South Africa

14 messages

14xx

13/03/2006 at 14:23

Anybody been there on holiday / lived there?

Saw a programme on TV last night featuring the wildlife of SA - what an absolutely stunning country (well, the bits I saw around the Cape of Good Hope).

I really fancy a holiday there, but am not sure how safe it is these days around the Capetown and/or Jo'burg areas. There used to be all sorts of horror stories about the hazards of being a foreign tourist.

Your thoughts, comments and ideas for an approx. 10 day stay will be welcomed.

I've been here twice before as someone else.

13/03/2006 at 14:31

Yep, I lived there for 30 odd years.

fantastic country, although it turned a wee bit political and violent which is why I left. Should it change to the way it was (more or less) I'd go back tomorrow.

Stay away from all townships, JHB city centre, Hillbrow, Braamfontein (these are the obvious ones that come to mind) and don't look too obviously touristy, like having lots of bling about your person, walking about flashing cameras etc etc. IF you're going to the bush, DO NOT wear bright clothes as they attract the wildlife. Stick to khaki colours or neutral. Check if you need vaccinations (malaria, tzetse fly and a few others) take lots of sunscreen (at least SP30) a hat, good walking boots.

Have a great time and post up the pics.

I'll be your guide if you fancy paying my fare

Taipan

13/03/2006 at 14:38

It's empty. They're all here.

Heard some dreadful stories about SA from SA'ers. A guy (ex SA plod) was telling us about how they would arrive at villages where a massacre had taken place. They had to be careful when moving around as it would often be left booby trapped. They would find grenades under bodies or live babies, so when they were moved, boom.

A bloke I knew went to a SA on his round the world travels. He reckoned it was a beautiful place. Lovely big roads, superb scenery, clean air etc. Said if they sorted the politics and danger out he would live there over most other places.

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SuperSonic

13/03/2006 at 14:46

I was there last week for a business trip.

Joburg Tuesday/Wednesday, Cape Town Thursday, Durban Friday then home.

As you can tell from that - didn;t really see too much but it does look a beautiful place. You need to be more security aware than in the UK or Europe, but it's not likely to be a problem as long as you're aware and alert.

Orange Z1000 with a few mods....

Makman

13/03/2006 at 14:48

Lived there for 25 years. A beautiful country that is slowly climbing out of a dark hole that it dived into 10 years or so ago. I'd live there again if it was stable and safe. It is a fantastic place for a holiday so long as you follow common sense and stay out of townships and city centres. Cape Town is the place to go and the surrounding areas are stunning, then up to coast to KwaZulu/Natal and then inland to Kruger National Park.

smithmar

13/03/2006 at 14:49

AnnAliRse wrote

Anybody been there on holiday / lived there?

Saw a programme on TV last night featuring the wildlife of SA - what an absolutely stunning country (well, the bits I saw around the Cape of Good Hope).

I really fancy a holiday there, but am not sure how safe it is these days around the Capetown and/or Jo'burg areas. There used to be all sorts of horror stories about the hazards of being a foreign tourist.

Your thoughts, comments and ideas for an approx. 10 day stay will be welcomed.

I'd be cautious of accepting advice from "ex-pats" who's first priority once democracy broke out was to leg it. My missus' family all live in Joburg/Cape.
I would definitely do a 2 stage trip; 5 days safari then fly/drive to Cape area. Miss out Joburg, it ain't pretty

smithmar

13/03/2006 at 14:51

Taipan wrote

Heard some dreadful stories about SA from SA'ers. A guy (ex SA plod) was telling us about how they would arrive at villages where a massacre had taken place. They had to be careful when moving around as it would often be left booby trapped. They would find grenades under bodies or live babies, so when they were moved, boom.
.

Shame it didn't take his hand off. Nazi Africaaners, gotta love 'em.

Firebabe

13/03/2006 at 15:01

Fantastic properties to be had.. (low economy though - hence the migration of hundreds of S.A'rs... along with political reasons)

the place shown (mostly) on the TV prog was 'Sea point' near Cape Town - one of my favourite places....

My family have lived out there since 70's (before that, in Malawi). Have been on visits four times over the years. Twice to Cape Town.

Got cousins living in Botswana and Jo'Burg now. Points of interest in Jo'Burg - Monte Casino, Sun City and the Lion Park (if you like cuddling lion cubs.. that is)

Its a fantastic place - as is ALL Africa. We walked the whole way across Table Mountain in 85...
Has its problems (mostly in town) - and I suppose, in many areas could still be a bit of a political time-bomb... Also you can't get your money out once its in... (Which is why the offshore financial sector is a big hit with SAfricans...)

