South Africa - an overview of visiting the country (South Africa)

Member Name: Pandora321

Product:	South Africa
Date:	09/03/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting cultures, friendly people, spectacular scenery, beautiful wildlife

Disadvantages: Crime, long flight

The fact that South Africa has 11 official languages tells you right away that although it is one country, it is an extraordinarily diverse one. For once 'a world in one country' is not just hyperbole! With hugely varied and interesting cultures, and landscapes ranging from vibrant cities to empty deserts, from tropical rainforest to open plains teeming with wildlife - South Africa would take a lifetime to explore thoroughly... so why not start now?!

I've lived on and off in South Africa, including studying out there, I'm now married to a South African, and I used to work in the travel industry selling holidays to South Africa (not anymore, so my reviews are all just my own opinions) so I've got a fair bit of knowledge about the country, so feel free to message me with any questions and I'll do my best to answer. In the meantime, here are some views and suggestions for holidaying in this fascinating country.

South Africa's a large country - and an 11-12 hour flight away - so go for a decent spell of time. First time visitors often want to see Cape Town and the Garden Route, followed by some time on safari. This is a good taster of SA - this part of the country has excellent hotels and guesthouses, plenty of must-see's and do's (e.g. Table Mountain, wine-tasting in the Cape Winelands, whale-watching along the coast, riding an ostrich in Oudtshoorn), and good quality, well-signposted, tarmac roads. [As an aside, South Africans drive on the same side of the road as the UK, so self-driving is a good option, allowing you to get to more off-the-beaten-track sites and to take your time seeing what you want to view, rather than being forced to stick to a guide's itinerary. I've driven in SA for many years and, particularly in the Western Cape (the province where Cape Town is), found it straight-forward. Just remember to take the paper part of your driving licence as well as the photo ID.] Safari can be at the end or beginning and most people visit either the Eastern Cape (at the end of the Garden Route near Port Elizabeth) or fly up to Kruger National Park. The best choice depends on the length of your visit, the amount of flying you want to do, which animals you specifically want to see, and your budget.

Don't be fooled, however, into thinking that the urban sprawl of the 'Mother City' and the tourist trail of the Garden Route mean you've 'done' South Africa! Other areas of real interest include KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), a province well worth exploring on a second trip, where dramatic mountains make for excellent horse-riding and hiking, while the Boer and Anglo-Zulu battlefields contain fascinating stories and historical sites of interest (I've never been one for battlefields but still got caught up in the human tragedies and the incredible ineptitude of many of the British generals). KZN also has beautiful beaches, both remote and urban, and some excellent, less well-known and, therefore, less crowded game reserves.

Further areas of SA that are well worth exploring include the soaring mountain passes and plummeting waterfalls of Mpumalanga, the coastal walks of the Wild Coast, and the desert wilderness of the Kalahari.

Travel facts:
BA, South African Airways (SAA) and Virgin all fly direct from London Heathrow to Cape Town or Johannesburg. Flights take 11-12 hours.

South Africa is GMT+2 (so only 1 hour ahead of us during our summer months on BST).

South Africans are amazing polyglots and most people speak English (often just one of their 5+ fluent tongues!) so you should have no problem finding your way around and getting to know the locals.

The currency is the South African Rand (ZAR). This can fluctuate wildly but seems to have hovered around 14-15 to the GBP recently.

Credit cards are generally widely accepted, but it's wise to have some cash on you when you're in more remote areas. Also, if you're self-driving you need to be aware that credit cards are NOT accepted at petrol stations; you have to buy petrol with cash. Another point to remember: driving distances can be long and petrol stations are not always just around the corner like they are in the UK (I nearly got caught out a couple of times!!). If you're outside the cities, your tank's below half-full and you find a petrol station, it's usually wise to fill up.

Medical - you will need vaccines for your visit, and some parts of SA are malarial (Cape Town and the Garden Route are not). Check with your GP or a travel clinic as they'll have the most up-to-date health advice.

Safety - SA gets a lot of bad press about the violence out there. Yes, the country does have quite a lot of violent crime compared to the UK, however, most South Africans are nothing but courteous, friendly and really interesting to chat to. Just be safety-conscious and sensible - as in any city, don't walk down dark streets, keep valuables out of sight (SA has up to 40% unemployment and very low wages so, understandably, what is a small amount of money to us could be a year's wages to others, so don't create temptation), lock your car doors when driving, and always ask at your hotel or guesthouse which areas and safe and which you should avoid - the staff will be able, and happy, to advise you.

Best time to travel:
For sun and heat - Dec-Feb
For safari - their winter (May-Sept) when the grass is shorter
For whale-watching - the whales are seen off the south coast from Sept-Nov/Dec
October's a good compromise when it's not quite peak season (so some hotels still have off-peak rates and there are fewer other tourists) but the weather's reasonable, the whales are around, and the grass hasn't grown so long you can't see anything when you're out in the bush.

Personally, South Africa is one of my favourite countries and nowadays feels like my second home. It's spectacular, beautiful and inspiring, and there's always more to see and do - as if I needed an excuse to go visit again!

Summary: South Africa - a diverse and interesting holiday destination.