswana camps are usually reached by charter plane, in itself a thrilling experience, most camps in Zambia can only be reached via helicopter.