Top South Africa hotels
Areas to avoid Cape Town
15 Reviews I was mugged and stabbed in my back several times - while leaving work in the middle of the CBD (it was already dark but I was parked where hundreds of cars were earlier. Lucky to only have a...
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Malaria Kruger National Park
11 Reviews Do I have your attention? Good. Most of South Africa is Malaria free. However, Kruger National Park has Malaria and the mosquitoes to infect you with it. My doctor once told me that 1 million...
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Crime - theft Cape Town
29 Reviews If you are not prepared to be mugged or stabbed, don't go. I've been a number of times and I love it, there are many great things about it but the apologists saying "be careful" are deluded. Last week...
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other animals Kruger National Park
9 Reviews There can be lots of animals on the road, and actually you will see lots of them, even if some are not really endangering you, they might damage your car if you crash into any. Here is an example of...
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Safety at night Cape Town
17 Reviews If you're somewhere in Table view or Bloubergsrand or Camps Bay don't think you are safe after dark. In the evening at the beach in Table View right in front of a tall hotel building (the waves really...
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elephants Kruger National Park
11 Reviews Do not let children tease elephants, these animals are wild animals, and plz keep distance with car. Do not follow elephants, always allow elephants right of way, drive off slowly if they get too...
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Driving / Car safety Cape Town
16 Reviews I think the Johanneburg streets are more dangerous than any I have seen. Pedestrians at their peril ignore crosswalks and do a dance around cars in mid block. I understand that sadly many pedestrians...
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hippo Kruger National Park
4 Reviews What I didn't realize before going to Kruger is that hippos kill more tourists than any other animal in Africa. People don't realize that they are dangerous and go right up to them to get a better...
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vehicles / traffic Kruger National Park
13 Reviews (work in progress) Vistors are not allowed to drive off road is allowed in any of South Africa's national or provincial game reserves. In private reserves, game rangers may take vehicles off road -...
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weather Kruger National Park
2 Reviews Even the professional drivers with 4WD Jeeps are not immune against getting stuck. (Ok the river was a little bigger than the one we got stuck in with the Caravan ...) As you can see, we are...
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lions Kruger National Park
2 Reviews Kruger National Park was awesome to be able to see animals in the wild. But DO stay in your car and roll up the window if you're getting close to some animals! They are WILD animals! =) And...
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Be aware you will be charged in store car parks by a guard to look after your car, also in other areas too, it's best to cough up most of the time to ensure your property is not damaged.Another thing is when leaving your car you may come back to find it in pristinely clean even if you have not asked for it to be washed, the locals are looking to earn a crust, its life in Africa.
While driving down the Wild Coast we were caught speeding under somewhat peculiar circumstances. We were going 120 kmh in a 100 kmh zone. A car far in the distance behind us was catching up on us rapidly. We had just driven over a hill creast when we saw a person waving by the roadside and thought that someone must have broken down. As we got closer it turned out to be a police officer. We were not quite sure whether the wave was for us as he continued to look past us and continued to wave. Shortly after, the car that had been closing in on us got stopped by the officer as well. As it pulled up beside us it turned out to be a police car and the officer laughed in a slightly embarrassed way and motioned them to drive on. However, we were not so lucky and were told the we had been blitzed doing 135 kmh. He even went through the trouble of showing us the figure on the radar gun. He quickly...
Be aware of anyone offering to help you at an ATM. Refuse and go to another location. Even though I had read about this in travel guides, I was almost taken. The person gets in line ahead of you, simply gets information about their own account, then as you approach the ATM, they quickly offer to assist you. They will act as if they are helping you understand the directions (displayed in many languages) and it will appear they are inserting your card for you. With a "snap" and a quick turn of the wrist, it appears your card has been inserted. They will watch you enter your PIN, which of course doesn't work because the card isn't in the machine.Next, they will tell you to go report your card isn't working. If you leave, they insert your card, enter your PIN and help themselves to your cash. All this is done in about 10 seconds time.I got very complaiscent as this was my second time to...
