South Africa Travel Answers

Hi Kate And welcome to VT! You've asked a lot of questions, so I'll split this answer into 'bite sized' chunks. Firstly, the timing. January is a reasonable time to come to South Africa. Unlike Oz, South African school holidays start in early December and end in early January, so if you try to push your trip towards the secodn half of the month, you'll find that accommodation prices and airfares come down substantially and there are fewer crowds. Many locals head to Mozambique for the long summer holidays, but it is very hot indeed, and the malarial risk is at its highest, so you'd have to take that into consideration. Regards Cathy

Secondly, how to get around. Clearly you're willing to self drive, which makes things much easier, and is by far the most flexible and cost effective way of touring South Africa. Car hire is moderately affordable by international standards - just make sure you look for unlimited mileage deals, as the free 200km/day will be meaningless compared to the long distances. For what you're planning to do, an ordinary 2WD vehicle will be fine - there's no need for a 4x4 (even in Kruger) although I would recommend looking for a car that is a little higher (rather than a low slung sedan), which will give you better visibility. For the longer distances, there are a number of affordable low cost air carriers (kulula, 1Time, mango) that - unlike their European equivalents - allow you a full 20kg luggage allowance as part of the ticket price. I would suggest that you consider at least flying into Port Elizabeth. Self driving along the Garden Route is lovely and very straightforward, so no hassles there. For your time in Johannesburg, self drive is absolutely fine and you'll find it a much more cost effective and flexible way to explore than taking an overpriced guided tour. the only exception to this would be if you want to visit Soweto, which I wouldn't recommend driving into yourself (it's easy to get lost, and there is an increased risk of car theft). Regards Cathy

Lastly, what to do? Well, you'll need to indicate what your interests are in order for us to provide you with relevant advice. A month seems like a long time, but you could easily keep yourself occupied in South Africa for that time without venturing into other countries. I personally think that trying to fit in Botswana, Vic Falls and Mozambique as well as everything else is attempting too much, and you'll be exhausted, as well as risking resentment that you won't be able to give sufficient time to the places that you visit. If you decide to do Vic Falls, then it's possible to do it as a 2/3 day trip flying in from Jo'burg, which is probably also the most cost effective way to do this. Some tour operators will combine Vic Falls with either Chobe or the Okavango in Botswana, which is also 'doable' - just be warned that Botswana is hellish expensive (both in terms of park fees and flights into camps if you decide to visit the Okavango), so this would come at a price. I would decide on what you want to do first before you start to seek out service providers, as it will allow you to refine your research. More information on all this on my South African pages (you'll probably find Johannesburg and Cape Town to be the most helpful). Hope this helps, and happy planning. Regards Cathy

Hi Cathy, Thank you so much for all your helpfull advice. It is lovely to hear information directly rather than through tour providers our travel agents. I think we have decided to do a short 11 day tour to start visiting Kruger and Victoria Falls, then we will fly down to Port Elizabeth and hire a car for the Graden Route and Cape Town. I think we will give Mozambique a miss as we are not looking for a crowded holiday. In terms of car hire is there any company in particular you would suggest? And in Johannesburg any where in particaulr you would recommend to stay, we will be there for one nigth before the tour and two nights after? Is this Sun City worth staying at, I hear it alot in Australia? Sorry last question should we book a transfer from the airport when we arrive or is it safe to catch a cab? Thanks Kate

We did a day trip to Mozambique from our chalet in Marloth Park (near Kruger). You can generally arrange these through your accommodation. They take you in to Maputo, you see some of the city's (now dilapidated) sights. It was interesting! Then onto a restaurant by the beach for a seafood lunch. I personally think for a taste of Mozambique that it was worth it. The Garden route is spectacular, for peace of mind consider your accommodation wisely. In PE we stayed behind electric fences although everywhere else was either gated or in safe areas. In Cape Town we stayed in a house in Camps Bay. In Hermanus we stayed in Franclinhof - amazing bed and breakfast, look at their fantastic reviews on trip advisor. Be sure to visit the great wineries. There's so much along the route - you'll have a great time and never feel unsafe!

Hi Kate Jared has given you an interesting spin on the Mozambique option which I hadn't considered - good lateral thinking! Maputo's certainly interesting, and much more 'African' than most places you'll see on your trip: I've spent some time working up there, and I have to say that it's not my all time favourite place (largely because of the oppressively hot and humid climate) but a day trip there would certainly be an interesting counterpoint to what you're planning to do. However, I would suggest that if this is of interest, you take a tour rather than self drive, and give the beaches a miss as those around Maputo have poor water quality. As far as I can see, there is no consistent 'best option' for car hire, so rather browse the websites and see who's offering the best deal at that time. All of the big international brands are represented (often in partnership with local companies to fulfil our Black Economic Empowerment requirements), so shop around. I would just recommend that you make sure that you specify unlimited mileage, get comprehensive insurance and also consider including the hire of a GPS/satnav system to make sure you're comparing 'apples with apples'. Regards Cathy

