Who has been to South Africa?

[KaShinX]

Hi,
I was thinking of going on a family trip and bringing my parents along (so 4 of us) to SA and maybe visiting Johannesburg, Cape Town and Kruger National Park but I have some queries

1) Is it easy to go Free and Easy in SA? If so, will u recommend driving yourself or taking an Uber around the area

2) How big of an issue will safety be? I heard of nightmare stories of tourists in SA. Hence, if it is really unsafe, I believe joining a tour group is easier?

3)Will you all recommend going to see Victoria Falls at Zambia/Zimbabwe at the same trip? Where can I book this trip?

4) How much cash to bring? Are cards widely accepted? And ATMs around the place as well

1. I rented a car and drove around Cape Town and garden route. It is easy to drive around and drivers are very friendly. Never took Uber so I cannot comment on that. If you are renting a car, go for VW; they manufacture VWs there so it’s relatively cheap. Do ensure that you practice vigilance though; don’t leave your valuables in the car, no visible items, don’t park at seclude area.

2. I felt really safe in Cape Town. I believe the more dangerous places are the townships which are the outskirts of the towns. Don’t think any tourists will have any business there anyway. However, there are guides trips to the more established townships which you can sign up and learn about them.

Can’t say the same for Johannesburg though, so I hired a full day guided tour to bring me around Johannesburg.

3. Did not do there so could not comment.

4. SA is quite advanced in terms of cashless payment. Everywhere we go, accepts cards. For a 3 week trip, we brought only 500SGD for 2 people.

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[yxerin]

Hi,

1) Is it easy to go Free and Easy in SA? If so, will u recommend driving yourself or taking an Uber around the area

2) How big of an issue will safety be? I heard of nightmare stories of tourists in SA. Hence, if it is really unsafe, I believe joining a tour group is easier?

4) How much cash to bring? Are cards widely accepted? And ATMs around the place as well

Very easy to free and easy. Highly recommend self-driving around cape town, garden route, and from OR Tambo airport to Kruger. Highly NOT recommended to self-drive around Joberg. Not safe to self-drive around Joburg because you won't know the safe areas and the unsafe areas, but GPS and google maps will ask you to drive through some unsafe areas.

I found Cape town, the garden route and Kruger to be safe. Joberg is of course not safe. So I stayed near OR Tambo airport, and booked a day tour with Moafrika Tours around Joburg instead. The day tour included a tour of Soweto township where I found it pretty humbling to tread in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

I self-drove Kruger National Park, and found the big 5 although it took some patience and asking around at the camps. The feeling of finding the big 5 by yourself is rather unbeatable.

Also stayed 3D2N in Kruger (please book your accom early! book now!). For both nights, my wife and I realised that we were the only non-locals to stay in the camps, but it was still 100% safe, and so much cheaper than staying in the private game lodges. I think I paid 25sgd per night for two pax in a safari tent. I think if you stay in a decent private game lodge, it'll cost at least 600sgd per pax per night? Someone correct me if I'm wrong here.

I recommend staying in Satara camp (because the sightings are quite rich in this area), or Skukuza camp if you are flying out from Kruger to Cape town/Port Elizabeth to start your garden route drive.

As for the garden route and cape town area, I really recommend self-driving. Some people are hesitant about self-drive around Kruger, and I respect and understand that. They prefer staying at a private game lodge, and booking transport through the game lodge. There's nothing wrong with that. It's more expensive, but it's also more comfortable in the private game lodges. However, I think there's no reason not to self-drive around the garden route and cape town area. The roads are well maintained in SA.

No need to bring too much cash. My Youtrip card and credit cards were accepted almost everywhere I went. I think the only place that didn't accept card was Bay Harbour market in cape town.

 

[wlalala]

lol like no news about the virus in SA hor


dunno need cancel trip or not

 

[alfy]

Anyone know the current Covid situation in SA? Thinking of going Capetown, Garden Route and day Safari around CPT this Dec.
Did anyone travel to CPT recently?

 

[artemov]

Sorry for resurrecting this thread

I am in the tentative stage of planning a 2-3 weeks SA trip next year (air tix too ex this year already).
Main aim is to do Kruger and Panorama route.

A few queries please.

