South Africa

[Clariman]

Mrs C and I are thinking of going to South Africa. Any recommendations on time of year to be there, airlines, places to base ourselves, must-sees, great hotels, places to steer clear of etc ..... much appreciated.

We were thinking we might aim to go in October if that is a good time of year. At some point we would definitely want to go to Cape Town. Can that form the base of a holiday that we see some game reserves, wine estates etc.?

Thanks
Clariman

[Mark]

Cape Town would be a great base for a trip but I would also suggest staying over elsewhere. Hiring a car would be useful, and driving in SA is straightforward, though driving styles can resemble that found in Southern Italy!

Staying in Cape Town itself you can look around the city, visit Table Mountain, and make some trips further afield around the Cape, Kamps Bay etc.

I would certainly suggest visits to both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. If you like the whole lunch-at-a-vineyard thing it may best to station yourselves there for a few days! Franschhoek is small but particularly beautiful in my opinion. You might also consider a longer road trip along the garden route from there.

There are a number of areas for safari which you might also consider - for instance the Kruger is a long drive but could be part of a multi day trip. You can also fly to various airstrips which service private game reserves on Airlink which codeshares with South African Airways.

October should be a very pleasant time to visit!

Regards


Mark

[dionaeamuscipula]

I would echo much of what Mark has said.

Its a few years now since I was travelling to Cape Town regularly but it is a lovely place. I always flew SAA - I dislike BA. But I stood behind someone at an SAA desk who was absolutely berating SAA "you never get this with BA" she seethed. In summer Cape Town can get pretty hot. In winter I would come in short sleeved shirt and light suit, the locals were in scarves and heavy coats. Would be worth flying into Cape Town, having a few days there then heading for the wine regions and carrying on on the garden route. There are some whale watching opportunities on the way. For game, the Kruger is up the other end of the country. I've not done it but my parents did and were disappointed in comparison to Tanzania. Others have been wowed. You could then fly back out of Joburg.

South Africa is somewhere where you need to take some care. Like anywhere else there are places you wouldn't want to go, but in SA you will see a lot of gated communities and armed guards. They are there because the crime rate is particularly high. I never had any issues in all the time I spent there, the tourist areas are mainly very safe. But two of my staff were car jacked, and our site had 24 hour armed guards.

When I was there food and drink were spectacular and amazingly cheap. A top 10 in SA restaurant we often went to charged £5 for a main. But this was 10 years ago.

DM

[BrummieDave]

Everything is, inevitably, budget dependent to some extent, but choose from these and you won't go far wrong (and it's a great holiday).

I'd fly SAA and definitely stay in Cape Town. The hotels are good, as are some of the Air bnb apartments. I would especially recommend the V&A Waterfront Apartments, but only in the blocks beginning with 'P' such as Penrith etc. They are newer and on the 'front row'. Definitely go to Robben Island, and take any tours with Cape Convoy, Rob is a legend, and I've walked up Table Mountain as an alternative to the cable car. I'd eat at Blues at Camps Bay, Fork in Cape Town, Mama Africas if you want an authentic tourist experience (!), and have lunch at the market food hall in the V&A. Also go to the Boatnical Gardens, they are lovely. I'd go either side of Christmas for the weather, but any travel weather site will show you the stats and you can choose accordingly. Note that there's a website for advance bookings for Robben Island and the Table Mountain Cable car, and without this you may be left disappointed.

Stellenbosch and Franschoek are very close to CT so you can go for the day (eg with Cape Convoy) or stay in some of the lovely hotels there. All the vineyards are good, but I especially like Waterford and Graaf.

If you want a safari experience that admittedly isn't the masai mara but which you will enjoy, fly to Port Elizabeth (the drive isn't worth it) and go to the Water Lodge at Pumba. You'll see all the animals as it's really a big zoo, but with stunning scenery and decent food. If you prefer to experience the Garden Route and win the lottery between now and then Birkenhead House at Hermanus is a truly great hotel.

If you have any questions, just ask or message me.

[JMN2]

Lydenburg a halfway house on your way to Kruger and Nelspruit coming out.

Kimberley big hole

George or Knysna and garden route

Cango Caves

...based on 80's memories though so probably all gone down the pan since then.

[bjmarren]

Hi Clariman,

Did you get to South Africa in the end?

Mrs B and I are thinking of a trip to SA towards the end of next Jan so this thread has been really helpful. We'll be travelling from Bulgaria so will probably fly KLM. Given the tips that people have given in the posts below, what would be your advice regarding length of time to be there. Also, are there any jabs that we need to think about? We didn't think there would be but advice from the "horses mouth" etc.

Cheers!

Brendan

[Clariman]

Hi Clariman,

Did you get to South Africa in the end?
Brendan

We didn't in the end. It is still on my bucket list though

[TaurusTheBull]

How long is a piece of string?

South Africa is a big country. I was there for about 6 weeks in 2016, with another 3 in Lesotho and Swaziland. How long you stay, or where you go, will vary enormously between individuals.

I have friends who have been to Kruger NP half a dozen times, but it doesn't appeal to me. I'd rather go to a lesser visited park such as Etosha in Namibia.

On the other hand, I enjoyed Lesotho. The people are noticeably friendlier there, in my view, having not been through apartheid, and the landscapes, although arid, can be quite dramatic, most notably near Sani Pass and the Drakonsberg Mountains.

