South Africa
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Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
Visas are obtainable at the South Africa/Mozambique border when travelling overland by truck. R$180 was the going rate when I arrived. Be prepared to pay "baksheesh" to someone at the border post, but you will eventually get a visa.
Christine Ingemorsen, Canada (Feb 05)
Visas are for three months and are obtainable at the border for many nationalities (i.e. Swiss, German, Austrian, USA nationals). It is possible to request more than three months, but receiving a longer visa all depends on the person you're speaking to.
Denise Werner, Germany (Mar 03)
Travel Tips
Table Mountain - if it's windy, it can be freezing on the top no matter whether it's warm or not below (we were there in the middle of summer). We found that parking anywhere near the cableway station was a disaster (unless you're prepared to go very early in the morning) so you had to be willing to park quite a way down the hill and then walk up. After several hours of queuing, the cableway closed due to high winds but we stuck it out (unlike a lot of people) and it did eventually reopen. It also seemed to be closed all day on New Year's Day (which surprised us).
Ruth Lucas, UK (Apr 05)
Table Mountain Cable Car - obviously a must see and do for any visitor to Cape Town. If you can see the top of the mountain get up there that day, it might not be clear tomorrow or the day after that! The cable car cost R95 return and R50 single for adults. Don't just stay on the tourist trail on top, put on your walking shoes and take the walk to Maclear's Beacon at the eastern end. It's an easy 45 minute walk each way and is well worth the effort.
Chris & Aileen Lea, UK (Apr 03)
We hired a car to get around. All over SA there are parking wardens who will show the space, back you in and 'offer to watch the motor' - a bit like Manchester when going to the football - the only difference is when you return 4 hours later they are still 'looking after the motor'. There is no fixed price for the service, and the locals only pay R2. We where giving the wardens R10 and they were most happy.
David (May 03)
Moving About
Just got back from driving the Garden Route â?? Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay. Few bits of advice. South Africa petrol stations rarely take UK credit cards - be prepared to pay in Rand. Not all petrol stations sell petrol in rural areas and they may be diesel only. Check the spare tyre of any hire car â?? punctures are common. Always worth letting the garage teams do a check on oil/water/tyre pressures. Insurances on hire cars can add significantly to the cost. Watch on crossroads - first car to arrive has priority. Check distances before setting out- this is a large country. Watch out for animals on remote roads (eg. 2 desert tortoises having a bonk !!) Where to go? Cango caves, Swartberg pass (spectacular), Kysna, Storms river mouth and my favourite - Graff Reinet and the Valley of Desolation - Eastern Cape. Drop into the Tourist Cafe next to Reinet House for advice and Internet access. Good luck !
Keith Otto, UK (Dec 04)
On minibuses: I never had any troubles with minibuses when traveling from Durban, via Swaziland to Nelspruit. They were fast, cheap, African and interesting (people I met on the buses showed me around in Mbabane, told me about Zulu and Swazi cultures, etc.). However, it must be mentioned that, especially in larger towns, minibus ranks are often not the safest places to be. In Durban I was looking for my minibus, carrying my big backpack and my daypack, when a car pulled up next to me with four white men in it. Like most white South Africans these people wondered why I was taking a minibus. 'Do you want to get killed, or what?' It was ironical (and scary too!) that these people said this while they were wearing vests with hand grenades, belts with guns and had automatic guns on their laps! They were obviously drug barons or some protection gang. Luckily they were not out for me, but just wondering why a white guy would take a minibus. I heard similar stories from other backpackers, so be on your guard at the stations. Once you hop on the bus it's all okay.
David Hulshuis, Netherlands (Feb 02)
Scams & Warnings
When arriving at the Jo'burg international airport, my wife and I were immediately swamped by "registered" and "unregistered" porters who "offered" to wheel our bags for us. Normally we would have put our bags on our backs but because we had to go through customs and then go to Jo'burg domestic airport for our flight to Cape Town we put them on trolleys and wheeled them. These porters expect money, don't actually help you that much and they are extremely persistent. I felt it would have been worthwhile if we were prepared for the porters and had known how to get rid of them (ie. put our bags on our backs) and what to pay them (apparently 7 rand will do it according to a tour guide). These porters would simply put their hand on your trolley and walk you to wherever you were going - I'm certain that almost anyone could find their way around the airport terminals because of signposting. A tour guide also said it has been known that some of these porters manage to steal your luggage.