1. Is it worthwhile to do a 2-3 days side trip to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe?
Is it worthwhile to do the Devil's pool trip to Zambia? Do we need to pay for a Zambian visa if we are crossing by land (Singaporeans don't need a visa for SA, Zimbabwe and Zambia technically)?

2. Is it worthwhile to do a side trip for a few days to Cape town for whales, penguins and white sharks. Should be self driving down the coast to Hermanus, Gaansbai, etc. Don't think I'll be doing the Garden route this time.

3. Is a small car like VW Polo sufficient for Kruger (tarred as well as gravel road) and Panorama? Not going Lydenburg and Dullstroom.

Thanks!

 

[klavier]

Sorry for resurrecting this thread

I am in the tentative stage of planning a 2-3 weeks SA trip next year (air tix too ex this year already).
Main aim is to do Kruger and Panorama route.

A few queries please.

1. Is it worthwhile to do a 2-3 days side trip to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe?
Is it worthwhile to do the Devil's pool trip to Zambia? Do we need to pay for a Zambian visa if we are crossing by land (Singaporeans don't need a visa for SA, Zimbabwe and Zambia technically)?

2. Is it worthwhile to do a side trip for a few days to Cape town for whales, penguins and white sharks. Should be self driving down the coast to Hermanus, Gaansbai, etc. Don't think I'll be doing the Garden route this time.

3. Is a small car like VW Polo sufficient for Kruger (tarred as well as gravel road) and Panorama? Not going Lydenburg and Dullstroom.

Thanks!

Hello. sorry cannot help you with point 1 and 2 but hopefully my reply will bump this thread up again..

2. Yes indeed. I am assuming you are flying into Cape Town after Kruger and renting another car. It is an easy drive actually from Cape Town down to Hermanus. However, make sure you check on the whale season if that is what you want to see. Dont forget to also visit Cape of Good Hope area. I actually did 2 separate day trips to both location but if you have activities to do at Hermanus, an overnight stay would surely be better.

3. I did see many smaller cars (though I took a Fortuner) in Kruger so I believe its fine. I wanted an SUV simply because I am used to driving SUVs. If I were going just with my other half I believe I would have choosen a smaller (compact) car. Most important is make sure you have enough space for luggage.

 

[Hisashiburi]

Too dangerous!
No plans to ever go there

 

[pclow59]

Too dangerous!
No plans to ever go there

Went there in 2018, 6 years ago, with Dynasty Travel. With tour group arrangement, not dangerous, but not sure if self plan.

 

[Hisashiburi]

https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...ladvisories/south-africa-travel-advisory.html

Country Summary:  Violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and "smash-and-grab" attacks on vehicles, is common. There is a higher risk of violent crime in the central business districts of major cities after dark.

Using GPS navigation can lead to unsafe routes. GPS navigation may suggest shortcuts through townships as the quickest preferred route but can lead to increased risks of crime.

There have been incidents in which tourists traveling in Cape Town while using GPS navigation apps have been routed through residential areas with high rates of violent crime.

 

[klavier]

https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...ladvisories/south-africa-travel-advisory.html

Country Summary:  Violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and "smash-and-grab" attacks on vehicles, is common. There is a higher risk of violent crime in the central business districts of major cities after dark.

Using GPS navigation can lead to unsafe routes. GPS navigation may suggest shortcuts through townships as the quickest preferred route but can lead to increased risks of crime.

There have been incidents in which tourists traveling in Cape Town while using GPS navigation apps have been routed through residential areas with high rates of violent crime.

While I didnt think the area where I stay at Cape Town was unsafe, I agree using GPS navigation can lead to unintended consequences. However, this is not just for SA but also other countries.

For example, in my trip to NZ last year, I followed the directions for google map and for some reason it lead me through some difficult/tight terrain. I had to make a u turn perhaps 30 mins after I entered the route when I started to feel it was unsafe for the campervan. After getting back on the main road, I realised the reason why google had given me another route was due to road works ahead. I remember I went online to check if there is a settings that will make google maps only use main/established routes but from what I saw in earlier threads, this function did not exisit. Few months later I had another near incident while driving in another country when I followed google direction and ended up having 1 side of the car wheels stuck beside a stream. Thankfully there were people houses nearby and they help me to retrieve the situation.. Anyway they told me the road there is essentially for motorcycles and the only cars that pass here were their own.. After getting back to the main road, again, i realised the same problem was road works had led google to reccomend going through the village...