My favourite region is from Cape Town west, along the coast through Hermanus (whale-watching) to Cape Aguila, on to the Garden Route, with lovely stops at Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna, Plettenburg Bay and Storms River. Near Wilderness is the town of George, leading over the pass into Oudtshoorn (Cango Caves etc), and this is a good option for either returning to Cape Town inland via the Little Karoo and Robertson wine region.

With car hire that would make a nice three weeks, in just that part of the country. Cape Town itself is worth several days.

Taurus

[TaurusTheBull]

For "Cape Town west", read "Cape Town east"..

[bjmarren]

Hi Taurus,

Thanks for replying, and for the suggestions.

We know absolutely nothing about South Africa, in terms of visiting there, so your comments were very helpful. We were wondering whether we should use a local travel company to organise trips in country, or is this something we could do as individuals. We are in our middle fifties, early sixties and last year we went to Malaysia,Singapore and Borneo and organised everything ourselves but South Africa has/had a reputation about personal security so we were wondering what you would advise.

Any help would be most welcome.

Cheers!

Brendan

[zico]

In South Africa, the main piece of travel advice that I've heard from a lot of people that have visited is - do not drive after dark. Apparently that's when there are staged road accidents and road blocks to rob the unwary travellers.

[Mark]

If you go to Fransschoek, and you enjoy food/good views, book lunch in advance, seated outside, at La Petite Ferme. Absolutely incredible.

[TaurusTheBull]

Hi Brendan,

SE Asia is very different to South Africa.

For starters, public transport is poor in South Africa. The rail network only covers part of the country, and Intercape buses are infrequent, have limited coverage and need to be booked online beforehand.

Though I travelled independently, most visitors hire cars. My friends who go to Kruger hire a car from/to Jo'burg airport, presumably booked beforehand. It's the most practical way of seeing the country.

Having said that, if you just went to Cape Town, for example, you could easily find tours going to Cape Point, the wineries and out to see the sharks, but you'd be limited in scope.

If you hire a car, take note of the security advice already mentioned, and best not to park it in an isolated place if leaving it for any time. Although most people visit South Africa without incident, it pays to be aware of the risks.

Cheers
Taurus

[bjmarren]

Hi,

Thanks for all your replies. We are still mulling it all over but I hope I can come back with more questions if that is ok.

Cheers!

Brendan

[bjmarren]

Hi Taurus,

Me again!

We have booked flights to South Africa, arriving on 25th Jan and departing 12th Feb. We want to go to Victoria Falls and Kruger Park, as part of the visit, but we seem to be getting conflicting information regarding the threat of Malaria in both locations. What was your own own experience regarding this? Obviously we will take any precautions necessary, but would welcome advice from people with actual experience of the places. Obviously, if there are any other posters who can provide any advice it would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Brendan

[zico]

I've visited Kruger but not Victoria Falls. As a general rule, the threat of malaria in any location depends very much on what you're doing while you're there. If you are living in a local village near a swamp with no mosquito nets, the malaria threat is far higher than if you're in spending a few nights in a swanky lodge.

Generally when we visit places like this, we'll take Malarone as you have to take this for a shorter time.
The one to avoid is Larium/Mefloquine as there's about a 1% chance of some quite nasty side effects.
In general, cover your arms and legs particularly around sunrise/sunset and apply lots of DEET (or the equivalent).

The following link should be useful.

https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html

[TaurusTheBull]

I've visited Victoria Falls but not Kruger (although to Nelspruit), and had no problem with mosquitos, although both times I've been in Southern Africa have been during the dry season (April-August).

Best to check on the weather in January. Certainly hotter and probably wetter. Also check on whether a yellow fever certificate is required by Zimbabwe and/or Zambia, depending on which side of the Falls you'll be visiting.

Enjoy!

[bjmarren]

Hi Taurus the Bull and Zico,

Many thanks for your replies and advice, we''ll take heed.

We'll be flying into Joburg on the 26th and want to do Vic Falls, Kruger and Pilanesberg while we're in that part of the country. This'll mean using Joburg as a base at times but we don't see an alternative. We also want to go to Durban, Port Elizabeth and work our way to Cape Town, from where we'll depart on the 12th Feb. We're probably trying to do too much and will probably have to settle on one safari visit, either Kruger or Pilanesberg. We're also wondering whether Vic Falls is a must as it will take up 3 days as a minimum, given the flight times etc. My wife wants to visit Durban as she had the chance to work and live there after she graduated and Port Elizabeth is on the way back to Cape Town. We definitely want to do a part of the Garden route and take in a vineyard or two.

What do you think? My own feeling is that the more time we spend outside cities the better so maybe forget Port Elizabeth, whereas Durban is a must for my wife.

From previous posts on the Fool, I know Taurus is very much an independent traveller, but any recommendations on in country travel companies would be appreciated (the choice is staggering)

Sorry for asking maybe such obvious questions but we appreciate you thoughts.

Cheers,

Brendan

[stockton]

Sounds to me like you are trying to do far too much. It is a very large country and the nice thing about places like SA is simply sitting and watching what is going on around you, and that requires more than one day in each place.

I am a little out of date but as far as I am aware no malaria prevention is appropriate, unless you are going to the borders of Mozambique. Indeed I seem to remember that taking prevention can be dangerous in that it obscures the symptoms of the most deadly form of malaria and can consequently delay the process of taking you to the very necessary hospital.
You might be able to find more information on Kruger park forums.

[stockton]

This looks like a reasonable summary re malaria
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/t ... alaria.php