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Top South Africa hotels

Cape Town Hotels: 3275 Reviews - 5893 Photos
Johannesburg Hotels: 1145 Reviews - 2003 Photos
Durban Hotels: 488 Reviews - 815 Photos
Port Elizabeth Hotels: 213 Reviews - 261 Photos
Sun City Hotels: 361 Reviews - 848 Photos
Pretoria Hotels: 467 Reviews - 650 Photos
Kruger National Park Hotels: 767 Reviews - 1563 Photos
Knysna Hotels: 215 Reviews - 352 Photos
Oudtshoorn Hotels: 143 Reviews - 258 Photos
Franschhoek Hotels: 47 Reviews - 96 Photos
Nelspruit Hotels: 18 Reviews - 44 Photos
Stellenbosch Hotels: 101 Reviews - 215 Photos
East London Hotels: 7 Reviews - 11 Photos
Richards Bay Hotels: 11 Reviews - 21 Photos
Sandton Hotels: 14 Reviews - 12 Photos

South Africa What to Pack

Storm brewing over Melville Koppies

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Storm brewing over Melville Koppies
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South African spring sunrise
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Stormsriver Mouth
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Camera equipment
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What to Pack
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Travel Light

by Acirfa

Soft hold all type bags are great for lugging around this country, bearing in mind you will be travelling a fair amount by road if you are not staying in one place. Make sure you have good walking shoes, light weight clothing but something warm to throw on during the cooler evening depending what time of year you are travelling. A hat and shades a must of course Plenty of sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Advisable to take ones own needles if possible, this is an aids rife country and in an emergency this could be a heaven sent gift. Cameras, plenty of memory card, binoculars and digicam if you have one is a must

Packing For Your Trip

by canuck68

I traveled to South Africa alone therefore tried to keep my luggage to a minimum. However, I took too much!! Good walking shoes are a must. One pair of decent sandals for "dressing up" and a light jacket are important.Bring something warm as it gets cold at night.Much can be bought in SA at a reasonable price. I mostly wore light pants and tee shirts. I took my own toiletries plus prescription medicines and aspirin. Remember North Americans, your hair dryer won't work there without an adapter. I think a digital camera is a must. A video camera would have been a welcome bonus.. I went in May/June so no real beach wear was necessary. However the weather was around 20C but the South Africans considered it almost winter so nobody was swimming. SA has wonderful malls so anything you forget, you can buy.

What to Pack and for where

by cokes

South Africa is noted for its warm year-round climate. Summer brings inland temperatures that can shoot well over 110 degrees F, while winter temperatures are cool seaside and dip near freezing in some inland and mountainous regions. Check the calendar. South African summers begin in November, with the peak months in December and January. Winter starts in May. Pack lightweight summer clothes when visiting during the hotter months. Take an assortment of shorts, T-shirts, skirts and sundresses. It's wise to have a sweater or long-sleeved button-down shirt for layering, should the evenings get cool, and to keep your skin protected from insect bites. Pack a coat, sweaters and heavier socks when spending time inland during winter. Take an umbrella for protection from the afternoon summer showers. Check with your doctor about anti-malarial pills if you'll be in the northern inland...

Unfamiliar faces - Photography

by Miracles_Happen

The people of South Africa LOVE to have their photo taken with digital cameras. The concept that the photo appears on the screen instantly is so exciting for them and they immediately want to see the photo of themselves. Having a neck strap and using it is a great idea because it is better for your neck to be pulled around than your camera to be dropped in the excitement! Keep in mind that if you are visiting the poorer villages that many of these children have not seen themselves on a camera, and sometimes not even in a mirror so they may not recognize the photo as themself or they may be indifferent to it.

Winter on the African Plain

by Miracles_Happen

Believe it or not, winters in South Africa do exist! Having been from the Arizona desert, I did not expect the winters in Mafikeng, South Africa to be so cold! July is the middle of winter, and while we were there it was below freezing every night. I would recommend long johns and insulating layers as the day does warm up. It is a rarity to find a home with central heating. As a matter of fact, I never saw a home with central heating. If you are especially sensitive to the cold, bring some money for a space heater as well. Liquid bandaids are a life saver if you plan on laboring in the cold weather while you are there. There is a good possibility of your skin cracking from the cold and dryness. We did a lot of painting, scraping, sanding, flooring, etc while we were there - as many people who visit Africa with the intent to serve the community would. Keep in mind that although the...

