This culturally rich country on the tip of the African continent offers spectacular scenery on land and sea.

VIDEO: Our exciting footage of a great white shark cage experience in South Africa!

PHOTO GALLERY: View Todd Winner's dramatic photo gallery of diving with great whites in Guadalupe, Mexico.

1. Reef Babies

Aliwal Shoal’s nine dive sites swarm with diverse marine life; potholes at North Eastern Pinnacles serve as a nursery for reef fish, attended by curious eels and octopuses.

(aliwalshoal.co.za)

2. Freshwater Beasts

Lake Sibaya, surrounded by forested coastal dunes and home to a large population of hippos and crocodiles, is a must-see in World Heritage Site iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

(isimangaliso.com)

3. Mind-Boggling Biodiversity

Part of South Africa's enormous iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Sodwana Bay contains a 31-mile coral reef populated by more than 1,200 fish species, abundant megafauna and friendly potato cod.

4. Nature’s Stairmaster
Climb 3,563-foot Table Mountain on the stony steps of Platteklip Gorge Trail for incredible views of Cape Town (guide recommended). Ride the cable car down or stay and camp at Hoerikwaggo.
(sanparks.org)

5. Sharkfest
At Protea Banks, one of the world’s top shark sites, divers commonly see Zambezi (bull), tiger, ragged tooth (sand tiger) — known as raggies — and hammerhead sharks, and sometimes great whites. Experienced divers only.
(aliwalshoalscubadiving.co.za)

6. Great Whites
Get eye to eye with these awe-inspiring predators while cage-diving at Gansbaai, known as Shark Alley.
(white-shark-diving.com)

7. Cheers!
Tour the scenic Stellenbosch wine valley by mountain bike — combining wooded roads, historic Cape Dutch architecture, award-winning wines and a little exercise.
(adventureshop.co.za)

8. By Land or Sea
Dive Storms River Mouth in Tsitsikamma National Park — a marine protected area with an abundance of soft corals, nudibranchs, anemones and other marine life — from shore or boat.

9. Go on Safari
Spot elephants, rhinos, lions, cheetahs and other extreme wildlife on daily game drives from four secluded lodges at the all-inclusive Kwandwe
Private Game Reserve.
(kwandwe.com)

10. Whale Antics
Southern right whales mate and calve here from June through December, and can easily be seen from the beautiful beaches around Hermanus.
(hermanus.co.za)