Culture plays an important part of our holidays abroad especially in Europe and the Far East but what about back home? South Africa is blessed with many historical travel destinations and not just in the big cities. Many of the important museums and art galleries are situated in the cities but there is much to see in the countryside that is sure to pique the interest of any budding historian! Why not visit ancient Bushman art rock sites in the Cederberg, the meteor crater at the Vredefort Dome in the Free State, or the KwaZulu Natal Battlefields?

We might not have the Colosseum in Rome or the grand Palace of Versailles outside Paris but we do have many historic places of interest to visit. Here are some suggestions for an informative and educational cultural holiday: 

• Cape Town has two relatively new art museums which are worth a visit. The Norval Foundation Museum with modern art and a superb sculpture garden in Steenberg and the Zeitz Mocca Museum at the Waterfront, with astonishing architecture and a famous African Art collection, are must-see destinations in Cape Town. 
• Still in Cape Town, the Castle of Good Hope is filled with important exhibits as is the Koopman-de Wet House on Greenmarket Square. The National Gallery in The Company Gardens is home to both African and International art. 
• Take a relaxing break to the Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve – a superb country wellness retreat with exceptionally well preserved San art that spans thousands of years old. While there, you can enjoy nature drives, guided walks, spa treatments and more.  
• In the Eastern Cape, the Donkin Reserve overlooks the city of Port Elizabeth, the busy harbour and 67 art works in honour of Nelson Mandela. 
• The Cradle of Mankind situated at the Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng, is an opportunity to learn about the earliest origins of mankind with superb visuals and displays for an entire day of education. 
• The Lesedi Cultural Village is situated within the Cradle of Mankind and hosts superb and colourful Ndebele art on traditional houses as made famous by Dr Esther Mahlangu 
• Take a detour off the busy N3 between Johannesburg and Durban near Howick to view the superb Mandela monument which commemorates the place where our father of democracy was arrested during the Apartheid era. 
• The Apartheid Museum is situated near Gold Reef City in Johannesburg and is a must-visit for all South Africans. 
• The 1860 Centre in the Durban CBD documents the arrival and hardships of the Indian indentured labourers in SA, and is worth a visit.