A Sun City balloon safari offers visitors a spectacular view of the surrounding area

If you plan to visit one of the cultural destinations profiled in this piece, here's what you can expect to pay:

At Shakaland, accommodations run about US $85/night, including all shows and meals.

Several guides give daily tours of Soweto. Jimmy's Face to Face Tours, featured in this Destination, cost about US $25/person for a three-hour excursion.

Most rooms in Sun City range from $200- $500/night. And if you want to take to the skies, a one-hour balloon ride will put you back about $225.

For more information, contact the South African Tourism Board in New York at (212) 730-2929.

The South African currency is the rand. Currently US $1 = about 5.7 rand. Check CNN Interactive TravelGuide's Currency Converter for the latest rates on the rand and 163 world currencies.

If you're considering a trip to South Africa, most any season is a good time. The weather is relatively mild year-round throughout the country.

Check cnn.com/WEATHER for four-day forecasts:

• Cape Town
• Johannesburg
• Pretoria
• Soweto

A typical package tour to South Africa lasts two weeks. From North America, it costs about US $3,500, including airfare. Airfare alone -- coach class from New York to Johannesburg -- runs about $1,300.

Visa information:

U.S. citizens should contact: Embassy of South Africa, 3201 New Mexico Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016, telephone (202) 966-1650, or the South African consulates in Beverly Hills, Chicago, or New York.

In South Africa:

• The U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg is located at Kine Center, 11th Floor, 141 Commissioner St. (intersection with Kruis Street), telephone (27-11) 331-1681.

• The U.S. Consulate General in Cape Town is located at Broadway Industries Center, Heerengracht, Foreshore, telephone (27-21) 214-280.

• The U.S. Consulate General in Durban is located at Durban House, 29th Floor, 333 Smith St., telephone (27-31) 304-4737.

• U.S. Consular Information Sheet: South Africa
• CDC Travelers' Health: Southern Africa
• CNN TravelGuide - World Maps and Guides: South Africa