By Joel Widzer

Travel columnist

updated 12:30 p.m. ET March 28, 2007

Joel Widzer Travel columnist • Profile • E-mail

Finding the best contrarian travel opportunities requires a lot of footwork — or in my case, seat time. This is because contrarian destinations are constantly changing, as once-unheard-of destinations offering travel value become voguish and expensive (as is currently the case with Croatia and the Balkans) and new, off-the-radar destinations come to the fore.

For me, a true contrarian destination must meet three criteria: (1) It must offer a good exchange rate; (2) it must offer great travel value; and (3) it must offer an appealing environment. I recently found such a place: South Africa. While this is not a new place for travel, it is fast becoming a vibrant travel region as Johannesburg and surrounding cities prepare to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup of Soccer. This event is the Super Bowl and Olympics of soccer rolled into one, and will draw thousands of new travelers to the region. In my opinion, the time to visit is not three years from now, but right now.

Although South Africa is an ocean and a hemisphere away, new airline service from Delta Air Lines makes the trip a relatively easy jaunt. Departing from Atlanta, the 17-hour flight stops in Dakar, Senegal, before continuing on to Johannesburg. Delta's flights are reasonably priced and offer an above-average level of service and videos in each coach seat. For a little more comfort, I suggest purchasing an upgradeable fare and redeeming 25,000 miles each way to experience Delta's superior Business Elite service, which offers an excellent array of meal choices, new entertainment systems and, beginning next year, a lie-flat seating configuration.

South Africa occupies a huge swath between the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and its landscapes are vast and beautiful, comprising everything from desert dunes and white-sand beaches to savannahs and subtropical forests. The Western Cape has one of the richest floral kingdoms in the world, and the country's game viewing is among the best in Africa (where else can you find both penguins and elephants — and more than 1,000 bird species?).

I started my visit in Johannesburg, where I stayed at the Park Hyatt Johannesburg, an idyllic property in the tree-lined, upscale neighborhood of Rosebank. Its outdoor conservatory is a wonderful place to relax in comfort, get over jet lag or have a drink after a day of touring or business meetings. In the evening, many of the hotel's guests head to the nearby Sandton neighborhood, which has a rich nightlife and many popular restaurants.

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Through the Park Hyatt, I booked a "Freedom Trip" to Soweto, only a short drive from the hotel; on the way I passed the yellow hills that were once the city's main gold mines. The tour also took me to the Apartheid Museum, which presents the history and struggle of South Africa during the 20th century. The museum is filled with reminders of the divide between the elite Whites and the Black and "Coloured" South Africans, who were declared second- and third-class citizens. It paints a vivid picture of an awful past, and is a must-see for anyone interested in human nature. It left me both sobered and enlightened.

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