SANParks: Golden Gate National Park

Lookout points such as Zuluhoek and Generaalskop provide you with grand vistas of reds, yellows and greens that come together in a tapestry of awe-inspiring wilderness. Bearded vultures, Burchell’s zebra, springbok, black wildebeest, eland and oribi are all things to spot during your trip while the ibis are known to nest in the sandstone cliffs that dot the area.

There is a guided tour through what is known as the Cathedral Cave while the Brandwag rock formation is a site to behold. Found in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains, this Free State national park is a jewel in the crown of South Africa’s untamed wild.

Highlights:

Home to the rare bald ibis
Incredible landscape of rolling hills, grasslands and sandstone mountains
Mammals include springbok, blesbok, wildebeest, eland, steenbok, hartebeest and more
For birdwatchers, they should look out for the orange-breasted rock jumper, ground woodpecker, Cape vulture, martial eagle, black stork and many more