This tip is applicable on anyone who considers renting a car on their visit to SA.Unfortunately this beautiful country is struggling with crime. Amongst all of the crime related incidents, a very big problem is hijackings. Some hijackers are professionals and have been doing this type of thing for a while, there are also some down on their luck petty criminals who will most likely be so nervous that they will shoot if anything moves.For both types (not as though you will be able to tell the difference in such a situation), the best thing is to just give them whatever they want and your chances of not being injured is already much higher.In order to avoid such a situation there are a few things you should always do.The most important thing is probably that you should WATCH YOUR BLIND SPOTS WHEN STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT, especially at night on a deserted road. Keep a look out for any type...
As in other countries there are a few basic precautions visitors should take to ensure their stay is pleasant and as safe as possible. Tourism KwaZulu Natal and the KwaZulu Natal South African Police Service have issued the following tips:• Do not publicise your valuables, such as cameras, cell phones, jewellery. Always lock them in the boot of your car.• At night, avoid isolated dark places.• Be aware of your surroundings and always know where you are going. Try to reach your destination before sunset.• Establish how to observe the cultural protocol of a region.• Use registered, qualified guides and get advice from the local tourism office for the best routes to follow.• Always use adequate sun protection cream• Adhere to speed limits and road traffic rules.• Report incidents of loss or theft at your nearest police station.
I have a feeling that many feel that South Africa is too dangerous to visit. Certainly on Canadian television we seem to see only the worst of SA. I think as long as a person is careful and uses good judgment, everything should go alright.An example of my poor judgment is when I was visiting Montecasino in Jo'burg. I put my purse down on a bench right beside me so I could take a picture. My Jo'burg friend grabbed my purse and told me never to do that as I could have lost it in a second. When you go to an ATM to get money, make sure you are not alone. Choose one in a well lighted area and have a friend with you.It should be pointed out that I had heard all of these horror stories about South Africa. While I never had any trouble there, my jacket was stolen on the B.C. Ferry when I was only miles from my home in Canada. I thought it was quite ironic.
for those who would love to visit SA now or are here already.please be aware that the country is in shambles due to a national private sector(all goverment employees) dispute with the goverment.the mass wants a 12% salary increase and the goverment refuse.this has been going on since 1st june 2007 and has now reach a bad point.as of 12 june there wont be transport,cleaning,home affairs,proper medical services or any goverment department open unless its run by temps or skeleton staff appointed by the goverment.people are fed up,dont work,showing unruly behavior and those dangerous criminals are enjoying themselves doing even more worst unthinkable crime.even the poor children are being intimadated and kept from schools..the striking masses dont care and will hurt anyone who they think stands in their way of getting what they want.it rather now looks like the 1976 apartheid mass riots. I...
When I was posted to Burundi, I took the opportunity to get away from the violence of Bujumbura for a few days to visit South Africa. After a few days, particuarly after visiting Jo'burg, I could not wait to return to Burundi. Violent crime is out of control in many parts of South Africa and the ANC are more than happy to deny it is a problem, despite the fact that Thabo Mbeki has recently erected a wall costing 90 Million Rand around his house. Clearly such security measures are necessary in a place where high crime levels are exaggerated.Johannesburg is one of the most violent African cities and has been proclaimed one of the most violent in the world. Use extreme caution in South Africa, just because it is more developed than some African countries does not mean that it is free of the problems that face those countries.
Because they put a sticker and a stamp in your passport when you enter the country, you MUST have 2 blank pages side-by-side. We have heard stories of people being turned away at immigration if they have no room in their passports. Also, the line to go through passport control is always long. Be prepared to spend around 1 hour in line.
South Africa customs have entry rules that they claim is "international norm." If you arrive at a port of entry in SA (for holiday or business) and your passport does not have two clean (unstamped) passport pages, you will be sent back home on the next flight.There are many news reports about this. See here for an example: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=vn20070104231340230C553274&newslett=1&em=162808a1a20070105ah
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,...
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...
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...
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Reviews and photos of South Africa attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for South Africa sightseeing.
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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