Half the World, with None of the Misery

Just last year South African Airways (www.flysaa.com ) began nonstop service from JFK to Johannesburg, making it much faster to get to South Africa. But anyone who's been stuck in cattle class knows the only respite from leg cramps and back spasms is a few drinks and lots of leg-stretching bathroom tripsÂ…till now: Outside presents their essential travel strategies for surviving airports and jet lag while staying focused on nutrition and wellness.

South Africa's Top Ten Attractions Photo Gallery

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Traditions have their place, especially in such a culturally diverse world as South Africa. But rewarding the country with a trinket of tin or aluminum on this, their tenth anniversary of freedom is like proposing with cubic zirconium. Technically you're off the hook, but you're acres away from the spirit. Instead, we turn to the country's rainbow-hued national flag for our celebrational talisman. At midnight on April 25, 1994, that new banner was hoisted across the country, signaling the end of Apartheid and the beginning of a new era in South Africa's already operatic history. In keeping with that flag, and the country's kaleidoscopic attractions, weÂ’ve assembled an adventurer's dream list of active pursuits throughout South Africa, from walking alongside rhinos in Imfolozi National Park to surfing in Jeffrey's Bay to shark diving off Dyer Island.

Wilderness Trekking with the Big Five
Introducing Imfolozi National Park: KwaZulu-Natal's premier wildlife realm and Africa's oldest game reserve

A Walk on the Wild Coast
Trekking hut to hut along South Africa's shore is just what the witch doctor ordered

Motherless at 1,066 Meters
Abseiling off Table Mountain, South Africa's ubiquitous landmark

Sea Kayak in Cape TownÂ’s Hout Bay
A paddle-perfect cove, a seal-crowded isle, and cold, cold water

Horseback Riding Along South Africa's Long Beach
Finding "the quiet within" along the Noordhoek Valley

Hike AfricaÂ’s Metaphorical Southernmost Point
Stomping along Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

Grape Town, South Africa
A tour through the vineyards of the Western Cape Province