I will be going back for another visit, hopefully Durban (Natal) in the next year or so.

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you're taking up too much space...

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beep

13/03/2006 at 15:17

Fanastic place for a holiday. I was there a couple of years ago, travelling around the Cape, Kruger and Namibia. I've been to Africa on several occasions and found South Africa (and Namibia), very accessible and safe, with the obvious exception of some areas around Joburg and Cape Town. We stayed in both Hout Bay and Cape Town itself - Hout Bay felt a lot safer and pretty relaxing. But for true relaxation, head further along the coast or inland.

We didn't do the "Garden Route" which is the typical tourist route around the coast, didn't have the time and wanted to see more wildlife, the reason we spent most of the time in Namibia and Kruger. The tourist infrastructure is very sound, wasn't worried for our safety at all - where the might be slight risk, the local businesses usually provide security (guards with shotguns usually). Like travel in any country, don't make yourself an obvious target, SA is no worse than many western countries, although Joburg isn't somewhere I'd want to go on holiday to.

The Cape has plenty to see. Table Mountain, watching Whales from land at Hermanus, Bontebok National Park (very low key no big game but relaxing). Kruger is one of the best national parks in Africa - it has very good road and camp system, lots of people, which puts the "back to nature" safari snobs off a bit, but there are a lot of animals to see and you can escape the crowds, which are no worse than in some parts of Kenya. Similarly Etosha in Namibia is fantastic, black rhinos by the campsite etc. Next time, we'll go to KwaZulu which has some great parks too (and less crowded).

Another thing in its favour is the food, which is very good by African standards (let face it some African food isn't great, with the exception of fish!). Very cheap wine in the restaurant. Also flights are very easy to book, for not a lot of money, as low as £400 return. Plenty of choice too and most of the accomodation can be booked online.

Also don't worry too much about booking a "tour". It's a doddle to book a DIY trip from scratch, as easy as the US, even easier than Europe infact.

In summary South Africa is great introduction to Africa, a very easy place to take a holiday and once you've been you might be as hooked on Africa as I am!

10 day isn't long enough really, try 4 weeks instead. Go for it!

????

Hawkman

13/03/2006 at 16:28

Going back in Oct/Nov with a view to settling back in the "fatherland". I'll go along with what most people on here have said. Go for at least two weeks. You'll get more space and less people in the northern and western game parks (except for Kruger obviously). Last time I went I stayed with an old friend from my nature conservation days in a state reserve/forest near lake st. lucia in kwazulu. The Drakensberg mountain range is also worth a shout. Depends what you want, it's got everyting from semi-arrid desert like the Karoo and northwest province to rolling grassland (veld) and tropical rainforest in the far noth-east. It is a far more chilled out place than you-rip - just go with the flow and chill (but service industry is good because it depends on tourist dollars etc). For the most part people are friendly and the sun shines most of the time. As long as you remember that there is still high unemployment and more have-nots than have's you'll be fine.

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tufty

13/03/2006 at 16:43

I lived there at the end of the 70s and spent an idyllic childhood watching the Mirages lift off from Waterkloof airbase and head off towards Mozambique to give the Rhodesians a spot of tac air support. We'd see the planes return with their bomb racks empty, some of them flying so low you could read the names on the side of the cockpit. I think one of them was called "Munt Muncher" (whatever that means

).

Those were the days when we had no garden fence (save a chain link one to separate our garden from the neighbours), no guard dogs, no guns, no security bars, no "safe" room.........

Happy days!

Taipan

13/03/2006 at 16:44

Plus, they got some really cool snakes. If you see the one below, run! Run fast though as they can reach speeds of 40mph and beware as they not only chase you they have been known to track people down to their hotel rooms and break in and bite them.

JamJar

13/03/2006 at 16:58

I lived in SA for 20 years, 17 of them in Johannesburg and the East Rand and the last 3 in Cape Town. Tis a beautiful country but it does have several problems. Poverty is and always has been a very real problem and this has led to a rampant crime problem. This was true in the early eighties and is true now, in Joburg it was common practce to live behind bars on the windows even in 1981. Violent crime is a real problem as with the years of strife life is cheap. You have to pay for any kind of decent healthcare and education is not free and the standards have changed.

Another problem is that there is a policy of affirmative action to empower the majority black population, this can make getting a job as a white male a lot harder.