South Africa 2017
4 The bare essentials Top Left: Stunning beaches are found along the Garden Route. Bottom Left: walking in Ficksburg; Free Sate; Moyo Pier, Durban; hiking in Mapungubwe, Limpopo At just over one-third the size of the EU and four times the size of Germany, South Africa is big! Kruger National Park alone is the same size as Wales. There are nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West and Western Cape. The capital, Pretoria, lies in Gauteng and is the fifth-largest city, behind Johannesburg and Soweto (also both in Gauteng and the third- and fourth-largest respectively), Durban (in KwaZulu-Natal) and its most-populous city, Cape Town (Western Cape). The north and large swathes of the centre and west are arid, covered by the Kalahari Desert and Karoo semi-desert region. The mighty Drakensberg Mountains form its south-western spine. Tourism is mainly centred on its coastal regions and in the Kruger and other game parks in the east. The Western and Eastern Capes are temperate, while KwaZulu- Natal is sub-tropical – which means you can enjoy its beaches year round GET A GRIP OF THE BASICS Entry requirements: Visas are not needed by British and EU nationals for stays of up to 90 days. UK passports must have at least six months’ remaining validity and include a minimum of two blank pages for entry stamps. Under current rules, all parents travelling with children under 18 must produce an The peak summer season in Cape Town and along the Garden Route is from September to April, when the days are warm and there is less rainfall The beaches and game parks of sub-tropical KwaZulu- Natal are best enjoyed in the drier months between April and September, when the humidity also drops unabridged birth certificate for each child, detailing the parents, and a consent form signed by the other parent if only one is travelling. See southafricahouseuk.com/documents/ childtravel13jan2016.pdf Health and innoculations: Consult a doctor for advice on vaccinations. Much of South Africa is malaria-free, however, there is a malaria risk in the Kruger National Park, northern Limpopo and northern KwaZulu-Natal. Electricity: South Africa’s electricity supply is 220/230 volts 50HZ, so UK appliances will work without transformers. Plugs have either two or three rounded pins, requiring adapters. Some hotels have English sockets. Currency: The Rand (R). The current tourist rate is about R16.5 to £1 (at November 2016). ATMs are widely available at airports, banks, hotels and some shops. Travellers’ cheques are difficult to change. Flying time: Direct flights from London to Johannesburg take about 11 hours. Onwards flights to Cape Town take two hours; Port Elizabeth is one hour and 40 minutes; Durban and Hoedspruit is an hour and Nelspruit is 45 minutes. Time zone: South Africa is one hour ahead of the UK during the British summer time and two hours ahead during the winter, so visitors experience no jet lag. Learn more: Sign up to South African Tourism’s official interactive online training programme: saspecialist.southafrica.net saspecialist.southafrica.net
5 around Getting South Africa is a vast country – the 25th largest in size – with a coastline that stretches over 1,555 miles, but there are plenty of ways to get between its main tourism centres FLIGHTS Flight Paths: Visitors from the UK have a number of options for getting to South Africa. There are 37 direct flights each week between London’s Heathrow Airport and Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, operated by British Airways and South African Airways (both twice daily) and Virgin Atlantic Airways. From November 24 2016, British Airways flies to Cape Town from London Gatwick three times a week, a switch from Heathrow. Thomas Cook is also operating three flights a week from Gatwick to Cape Town this winter. Clients can also travel from UK regional airports with airlines such as KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, connecting via the airlines’ main hubs. Domestic flights: South Africa is easy to get around by air, with routes served by several airlines: British Airways (operated by Comair), South African Airways, South African Express and Airlink, which fly between major centres as well as some smaller destinations, and low-cost carriers (Kulula.com), Mango and Safair, which operate popular routes. Key domestic destinations include Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban (also an international gateway), Kimberley, East London, Bloemfontein and both George and Port Elizabeth, which offer easy access to either end of the Garden Route. Port Elizabeth is also the gateway to Eastern Cape’s malaria-free game reserves. Kruger Park can be accessed from several airports: Nelspruit’s Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and Skukuza for the southern Kruger, Hoedspruit [also known as Eastgate Airport] for the central Kruger, and Hoedspruit and Kruger Park Gateway Airport [in Phalaborwa] for the northern Kruger. Among gateway airports close to private game reserves are Skukuza (five minutes from Sabi Sand) and Hoedspruit (30 minutes from Timbavati). Pilanesberg Airport is just minutes from both Sun City and Pilanesberg National Park. Small charter airlines also fly directly to private game lodge airstrips. OTHER TRANSPORT OPTIONS Bus: Regular, scheduled buses linking towns and cities across South Africa and beyond are operated by private companies including Greyhound and its subsidiary Citiliner, City to City, Translux, Intercape and Eldo