Hi guys, just a quick one. Has anyone been to South Africa? If so please tell us about it, I am off to Jo`burg in just over three weeks, mainly travelling around Cape Town and Pretoria. Any mega cool places to visit please let me know! Anyone been to Table Mountain? I can`t bloomin` wait....

Cheers for now

Bagpus x

 

I went there a couple of years ago travelling as well as Zimbabwe
I could literally go on for hours about the place!

I was only in joburg for the airport but I would move on from there asap as it is quite boring apparently!

How long are you going for? If its a long time consider an overland tour up or down Africa, very basic but apparently well worth it.

In cape town itself there is so much to do! get yourself a good guide, Lonely planet etc.

1. Trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandella was a prisoner
2. Table mountain on a good day is IMHO must be one of the best places in the world you can do loads of stuff like M/biking and abseiling if you want or just get the cable car!
3. Make sure you go on a wine tour I went with Ferdinand’s and you will not believe how cheap and good the local wine is I brought some award winning stuff for 90p a bottle!!!
4.There is also a good trip to cape point and the cape of good hope which is also worth the trip, I can't remember the name but we went on bikes and visited loads of wicked places along the way
5. Go to a club called the Fez which is an upmarket club in CT. Very funny place
6. During the day use rikkis taxi's as they are so cheap. They are basically a Bedford van which does set journeys. You can get in the local mini busses worth the experience but very overcrowded
7. Do a tour of a township be warned though it is a sobering experience we went just me and the person I was with with a guide I did not want to go to start with as I felt it was rude but you learn so much

Book yourself a hostel in advance as many will pick you up from the station/airport

There is a service called the Baz bus which is basically a Transit van and will take you all over the country for cheap prices. It follows a set route along the garden route and further and will pick up from hostels at a stop a day.

I did the bungee jump there it was the worlds highest at the time worth a visit to look even if you don’t do it as it is 216m!!

There is a Bilabong factory in a place called Jay Bay and you can get some great bargains

If you want more info send me an email as there is so much to say! I have only just scratched the surface

just make sure you are sensible but at the same time have a good time and that you get very drunk on Castle lager!

Have a good time!

Andy

edited to say my email in my profile does not seem to work so try
j.bond007@lineone.net instead if you want to mail me

[Edited by 106rallye - 1/28/2002 9:53:43 PM]

 

I went 2 years ago , also botswana and zimbabwe.

Stayed with my sis who was living in Jo'burg at the time. Not too much to see there - but the Butchers Shop restaurant ( in Sandton ) has the BIGGEST steaks you will ever see, and the prices were ridiculous. The lion park just N of jo'burg gets you up close & personal , and if you time it right they let you play with the lion & hyena cubs. Further up towards Pretoria there is a Cheetah reserve too , also great.

Went N to botswana for a game lodge http://www.skybusiness.com/tumelogamelodge/ , just the best place in the world, miles from the nearest phone, on the banks of the Limpopo. We had a bull elephant break in & wander round the compound one night .. wild !

3 days in Cape Town, yep, you have to do some of the tourist stuff. If you can see the top of table mountain - drop everything and go, as it can be covered in cloud for days. Boulders Beach for the penguins ( you can go swimming, but the water is fecking freezing ) & round to camps bay for the biggest lobsters for dinner. Try not to be the driver when you go off to the cape vinyards :-)

Cheap flight up to Vic Falls. Spend an evening in the casino like a high roller - Zim dollars are worthless, so you can act real daft at the blackjack/roulette tables and still only lose 20 quid in an entire evening. If you have a nutty streak, then I did the white water rafting on the Zambezi, utterly mental. Make sure you buy the video to scare your parents when you come home.

Typing all this reminds me I need to go back ...........

Cheers
SteveM

 

Been over to cape town on 6 or 7 occasions. My uncle used to live there but moved back here. But is on his way back in the next 6 mths i think (he misses the weather).
Cape town is great.
Not to miss is the wine route. The waterfront is great. Lots of shops and bars (cheap local beer CASTLE).
Have not been for the last few years but the exchange rate i think now is 20 to pound, last time i was there it was 9 to a pound and everything was so cheap.
So njoy urself matey.
And table mountain is amazing. Great walk over the top. Just make sure you have a camera.
Cheers..............Dan

 

Lived there for 23 years...take a bullet proof jacket

 

Was there a couple of years ago...

Jo’Burgh is a scary place, if you can help don't walk anywhere but there are some cool areas like Sandton Village.

Cape towns cool reminded me of the Algarve for some reason ?? You need to go to Port Elizabeth and do the White Shark experience where they take you on a boat to Dire Island and let you have a real close up view of some awesome Great White Sharks

Good local drink is a cider called Savana.
Electrical stuff is dirt cheap and so is everything else for that matter. One downside is because of the threat of violence everybody drinks and drives

Have fun M8 it's a cool place and above all keep an open mind

Mike

 

i wouldnt go near zim any more ...went there yrs ago and was very nices then ..my sis has just returned from pretoria she was there for 3yrs !! kep all car doors locked...lol she was car jacked ..tis not such a nice place really ...but everyone should get and do africa!!its magical wouldnt mind going back ...table top mountain i beleive can be very cold!! oh and the penguins on beach are a must!!! never seen anything so strange !!
have a nice trip ..and dont forget the malaria tabs

 

Yes S.Africa is a top place, shame about the violence, just keep your wits about you,plenty of car jackings. My friend lives in Durban & he keeps a 9mm on his lap at all times when driving

go over to Lake Victoria, white water rafting on the Zambezi is insane

 

I live in South Africa!!!

It's a GREAT country, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Sure, we've got our problems, but which country doesn't?

Zimbabwe isn't part of South Africa, and I wouldn't go there if they paid me!!

BTW.
I'm new here...

I work in Johannesburg, but stay in Centurion.
I don't own a Scooby, but I'm a HUGE fan!!!

-JP