OK, onto accommodation ... Well, one of the deciding factors will be how long you've got and what you want to do in that time - so it would be helpful to know what approximately time you arrive from Oz and what time you depart the next morning. Can I suggest that you approach the accommodation issue by first deciding what you'd like to do in Jo'burg? Perhaps a good place to start might be to have a look at this tip, where I've put together a few possible itineraries (which also link to the various attractions/activities): "Getting older Moscow" - Estates Tip by Bastet_ These are not meant to be hard and fast tours, but rather some ideas to crystallise your thinking which you can mix and match according to your interests, budget and available time. If you're just bouncing in and out of the airport on your way in, I'd recommend staying there (the airport in on the Kruger side of town). If you've got longer on that first day, then I would suggest staying somewhere like Rosebank, which is safe and cosmopolitan with good night life - this is also linked to the airport by the Gautrain high speed rail link (less than 30 minutes). This has a range of accommodation including a Holiday Inn and a Hyatt. Sandton is also an option (I just happen to prefer Rosebank, but both are good, safe options). One completely different option which you might like to consider, particularly if you're planning to visit the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site and the Hartbeespoort area (especially the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Breeding Centre) is the beautiful Kloofzicht Lodge. This is about 45 minutes out of Jo'burg, set in a lovely nature reserve with fantastic food and 'Afrochic' ambience and a relatively affordable spa if you'd like some pampering after your long trip. This was the hotel that the Socceroos used as their base during the 2010 World Cup. Follow this link for more information: Kloofzicht Lodge: "Top of the range hotel at an affordable price" - Johannesburg Hotel Tip by CatherineReichardt Regards Cathy

Oh, I forgot the Sun City bit. Hmmmmm ... it wouldn't be on my 'must do' list, but there are worse: it really depends on why you would want to visit. From a wildlife point of view, the Pilanesberg is good, but very unlikely to offer you anything better than you'll see in Kruger and Vic Falls. If gambling is big for you, then I believe that it's fine (this is the one part of my Irish heritage I haven't embraced), but then I would rather recommend that you consider the Gold Reef casino in Johannesburg's southern suburbs which is easier to get to and which you could then combine with a visit to the Gold Reef City theme park (a little like a very commercial version of Sovereign Hill in Ballarat) and the brilliant Apartheid Museum. I often take the kids to Sun City for the Valley of the Waves - a huge tropical-themed water park - they love it and I have a sneaking admiration for its cheesy charms - but if you're going to be on the coast in the Cape experiencing the Real Thing days before, is that really what you want? I guess that this is a convoluted way of saying', "Hell, No"???

Thank you Jared for your advice on Mozambqiue, that is a great suggestion and one I didn't even think of. The bed and breakfast reviews look beautiful and I think we will be looking that one up for sure. In terms of the Garden route how long did you spend travelling it? We are regualr drivers travelling Melbourne to Sydney at least once a month so are use to driving. Thanks Kate

Hi Cathy, You are such a wealth of knowlegde thank you for all your answers. To follow up we arrive in Jburg at 3pm and are picked up for our tour the next morning so we wont have long. The garden route we are hoping to spend 7-9 days travelling from PE to Cape Town. Your advice on Sun City helps alot as this is not the type of holiday we wont so we will not be visiting there. I have been able to find cheap flights as well thanks to your advice through 1time from Jbrg to PE which will cut down our travelling time greatly. Thanks again Kate

From memory I think about 13 days. Much more scenic than the Sydney - Melbourne route, that's for sure! We stayed in Cape Town, Gordon's Bay, Hermanus, Swellendam, Knysna, Jeffrey's Bay, Port Elizabeth. We did a few day trips out of some of those places such as to Oudtshoorn and Franschhoek. Again this is from memory! South Africa is still my favourite country!

Hi Kate To be honest, the Garden Route will take you as long as you have. It would be possible to drive it in 3-4 days, but you'd miss a lot. I think that the time you've allocated will be fine and will allow you to mosey along at a leisurely pace. I would suggest that you don't stick too slavishly to the coast, as some of the little inland towns are also fascinating and vastly different to the coastal stretch - I am particularly fond of Oudtshoorn, for example. I much prefer the western section of the Garden Route to the eastern portion, and find the final stretch of the route between Hermanus and Gordon's Bay to be particularly beautiful (but that's just personal preference). If it's just the two of you, I would suggest not being too rigid in your planning and rather taking things as they come, rather than booking accommodation for each night months in advance. A very useful tool for identifying accommodation is www.safarinow.com and provided that you have some means of Internet access whilst you're en route, you could use this to inform your choices and book 'on the hoof'. Regards Cathy

Thanks so very much to both of you Cathy and Jared for your wonderful advice. We are still planning many aspects of the trip but have alot of answers now that we needed to proceed. Thanks again :) Kate

Hi, My husband and I are traveling to South Africa early 2012. We want to rent a car on January 2 in Jo'burg and drive to Kruger Park. We also want to visit Victoria Falls, Maun and Okavango. We have been thinking about visiting Mozambique as well, but we are not sure since there are beautiful beaches in SA. Let me know if you are interested in sharing transportation costs to visit the national park. Thanks!

Hi Surely you mean early 2013? Rather than adding onto an existing posting where few people are likely to look, I would suggest that you create your own. However, please note that VT is seldom used by people looking to share travel costs, although you might get lucky. Regards Cathy