South Africa

witchgirl26

Hey. Myself & the bf are heading to SA in about 3 weeks and just wondering a couple of things that someone here might be able to help with.

We're going Cape Town - Hermanus - Plettenberg Bay - Addo. All our accommodation is booked & we've our safari trips in Addo sorted as well. Our accommodation in Cape Town is self-catering so we'll have to eat out 3 meals a day probably. Main questions is how much spending money do you think we'd need each? We'll be there for 12 days in total.

Other questions is suggestions for things that are a must see in those places (or travelling between). We're going to Robben Island & Table Top Mountain but that's all we've really looked at.

Thanks in advance

andyournameis

First of all I'm so jealous, I've been to South Africa 5 times...
Cape Town, there is so much to do there, the best way around to see everything is get the hop on hop buses...http://www.citysightseeing.co.za/compare-tours, get a 3 day ticket
Go on the red route, because that will bring you to Table Mountain, you can buy tickets for table mountain there, also pack your swimming gear cause the bus will stop at Camps Bay, it has the most amazing beaches it is about 10 mins from Cape Town, this place is amazing lovely place to stop to eat and have a few drinks. Tusicany Bistro is fab and its just across from the bus stop. Try and do a shack tour,
Robben Island, booking in advance is a must, go for a early morning trip allow about 3 hours for this.
Try and go on a wine tour to Stellenbosh its only 40 mins from CT
V&A Waterfront is lovely place to eat at night, I personally love Belthazar Restaurant and Wine Bar its on the bottom floor you cannot miss it... If you are looking for cheap and cheerful Spurs at the waterfront is actually really good..If you want to get money out of a pass machine do it during the day ONLY at the waterfront never go to the pass machine on your own. The Ferryman is a nice place to have a few drinks in the waterfront.
Nelsons Eye is lovely for food just jump into a taxi and they will take you there http://www.nelsons-eye.co.za/
Castle is the main beer to drink over there, get used to it cause its dead cheap
Shark diving is great also... When you are doing day trips remember to haggle, never pay the asking price... Cape Town is as expensive as you want it to be, just shop around, its a very cheap country to eat and drink.
Shopping www.canalwalk.co.za you will need a taxi to get there, its huge get a map of the place when you arrive there, you will spend about 6 hours there... so enjoy that one
Street Markets are on a Saturday and Sunday in the old area, keep your handbag very close to you. Haggle again on the prices..... Try ticketmaster and see if there is anyone playing there cause tickets for concerts will be dirt cheap
Hope this helps

ScottSF

I hope to travel to South Africa in the next year or two so thanks for posting about your trip. I had not heard of Addo Elephant Park yet so it was helpful to look it up on the official site and watch the video about it.

OP, can you tell us more about how you booked your safari and any accommodation or transportation advice?

witchgirl26

andyournameis - thanks for that. It's really good! Going to print it out & look at it properly when I get home.

witchgirl26

ScottSF wrote: »

I hope to travel to South Africa in the next year or two so thanks for posting about your trip. I had not heard of Addo Elephant Park yet so it was helpful to look it up on the official site and watch the video about it.

OP, can you tell us more about how you booked your safari and any accommodation or transportation advice?

Hey ScottSF - I booked the flights & car hire from Trailfinders. It worked out the easiest to do it that way. They did offer safaris but it just didn't fit with our idea of what we were doing. We basically found a guesthouse on the edge of Addo that didn't do the safaris themselves but could arrange for us to do them from there (transfered etc). From looking around, there seems to be a few places that are like that. It means we can get into the National Park along with a private game reserve so that it's the best of both.

One of the reasons I like Addo is unlike Kruger, it's malaria free so there's no need to take any extra tablets!

6541

Okay, sorry to be negative, I was travelling SA for about 3 months about 6 years ago, My advise is about been safe.

Watch out at traffic lights, if you feel nervous and see people hanging around them, get the fook out, Jump the light if need be.

Get the cable car up table mountain, do not climb it.

If out on the beer, taxi from one pub to the next, no exceptions.

Get off the road before dark, be in your hotel settled before dark.

Make sure that your hotel has security.

Get official Cabs, never ever ever jump into the unbranded or dirty looking cabs.


If you come across a lovely beach that is deserted, do not go swimming, ask why is it deserted !

Make friends with some white Afrikaans, they will blow you away.

Enjoy the sights, truly amazing, but sorry SA has serious crime problems, if you feel nervous in a bar or indeed any place get out.

Rascasse

Near Plettenberg is Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and the Elephant Sanctuary. All three are worth going to, even the Elephant Sanctuary as you get up close to the elephants and walk with them (they rest their trunk in yout hand!). Also there is the a beach bar/restaurant that is the perfect place to have a beer as the sun goes down (and see whales if you're lucky).