Ben Coogan, Australia (Aug 03)
Travel by minibus-taxi is truly recognised as an unsafe way of travel, for BOTH BLACK & WHITE. I myself used to ignore that warning (I am white) until I was personally assaulted inside a taxi, during the day, for asking very politely for the music to be turned down a little. Another man, also in broad daylight, using the same taxi route I did was stabbed 14 times with a screwdriver for skipping his R2.50 fare. A lady up the road was held up at gunpoint by a taxi-driver in daylight, and another pregnant lady was thrown out onto the road when she asked for the sound to be turned down. This lady was black. Another black colleague was victim to a taxi highjacking when most were assaulted. There is absolutely no law when it comes to the majority of minibus-taxis. We have lost 3 sales of our house, due to the fact that these taxis have now started to use the road we live in. Use them at your own peril.
Carole, South Africa (Jun 03)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
About 20km from Bethlehem in the Eastern Free State there is a nature reserve which does not feature in the Lonely Planet guidebook. You may think that yet another game reserve in South Africa is not earth-shattering but this reserve is quite unique in that it is a breeding centre for white lions. I understand that there are only about 100 white lions in the world. From a tourist point of view, what made the visit so interesting is that you can pick up and hold lion cubs, as well as watch them being fed by hand. The reserve includes other animals such as cheetahs, rhino, antelope and wildebeest.
Bob Perrin, UK (Oct 02)
The vintage steam train trip of 67 km from George to Knysna (the Outeniqua Choo-Choo) is an absolute MUST. The train line runs right next to the sea for a lot of the way and the scenery is fabulous. There are at least two trains a day between the two towns. Note that the train no longer departs from George station but rather from the Outeniqua Railway Museum (2 Mission Street, George), a short distance further up the track.
Noordhoek Beach was recently voted as one of the best three beaches in the Western Cape, but it isn't well-known to visitors. It is a huge expanse of white sand, freezing water and massive waves (great for surfing, but bring a wet-suit). If you don't have a car, take a MetroRail train to Fish Hoek (which itself has a great beach with warm water) then a bus from there; this will take at least 90 minutes from Cape Town. By car take the M3 south (De Waal Drive) to the end, turn right onto the M42 west (Steenberg Road) then left onto the M64 south (Ou Kaapse Weg). About six kilometres further turn right, then right again onto the M6 and follow the signs for "Noordhoek Beach". Nearby there are a couple of excellent restaurants and pubs (most notably the Red Herring, tel 021 789 1783). Previously you could get to Noordhoek by driving along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Town (Victoria Road, the M6), but since the closure of Chapman's Peak drive (the M6 south of Hout Bay) due to rockfalls this is no longer possible.
Paul Kilfoil, South Africa (Jan 02)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
I loved Capetown before I even got there. It was probably about day 40 of my African safari that I started to fall in love with the place even though over 1000 kms and a border crossing separated us. I loved Capetown for perhaps all the wrong reasons but I started to dream about it and when I was awake I day dreamed about it.....the reasons were possibly rather fickle but than again after 45 days I couldn't give a toss. I love Capetown because.....
They have toilets there that flush, have soap dispensors and a hand drier...I love Capetown because I don't have to squat behind a twig in the middle of a flat desert, I love Capetown because I can go to a toilet without peeing on my feet..... getting heat stroke from squatting in 50 degree heat....or flashing a village of masai tribesman herding goats.... I love Capetown because there is no such thing as a long drop and you can retrieve items such as room keys and sunglasses if they accidently fall in.....
I love Capetown because they have beds to stay in and the luxary of sharing a dorm room with 12 males who have been out on the grog all night, had some sort of garlic dish for dinner and then all suffering from flatulance of a diabolical degree is actually an upgrade......I love Capetown because I don't have to erect my sleeping arrangements with a hammer or worry about what type of animal may get into my tent and poison me.....I love Capetown because when I do stay in a bed I stay in the one spot....I don't slide all over the place in my silk lined sleep sheet inside the sleeping bag on top of a sleep mat and wonder why i wake up at the bottom of the tent....
I love Capetown because a herd of elephants will not walk through your campsite away from the roar of lions and jackels will not steal your flip flops....I love Capetown because there are no malaria carrying mosquitos or scorpions in your backpack...I love Capetown because they don't have frogs, millapeades or spiders in the showers...and they have hot taps!
I love Capetown because for lunch I don't have to have a salad sandwhich with what the africans like to call "meat", with bread that is half toasted by the time you get to eat it, and I don't have to flap my dishes dry....I love Capetown because there are drinks other than Coke and Orange Fanta and beers other than "Castle"....I love Capetown becase they have coffee served with fresh milk not UHT or powerded....I love Capetown because for breakfast there is yougart and muesli instead of warm UHT milk and non name cornflakes....I love Capetown because they have different food on the menu rather than the animals you have spent the last 10 hours taking photos of!
So you can see why I loved Capetown.... of couse it's one of the best cities in the world because everyone who does an overland safari can't wait to get there....they love it before they even arrive!!!
Aileen Staunton, Australia (Jan 06)
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