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

Unusual
Attractions
in South Africa

Duiwelskloof, South Africa

Sunland Baobab

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

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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.

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Ehlanzeni, South Africa

Adam's Calendar

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

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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.

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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.

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Cape Town, South Africa

Cheetah Outreach

This big cat sanctuary allows visitors a face-to-face encounter with some of South Africa's rarest creatures.

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Cape Town, South Africa

Macassar Beach Pavilion

An abandoned water park overtaken by the dunes.

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Johannesburg, South Africa

Collectors Treasury

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

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See All 43 Things to Do in South Africa See All 43 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in South Africa

Stinging Nettles

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Stinging Nettles

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

Gastro Obscura

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Melktert

Gastro Obscura

Melktert

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

Gastro Obscura

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African Horned Cucumber

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

African Horned Cucumber

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

Gastro Obscura

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Marula

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Marula

The intoxicating South African fruit is beloved by humans and elephants.

Gastro Obscura

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See all 13 things to try in South Africa See all 13 things to try in South Africa

Explore South Africa

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Recent South Africa Activity

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Stories
About South Africa

The desert landscape is varied—and often foggy.

The Secret World Inside Tiny Fog Droplets

From the Namib Desert to Maine, fog is teeming with life.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 30, 2018

Thulani Mabaso, former Robben Island prisoner, on the soccer field in Robben Island, South Africa.

From Apartheid-Era Inmate to Tour Guide—at the Same Prison

Thulani Mabaso spent six years in a cell at Robben Island. Now he’s back to show visitors around.

by Christina Ayele Djossa

Why hello there.

Watch a Great White Shark Breach—Just Feet Away

Why, hello there.

by Kelsey Kennedy

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