Tourist Attractions in South Africa

“PLASTIC?” This is the question you will be asked by your cashier as she bags your food at the grocery store. When I was younger they used to ask ‘Paper or Plastic’. What you do not realise as you say ‘Yes’ is that they are asking you to BUY the plastic bags. Yep, you pay for each and every one you use. It took me a while to realise this. I was happily throwing away old ones and always saying yes to new ones.

Unique Suggestions:

If you have nothing to carry your purchases in, try and get the cashier to stuff the bags as full as possible.



Fun Alternatives:

Cardboard boxes are freely available if you ask before starting your shopping. Also empty your rucksack before you go in or save your old bags. They can be useful again and again.

In South Africa you'll see a lot of local markets selling 'African art'. Before you buy it, make sure you know where it's from, as a lot of it isn't actually from South Africa. Especially the wood carvings of the Big 5 and some of the art is often from Mozambique as labor is cheaper there.

Fun Alternatives: Most legitimate souvenir shops only sell stuff made in South Africa, or even by local artists. Just ask where it's from (or read the labels in clothing) if you want genuine souvenirs.

I agree with Anton. You can find a Sun City in many countries, I think. I loved Pilanesberg and saw lots of animals.

Unique Suggestions: If you go to Sun City then be prepared to spend quite a bit of money if you want to gamble, or stay in the accommodation there.

Fun Alternatives: Instead I would spend a couple of days at Pilanesberg and see some of the sights around Johannesburg.

South Africa's Value added tax ("Sales Tax" to people in the USA) is fairly significant. If you are not South African, however, you can get a refund as you leave the country - at least if you are doing so at a major airport. (I didn't see refund stands at the road border crossings, but they may exist.)

However, getting the refund is not so very easy:
1. You need to have your receipt for the goods you purchased.
2. In many cases, you will also be requied to show the goods that appear on the receipt - that way they know you didn't buy the goods for a South African and then give them to a South African before leaving the country.
3. You must in fact prove that you are leaving the country - meaning you have to be able to show departing airline tickets, etc.

Unique Suggestions: .
1. Keep your receipts.

2. If you are an airline passenger: As much as possible, keep your goods you want a refund for available in your carrry-on luggage. This allows you to show the goods and your receipt to the clerk at the refund counter inside the departure terminal. The refund clerk must see both the goods and the receipt in order to give a refund.

3. You will also need to show your airline ticket and passport.

Fun Alternatives: Other than not buying anything in South Africa, you have no choice: you will get hit with the VAT (value added tax). The only exceptions are the various stores in the airport past the international departure gate: this area does not charge VAT. If you want a refund, you must be able to prove you are not South African, and you are taking the goods for which you paid the VAT with you on your trip out of the country.

When a local approaches you speaking their native language, pretend to understand what they are saying..otherwise they'll know ur foreign and the dangerous games will begin! Always smile..u seem harmless and friendly. Be confifent and walk like u know the whole town!

Unique Suggestions: Learn a few words in Afrikaans or Xhosa

Fun Alternatives: Quit!

Back home from South Africa I was surprised to find hundreds of euros on the outprint of my visa expenses, that I had actually not spent. I was suprised because I never lost my card out of sight, I always had it on me, even at night...
The only moment I did not see what happened to it was in a busstation where they took it behind the counter for some minutes... It is hard to believe but it must have happened then... The socalled "proof" of y expenses (that you can demand from visa in case of doubt) showed an imprint of my card (which was not signed or anything!!) and lose (!) from that a receipt with an amount of money spent in a garage, and a signature that was not mine. Visa told me that I was responsible for this because "I should never let the card get out of my sight (!!) but finally agreed to refund after I kept on arguing that the socalled "proof" was no proof at all of ME having spent something and... that I would write about it...

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Ok, yes petting a cheetah in South Africa is probably one of the most tourist trap things to do.., but I found it nonetheless enjoyable. When will be the next time you will ever do something like this anyway?

We pet chettahs at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in Oudtshoorn South Africa

Unique Suggestions: Stay calm.., pet it slowly.., don't make any sudden moves!!

Fun Alternatives: You can always just walk around the rest of the park and check out the crocodiles and other wildlife they've got there.

In Camps Bay it is likely you will be approached by people collecting money for some "childs funds". Probably a scam, but you even get a receipt for your donation. Maybe you can even use it for your next tax declaration.