My wife and I, American, may be heading to South Africa around Xmas. We have been invited to a wedding on 12/20 north of Vryburg(out in the sticks from what I can tell). Right now we are looking at flights that leave on the 17th, arrive on the 18th and then return between 12/28 and 1/3. After that we would really want to see Cape Town and spend some time in its surroundings and then hit up a game park. I also have some friends in Durban, but do not think I will have time to make it down to see them.
For the wedding and for economics it would make sense to fly in and out of Joburg. From what I hear it is a big, sometimes dangerous city with some nice museums. Nothing is grabbing me yet there other than the cheap airfare.
Making up for that I expect that after the wedding and perhaps a game park we will fly to Cape Town as the distances look too great.
For game parks I keep reading about Kruger, but that is on the other side of Joburg from the wedding. Are there any other places I should consider?
Over Christmas and New Years, how much of South Africa shuts down? What is it like? Are we going to be holed up in our hotel with nothing to do, as every restaurant, museum, even park is closed; not just on Christmas day but the whole week?
We really like colonial architecture so in addition to hearing great things about Cape Town, and wanting to visit where my father studied in the 1970s, we want to see if there is anything left from the British or Dutch days. Is there anywhere else that has a colonial legacy that we should check out.
