4 Best Sights in South Africa

Adderley Street

Cape Town Central

Originally named Heerengracht after a canal that once ran the length of the avenue, this street has always been Cape Town's principal thoroughfare. Although there are a couple of historical buildings dating to the early 1900s, and the beautiful Adderley Street Flower Market—one of the city's oldest markets, located in Trafalgar Place between Strand and Darling streets—has hung on, Adderley Street in recent years has become mostly a commercial hub for office buildings and franchise stores. The sidewalks are packed with street vendors selling everything from fruits and vegetables to cell phone covers and tea towels, serving people going to and from work. This is the place to experience the busy hustle and bustle of everyday Cape Town. 

Adderley St., Cape Town, Western Cape, 8000, South Africa

Diagonal Street

City Center

On this street in the city center, among stores selling traditional African fabrics and household appliances, you'll find African herbalists' shops purveying a mind-boggling array of homeopathic and traditional cures for whatever ails you. If you're lucky, a sangoma (traditional healer) might throw the bones and tell you what the future holds. This is also the site of the old Johannesburg Stock Exchange building (the modern version is in Sandton) and the so-called Diamond Building, resembling a multifaceted diamond.  You'll get the most out of visiting Diagonal Street on a guided walking tour—go with Past Experiences where owner and guide Jo Buitendach will introduce you to the locals and shop owners.

Diagonal St., Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Florida Road

City Centre

Florida Road leads a double life. By day, shoppers and tourists stroll up and down the tree-lined avenue, browsing art galleries and boutiques and indulging in lazy lunches; by night it transforms into a neon-lighted nightclub, where hordes of young and not-so-young revelers overflow from restaurants, lounges, and bars.

The thing that sets Florida Road apart is its historic character, with fine Edwardian architecture, well-preserved historic buildings, and half a dozen churches creating a timeless atmosphere that attracts the city’s trendy set to meet and eat. Don't miss the hundreds of locks that adorn the fence at Mandela Legacy Park.

Since the strip is only about 0.8 km (less than ½ mile) long, you can enjoy it on foot in fine weather, but Mynah buses pass regularly, so there’s transportation if you need it, and taxis are another option. The city has erected detailed and well-marked boards for walkers to navigate the city's most popular areas, including Florida Road and surrounds.

Florida Rd., Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

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Long Street

Cape Town Central

The section of Long between Orange and Strand streets is lined with magnificently restored Georgian and Victorian buildings. Wrought-iron balconies and fancy curlicues on these colorful houses evoke the French Quarter in New Orleans. Today antique dealers, backpackers' lodges, the Pan-African Market, funky clothing outlets, and a plethora of cafes, bars, and restaurants make this one of the best browsing streets in the city; by night, it can live up to some of its older reputation—a place for debauchery. At the mountain end is the Long Street Baths, an indoor swimming pool, and an old Turkish hammam (steam bath).

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Long St., Cape Town, Western Cape, 8001, South Africa