South Africa Travel Guide

The Bare Bones: Stuff You Need To Know

Language: Zulu, Xhosa, English and Afrikaans plus 7 other tribal languages all equal under law.
Currency: Rand
Politics: Democratic Republic
Population: 40.6 million
Area: 1.2 million km2

Getting Through Customs

UK, US Commonwealth and Western European nationals are issued with entry permits, free of charge, on arrival. There is no need for a visa, just a current passport. You will need to demonstrate sufficient funding and an onward ticket.

Health & how to maintain it

Allow at least two months before departure to discuss with your doctor what immunisations you may need. Ensure that you have sufficient medical insurance to cover any eventuality including being evacuated by air. If you are in need of treatment, some places may want to charge 'up front' for their services. If so, ensure you keep all documentation in order to claim the money back later. Take the normal precautions with regard to the sun. Some parts of the country are prone to malaria make sure you are immunised but also employ anti mosquito tactics. HIV AIDS is a huge problem so be very careful and do not expose yourself to risk. Bilharzia is a very unpleasant parasite that live s in water check before bathing in lakes and streams that they are not affected.

Driving and Getting Around

Car hire is costly and the roads can be very dangerous. However, travel by car is a good way of covering the huge distances involved with South Africa. There is a comprehensive network of roads of varying quality. Drive on the left. South Africa is well served for train connections; tickets can be reasonably priced. There are also good internal air links.

Keeping out of Trouble

Don't do drugs. Being caught in possession of, or using drugs may make an individual liable to heavy fines or seizure of belongings. Dealing in narcotics carries much heavier penalties. Be careful of personal possessions at all times. The crime rate is high and violent crime is prevalent. Common sense is the best protection. Don't go on the streets waving a camera about. You may as well wear a huge banner saying 'please rob me'. Only carry enough cash to get by and leave all tickets, passports and other paperwork in hotel safe deposit boxes. If you do have to carry them make sure you at least have a photocopy stored separately. Take local advice about where to avoid. Try not to travel alone or at night. Try to stay on the beaten track. Be sensible and you probably won't encounter any trouble at all. The good news is that South Africa is a very cheap place to visit.

Customs

UK and US citizens are advised to contact the South African Embassy in Washington DC/London to verify restrictions on import/export of goods to and from South Africa. With regard to alcohol and cigarettes, the normal duty free allowances are in place.

Cash and Plastic

Exchange of traveller's cheques is easy and all the 'big' credit cards are readily accepted as are ATM cards from the major providers. Beware when using ATM machines money and cards may be stolen or you may find you are duped in other ways. Always try to have someone accompany you when making these kinds of transactions.

The Best Time to Go?

Anytime is a good time to visit South Africa. An icy sitting-by-a-log-fire-night high in the Drakensburg Mountains in mid winter can soon turn into a shorts and tee-shirt day come lunchtime. Winter temperatures are lower and Cape Town can get wet and a little chilly at this time. Jo'Burg is mainly hot and dry most of the year whilst Durban can get very sticky during mid summer.

So, what is it really like?

A visit to South Africa lingers in the mind long after the visitor has departed its golden shores. There is so much to see and experience that a brief visit will never be enough. The scenery is breathtaking, the people hospitable; the towns and cities are very modern but it is easy to find solitude in the vast interior. The weather is benevolent, even in the mountains in mid winter a hard frost will soon be burned off by the sun. The coastline has long sandy beaches or craggy wild cliffs. The food and wine are sublime and the price for everything is very reasonable.

Big Game

The wildlife is amazing. Rounding a bend in Kwa Zulu Natal to see a troop of Baboons feeding from an upturned bin is a delight until you catch the baleful glare of the troop leader. This is when you discover the true, wild nature, of a Baboon.

Vervet monkeys hopping through the trees and bushes along the clifftops outside Durban; look out to sea and there are dolphins playing in the surf.

Five minutes into a drive around the Hluhluwe Game Reserve and a herd of elephant' trundles into sight. Or the tantalising glimpse of a white rhino and her calf as they disappear from view through the grass.

In St Lucia National Park there are crocodiles and hippos basking on mudbanks whilst egrets peck a living amongst them. Trying to track zebra through dense woodland in St Lucia and finding leopard footprints in the sand, who was tracking whom? OK I could go on but I'm getting too excited and I haven't even mentioned Kruger National Park.

Scenery and Landscape

The coastal strips, east and west, are affected by their respective currents. To the east flows the warm Mozambique current whilst on the west flows the cooler Benguela current. One of the best ways of enjoying the East Coast is to drive the 'Garden Route'. Don't miss Plattenburg Bay and Storms River. Breathtaking both. Going inland, the central plateau is surrounded by mountains. Most spectacular of these are the peaks of the Drakensburg range. These craggy heights are stunning at any time of the year. Much of the central plateau is dry and inhospitable, officially it is classed as semi arid which is a polite way of saying 'almost a desert'. The veldt is the traditional view of South African scenery, the miles and miles of grass with herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across them are, for many, quintessential Africa. The countries biggest and most famous park the Kruger is to be found here in the north east corner of the country.