6541 wrote: »

Okay, sorry to be negative, I was travelling SA for about 3 months about 6 years ago, My advise is about been safe.

Watch out at traffic lights, if you feel nervous and see people hanging around them, get the fook out, Jump the light if need be.

Get the cable car up table mountain, do not climb it.

If out on the beer, taxi from one pub to the next, no exceptions.

Get off the road before dark, be in your hotel settled before dark.

Make sure that your hotel has security.

Get official Cabs, never ever ever jump into the unbranded or dirty looking cabs.


If you come across a lovely beach that is deserted, do not go swimming, ask why is it deserted !

Make friends with some white Afrikaans, they will blow you away.

Enjoy the sights, truly amazing, but sorry SA has serious crime problems, if you feel nervous in a bar or indeed any place get out.

Come on, Cape Town is very safe and the Garden Route safer still. Joburg, and perhaps Durban are a different story.

ardmacha

Make friends with some white Afrikaans, they will blow you away.

Especially if you stay in their house and go the jacks during the night.

Seriously though, Capetown is very pleasant and well worth a visit.

witchgirl26

6541 wrote: »

Okay, sorry to be negative, I was travelling SA for about 3 months about 6 years ago, My advise is about been safe.

Watch out at traffic lights, if you feel nervous and see people hanging around them, get the fook out, Jump the light if need be.

I'd heard this alright but thought it was mainly in relation to Jo'burg.

6541 wrote: »

Get the cable car up table mountain, do not climb it.

Wondering why you say this? We'd been looking at climbing it & getting the cable car down.

6541 wrote: »

Get off the road before dark, be in your hotel settled before dark.

Make sure that your hotel has security.

Not really planning on being out in the dark much but the end of a couple of trips might be. Wondering if this would be an issue arriving in somewhere like Hermanus or Plettenberg (places we're most likely to be arriving late to).

6541 wrote: »

Make friends with some white Afrikaans, they will blow you away.

Enjoy the sights, truly amazing, but sorry SA has serious crime problems, if you feel nervous in a bar or indeed any place get out.

Tbh not sure how much time we'll have to make any proper friends as we're only going for 2 weeks & it's going to be pretty packed. We know someone who is in Cape Town so there at least we'll probably just end up hanging out with whoever they are with.

I think that could be said about a lot of places. I had similar advice going to Egypt a few years ago. I'm aware of the need to be vigilant but a lot of what I was hearing, from Irish/UK travel writers, is that the areas we're looking at going are not as bad as some of the others like Jo'burg.

Thanks though.

witchgirl26

ardmacha wrote: »

Especially if you stay in their house and go the jacks during the night.

Seriously though, Capetown is very pleasant and well worth a visit.

Ba-doom-tish!

Cheers.

Rascasse

witchgirl26 wrote: »

Wondering why you say this? We'd been looking at climbing it & getting the cable car down.

Table Mountain has spates of tourist climbers being robbed. As far as I've heard it is on the back of the mountain on the more remote trails. If you stick to the main one (Platteklip Gorge - starts here) you should be grand. My advice is not to plan to go on a specific day, but check the clouds each day when you wake up and if it's clear go that morning. If you go late you can end up having to park halfway down the mountain.

witchgirl26 wrote: »

[/COLOR]Not really planning on being out in the dark much but the end of a couple of trips might be. Wondering if this would be an issue arriving in somewhere like Hermanus or Plettenberg (places we're most likely to be arriving late to).

I can't speak for Hermanus, but Plett is very safe. We had no problems at all walking back late at night from bars.

roundymac

Afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson. Also the cape Point tour which takes in the Cape of Good Hope and False bay. They generally do Stellenbosh on the way back from there. Also you have to do a township tour to see the squalor that these people live in. Make sure it includes a visit to the District 6 museum. The waterfront is a great place to be at night time. Good restraunts and bars and a taxi rank to get you home. What hotel are you staying in?
PS, do the hop on hop off bus tour, you can get off at Table Mtn.

Trampas

I found driving grand over there. If you come across a slower car they move out of your way instead of fk you when in Ireland.

I nearly drove by a police checkpoint one day as all I seen was some bloke standing out and waving me in. No blue lights flashing or anything like that. He had a laugh about it and wished me well on my holidays.

Some holidays will have a shuttle bus to V&A waterfront in cape town.

I was advised not to walk about Cape Town at night but during the day it is fine.

Table Mountain as said about is check weather first thing and if clear do that straightaway as tomorrow could be cloudy.

Robben Island if intend to go book it as otherwise could be booked out.

Stay in a wine place as recommended.

If you are thinking of doing shark cage diving I did it with these people http://www.apexpredators.com/