Anyway just saying sometimes the problem you describe is really GPS navigation..
So while it can sometimes be difficult (especially if you are the only driver), it is always better to ensure that you stick to the main road.. 20 years ago, this wasnt a problem when we were all using paper maps..

Needless to say, when going to SA, please ensure you know which area/district to avoid.. I recall this topic (areas to avoid) was widely discussed in other travel forums.

 

[artemov]

3. I did see many smaller cars (though I took a Fortuner) in Kruger so I believe its fine. I wanted an SUV simply because I am used to driving SUVs. If I were going just with my other half I believe I would have choosen a smaller (compact) car. Most important is make sure you have enough space for luggage.

Hi, can you recommend a good car rental company in Cape Town Airport, and maybe Hoedspuit as well if you know any?

Thanks!

 

[klavier]

Hi, can you recommend a good car rental company in Cape Town Airport, and maybe Hoedspuit as well if you know any?

Thanks!

I picked up 2 cars from Avis during my SA trip. First pick up and return at Joburg airport. Second, pick up at George and return at Cape Town.

Usually I will check the rates of all major car rental companies to see which offers the best price then decide. Have used Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar etc in different countries. Just make sure you buy insurance (either from rental company or third party). I was hit with a small bill for tyre scratch (at Cape Town) but the excess from my travel insurance was able to cover.

 

[wongtjn]

Don't just stick to Singapore travel agents. Compare their packages and prices with the ones based in SA itself and/or the UK. I used Go2Africa for South Africa and the service was very good. I used one called Yellow Zebra based in the UK for Tanzania and it was also very professional. Because of the higher volume of tourists, they might have contacts with more reserves and stuff.

A2A safaris is supposed to be one of those niche / non-mass market ones that cater to the higher end of the market - good in that there's usually a certain standard expected (e.g. lodging, food, response times), but it also means you pay for it. I think we did approach them when planning for Tanzania but didn't go with them in the end.

Another you can try in Singapore are Country Holidays. It won't be cheap either but the friends I know who've used them (for other destinations) speak highly of them.

do speak to a few of these and see who you feel more comfortable with in terms of their ideas and also budget. BTW, I'm past the age where I can travel rough so I'm resigned to paying for my comforts when I travel. There is a relationship between price and quality - you just have to find what's a good balance for yourself and that changes with time.

Hi Jarvis,

Mind to share the cost for your safari with Yellow Zebra and Go2Africa ?

We also want to plan for safari, at first thought of Tanzania. Is June a good period ? What about late November ? Which month did your safari ?

Which airline you took ?

Thanks in advance

 

[bberry]

Hi Jarvis,

Mind to share the cost for your safari with Yellow Zebra and Go2Africa ?

We also want to plan for safari, at first thought of Tanzania. Is June a good period ? What about late November ? Which month did your safari ?

Which airline you took ?

Thanks in advance

Hi,
Im going to Kenya/Tanzania for the great migration in Aug. will be flying into nairobi by Emirates

 

[wifi_18Z]

Buy when you get there. 1 zar for sim and 1gb/7days for 80zar. Not enough just buy more credits and top up. VODACOM

If you buy tourist sim from airport it will be around 400zar for 6gb. The thing is not everywhere has 3g let alone 4g so you will hardly have 100% coverage. You will be ok in cities but in smaller towns dont get your hopes up too much. You will likely end up using less data than you think you need.

My advice is pay/top up as you go.

Anyone been there recently and have updated advice to share?

 

[arfness]

Anyone been there recently and have updated advice to share?

(south african here) Still quite solid advice , came back from Cape Town , Kenton-on-sea (near Port Elizabeth) in October, got a vodacom tourist sim at airport, think it was like S$80 for 20gb , service was terrible honestly except in major towns, driving down the smaller towns, cape of good hope etc was very spotty. My friend who had e-sim roaming had better signal.

I'd probably try MTN next time. im not sure if you're allowed to buy the normal sim-cards as a foreigner and top up? They require ID/Passport + proof of address to register a local sim.