South Africa Holiday tips

[ASHCROFT9491]

Hi all

Myself and the Wife are embarking on a trip to South Africa in Jan. It's a tourist, non shooting trip into Cape Town with British Airways, some time in Cape town , driving the garden route with several stops and game reserve etc, so common tourist stuff but with all the travellers on the site i wondered if any tips before we book

such as what is BA long haul like to Cape town , cash money vs card's, and any general travel advice for South Africa welcome

 

[Jon P]

South Africa travel advice

Latest FCDO travel advice for South Africa including on entry requirements, safety and security and local laws and customs

www.gov.uk

I would sign up to the travel advice emails

 

[takbok]

Most of the Western Cape and Garden route is lovely.

You can pay for most things with your debit/credit card. It's handy to have a little bit of cash to tip petrol attendants or car guards in carparks etc.

Wine farms around the Stellenbosch are lovely (you can do bus tours from Cape Town). Driving over the mountains from Stellenbosch to Franschoek is spectacular. Watch out for the baboons at Cape point! There are some lovely farm stalls about an hour from Cape Town at Elgin. Hermanus is beautiful, and the best whale watching spot. I find that most restaurants are quite a bit cheaper than the UK.

Don't be flashy and and avoid dodgy areas. The N2 road out of Cape Town is a bit dodgy - probably better to avoid it at night, and don't deviate from it. Sometimes main roads or mountain passes can be blocked by restless locals throwing stones or burning tyres.

Might be good to take a power bank to charge your phones as there are lengthy power cuts (load shedding) every day.

People generally move over onto the shoulder to let faster cars overtake but don't be pressured into it as it can be a bit dangerous.

Anyway, a little bit of info for for you. It's a lovely country despite its problems. Hope you enjoy your holiday!

 

[zambezi]

My wife and I have made that journey several times, and at different stations of life. We have flown BA into CPT, and we have also flown Virgin and SAA [RIP] to JNB with internal connecting flights from there. Flying BA to CPT gets the coastal trip started with least travel time. And hiring a rental car gives a great deal of itinerary flexibility. The road system in SA is generally good, so no need for a 4x4 unless you are planning a specific off-road trip.

All of the below are possible.

Before leaving the Cape, there are some trips I would make: get onto Chapman's Peak drive from Hout Bay and drive to Cape Point. Great views of the Atlantic, tidal pool swims for the brave en route. The shops, bakery, antique shops and cafes of Kalk Bay are interesting [more tidal pools] and driving through Fishoek from there gets you to Boulder Beach where there is a colony of penguins. [Jackass IIRC]

The younger us did bungee jumping [Gourits, but Bloukrans another option] , river kayaking [Touw river], scuba [Hermanus, Protea Banks] and abseiling off railway bridges [Wilderness], etc. Addo Elephant park was good when we went there, but it doubled in size a few years later and is said to be even better now. The national park accommodation at Storms River and Wilderness were excellent value, but are booked up early so don't delay. In Knysna, our best stay was a lovely B&B on the St James peninsula. A little away from the heads, but beautiful and with a hire car, all is within striking distance.

Sadly the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam service from George to Kynsna is still out of operation, but the midway point is Sedgefield and can be a good place to break a trip if you can secure AirBNB or similar.

The last two times we made the trip, the section through Transkei was memorable because of the poor driving ability encountered and the rough road quality. Avoid travelling this section after dark.

 

[zambezi]

One other point to make: Internal flights in SA are far cheaper if you go direct to the domestic airline's website. Buying internal connecting flights through the long-haul carrier is ALWAYS more expensive. And also very difficult and even more expensive to alter if plans change. [Got a wardrobe of those T-shirts now]

Obviously, if you are flying in-and-out of Cape Town and the car hire begins and ends at CPT, you won't be requiring internal flights.

But a word of caution regarding hire cars: on several occasions I found the car hire companys staff were more zealous about checking for dings and scratches on the vehicle's return than they were when we first hired. Before driving away from the hire depot, make your own detailed inspection of the vehicle. If you find dings not on the carbon copy vehicle status sheet, take a photo and go back to the hire desk. Make sure all scrapes are recorded before putting a mile on the clock.

 

[ASHCROFT9491]

Thank you peeps, some great tips appreciated