Coaches. Baz Bus, a hop-on hop-off service that can carry bicycles and surfboards, connects destinations between Cape Town and Johannesburg. Rail: Travel in luxury with Rovos Rail and the Blue Train or aboard the Shongololo Express, a three-star train which was bought by Rovos Rail and began operating in summer 2016 after a complete revamp. The rapid rail Gautrain links Pretoria and Johannesburg and also serves OR Tambo Airport. Wine buses: Join a wine bus tour in Stellenbosch and around Cape Town aboard the Vine Hopper and on safari-style Wine Hoppers in Hermanus. Or take a hop-on, hop-off tour on the open-sided Franschhoek Wine Tram. Top Right: Franschhoek wine tram in the western cape; Bottom left: take a guided motorbike tour of cape town; cheese and wine tasting; Take a trip on the Rovos rail Suggest clients take a guided motorcycle tour, such as an eyeturning Harley- Davidson tour of Cape Town and the Winelands saspecialist.southafrica.net
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- Page 3: 3 Mapungubwe National Park Louis Tr
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- Page 24 and 25: 24 BLUE ROUTE Take a meander Drivin
- Page 26 and 27: 26 RED ROUTE Game on Driving Route
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- Page 30 and 31: 30 Lodges Ekuthuleni Lodge Ekuthule
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5<br />
around<br />
Getting<br />
<strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> is a vast country – the 25th largest in size –<br />
with a coastline that stretches over 1,555 miles, but there<br />
are plenty of ways to get between its main tourism centres<br />
FLIGHTS<br />
Flight Paths: Visitors from the UK have a number of<br />
options for getting to <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>. There are 37 direct<br />
flights each week between London’s Heathrow Airport and<br />
Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, operated by<br />
British Airways and <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Airways (both twice daily)<br />
and Virgin Atlantic Airways.<br />
From November 24 2016, British Airways flies to Cape Town<br />
from London Gatwick three times a week, a switch from<br />
Heathrow. Thomas Cook is also operating three flights a week<br />
from Gatwick to Cape Town this winter. Clients can also travel<br />
from UK regional airports with airlines such as KLM, Air France,<br />
Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, connecting<br />
via the airlines’ main hubs.<br />
Domestic flights: <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> is easy to get around by air,<br />
with routes served by several airlines: British Airways (operated<br />
by Comair), <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Airways, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n Express<br />
and Airlink, which fly between major centres as well as some<br />
smaller destinations, and low-cost carriers (Kulula.com), Mango<br />
and Safair, which operate popular routes.<br />
Key domestic destinations include Johannesburg, Cape Town,<br />
Durban (also an international gateway), Kimberley, East London,<br />
Bloemfontein and both George and Port Elizabeth, which offer<br />
easy access to either end of the Garden Route.<br />
Port Elizabeth is also the gateway to Eastern<br />
Cape’s malaria-free game reserves. Kruger Park<br />
can be accessed from several airports: Nelspruit’s<br />
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and Skukuza for the<br />
southern Kruger, Hoedspruit [also known as Eastgate Airport]<br />
for the central Kruger, and Hoedspruit and Kruger Park Gateway<br />
Airport [in Phalaborwa] for the northern Kruger. Among gateway<br />
airports close to private game reserves are Skukuza (five minutes<br />
from Sabi Sand) and Hoedspruit (30 minutes from Timbavati).<br />
Pilanesberg Airport is just minutes from both Sun City and<br />
Pilanesberg National Park. Small charter airlines also fly directly to<br />
private game lodge airstrips.<br />
OTHER TRANSPORT OPTIONS<br />
Bus: Regular, scheduled buses linking towns and cities<br />
across <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> and beyond are operated by private<br />
companies including Greyhound and its subsidiary Citiliner, City<br />
to City, Translux, Intercape and Eldo Coaches. Baz Bus, a hop-on<br />
hop-off service that can carry bicycles and surfboards, connects<br />
destinations between Cape Town and Johannesburg.<br />
Rail: Travel in luxury with Rovos Rail and the Blue Train or<br />
aboard the Shongololo Express, a three-star train which<br />
was bought by Rovos Rail and began operating in summer<br />
2016 after a complete revamp. The rapid rail Gautrain links<br />
Pretoria and Johannesburg and also serves OR Tambo Airport.<br />
Wine buses: Join a wine bus tour in Stellenbosch and<br />
around Cape Town aboard the Vine Hopper and on<br />
safari-style Wine Hoppers in Hermanus. Or take a hop-on,<br />
hop-off tour on the open-sided Franschhoek<br />
Wine Tram.<br />
Top Right: Franschhoek wine<br />
tram in the western cape;<br />
Bottom left: take a guided<br />
motorbike tour of cape town;<br />
cheese and wine tasting; Take a<br />
trip on the Rovos rail<br />
Suggest clients<br />
take a guided<br />
motorcycle tour,<br />
such as an eyeturning<br />
Harley-<br />
Davidson tour of<br />
Cape Town and<br />
the Winelands<br />
saspecialist.southafrica.net
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