South Africa Chinese New Year - should I bother?

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It’s a long way…

Worth the flight ? I have only been to SA once and I was a small kid. It was great. But now I’m in my 30s…

So, I guess there’s a few South Africans out there or others who have been. What do I do there ? (I like seafood. Does that help? Is the water that cold? Will the weather be nice and hot?)

It certainly has the most expensive hotels in the world. Five star in Tahiti or the Maldives will be US$400 a night. Not in Cape Town. Jesus I’m getting quotes of US$500 plus a night !

Any tips appreciated. The wife wants to see scary animals at one point. (Ha ha wait til she sees where she’s got to sleep on safari ! “Do the tents have air conditioning?”) I’m not made of money but I’d like to see a few stripey and/or shaggy animals with big teeth. Can this be done on a reasonable budget? Say US$200 a day all in for I dunno 3 days? How the hell do I organise this from Taiwan ? Is it as dangerous as people make out ? (bearing in mind I grew up in Northern Ireland)

I’m thinking of spending 10 days in SA. Does anyone know how much flights tend to be around CNY cause the travel agents refuse point blank to let me in on this rather crucial piece of information.

No more stopovers in Mauritius ? Thought SAA used to stop there from HK ?

Cheers.

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Hexuan,

I’m not a South African, but I’ve lived in the RSA a couple of times, and have been lucky to get back fairly regularly since. I’m in the travel business, and my company offers a number of high end safaris in Southern Africa - for the North American market. When I was in Taiwan I ran tours to South Africa, too, including a trip at Chinese New Year - these trips were much more budget oriented than what I do now.

In answer to your question - can it be done on a budget, but still enjoy some pretty good accommodation and services. You bet.

Timewise, I think you might want to think something like this:

Day 1 Fly to CT
Day 2 Cape Town. Overnight CT
Day 3 Cape Town. Overnight CT
Day 4 Cape of Good Hope & Kristenbosch Botanical Gardens. Overnight CT
Day 5 Winelands. Overnight in Winelands
Day 6 Winelands. Overnight in Winelands
Day 7 Fly to Jo’burg - on to Kruger. Overnight Safari Lodge
Day 8 On Safari in Kruger. Overnight Safari Lodge
Day 9 Morning bush walk, then enjoy the sights of Mpumalanga Province. Overnight between Kruger and Jo’burg. (You could opt to spend this as a full day in or around Kruger and then fly from Kruger to JHB.)
Day 10 Fly to Taiwan
Day 11 Arrive Taiwan in the morning.

If you can afford more days, think in terms of adding days in Cape Town - it’s one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic destinations - and a great place to chill if you have more time.

IMHO, this itinerary focuses time where it should be focused - given the 10 day time budget. Jo’burg, Durban, P.E. - and just about any other city in the country suck. Much too dangerous, and not as laidback and beautiful as CT. Don’t waste time “sightseeing” in any of these places. For this trip, all you need is the Western Cape and Kruger. [I’m sure that the South Africans on Formosa - who aren’t from CT are going to beg to differ - but don’t listen to them! :wink: ]

Regarding specifcs; hotels, restaurants, wineries, things to do and see, and safari options - I have lots to say, but would rather do so in a PM. Shoot me a message and I’d be happy to reply in detail.

Otherwise, I think you’ll really enjoy your return trip to South Africa - great time of year to visit, and your wife will love it, too.

And, one final tought: I doubt that going on a tour would be your first choice, but if you do get tempted by the package fares you see in local newspapers - be careful. The average Taiwanese tour is probably not the way that you like to travel.

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[quote]Timewise, I think you might want to think something like this: [/quote]

Hexuan,

I also lived in SA for a number of years. Not in Cape Town, but close…George and Port Elizabeth. If I were you, I would take mwalimu’s package. Looks great, depending on the price tag of course. There’s only so much you can do in 10 days, and still have fun and chill out. Of course, there are as many packages as there are agents available. However, I do think mwalimu’s give you a fair share of some of the most scenic and popular areas in SA. Just my humble opinion. Any opinions from the South Africans?

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You can certainly find cheaper accommodations. Try a self-catering apartment. There are lots in Cape Town. You sort of have to shop around on the Web and weed through the sites and rental offerings mostly pitched to big-spending North Americans, Asian and European tourists. Sometimes it is best to have a South African friend help you find and reserve a room–you’ll probably get a better rate.

One of the big focal points on my visits there has been the food and wine–it is worth the trip just for that. It looks like Mwalimu has got a good plan. Go for it.

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hex -
I have worked in SA and the environs quite a number of times. Also touristed there a few times. Mmwalimu’s package looks very good. I might also suggest a day or so in the Durban area, very beautiful harbor and town. Also check for security procedures available for you stay-over places. Currently SA is one of the most dangerous places on the planet. Most hotels have guards available for their guests. This is something to consider as you venture about.
Enjoy, its a very scenic place. Just be aware that safety is a concern.

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Thanks for that info.

