Hi TTers out there,
we have tickets to Jo'burg for a 3 week holiday from mid August. We want to meet people, see wildlife and the country in general. We don't want to spend too much time driving and rather don't want to stay in too many places, so thought to save Cape Town and Garden Route for a future trip and rather concentrate on the area of Jo'burg, Kruger / Panorama Route, St. Lucia wetlands and possibly down till Durban.
1. Is it worth to spend a few days in or near Jo'burg or should we rather go straight to Mpumalanga? What can be seen in and near Jo'burg?
2. For Kruger NP, is it a good idea to go to one of the (less expensive:-) private lodges for a first few days to get an idea from the rangers what to look for, then continue on our own in one (or several) of the public places to stay in the NP? Or should we rather do it the other way round?
3. I read that there are coral reefs off St. Lucia or a little north of there. Can anyone who has been snorkelling or diving in south east Asia comment on how these reefs compare? Also, are they easily accessible for snorkelling from the beach or do we need to rent or go on a boat? I wonder if I should take along my own snorkelling gear. What sea water temperature can we expect there late August?
Thank you all !
To answer your first question:
(I still have not finished putting in all the links - for those that are missing try a google.)
What to see and do - Johannesburg/Pretoria and surrounds
The following list contains some of the places to visit in and around Johannesburg and Pretoria. Some of them have links to their own web-sites, others not.
PILANESBERG ( 2 hours drive from Johannesburg)
Pilanesberg National Park
Sun City
NORTHERN TSHWANE
Tswaing Meteorite Crater
PRETORIA CITY
Voortrekker Monument and Fort Schanskop
Union Buildings
Kruger House Museum
Melrose House
Church Square and Kruger Statue
State Theatre
Pretoria City Hall
Transvaal Natural History Museum
Smuts House
Sammy Marks House
HARTBEESPOORT
Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris
Van Gaalens Cheese Factory
Welwitschia Country Market and Chameleon Village
Cableway (Check whether the cableway is operating.)
De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre
Lesedi Cultural Village
Elephant Sanctuary
MIDRAND
S A Mint - Coin World
African Reptiles and Venom
Lipizzaners
CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve and the Wonder Cave
Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng Interpretation Centre
Old Kromdraai Gold Mine
Heia Safari Ranch (Tribal Dancing)
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens (scroll down the page)
Krugersdorp Game Reserve
JOHANNESBURG (NORTH)
Lion Park
Ngwenya Glass Village
Sandton City
Montecasino
JOHANNESBURG CITY
Constitution Hill (including Johannesburg Fort)
Top of Africa
Museum Africa
Diagonal Street and the Muti Shop
Oriental Plaza
Mai Mai Market
Santarama Miniland
SAB World of Beer
Planetarium
War Museum
Johannesburg Zoo
JOHANNESBURG (SOUTH-WEST)
Apartheid Museum
Gold Reef City
SOWETO
Regina Mundi Church
Hector Peterson Memorial
Mandela House Museum
Wandi’s Tavern
Freedom Square
Credo Mutwa Village and the Oppenheimer Tower
EASTERN GAUTENG
Premier Diamond Mine (Cullinan)
Nan-Hua Buddhist Temple (Bronkhostspruit)
Kghodwana Ndebele Village
Loopspruit Wine Cellars
Site of Battle of Bronkhorstspruit
SOUTHERN GAUTENG
Rondebult Bird Sanctuary
Marievale Bird Sanctuary
Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve
Heidelberg Motor Museum
Your second question:
The private lodges are very expensive, but if your budget allows then allocate 2 nights at one of them - but do that after a self-drive visit to the Kruger Park (www.sanparks.org). The experiences are very different and in Kruger you do not get up close and personal with the animals as in the privately owned parks. But both are most enjoyable and I would suggest you allow another 3 nights in Kruger - preferably staying at Satara (2 nights) and Lower Sabie camps.
Your third question:
Sorry, I can't really help you there.
Johannesburg is a great city and definitely worth a couple of days. The Apartheid Museum and a tour of Soweto, including the Hector Pieterson Museum and Nelson Mandela's former house, alone make it worth it. I also found downtown Joburg really interesting; reminds me of NYC, with the grand old buildings and raised highways. A taxi ride to the Soweto Art Gallery (mentioned in LP) and the oldest bar in Johannesburg, the Guild House, right down the street makes for a nice afternoon. Melville is a university area, and a good place for dinner or drinks later on.
As for ques. #2, I agree with Rudi--both experiences of Kruger are worthwhile. If you splurge anywhere in SA, I would say do it in Kruger: you'll see animals driving around by yourself, but part of what you're paying for in private lodges is the expert tracking experience of rangers and trackers. They have a reputation to unhold and there's a lot of competition, so they'll do everything they can to show you the Big Five.
Sorry, can't help with #3 either!
Jo'burg's good for a couple of days, include Pretoria and you could stretch it a bit further. I'd certainly reccommend the Crasdle of Mankind, where Dr. Robert Broome developed some of the original theories of mankind having evolved in Africa. When you're ready to leave Joburg/Pretoria, consider Swaziland. You don't need a visa and you get just about every aspect of an African country all within a couple of hours driving! Write me a private message if you want more on Swaziland.
Ndlovu
Thanks all! Sorry for the late reply, very busy at the moment! Sorry, RudiK, but that's way too much - don't want to spend my whole vacation around town
One more Q:
Will my German driver's license be good enough to rent a car in ZA?
It may be enough to rent a car, but you will need an International Drivers Licence to drive it legally.
Thank you again, RudiK! Looks like I have to spend the money to get a new driver's license - my old one isn't good enough to get the international version.
Re. Kruger NP, is there any private lodge that is not soooo expensive but still offers guided tours?
I will refer you to this thread.
The last paragraph of the last response, fromTanqi, may answer your question.
One more Q: How much approx. will be a private taxi from the international airport to Melville? It's about 35 km. I found this, but it only refers to Minibus taxis, and I did not find Melville in there.
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