Hi All

It looks like I'm off to South Africa on business in a couple of months time, and I have the opportunity to delay my return flight and take some time for a holiday.

Does anybody here have any suggestions for 7-10 days in SA? I'm thinking along the lines of backpacker style stuff as I'll be on my own so hostels etc will be cheap and good for meeting other people to do stuff with

Cheers

Not Johannesburg unless you wanna get mugged. its a shithole.

Go to Capetown – stunning

I think my flights to and from UK will be based out of Joburg, but I'm happy to get an internal flight elsewhere.

I was thinking I will probably base myself around Cape Town but I'm wondering if I will get bored spending a week in Cape Town, so looking for suggestions of other places worth visiting really.

either direction along the coast from Cape Town is great. Go on a "wine tour"

Popular back-packer trail is the Garden Route. Head east from Cape Town. Lots of nice coastline, lots of cheap hotels and eateries, plenty to do and see. There is a guide book you can pick-up in any back-packer hotel that covers Cape Town to Durban.

Another option is to head to Kruger park. There is a government agency to book accommodation and guided trips. You can even go mountain biking in the park, the guide's bike has a rifle rack. Massive variety of terrain and wildlife and reasonable prices.

I travelled along the Garden route by using the BazBus – backpacker minibus. Met loads of good people that way.

My favourite spot was Plettenberg Bay. Thw wedge by the lighthouse was mega!

would recommend the restaurant moyo in joburg, the aparteid museum is well done aswel.
The scenery is sublime, draakensburg mountains, kreuger national park as nick suggested would be great to visit for a couple of days, didnt know about the biking to be had there lol. the drive along the coast from george is beautiful, some whale spotting to be had.
keep a few days aside for cape town as theres loads to see there
the distances are great tho, beware of wasting a lot of time on buses and trains!

hah, Plettenberg Bay. I have fond memories of this place

Trek up the Garden Route from CT to J'Bay. As suggested, the BazBus is the way to go. I lived for a few years in J'Bay, it's STUNNING but the whole area is a lot more crime ridden than even a few years ago-be BLOODY careful.

I spent two weeks in Cape Town………..amazin

We drove the garden route, did some bungee jumping, and visited dome great caves and rode ostiches (and ate them…yummy)

Drank and eat loads, did some wine tours, went to a wedding, swam with grerat white sharks (i was in a cage)

I stayed on Long street.as the name suggests its long and has EVERYTHING on it.

Also on long street are agencies that will sort out any sport you want to do… i did loads and one of the bet days was having a brai on yacht watching the cloud (table cloth) falling over table mountain…before some guys turned up on a semi inlatable with two 5 litre V12 engines…MENTAL!!!

I will be going there gain for sure!

Oh and its cheap…embarassingly cheap…we struggle to spend a tenner eating out, drinkking cocktails and getting lethered.

Accommodation can be pricy on the harbour in Cape Town but the hostels are a great laff as you can make friends and go out with other people.

and the people are MUCH nicer and open than their counterparts in London!!!

+1 for cape town

Eating breakfast outside, whales flapping about over there in the sea, table mountain in mist behind. Stunning.

and the people are MUCH nicer and open than their counterparts in London

So true. In SA everyone is so chilled, here the Saffas want to moan about everything. They hate it here, they hate it there, bloody sauties.

Was there myself for a fortnight last november… we got a car, and drove in a massive loop – Started Cape Town, drove east along the coast via Hermanus, Plettenberg, down to Knysna stopped there for a good few days 'cuz its bloody beautiful, then back to Cape Town via the garden route. Quite a big drive! Went riding in the knysna forest – decent waymarked XC routes with added baboons. Beautiful country, cheap as chips, although dunno how that'll change due to world cup fever!! The Baz bus seemed v. popular with those we met who were backpacking.
P.S. agree with darrell…. dont go to joburg unless u wanna get done over or sit safely inside a gated community for a few days.

hire a car and drive to Kruger (via Neilspruit)
or fly to Cape Town
how about flight to Livingstone (Victoria Falls) in Zambia – loads to do there

Make sure you check out Harrys Pancakes – lovely!

Thanks for all the replies so far guys, keep them coming!

I really like the idea of the bus to Jeffreys bay from Cape town, but I'm open to suggestions. It isn't often I get free flights to SA so I need to make the most of it!

Jeffriey's bay to Cape Town will certainly keep you busy, its beautiful and set up for a backpack type experience.

We had an awesome time up at the Cedarburg north of Cape Town. We went up there via Stellenbosh, doing the wine tasting thing along the way.

If you go to Cape Town you must go great white shark cage diving … amazing !!

If you go to Cape Town you must go great white shark cage diving … amazing !!

If you do this then try to find an ethical operator (good luck with that!)

Many of the operators bait the water to attract the sharks. Which makes for a nice exciting dive, but also associates humans with food and encourages sharks into areas where people are surfing and swimming, which is never a great idea for people or for the sharks that are subsequently killed to protect them.

Graham

I went there over 10 years ago, there was only 2 operating at the time and the one I went with was ethical and he was moaning about the other guy throwing "chunder" cut up fish in to the sea to attract sharks.

I went on the boat for 3 days and I managed to go in the cage on the 3rd day for about 10 mins………..but it was worth it.

A bike ride around the cape south of cape town looks stunning, when we were there we drove it but roads were smooth and scenery amazing.

We have rellies in Simonstown & the suggested Delheim Estate at Stellenbosch, amazing setting, wine & the ostrich curry was brilliant, so can recommend that too

does your visit coincide with the Cape Argus?????

Good on you nasher. 🙂

Sadly though too many folk just want to see a shark and don't consider the impact to the local environment.

GrahamS … I went for a 10 day expedition with WSRP (white shark research project) I have a huge fascination in the GWS. White shark cage diving is now heavily regulated so the cowboy units have all but gone now but yes you should do your homework on any cage diving company.
There is no evidence to suggest cage diving cause's sharks to associate humans with food chum is only a scent not a reward.
.
The story you talk about is the very said fatal attack on Loyd Skinner. Fish Hoek is known to have high volume of white sharks during the summer months and with only 2 fatal attacks the last shark bite fatality was in 2004 clearly shows we are not part of the white shark food chain.
There are no shark nets in this area the beaches are patrolled on the mountain by sharks-spotters unfortunately the day of Mr Skinners death the flag's on beach were flying black which indicates visibiity is poor and is difficult to indicate if there is any sharks in the area.

Hi, I have been to South Africa 5 times now on various holidays.

It really depends what you want from the trip.

Sightseeing / drinking – Cape Town + Wine route
Safari etc – Kruger
Watersports / beach stuff – East coast

Cape town is pretty nice – table mountain, cape point etc. If you are into watersports etc don't go to Cape Town though – go to the East coast.

There is one of the best dive sites in the world on the east coast – I did 6 dives there (Umkamasss sp? its just south of durban). Sodwana Bay is also nice, if a bit isolated.

Kruger is generally pretty busy – best time to go is in South African Spring or Autumn.

Cape Town is my favourite city – the best steak in the world, washed down with some great wine. And the Garden Route is where I've had my best surfing trips. Even if you don't surf, make sure you see Supertubes at J Bay. The Karoo area is worth a diversion for a bit of variety. I've got to go back there – its been too long….