First Time Africa

Hey
I'm planning to south africa/namibia/botswana for 8weeks, leaving the end of this month. I've been to Egypt before, but the south i realise is going to be completely different.
Realistically, a budget of £10 a day, is that ok? I won't stay in particularly good places and i dont spend too much on food, am I going to be ok?
I'm 21 and going to be travelling on my own. But is such a strict budget going to decrease my enjoyment? Also how easy/cheap is it to get round?
Cheers
Rob x

Hi Rob, really think you need to do some SERIOUS saving between now and the end of the month ! I dont know how much local travel costs now, but from what ive read on here in the past, you will need somewhere around R80 for a room at a backpackers, leaving you R60 per day for your other requirements.

There's plenty of good info on recent posts, re Bazbus, trains ect for your travel needs, but IMHO you will be WAY over budget R140ish a day will leave you struggling !

Rob,

How do you propose to get around Namibia and Botswana?

It is not easy, nor cheap, to travel in those countries. Botswana deliberately tries to exclude budget tourists, and charges operators high prices for facilities.

Namibia does not have public transport as such. You need to get on a tour or rent a car, if you want to see anything other than petrol stations. You only have 8 weeks. You might be better focusing on South Africa alone in that time. Certainly there is enough to see in that time,and its infrastructure is a bit more real.
Peter

Unfortunately, Botswana and Namibia are considered as not so cheap destination in Africa... Even if you camp, it might be not enough
If you plan to go on safaris in Botswana (the actual of visiting this country) it can be tricky - you can find camping for relatively cheap in Maun or Kasane (maybe 35-40Pula) and then a game drive in Chobe is about 100Pula. Good news though, transport and food is cheap. Bus from Gabs to Maun is about 100P(but actually, that is almost youre budget for a day). Street food is 10Pula (about 1pound) and groceries are cheap
For South Africa, don't even think about taking the bazbus with this budget. Since you have time (8 weeks is nice to do this) you can save buy taking local transport. Look at Intercape, Greyghound, Translux webstie, and on Computicket (those 3 companys have cheaper line but it usually don't come up in their website - it does on Computicket) for an idea of transportation cost. Campsite is about 40Rands per person per night
Namibia is not cheap either, especially that it's hard to do it by public transport (that I heard) - there is buses but they stop in the towns, and the "attraction" (the desert, the parks) are further away...

good luck!

Ok thanks for the quick responses

Ok so if I stick to South Africa then i guess it'll work out cheaper, and if i spend a bit more time on the beaches/coast, can't be a bad thing.
Still have to keep thinking about this, but cheers.
x

PS what is IMHO?

In My Humble (?) Opinion (IMHO) the budget of GBP10 per day would still not be enough. Double it by cutting your holiday down to 4 weeks and you may just scrape by.

I agree with above. Travel is about more than just survival. There are lots of things to see and do in South Africa and I think you are cutting yourself short.

There are other countries in Africa that are much cheaper to visit. Malawi or Ghana are two places that I recommend.

Peace,

BB

Don't forget it's winter in South Africa. Not exactly similar to Scotland in January, but maybe not ideal for beaches.

And as you have been to Egypt before, this is actually "second-time Africa",
pete the pedant

I would agree with BB, if you haven't booked your flights yet think about changing destination to Malawi. Rather than just scraping by in RSA with little money to actually do anything, you will be able to travel about much more easily in Malawi. It's a very friendly place and a good place to travel if you're alone. Just a suggestion...
Sam

#6 Rudi , yes it was 'HUMBLE'

Rob, please take note of all of the excellent advice above and reconsider your plans ! 6,500 miles away from home just aint the place to run out of money !!!

Cheers everyone

Looks like i'll just go surfing in Bali for a few months, or maybe go down the Ghana route

xx

Agree with all those who've tried to bring you back down to Earth as to costs. And I'll add one more comment, despite your apparent decision to look for cheaper countries.<blockquote>Quote
<hr>if i spend a bit more time on the beaches/coast<hr></blockquote>If by that you think that's where you'll find lower-cost accommodation, or even sleep on the beach (!), then I'm afraid wrong on both counts.

But don't abandon the idea of South Africa. Save your money, then visit. You won't regret it!