51 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in South Africa - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in South Africa

Duiwelskloof, South Africa

Sunland Baobab

A South African bar inside a hollowed out 6,000-year-old Baobab.

Ehlanzeni, South Africa

Bourke's Luck Potholes

Raging waters have created a strange geological site that looks like something off of a progressive rock album cover.

Cape Town, South Africa

Boulders Beach Penguin Sanctuary

This African beach is home to thousands of rare mainland penguins that are known for their annoying voice.

Cape Town, South Africa

Bo Kaap

Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, Bo Kaap is a colorfully-painted township located in the “Mother City” of South Africa.

Cape Town, South Africa

Macassar Beach Pavilion

An abandoned water park overtaken by the dunes.

Ehlanzeni, South Africa

Adam's Calendar

Hidden in the hills is a mysterious stone structure, known only to a few.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Collectors Treasury

Over a million items cram the shelves at Africa's largest shop of used and rare books.

Cape Town, South Africa

Seal Island

Haven for Cape Fur Seals, until the Ring of Death of jumping Great White Sharks arrives.

See All 51 Things to Do in South Africa See All 51 Places

Unique Food & Drink in South Africa

Melktert

Four centuries ago, Dutch dairy farmers made this spiced custard pie into a South African classic.

Stinging Nettles

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.

Ingberlach

Grandmas fashion this near-forgotten Passover treat from ginger and honey.

African Horned Cucumber

The spiky, fruit cup-flavored orb made an appearance on “Star Trek.”

See all 17 things to eat in South Africa See all 17 things to eat in South Africa

Community Forums / Africa / South Africa

Top Discussions in the South Africa Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Baleni Salt	2 June 18, 2019	1352	June 18, 2019
Chapman's Peak Drive	3 July 31, 2019	1274	July 31, 2019
Mosbolletjies	1 May 27, 2019	1308	May 27, 2019
Biltong	3 December 9, 2019	551	December 9, 2019
Sunland Baobab	1 January 14, 2020	1166	January 14, 2020

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Stories About South Africa

<em>Circellium bacchus</em>, a rare subspecies of dung beetle, is a scarab like no other.

The Outsize Allure of South Africa's Flightless Dung Beetle

In Addo Elephant National Park, the smallest residents may be the biggest draw.

by Sandra MacGregor

The rocky escarpments of Karoo, South Africa. Roughly 183 million years ago, this area was part of the supercontinent Gondwana.

When South Africa Was Home to the 'Firewalkers' of Karoo

The reptilian critters may not have survived, but they made sure to sign off feet first.

by Isaac Schultz

January 29, 2020

Border Cave, between South Africa and Swaziland.

Found: The Charred Remains of a 170,000-Year-Old Meal in a South African Cave

It doesn't look like much, but it's a key step in the development of human diets.

by Isaac Schultz

January 7, 2020

A South African Couple Has Turned Elephant Dung Into Award-Winning Gin

November 21, 2019

The spectral ship has a curious, centuries-old history.

The World's Most Famous Ghost Ship Is an Enduring Symbol of Empire

The Flying Dutchman's long afterlife began with a British power trip.

by Isaac Schultz

October 24, 2019

One fossil depicts a near-perfect circle in the sand, with a point in the center.

Are These Markings in South Africa the World's Earliest Sand Sculptures?

It depends on whether a natural process could explain them.

by Sabrina Imbler

October 11, 2019

Found: Fossilized Tracks of Baby Sea Turtles in South Africa

Prehistoric squee!

by Sabrina Imbler

September 4, 2019

A serval, captured by a camera trap, stalks Secunda.

Why a South African Petrochemical Plant Is Like Catnip to Servals

The wildcats are an example of resilience and adaptation.

by Sabrina Imbler

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