South Africa in July?

[smurfchops]

When is the best time to go, what places to see, and would ten days cover it? Should I book the whole lot through a travel agent - flight, excursions, etc? Is July too hot? Thanks everyone.

[dzug]

July is mid-winter is South Africa

[SKCOLL]

Through the day.... 17 to 25 degrees depending where you are. But zero at night!

Trailfinders are great - they helped us greatly. Flights were cheaper on the net and travel agent couldn't match it - KLM.

[jno]

what to see... well, Cape Town and Kruger game reserve are the biggies, but they're really only scratching the surface. The garden route (east of CT along the coast) is well worth a visit, Durban and even Joburg. Really, you could stay 3 weeks and still be seeing new stuff; but rather than try to see everything in a short time, you should probably be choosy. Trailfinders are good

http://www.trailfinders.com/

[sense4all]

PART ONE.
We are hoping to time our next trip to South Africa to coincide with the whales arriving en masse in Hermanus, although never 'guaranteed 'as such, there are a few weeks when there are perhaps three hundred whales in the Bay area.

There are also loads of interesting vineyards to visit.Buy a John Platter wine guide from one of the online booksellers to organise where you want to go more efficiently. I would recommend a trip to Spier Winery to eat an African bbq style open air buffet (and if you get there early on you might be able to snag a treehouse style table which is fab).I do not like the wine from here _ but it is well worth a visit for the food. There is a place called Millers Kitchen which has a Heston Blumenthal type chef who mixes unconventional ingredients that are to die for ..... Balsamic Vinegar Ice Cream ...... I am salivating at the memory! There is a Restaurant used by old S.A. families that in Boer is something like the old dairy out on the Somerset West side of Cape Town, expensive ( for there ) but gave a different twist on what it was like to be there in more recent times.

The South Africans eat a LOT of meat per portion I would exercise caution when ordering, and try to look at what size things turn up on the other diners plates. For instance I ordered a steak kebab - and almost had to be airlifted to the hotel as three eight ounce steaks appeared on a skewer! The food was generally exceptional ( and I do not heap praise lightly as a rule!).

[sense4all]

PART TWO.

It is advisable to book ahead to eat out as good places are chocka most of the time, surf the web on sites like this one to help you.

http://www.southafrica.com/restaurants/cape-to wn/

If you have a hire car, and I would recommend that you do, it is little disconcerting that the petrol stations do not display a price, do not worry compared with here petrol is low cost indeed, on par with the States.
I also wish someone had made it clear that the man with the big stick in the street at night was in fact a person who watches the cars to keep ne'er do wells away from them! An anxious moment could have been avoided!

If you do not like slick, impersonal hotels. There is a lovely B and B stylee shabby chic type guest cottage suitable for one or two people at a vineyard called Camberley ,the lady who runs it is called Gael ( very knowldgeable about wine and food, lovely lady... ) and it is off the beaten track ,secluded and inexpensive . I plan to try and have a couple of nights there myself as soon as I can offload the kids. She often has a long term person renting it for a couple of months at a time - but well worth the phone call to try.
I would also recommend a couple of nights in a sea level room in Bantry Bay, breathtaking, but a little noisy for your whole stay! There was an abundance of B and B's in the Hermanus area that looked lovely ,in prime beach front positions,more centrally located than the Hotels appeared to be.
I was not sure about going to Cape Town when it was first mooted but I have to say. I LOVE it. This will be the third year that we will have escaped for a child free visit to SA.