The people of South Africa are the real highlight

I've been to a lot of countries and the thing I'll remember most about South Africa isn't Robben Island or even the extraordinary biltong — it's the people. In Johannesburg and out in the countryside, I encountered a warmth and generosity that felt completely genuine.

One local family essentially adopted me for an afternoon after I got lost trying to find Robben Island. Table Mountain and Cape Peninsula became a shared experience I couldn't have planned. That human connection is something travel can give you and South Africa delivers it more than most places.