South Africa in Summer (Nov-Feb)

by ashley05p

Do not pack more than you need!! Think about how you will be travelling around and if it's in a small car with other people you will not have room for alot of stuff. Save room for souveneirs! A warm jacket for night, cotton t-shirts, 1 pair of pants, shorts, swimsuits, clothes for going out at night, hiking boots/tennis shoes, sandals pain relievers, sun block, bandages, tooth brush/tooth paste, razor, shampoo/cond., antacids, vitamins, prescription medications, after-sun cream, lotion, chapstick, hydration tablets, deoderant camera and lots of film. If you bring a digital camera bring enough batteries or take your charger. Towel, headlamp or flashlight, mosquito net, pocket knife, sunglasses, matches Travel guide - I recommend the Lonely Planet South Africa, Southern Africa, and Healthy Travel Africa

stuff to bring

by californiakaren

Due to weight limitations for our safari, we each brought a rolling suitcase w/ a large waterproof nylon duffle bag inside for our safari. We left our suitcases (with clean clothes) in Johannesburg at the Backpackers Ritz and then just took the smaller duffle bag with all our safari clothes to Kruger. Worked out great and left us with clean clothes for our Capetown trip and our trip hom on the airplane. We expected hot hot hot weather during the summer days but ended up getting lucky and actually needing some warm clothes especially for the mornings and eves, luckily i had a fleece sweatshirt that I wore nearly every nite and even wore a warm hat one day! Tip for girls: The anti malaria medication I took was called Doxycycline it is an antibiotic that can cause the side effect of a dreaded yeast infection. If you are taking this type of malaria medication, girls, bring some medication...

Leave the malaria tabs at home

by jenniferhen

Buy the Malaria tabs in South Africa instead, they are WAY cheaper and they know what works in their area. BUY YOUR BILLABONG GEAR HERE!!! I have wanted a billabong swimsuit forever but I could not justify $120 on a bikini, well in RSA my pretty little blue swimsuit was only $40!! When I go again it will be with an empty suitcase, the stuff there is cheaper and hey, I like shopping.

Pack a Cellphone!

by DesertRat

Definitely bring a cellphone a.k.a. mobile or GSM along when you. If you're coming from the US, Canada, or Latin America, make sure it's a tri-band, though, because it needs to function with the digital GSM system used there. And if yours happens to be locked into a system at home, they will be able to unlock it for a fee, which, believe me, would be pretty small based on the cost of the Vodacom SIMM card I bought while I was there. I paid a princely R10. You then buy top-up cards to add time. These come in rather strange increments of 29, 51, and 121 rands. There are bigger ones as well. Incredibly, my SIMM does not expire until Septermber 2005. This is great value for money! BTW, you can get top-up cards -- and SIMMs, too, for that matter -- just about anywhere.

Think Minimalism!!

by eclark

If you spend much time on safari, you will discover that the fine dust can penetrate most containers. Electronic gear, or delicate clothes can be sealed in a zippered plastic bag for safety. Take plenty of extras! Also, leave room for the stuff you buy. Think comfort. Unless you are specifically planning to hike, consider leaving the hiking boots at home. They are heavy and unnecessary. A good pair of running shoes and a pair of sandals will do the job just fine!! Don't obsess with the small stuff. You can buy anything you need at the local convenience store, grocery or druggist. Most lodges will have the basics in case you forgot something critical. It has taken me years to learn to leave most of that crap at home. After decades of hauling more than 50 pounds of camera gear around, I have it down to two bodies and two lenses max!! On this trip I carried only a pocket digital and a 35...

Top 3 Hotels in South Africa

The Table Bay Hotel Cape Town

9 Reviews and 345 Opinions One of the more expensive options, but if you can afford it then go for it. The location is great,...

Hotels in Cape Town

The Westcliff Hotel Johannesburg

5 Reviews and 201 Opinions Being a local, I have never stayed here (and probably couldn't afford to!) - having visited business...

Hotels in Johannesburg

Skukuza Restcamp - Kruger National Park Kruger National Park

8 Reviews and 100 Opinions This is the largest camp on the banks of the Sabie river, it is also the administrative centre of...

See all 33 Hotels in Kruger National Park

1,814 Hotels in South Africa

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Questions and Answers

Q: Hi all, im travelling to South Africa and Malarone is not sold in Argentina, so I should buy it when I get to South Africa. Do you...

A: You will need a prescription from a South Africa registered doctor.

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