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Conwy Suspension Bridge
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The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
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All South Africa

The Atlas Obscura Guide To South Africa

78 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in South Africa

Updated October 31, 2024

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Cities

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Cape Town
Collectors Treasury.
Johannesburg
Orlando Towers
Soweto
Paarl
Map of Africa
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Bourke's Luck Potholes
Ehlanzeni
All Cities
  1. Cape Town
  2. Dollaaskraal
  3. Ehlanzeni
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  5. Johannesburg
  6. Paarl
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  8. Wilderness
Attractions
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Unusual Attractions in South Africa

Bourke's Luck Potholes

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.
Higher-altitude view of Bo Kaap

Cape Town, South Africa

Bo Kaap

Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, Bo Kaap is a colorfully-painted suburb located in the “Mother City” of South Africa.
Adam's Calendar from above

Ehlanzeni, South Africa

Adam's Calendar

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

Johannesburg, South Africa

Collectors Treasury

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

Cape Town, South Africa

South African Astronomical Observatory

This historic observatory was established to keep shipwrecks from littering the Cape of Good Hope.

Cape Town, South Africa

Seal Island

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

Cape Town, South Africa

Tapi Tapi Ice Cream

The frozen treats at this Cape Town parlor are inspired by Africa's food cultures.
See All 78 Things To Do in South Africa

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

Tapi Tapi Ice Cream

The frozen treats at this Cape Town parlor are inspired by Africa's food cultures.
Neighbourgoods Market, Braamfontein Precinct, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

Neighbourgoods Market

A growing popular hipster market with over 100 local specialties and live music.
The Big Pineapple.

Bathurst, South Africa

The Big Pineapple

The world's largest pineapple building honors Bathurst's favorite fruit.
Permanently Closed
Hollowed out bar inside the Baobab

Duiwelskloof, South Africa

Sunland Baobab

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

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Wild South Africa

Marine wildlife and Kruger Safari

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Explore South Africa

Animals 12
Museums 7
Caves 7
Ecosystems 7
Geology 5
Plants 5
History & Culture 5
Water 4
Architecture 4
History 4
Birds 4
Architectural Oddities 4
Places To Stay 2

South Africa Leaderboard

Places Added

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    jacoprinsloo
    3
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    maranako
    3
  4. G
    GingerAl
    3
  5. R
    Rachel Gould
    3
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to South Africa.

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
    Collector of Experiences
    13
  2. Avatar image for CoolCrab
    CoolCrab
    12
  3. M
    Martin
    9
  4. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    9
  5. Avatar image for Ursula
    Ursula
    8

Places Visited

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    JossieAyame
    38
  2. P
    peerie
    34
  3. N
    nickyfetting
    31
  4. B
    biancapreusker
    30
  5. A
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    30

Recent South Africa Activity

  • G

    gabrielspieler

    has been to Bo Kaap

  • G

    gabrielspieler

    has been to Ponte Tower

  • G

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    has been to Mandela House

  • G

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    has been to Orlando Towers

  • L

    ludvigtransactions

    has been to Boulders Beach Penguin Sanctuary

Stories About South Africa

World’s Oldest Human Footprint Found in South Africa

The ichnofossil, or trace fossil, is more than 150,000 years old.
by Charles Helm and Andrew Carr
August 19, 2024
African penguins develop a unique arrangement of black speckles on their white bellies at around three months old.

How Polka Dots Help African Penguins Stand Out From the Crowd

A new study shows how the birds identify their mates in a sea of black and white.
by Roxanne Hoorn
November 30, 2023
Researchers in an inflatable boat prepare to tag a bull shark they have flipped on its back, inducing tonic immobility. Science cannot yet explain why many species seem to go into a trance in this position.

To Track Bull Sharks, First Hit Their Snooze Button

For these researchers in Southern Africa, tagging the apex predators starts with putting them in trancelike tonic immobility.
by Ryan Truscott
September 20, 2023
South Africa's northeastern region is a complex landscape of savanna, forest, and dramatic mountains, such as eMhlongamvula. The varied landscapes sit on massive gold deposits and some of the oldest continental crust on the planet.

The World's Oldest Glaciers Are Buried Under South African Gold

2.9-billion-year-old evidence could be proof of a lost ice age—the first “Snowball Earth.”
by Gemma Tarlach
July 12, 2023
Divers on the site of the São José Paquete D'Africa wreck off the northwestern coast of Cape Town, South Africa.

Near Cape Town, the São José Shipwreck Is a Unique Symbol of A Painful Legacy

More than 200 enslaved people perished when the Portuguese ship sank in 1794.
by Sam Jones
February 6, 2023

South Africa's Penguins May Beat the Heat With New Ceramic Nests

The artificial nests could shield the endangered seabirds from rising temperatures.
by Ryan Truscott
December 12, 2022
Sports presenter and musician Selema Masekela is obsessed with amapiano, a genre of South African genre of house music.

The Genre-Bending World of Amapiano, South Africa’s Township House Music

You can’t not dance when amapiano comes on.
by Selema Masekela
June 15, 2022
Wilderness guide and author Sicelo Mbatha observes elephants during one of the excursions he leads in South Africa.

How to Connect With Nature Like a South African Wilderness Guide

Tragedy set Sicelo Mbatha on a course to understand, and make peace with, the wild on its own terms.
by Gemma Tarlach
March 4, 2022

Lists Featuring South Africa

ALMA.
The observatory.
Ulugh Beg Observatory.

20 Out-of-This-World Stargazing Spots

These observatories boast truly stellar views.

20

Including Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), National Observatory of Colombia, and Pic du Midi Observatory

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