Johanasburg, Durban, South Africa ....advice Please

[dieseldick]

anyone been, im thinking of going in september. flying to joburg, then hire car and doing some travelling around.

please can anyone provide me with some info, dos and donts, places to see etc etc

thankyou

[Buenchico]

Wikitravel to the rescue!

http://wikitravel.org/en/Johannesburg

http://wikitravel.org/en/Durban

Use the links here to read about other areas:
http://wikitravel.org/en/South_Africa

[Hypognosis]

The Blood donor service will not accept your donations for a year after any trip to the African continent and they are increasingly desperate for donors, these days.

Don't let that put you off though. What would put me off is 12 hours sat in a chair, or however long the flight is.

[douglas9401]

Don't hire a Citroen?

[237SJ]

I wouldn`t bother with Joburg - there`s not much to see there and its dangerous. Don`t know much about Durban as I spent minimal time there but Cape Town and the surrounding area is lovely. Easy to drive around too.

[DaisyNonna]

Agree Cape Town and area is great
Try Lesotho or Swaziland
The Drakensburg mountains are well worth a visit

[RetroChic2]

My sister lived in Durban for a couple of years -its really nice there. Its a real touristy place which means its relatively safe, has lovely beaches and plenty to do including a casino. The Marine world and botanical gardens are worth a visit if you're into that, but there are loads of guided tours into the mountains etc. and a huge shopping mall. Durban should deffo be on your itinerary.

[dieseldick]

douglas, get a life !

[dieseldick]

thankyou to the rest :))

[rsvp]

Personally I'm not a fan of Durban - very crowded - Cape Town and surrounds are brilliant, don't forget the go through Chapmans Peak Pass to Noordehoek which has a stunning beach. If you opt for a short safari experience do your research as there are many 'cowboy' outfits especially around the tourist spots. Don't wear your rolex watch in public and try and dress like a local rather than a tourist. Suss out non malaria areas if poss then you don't need malaria medicine- the Waterberg area is non malaria and great. Take care and keep your eyes and wits alert, avoid isolated areas but don't get paranoid - it's a great place with friendly people.

[jno]

there are a few safari parks in the south where you don't need malaria pills. You could try driving along the garden route from Cape Town, though I don't know why it's called that, it's not gardeny but it's often very dramatic. George and Knysna are nice places to stay.

The best reason for going to Joburg would be driving (about 300 miles) to the Kruger reserve; but I'm not sure I'd do it. As 237SJ says, Joburg's not a place you feel very safe in.

The Cape Town area is excellent, though: scenery, botany, wine making, whale watching, safari parks within reach.

[thugulike]

Hire car and head straight out of Jo'burg, Drakensberg Mountains and the South African Battlefields are very interesting. Could go south and cross over the border to Lesotho. Don't attempt to drive up the mountain yourself the Sani Pass is too dangerous. Durban has a beautiful beach. Take a map and take advice as to which roads to use. What looks like the best route may not be safe

[dieseldick]

thanks guys, ive been posting on tripadvisor but not much info on there, i was going to hire campervan but 2 companies are very expensive charging approx £500 a week for small 2 person camper van plus we need to pay campsites of £15 a night plus fuel so we will take a car from joberg airport and head out.
maybe stay in joberg 2-3 nights depending but will def go to durban and some smaller safaris , kruger is too far , we are only going to go for 10 days so want squeeze all the good parts of this area in, we want to know if there are plenty of lodges to stay in ? lots of places to hire fishing gear and fish ? stuff like that.
also best beaches and places in or around durban. and does anyone have any decent links on places to stay , lodges etc. we are on budget so no hotels and our car is only a small fiesta and its around £10 a day which is very good price.

[dieseldick]

also what park is best apart from kruger, we are not going to kruger we want to see wildlife but somewhere near joberg or durban.

thugulike mentioned lesotho, why is that , what is there to see there than differs from anywhere else in between joberg / durban drive area.

cheers

[Cloverjo]

Hypo, that's not true about the blood service. I've been to South Africa just about every year for 13 years and have given blood regularly. They ask where you've been and check if malaria or other problems have occurred there, and if you haven't been in a problem area they say ok and take your blood.

Dieseldick, I'm trying to think of the name of a wonderful safari park that we went to, but it's not coming. south Africa is a wonderful country. You'll have a great time. As others have said, Cape Town and the South Coast are beautiful, as are the Drakensberg mountains. Some lovely little towns and amazing views there.

[Playbill]

We usually go to South Africa in January, February and March when it is summer there. Weather in Johannesburg can be very variable in September. Durban has changed a lot (and not for the best) over the last twenty years. We spend time in Umhlanga just north of Durban. It is smaller and much nicer: beautiful beaches, and a friendlier atmosphere. Though, like Johannesburg, not sure what the weather will be like in September.

[Hypognosis]

Thanks for the update, Cloverjo. I later realised I was recalling restrictions from over 10 years ago. I should have known better than to throw a dampener on a thread about something pleasant, in any case. My apologies, to DD.

Which city does the "airjaws" boat tours? Cape Town?

[dieseldick]

thankyou , girlfriend has changed her mind, shes scared of lions lol we are going to hanoi and saigon now but we definately will go to south africa maybe next year maybe november time . she is thai and therefore she does not require a visa to SA. also i was planning on a camper rental and initially thought it was a cheap option but i was quoted back from a few companies and you need to pay rental, fuel, an access fee, a camp site every night plus 4 rand per kilo over 200 kilos per day ,so all adding up on price.

it is on my bucket list so will remember the info . cheers