South Africa/Johanesburg ?

Silvera

I'm considering going to Johanesburg (A friend has offered me the use of his city apartment for a few weeks).

Anybody here been to S.A/Johanesburg ?

...Safe ?
....Sights ?
....Cost of flights in October ?
....Pilansberg (?) Safari (good/bad) ?
.....Weather in October ?

Cheers,
Silvera.

Silvera

Are vacine jabs required for S.A ?

If so, how far in advance of travelling ?

michaelanthony

It's reasonably safe. I would say that you should walk around as part of a group if possible if you're white. Gold reef city is pretty cool. It's a theme park with roller coasters and water rides. The Nelson Mandela bridge is pretty cool too. There's not much in downtown Johannesburg. Everything seems to be based in the outskirts. Melville and Sophiatown are artsy and they are where the coolest places are to hangout at night. There are some really nice shopping centres. Sandton has the best. Pilansberg is up near Sun City - about 1.5 hours drive north of Johannesburg. Sun city is majorly cool too and is definitely worth staying for a day and a night if you're in the vicinity. Safari's are good. The night ones are better. It can get really cold at night though. There is information about tropical vaccines on the tropical medical bureau's website. The winter should be over now and heading into summer so temperatures should be >20 C. You'll need a car to get around as there isn't any really alternative at all because the city is huge and spread out and you will more likely than not be an immediate target for crime if you're white and using public transport. Oh and the drivers are lunatics.

mikeruurds

I'm a South African, so I can give you a few informed tips:

...Safe? - It's very safe if you keep your eyes open and don't advertise your wealth or the fact that you are a tourist. If you stick to places that the previous poster recommended (Gold Reef City and other tourist spots) you'll be very safe as South Africa prides itself on its tourism trade and keeps it's visitors protected. If you do venture away from the "sights" you will be at a higher risk. But regardless of this something could go wrong no matter where you are. I lived in SA for 25 years and have never experienced any danger. Keep in a group and always be wary... then you'll be fine

...Sights? - It's up to you... there are so many things to do around Jo'burg. Tell us what you enjoy doing and we can try and recommend things.

...Cost of flights in October? - It starts getting expensive in October. If you plan on going this year then you'll probably pay a fortune for a ticket. There are relatively few flights going to SA and there is a high demand. If you're going next year then I'd recommend that you buy tickets ASAP... Jan-06. You'll probably get away with paying about €650 or so. It's the beginning of summer so it's high season. We go home once a year and we always book 10 months in advance. We're flying on the 17th Nov and our tickets cost €2200 for 2!!

...Pilansberg? Safari? - The Pilansberg is a beautiful area and a safari is a must do if you have never been to Africa, but finding good value for money can be difficult. All inclusive safari deals start at about €350 per night!!! The locals tend to go the less orchestrated route and do self-drive type safaris. You'll need to do a little research and have a look at what your budget can afford. If you go far north you will need to take malaria medication.

...weather in October? - October is summer and should be anything from 24C to 32C (I think!)

I'd recommend that you take up your friends offer if you can afford it. The only thing is that I wouldn't spend much time in JHB... it would be nice if you could fit Cape Town and a bit of the garden route (Knysna!!!) in as well. Everyone should go to SA at least once in their lives. The place is amazing. Get a good travel book (Frodor's etc.) and read it... they'll recommend sights and precautions.

I hope I've been of some help