I was thinking I'd like to head down to Cape Town. After a 35 day tour of Africa how long do you think I should spend in South Africa. I need to leave from Johannesburg so I'll have to return. Which area's are unsafe?
2006-10-04 14:54:13 · 9 answers · asked by chickenhouse 3 in Travel ➔ Africa & Middle East ➔ South Africa
You should definitely spend some extra time in SA. You'll find that there are great places to go and in general the people are quite friendly.
Since you mention going to Cape Town (one of the coolest cities in the world), try to go to Camps Bay. It is an awesome place with some of the most beautiful beaches. Along the main beachfront road, there is a place called Caprice that is worth checking out.
And make sure you vist the Victoria&Albert Waterfront - there's loads of great shops and restaurants there.
Try to go to Port Elizabeth as well. In my opinion, it has the best beaches in South Africa. There is a great place called Barneys on the beachfront (near Kings Beach) where you can have great drinks while watching dolphins swim by in the ocean.
In Joburg, you can visit Sandton. It is probably one of the better places to go. It's got plenty of stuff to do.
You could also maybe make a stop in the capital city, Pretoria, which is about 50km North of Sandton. Whilst there you can visit the main student place-to-go: Hatfield. There are two great restaurants in Hatfield that you should try out if you have the chance. Firstly there is Jose's (in Hilda street between Church and Pretorius Streets) and Pappa's (cnr of Duncan Road and South Street)
I would recommend getting yourself a map book (should be available at the airport) and renting a car if you can (since tours can sometimes be unflexible in terms of what you want to do). South Africa has good public roads and it's pretty easy to navigate yourself around. Just stick to the main roads though and avoid small, poorly lit roads.
By staying in public view, you should be safe. Stick to the places I've mentioned above and you should be fine.
If you ever need to stop and ask for directions, just stop at a petrol/gas station and ask there rather than stopping along the side of the road.
Cheers, hope you enjoy your stay!
2006-10-04 18:18:48 · answer #1 · answered by orion 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You should definitely spend some more time. Try to see areas not covered in your initial tour:
SAFETY: Use common sense. Most INNER cities are unsafe , all over the world. If you are unsure about an area, do not travel at night; but most areas are safe.
Areas to visit: I live in Durban and am VERY PARTIAL to the area. Within 2 hours from Durban you have mountains, traditional villages, Durban is a coastal resort. There is SO MUCH to see. Send me an email if you want some links of things to do i n this area. (Most can be reached by BUS, you will not need a car).
2006-10-04 21:06:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Ignore Alf and Brad, they are known on this site for their drama.
Yes there is crime in SA, but nothing common sense cant overcome, eg, don't hang you're camcorder around you're neck.
Jo'burg is unfortuneatly very unsafe, but other place like Cape Town and Durban is gorgeous, and far safer.
Just follow the tips you got from the other South Africans on here, and you'll be ok.
2006-10-05 00:41:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anria A 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
It will be a shorter list to tell you where is safe. What the Tourist sites tell you about South Africa is true but you need to worry about what they do not tell you. It is not possible to predict where the next violent scene will happen.It could be on the road, in a shopping mall, a park, a tourist site but you need to avoid the inner Cities which are more or less no go areas especially after dark. The crime site Brad recommended is about the only reliable crime information left in South Africa as the official news sites are under Government influence and under reporting.
Those who tell you Cape Town is safer than Johannesburg have not done their homework. Using the latest crime stats released by the ANC ( which are grossly understated) Cape Town has a murder rate of 60 per 100,000 people which is way higher than Johannesburg. A number of Restaurants have been robbed at gunpoint and guests fleeced of their possession.Ask Chelsy Davy ( Prince Harry's girlfriend) she was held up at gunpoint in a restaurant in Cape Town a few weeks ago and had her mobile phone and jewellery stolen. A Jeweller shop at the so called "safe" V&A Waterfront was also robbed by gangsters brandishing and firing guns a few weeks ago so dont get the impression that crime is limited to any one area of South Africa. It is everywhere!
2006-10-04 22:19:46 · answer #4 · answered by Alf Garnett 3 · 0⤊ 7⤋
Don't listen to that Brad...he's a loser!! Spend at least 2 weeks in SA!! Just don't go into the heart of Joburg...and make sure you don't go down the Grasmere highway/road!! Durban is cool!! And when you go to Cape Town, don't go to Mitchell's Plain!! These are pretty much the areas to avoid...oh, and Mpumalanga...it's SO boring there!!
2006-10-04 17:35:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋
1> GET OUTA JO'BURG ASAP
2> Here are some great places to visit
(I take it that you have seen enough animals by then)
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/tsitsikamma/ great nature
http://www.go2africa.com/south-africa/garden-route/plettenberg-bay/ great beaches
Cape Town (You have to visit the mothercity!)
[Cape Town is the tourism capital of South Africa, receiving the largest number of tourists of any South African city.]
http://www.sun-city-south-africa.com/ great resort with golf, gambeling and enterainment
2006-10-04 17:39:02 · answer #6 · answered by waygook 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Oh u should definetily spent some time in S.A. - Beautifull place lots of great things to see. Enjoy it!
2006-10-04 20:02:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Do not stay any longer than necessary in SA. Lived here my whole life and nowhere is safe. Been held up at gunpoint in my own house!! Robbed in the street too many times to mention. Crime stats just released by Government which we know are incorrect (to play down crime) there were over 18 000 (yes, eighteen thousand) murders in SA last year. Not to mention rape, armed robbery, vehicle hi-jacking (a favorite past-time here)
2006-10-05 00:50:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
Why not. It is bueatiful here and friendly
2006-10-04 17:55:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