This page is to help you
plan your trip to Southern Africa. It is only a broad guideline and we will
reply to all queries. However for the best tours and car rental it is
essential to book ahead as the seats and cars go very quickly. You may end up
having to pay a lot more for same service.
I have travelled in South Africa independently since 1985, so have a fair amount of knowledge I would love to share with you. This form is intended to assist you in looking at the options relevant to you as a person with likes and dislikes apart from others.
Please feel free to use our love for our country to help you get the best possible experiences.
You can also Email me here for
specific advice
Travel Route
The easiest way to plan if you have a fixed departure date is to work
forward from your arrival date, then back from your departure date, and
finally fill in the days in between. The ideal way to see South Africa is
to fly into Cape Town and fly out of Johannesburg or the other way around.
This means you will not need to backtrack over a course you have already
travelled. If you are flying into Johannesburg or Pretoria, I recommend
going straight to The Kruger Park for a 4 day trip. This will be the best
introduction to the game and outdoor experiences SA has to offer. If you are
flying out of Johannesburg, then plan your trip to end with a trip to the Game
reserves, flying out the day after your trip ends.
The next step is to
decide how to travel around SA and what highlights to select. This form may
help you.
Money
There are VISA and MASTERCARD facilities all around South Africa.
However I strongly recommend bringing a large portion in SA Rand Travellers
cheques. They are as good as cash, generally cheaper than cash advances
from bank machines and easily replaced if they are lost or stolen.
Accommodation There are excellent backpacker hostels all around South Africa, so quality
accommodation is no problem. The network has over 200 hostels in Southern
Africa and there are several free guide books to help you to decide where to
stay. The cost is around R90 per person in dorms in the cities and R300 per
double/twin room. We at the Green Elephant recommend the best hostels in the
other towns for you to stay in.
Try Backpacker Tourism South Africa
Travel Roads South
Africa has good roads with the national speed limit of 120 km/h. We drive on
the left hand side. If you are driving yourself, be careful of other cars
speeding and especially careful on dirt roads. Bus Greyhound,
Intercape and Translux provide bus services around South Africa. We can book
these for you at The Green Elephant. Train The
rail network in South Africa links the main cities efficiently, but slowly.
But it is still good fun.The trains are slow and in season quiet fully booked.
Cape Town to Johannesburg takes 26 hours. For
Train information have a look at the Spoornet site in the Passenger section
Air
