| With July just around the corner, and many of us | | | | many go down to water, to stake out a waterhole, |
| realising we're up for a well-deserved, last-minute | | | | turn your engine off and wait. Night and dawn drives |
| holiday, where are the best places to go on a budget? | | | | are also readily available and are a fantastic |
| The recession has shaken the tourism world up in the | | | | experience. |
| past year and although it may not be quite as easy as | | | | South Africa also boasts the fantastic cities of Cape |
| previously to find cheap flights and budget breaks, | | | | Town and Johannesberg. Cape Town is famed for its |
| there is still a wealth of choice out there and some | | | | stunning architecture, its gorgeous harbour and the |
| surprising deals. | | | | breathtaking landmarks of Table Mountain and Cape |
| Some of the best places to head off to in July are not | | | | Point. Restaurants are regularly cheap but stunning, |
| destinations you would immediately think of, but this is | | | | with fresh seafood available daily for unbeatable |
| part of their charm. While the rest of the world jets off | | | | prices. Although the climate is cool in July, there are |
| to the typical tourist areas, you will be able to enjoy | | | | many beaches to discover, notably Boulder's Beach, |
| your little piece of heaven in relative peace! | | | | with its colony of African penguins. Surfing is also a |
| In part three of this five-part series, I will show you | | | | popular passtime. Whale-watching is another popular |
| some of the hottest holiday destinations for July. | | | | activity, with breeding season extending from mid-July |
| South Africa | | | | to November. |
| July in South Africa is wintertime, and the weather is | | | | Johannesberg – also known as Jo'Berg – is |
| often comfortable rather than hot. The months of | | | | South Africa's largest city. While it is one of the |
| June, July and August are almost prime safari season, | | | | country's most prosperous cities, it is also one of the |
| since vegetations tends to be less overgrown and | | | | most unequal and tourists should take care when |
| animals easier to spot. The Kruger National Park is one | | | | visiting and research their destination beforehand. The |
| of the most famous reserves, covering nearly 19,000 | | | | city is famed for its incredible architecture and |
| square kilometres. There you can choose a number of | | | | cityscape, as well as its gold and diamonds trade. |
| activities and holiday packages, from self-catering to | | | | Several of the key sites for tourists are the Apatheid |
| luxury lodges inside the park itself. For those keen to | | | | Museum, the Sterkfontein Fossil Site (for you budding |
| get the most of a day's safari, staying inside the park | | | | archeologists and paleontologists!) and there is a |
| allows you to rise early and get a head-start on others, | | | | flourishing industry built up around visiting previous |
| who have to wait outside the park until later. The best | | | | townships such as Soweto, which can be a humbling |
| time to see many animals is dawn and dusk, when | | | | experience. |