8 days in South Africa - where to go?
Replies: 15 - Last Post: Sep 4, 2012 11:17 AM Last Post By: Jeroen
jump to
8 days in South Africa - where to go?
Landing and leaving from Johannesburg. Kruger is a must. The rest is open. Anthropologically speaking, anything interesting in Lesotho/Swaziland?2
Hi there Roberto,In terms of anthropological, what side are you referring to? As if you are referring to the study of humans, Swaziland is one of the last absolute kingdoms/monarchies in Africa (and the world) today. If you are meaning more the side of ancient humans/caves/ancestral beginnings, then the Sterkfontein caves in the Cradle of Mankind are an absolute must. They are around 2.5 - 3 hours away from Johannesburg. As noted above, Pilanesberg National Park is here too, and really fantastic, but the Kruger is THE KRUGER for a reason.
As a suggestion (depending on how much time you may have) why not spend a night in joburg, then head to Pilanesberg for a night (you can drive yourself in the park), then visit the Sterkfontein Caves on your way out to your next destination?
If you want to experience more wildlife than what the above may have to offer, have you considered a private reserve that borders the Kruger, i.e Sabi Sands?
Thank you, and I truly hope you enjoy!
Jacqui
Owner
Lodge Trackers
3
With 8 days, limit your scope. Kruger ideally deserves 3 full days minimum, add a day each to get there and back. That leaves you 3 days in which you could just about make it to Lesotho, which I find a fascinating country, but it's a really long and pretty boring drive from Kruger, so better stick to Swaziland then as it's next to Kruger. Two nights near Manzini will allow you to see the main sights, which are pretty low-key.Or skip that and spend a few days in Johannesburg, featured in the New York Times this week as an unmissable African metropolis. It's easy to explore the city and there's lots of cool new development; go on a tour in the city centre to see how people from across the continent have settled there. Don't miss the Ethiopian centre, a high-rise building full of Ethiopian shops and cheap food places.
5
Roberto,As Jeroen recommends, limit your scope if you have 8 days to two places.
Self-drive in SA is very easy and quite exhilarating. Check out our link to some common questions on self-drive at mykrugerlodge.com/selfdrivesafari/html
Given your time, I would pick between self-drive and one of the options Jacqui suggested above. I usually suggest a combo of self-drive and guided tours but in your case, your interests and budget will dictate which you pick.
If in the Kruger area, and you have a day, please check out the Panorama Route (Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Potholes, etc.). Well worth the trip.
Cheers!
6
Is Pretoria worth a visit?I may do:
Day 1: Johannesburg
Day 2: Kruger
Day 3: Kruger
Day 4: Kruger to Pretoria
Day 5 Pretoria
Day 5-6 Pretoria to Swaziland
Day 7 Johannesburg and back.
7
Swaziland is next to Kruger and Pretoria is next to Johannesburg, so besides the doubling-back, I don't think Pretoria's a good option for your limited amount of days.Add a day for the Panorama route and/or some more time in Swaziland, rather than Pretoria.
11
For your Kruger leg, what type of accommodations are you looking for? Inside the park? Self-catering outside the park? One of the private reserves next to the park?Keep in mind SA school holidays and Easter weekend.....I would avoid those and if you cannot, then book very early. Many people are disappointed because they cannot get their first choice of accommodations during some of the busy periods in SA.
Cheers!