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I went to South Africa a few years ago. I hired a car and drove from Capetown up the east coast to Natal. It was very beautiful and very cheap.I stayed in B&B’s all the way except for a few days at a friend’s house in Durban.The whole experience cost me less than 50,000NT including flight 14 day car hire and accomodation.

I wouldn’t bother being overly organized. I saw all the game animals from my car. I drove through Umfalozi national park and stayed in some huts in the park. It was fabulous. There were a lot of Europeans on organized Safaris but they seemed to be paying a lot more money for a lot less excitement than I was having.

The bed and breakfasts in SA are world famous for their value for money. Driving to the winelands around Parl is a good idea. Then just shoot up the coast. I never at any stage felt threatened or intimidated but I did hear endless amounts of stuff about how threatened and intimidated I should be feeling.

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Cape Town’s wonderful, but I also wouldn’t go for the hotels. You can get really lovely self-catering apartments.

Try this website for the Cape Town area; might be a good idea to browse with a South African friend. This is where I book my accommodation from, too, whenever I go back home.

capestay.co.za

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NOW I WANNA GO HOME!!!

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I have found tents with air-conditioning. :astonished: :notworthy:

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You have NO idea what you are talking about.
JUST a short drive (cheap) from all of those cities are AMAZING places!! Have you ever been to Magaliesberg? (60km from Joburg), or the Drakensberg (1 hr from Durban), or the Wild Coast (Transkei, but you probably won’t know that, obviously)?
And as for Joburg - although I’m from Cape Town / Winelands, I found the place much more vibrant and cooking than ANY other in Africa, and on the safety scale, about the same as London or Glasgow. But you wouldn’t know, would you? Not to mention cheaper than Cape Town. Sure, it’s dangerous in places. Think Soweto = Brixton. If you go where “normal” people go, you’ll have NO problem. If you go to Hillbrow, you might land in trouble. But then, nobody I know landed in trouble there. And I lived in Joburg for three years. It sucks? No way!
Durban is an amazing place with many cultures, not to mention the kingdom of the Zulus on its doorstep, not to mention the fantastic beaches and very, very reasonable hotels. Have you heard of the Rizla mansions, which are, well, old MANSIONS where you can stay in absolute comfort and safety, with loads of organised outings, again in comfort and safety, for the timid traveler?
To put somebody off while only plugging your own business is unprofessional in the extreme. :smiling_imp:

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I can’t go anyway because on planet Taiwan they want you to pay for the ticket while you are still on a waiting list.

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Good heavens, I’ve never even HEARD of such a thing before!

hexuan, I must say, I think you started booking for SA a bit late, especially as it’s over Lunar New Year that you want to go. As far as I know, ALL seats to SA have already been fully booked about two months ago. Apart from English teachers wanting to get home, it’s also a very popular destination for Taiwanese and the rest of the world (the ONLY country in the world that see 10% and more growth year-on-year in the tourism industry, last I heard).

I’d say try to go in June / July (or whenever suits you, really) - that way, you’ll miss a bit of the Taiwanese summer and experience a bit of the glorious SA winter; it will be even cheaper because it’s winter; and it’s a better time for game-watching, anyway.
Good luck!

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[quote=“hexuan”]
It certainly has the most expensive hotels in the world. Five star in Tahiti or the Maldives will be US$400 a night. Not in Cape Town. Jesus I’m getting quotes of US$500 plus a night ![/quote]

It also has cheap hostels.

[quote=“hexuan”]
Any tips appreciated. The wife wants to see scary animals at one point. (Ha ha wait til she sees where she’s got to sleep on safari ! “Do the tents have air conditioning?”) I’m not made of money but I’d like to see a few stripey and/or shaggy animals with big teeth. Can this be done on a reasonable budget? Say US$200 a day all in for I dunno 3 days?[/quote]
American dollars??!? That’s a hell of a budget you have there!

You could do it for a lot less.

I’d say fly into Cape Town (far safer than Johannesburg), stay at a hostel like The Backpack, and sign up for a camping safari through a travel agency while there. That’s what my wife and I did several years ago, and it was cheap. It included 3 days at Kruger National Park and 1 night at a game park in Swaziland.

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[quote]hexuan wrote:
I can’t go anyway because on planet Taiwan they want you to pay for the ticket while you are still on a waiting list.

Good heavens, I’ve never even HEARD of such a thing before! [/quote]

Happened to me too, with Singapore Airlines.

Brian

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That happened to me, but it went through OK.

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If anyone is interested: I’m going home (SA) on the 2nd Feb till the 17th. I had a return but am taking a friend with who bought her ticket this Monday just gone from a travel agent in Taipei. The agent’s name and number: Isabella, 02-2531472
We are flying Cathay, Tp to HK, HK to Jhb.

And I totally agree with Banshette about the drivel that other poster wrote. SA is an awesome tourist destination and there are real gems to be found outside CT.

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No one ever visits Bloemfontein :frowning:

We have erm, uh …