South Africa Travel Forum

My 54 year old husband and myself 50 are planning a trip to south africa next year. Can anyone tell us what is the best time of year to travel and we have about 4 weeks up our sleeve so can anyone suggest wot to see and do? Obviously Cape Town Victoria Falls Kruger and the garden route. Are we best to book tours from here or over there and is there anywhere else that we should see. Maybe someone could suggest an itinary?

cheers
jasmine

Some nice places..


*Karoo National Park--The Karoo National Park is situated 7km from Beaufort West in the Great Karoo. It is the best preserved conservation area for Karoo vegetation, including fynbos, in South Africa. It is home to a fascinating diversity of life, all having adapted to survive in harsh conditions.

*Golden Gate Park---This is true highlands habitat, home to a variety of mammals and birds, the park derives its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the park's sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag rock.

* Durban Beach Front--- Durban has a beach culture - high-rise offices look out over the Indian Ocean, executives jog along the beachfront at lunchtime, young girls in bikinis, traditional healers collecting bottles of seawater to use as muti, young men catching a quick wave before or after work.

Hello Jasmine
Best time for travelling SA is defintely from Sept- March/April. (Nov/ Dec/Jan are best, but busy tourist season.) Having said that-the winters are quite bearable too.
I suggest that you do some reading about SA. There are many fantastic pages here on VT about South Africa, and the various cities. Then plan a route. Booking tours will never be difficult- tourism is huge in SA- and well catered for.
I have pages on Cape Town & Kruger National Park which may be of help to you.
I have given accomodation, things to do, transport, warning tips, etc.
Please feel free to email me any time. I lived most of my life in Cape Town.
You will have a wonderful holiday.
Regards

I agree with Lynne. Look at her tips. I would avoid Durban Beach Front - The Garden Route and Eastern Cape have wonderful beaches. (if you want to do beaches)
Kruger Park will be a better bet than the Karoo National Park.
Cape Town during winter can be unpredictable. At this very minute they are having major storms and rain. Huge swells and waves at sea battering the Sea Point area. It is also very cold with snow on the outerlying mountains.
Remember that Victoria Falls in not in South Africa. It is on the northern border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is worth a visit if you can.

I agree with June and Lynn...I would also give Durban a miss.. What are your likes and dislikes. You are more than welcome to e-mail me and I will try and give as much info as possible.
My ideal time to visit...October , November, February or March
If I was visiting SA, I would put 3 days aside to fly to Livingstone to visit the Victoria Falls, and One of these days would be spent on a day trip to Chobe Game reserve in Botswana. ( 1 hour drive from the falls)
Regards

Mike D

4 weeks gives you lots of time to see a lot. You have already good ideas where to go and what to see, just let me add the Drakensberg Mountains which to my eyes was one of the most beautiful nature places in the world.
I think if you plan for next year, take to the account that exactly a year from the South Africa holds the World Cup and some places, before, during and after will be very crowded and fully booked. Not to mentioned higher prices probably.

Hi.

Lots of good tips already. I'd suggest following itinerary to see the best of SA in four weeks (it may seem quite detailed, but I do this for a business!!!).

It's also quite adventurous and includes a lot of driving (but the roads are good and the scenery is stunning). You could shorten it down by flying from Port Elizabeth or East London to Durban or from Nelspruit back to Johannesburg. I don't include Victoria Falls because it's not my area of expertise, however you can fly there from Joburg and a couple of days there would be fine. Stay on the Zambian (rather than Zimbabwean side) for obvious reasons. A really special 'colonial' hotel is The Livingston.

I hope this helps. Happy to provide more info if required.

Day 1: Arrive at Cape Town International Airport. Hire you car and drive through to Camps Bay. Spend morning relaxing on the beach and - in the late afternoon (if the weather is good) take the short cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. Return to Camps Bay for sundowners and dinner.

Days 2 & 3: Relax in this stunning city taking in the wide variety of activities that Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula has to offer; for example catching a ferry to Robben Island, lunch and people-watching at the Victoria and Albert Waferfront, drive along Chapman's Peak Drive to the Cape Peninsula to see the penguins and whale-watching (September to November), climb Lions Head, visit District Six, fine dining in Constantia.

Day 4: Drive along the N2 through to Strand, then take stunning coastal road - the R44 - past Betty's Bay to the wild beach and a fresh seafood lunch at Hermanus. Take the R44 back to the N2, before coming off onto the R521 at Grabouw to take the spectacular mountain pass through to Franschhoek. Staying at one of the wide selection of boutique hotels or self-catering accommodation, indulge yourself in the gastro-capital of South Africa.

Days 5 & 6: Spend your days relaxing in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley taking in as many of the stunning wine-tasting vineyards as your liver can handle and your nights dinings at some of the best restaurants Africa has to offer.

Day 7: Head a short way north through rolling farmland, spending a night in the undiscovered gem that is Tulbagh, visiting the historic town centre and museums.

Days 8 & 9: Pop across to the West Coast, staying at the quaint seaside village of Paternoster and enjoying fine dining and beach strolls.

Days 10 & 11: Start your long journey along the Garden Route, meandering along the fantastic Route 62 through the dramatic Little Karoo. Relax at a boutique guest-house in a historic farming town like Swellendam or Calitzdorp. If golf is your game, you'll want to base yourself in George, the golfing capital of SA.

Day 12: Drive along Route 62 before taking one of the dramatic mountain passes down to the N2, breaking your journey with a short hike during a stopover at Tsitsikamma National Park or in a quaint beach-side guesthouse at Nature's Valley or Brenton-on-Sea.

Day 13 & 14: Head along the coast beyond East London and head in land to the spectacular micro-climate around Hogsback. Enjoy quaint eating options and wonderful hiking.

Day 15 & 16: Dash back to the coast at Cintsa and enjoy the fabulous wild beach, perhaps interspersed with a horse-ride along the desterted beach. Dine high above the beach dunes in the wonderful location that Michaela's of Cintsa enjoys.

Days 16, 17 & 18: Make the long drive through the former Transkei on the Wild Coast up to the simply stunning mountain scenery of the southern Drakensberg Midlands around Underberg. You'll want a couple of days to do some hiking and explore this historic 'Settler Country'.

Days 19, 20 & 21: Head around Durban, stopping for lunch in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, up to the sub-tropical idyll that is Zinkwazi. Take a break from the white beach and pristine lagoon with a trip into Zululand around Eshowe and pay homage to the shrimp at the Prawn Shack.

Days 21 & 22: Move up the coast to Greater St Lucia Wetland Park for more hard time on the beach amongst unique flora and fauna, including crocodiles and hippos. Consider one of the excellent hiking options.

Days 22 & 23: Make your way through Swaziland, taking in Ezulweni Valley and up towards the spectucular highlands on the west. Stay in a friendly guesthouse in this most varied, friendly and attractive of small countries.

Days 24, 25, 26 & 27: Head through our favourite border crossing in the world between Piggs Peak and Baberton in South Africa and make your way up to your private game reserve on the edge of the Mighty Kruger National Park to get your well-deserved safari fix.

Days 28 & 29: Take one of our favourite drives in the world up the Mpumalanga escarpment stopping at Sabie for some hiking or Dullstroom for fishing, taking in the breath-taking view at God's Window.

Days 30 & 31: Return to cosmopolitan Johannesburg or historic Pretoria for a final blow-out, staying at a boutique hotel in happening Melrose or Rosebank. Visit the Apartheid Museum and the Cradle of Humankind, perhaps taking in a theatre show or sports event, before catching your flight home.