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Pre Trip Concerns

At the outset of the vacation, there were three main things I was concerned about:

1. The issue of driving on the other side of the road (British style) was really a non-issue.  There was no problem getting used to right hand drive.

2. Malaria - we picked winter in South Africa as not only are the game sightings better, but the risk of malaria is also reduced.  This was indeed the case, as we saw only one mosquito on the whole trip and it was in the Drakensberg Mountains.  Consulting a pharmacist in Jo'burg upon arrival, he recommended Doxycycline as the prophylactic of choice for this area and suggested we use it even at this time of year to add an extra ounce of protection.  We also used mosquito repellent when out in the evenings in the malarial areas of the eastern part of the country.

3. Crime in South Africa - generally throughout the whole trip we did not feel threatened at all.  That said, we took two precautions which were to avoid the cities of Durban and Johannesburg (and parts of Cape Town), and to generally do all of our traveling during the daylight.  I did have a greater feeling of unease the times we were out after sundown in some areas, and had heard stories from other travelers of muggings and robberies.  This is an issue not to be taken lightly but appropriate planning should keep any South Africa journey incident free.

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Accommodation

In order to make the first few days of the vacation hassle free, we booked the initial five nights over the internet from Germany, but were reluctant to book more as we wanted the flexibility of staying longer if we liked a certain area.  I have listed a number of our overnights which are worth mentioning for various reasons:

Jo'burg - Holiday Inn Garden Court - Jo'burg Airport.  This Holiday Inn is located 3 km from the airport and has a shuttle service which we used to ensure safe transport to and from. It was our most expensive overnight on the trip, but considering the many concerns about Jo'burg, was well worth the extra expense.

Graskop - Blyde Lodge - run by Pierre and Bertha - this was a DB&B (dinner, bed and breakfast).  This couple made our first real night in SA a wonderful experience, with a barbecue (braai in SA) which included local cuisine. They also gave us good travel advice.

Kruger National Park - Stayed at Lower Sabie Rest Camp on the banks of the Lower Sabie River.  An excellent location, with hippos, hyenas, and lions roaming outside of the camp at night.  We booked a self catering hut there which included kitchen facilities, but no utensils.  I would recommend this camp, but the bookings must be made via internet or fax or phone well ahead of time.  It is generally not advisable to arrive at Kruger and try to find space in a camp. At the time of our trip, it was school holidays, and everything was full.

Swaziland - Meikle's Mount - This was a pleasant surprise - cottages with fire place about 25 km outside of Mbane, the capital of Swaziland. 

Santa Lucia area - Riverview - Wendy's Country Lodge - our favorite place to stay on the trip largely because of the efforts and hospitality of Wendy and Tony who run this 6 room B&B.

North of Durban - Salt Rock - Nalson's View - Nice B&B with a great breakfast.  Wendy and Kelvin also go to great lengths to make your stay enjoyable.

Northern Drakensberg - Leaning Tower of Pizza - a working farm with nice rooms, a restaurant and a close location to Royal Natal National Park, which has great hiking.

Addo Elephant Park - we stayed in the park in a very nice self catering chalet.

Tsitsikama National Park - our other favorite place to stay - self catering cottages at the water's edge.  Nothing like waking up in the morning to dolphins, whales and the sound of the incoming surf.

Ouitshoorn - our third favorite place to stay - Nico and Estelle host a DB&B near the Kangoo Caves.  A small, working ostrich farm, where we were served a great dinner with ostrich caserole, and English breakfast with ostrich sausages.

Hermanus - We stayed at the Hermanus Esplanade self catering apartments.  It was great to open the curtains in the morning, and be able to look for whales right out of the bedroom or living room windows.  

Stellenbosch - Orchard Lane - a B&B in a suburb of Stellenbosch in the wine country.  Good location within walking distance of town center.

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Sights

The top destinations on our trip, and reasons for each are shown below (your top destinations may of course vary, depending on the sightings, weather, etc.):

1. Tsitsikama National Park - good location, good hiking, opportunity for dolphins and whales from July to November, and Nature's Valley - a beautiful spot is close by

2. Hermanus - almost guaranteed sightings of southern right whales from July - November.  We could have stayed here for a week.

3. Kruger National Park - speaks for itself

4. Royal Natal National Park - great hiking in the northern Berg

5. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park - next to Kruger the best game park with good scenery as well

6. Santa Lucia area - numerous good to very good parks close by; also diving, snorkeling, estuaries for crocs, hippos and fishing, and much more

7. Blyde River Canyon - great scenery

8. Addo Elephant Park - no predators but with a good chance of seeing lots of elephants 

9. Cape Town area - Cape of Good Hope, Simonstown, Cape Point, Vasco da Gama Memorial, Waterfront, Table Mountain, Chapman's Peak, Hout Bay, a taste of South Africa today - even with bad weather which occurs in winter, this is a must

10. Ouitshoorn - ostrich farms, Kangoo Caves, Swartberg Pass

11. Stellenbosch - the wine country

12. The Karoo - a sometimes desolate countryside made for a long but enjoyable drive through the interior of South Africa

13. Swaziland - small kingdom between SA and Mozambique.  Some national parks are good for hiking and game drives

14. Durban - some things worth seeing such as the Sharks Board, the Dolphin Coast, and the drives into the tribal homelands near Valley of 1000 Hills

15. Lesotho - perhaps a taste of the real Africa

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Recommendations

If we were to do the trip again (and another visit to South Africa is near the top of our list), there are a number of things we would suggest.  They are:

1. We would have preferred more time out of the car, and because of the large number of kilometers, we missed things such as hiking, snorkeling, diving, visiting townships such as Soweto, taking a full day wine tour, visiting museums such as District 6 in Cape Town.  For a 3 1/2 week trip a good option might be to cut the country in half, and only do the eastern or western halves.  If you have more time - such as five/six weeks or more, then a trip like ours would be feasible.  Seven weeks or more could mean adding in Kimberley, Kalahari Gemsbok, the western coast.

2. Stay in the national parks if you can.  Get up early and go on game drives starting as early as possible (6 am).  The larger animals such as lions which sleep during the day are active around dawn and dusk.  Take night game drives - you'd be surprised how many animals also enjoy using the paved roads,

3. Stay with families that have DB&B - for meals that give you a taste of the local cuisine.

4. Be careful if you have to drive at night.  South Africa has the highest accident rate in the world - and this is not only because of the driving, but also because of the large amount of pedestrians and animals that wander onto the roads (and highways) at night.

5. In most of the country the water is drinkable.  There is no need to purchase large amounts of mineral water.

6. Plan well ahead.  Talk to many people who have been there and get suggestions and advice. Book your first nights before you go.

7. Inform yourself about malaria.  Taking a prophylaxis, although not fun, is a better alternative than getting the disease.

8. Souvenirs - if you see something you like, and are willing to pay the price, buy it.  You may not see it again.  Wood crafted items are particularly plentiful in the Blyde River area.

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