By air: In addition to being the international flag carrier, South African Airways is the main domestic carrier, with an extensive and efficient route network to major cities. Its subsidiaries, SAAirlink and SA Express, also service domestic routes.

Domestic fares aren’t cheap. In addition to SAA and its affiliates, airlines flying domestically include the following: 1time, Comair, Kulula.com, Nationwide Airlines.

By rail: South Africa’s Shosholoza Meyl passenger trains are run by Spoornet, and offer regular services connecting major cities. These are a good and safe, albeit slow, way to get around, and are more comfortable than taking the bus.

On overnight journeys, 1st- and 2nd-class fares include a sleeping berth, but there’s an additional charge for bedding hire. Alternatively, you can hire a private compartment (which sleeps four in 1st class and six in 2nd class) or a coupe (which sleeps two in 1st class and three in 2nd class) – these are a good way of travelling more securely. Meals are available in the dining car.
Tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance (you can book up to three months in advance). Bookings for anywhere in the country can be done at any individual station, or through the Shosholoza Meyl Reservations Centre.

By bus: Together with the less-appealing minibus taxis, buses are the main form of public transport, with a reliable and reasonably comfortable network linking all major cities. Note that many long-distance services run through the night.

A good alternative to standard bus lines is Baz Bus, which caters almost exclusively to backpackers and other travellers. It offers hop-on, hop-off fares and door-to-door service between Cape Town and Jo’burg via the Northern Drakensberg, Durban and the Garden Route. It also has a loop service from Durban via Zululand and Swaziland to Jo’burg, passing close by Kruger National Park.

Along with the main long-distance bus operator Translux, Greyhound, Intercape Mainliner and SA Roadlink have services connecting most of the major cities. In partnership with Translux, City to City has taken over the routes that once carried people from the homelands to and from the big cities during the apartheid regime.

Prices rise during school holidays; all lines offer student and senior-citizen discounts, and Intercape has backpacker discounts. Also inquire about travel passes if you’ll be taking several bus journeys, and always check with the bus companies to see if they are running any specials, which can sometimes save you up to 40%.

For the main lines, reservations should be made at least 24 hours in advance (72 hours in advance for Intercape Mainliner, and as much in advance as possible for travel during peak periods). It’s sometimes possible to get a seat at the last minute, but this shouldn’t be counted on.

Cape Town, Jo’burg, Pretoria and several other urban areas have city bus systems. Fares are cheap, and routes, which are signposted, are extensive. However, services usually stop running early in the evening, and there aren’t many buses on weekends.

By minibus taxi: Minibus taxis run almost everywhere – within cities, to the suburbs and to neighbouring towns. They leave when full and most accommodate 14 to 16 people. Minibuses in some areas and on some routes are considered highly unsafe, so always ask for local advice on lines and areas to avoid before using minibus taxis as transport.

By car/motorcycle: South Africa is ideal for driving, and away from the main bus and train routes, having your own wheels is the best way to get around. If you’re in a group, it’s also often the most economical. Most major roads are in excellent condition, and off the main routes there are interesting back roads to explore. Driving is on the left-hand side of the road, as in the UK, Japan and Australia.

Petrol costs around US$0.70 per litre, and must be paid for in cash. An attendant will always fill up your tank for you, clean your windows and ask if the oil or water needs checking, and should be tipped between US$0.30 and US$0.70. Along main routes in South Africa there are plenty of petrol stations, many open 24 hours.

Some recommended dishes:

• Boerewors (spicy sausage)
• Koeksusters (sweet pastries)
• Hoenderpastei (traditional Afrikaans chicken pie)
• Potjiekos (traditional Afrikaans stew with meat and vegetables)
• Waterblommetjie bredie (meat stewed with the flower of the Cape Pondweed)

• Apartheid Museum (Johannesburg, Gauteng)
  
• Cape Minstrel Carnival (Cape Town)
  
• Mandela's Prison Cell (Cape Town)
  
• Okavango Delta (Botswana)
  
• Red Location Museum (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape)
  
• Robben Island (Cape Town)
  
• Table Mountain (Cape Town)
  
• Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
• White Sand Dunes (Western Cape)

• South Africa High Commission in Singapore
• South Africa Tourism
• Lonely Planet South Africa