De Hoop Nature Reserve

"8. Best for hiking and wildlife: De Hoop Nature Reserve Have some time to spare in your itinerary? A three-hour drive outside Cape Town, De Hoop Nature Reserve is a mecca for spotting wildlife –­ think herds of eland, bontebok and ostriches, along with plenty of birds and whale watching. With endless trails, take a hike along the vlei, a marshy wetland, and explore the rock pools at low tide. Thanks to the ban on fishing for some 30-odd years, the entire area is teeming with life. "I've seen herds of elands along the ocean, along with hundreds of whales," Foster says. "It's quite a privilege to visit a place with so much biodiversity on land and underwater, a place that's still intact.""