.
South Africa Tourism Information
Safety concerns
Weather / Seasons
World cup football 2010

Current News
World cup soccer 2010 - There is a lot of hype about limited accommodation and other issues. We suspect this is to bolster ticket sales . There will be plenty of very high standard accommodation. It may be hard to source but it is there. Fifa have tied up a good percentage of available accommodation to sell through there own agents, as with plane tickets, internal transport and everything else. We opted out of this as we prefer running our own business. Internal transport may be an issue in South Africa. I would suggest you find out where most of your teams initial games are and base yourself around there. You can explore the area between matches and you will find transport to and from these matches. Travelling from Hermanus to Cape Town for a match is easy and we often go in for the day to shop.  Please don't rush into booking as the reports that seem to be aired on TV seem to be based on info. released by those who would benefit. Contrary to what I saw on Sky news we have stunning restaurants , accommodation and everything and we will leave you planning a return trip.
Unfortunately it does appear as if Fifa have totally messed up with marketing , sales and everything. South Africa is ready for the crowds but very few people are coming. Most tickets are now being sold to South Africans. To most of us mortals Fifa comes across like a mafia style organisation where if you don't pay your percentage they cut you off at the knee's . Just book and come you don't need Fifa to enjoy the football or South Africa, South Africa and it's people will look after you.
Remember Africa can be a highly contagious disease that keeps you coming back as often as you can.

Distances Table in travel time  (approx)  Tourist speed and kilometers

Airport Cape Town International (off N2) - 30 mins to Cape Town 20km |  Hermanus 78 km | Franschhoek 59km
Cape Town    to     Stellenbosch  49km |  Franschhoek  79km |  Hermanus  1,5 hrs (127km)|  Swellendam  224km
                                   Mossel Bay 384km | Knysna 498km | Plettenberg Bay 530km
Stellenbosch  to     Franschhoek  30 mins |  Hermanus  1,5 hrs (either through Franschhoek or on the N2)
Hermanus      to    Swellendam  2 hrs (120km)|  Cape Agulhas  145 km |  Mossel Bay  3,5-4 hrs |  Calitzdorp 248km  3,5hrs
                                  George 20 km's past Mossel  Bay  4-4,5 hrs| Bredasdorp  98  |   Greyton  88 km  |
                                  Gansbaai  45 km  40mins | Knysna 355 km   4hrs| Franschhoek 59km  1 hour | Oudtshoorn 281km  4hrs         
Swellendam  to     Mossel Bay  2hrs (165km)|  George  2,5 hrs  (218km)
George            to     Oudtshoorn  (1  hr)  60 km  ( Cango caves 28 km's outside Oudtshoorn ) |  Knysna  61km

From the Garden Route to Hermanus
Distance: 563km  Time: approx
Driving time approx 7 hours
N2   Knysna to George - 161 km   2 hours
N2   George to Mosselbay - 82 km   1 hour
N2   Mosselbay to Riversdale - 82 km   1 hour
N2   Riversdale to Swellendam - 80 km   1 hour
N2   Swellendam to Riviersonderend - 61 km   40 min
N2   Riviersonderend to Rietpoel (turn-off onto R326)  10 km   10 min
R326   Rietpoel to Stanford - 54 km   40 min
R43 Stanford to HERMANUS - 33km   20 min

South Africa will be a very inexpensive holiday for most Europeans and first world travelers. Food and wine is generally regarded as being extremely good , and just cheap. Your plane ticket is normally the major expense.
Self drive is easy and safety is not an issue if you exercise common sense and use a map, bus tours tend to be dictated to by time restraints and in our experience see very little of the country or people. Smaller bus tours would be a far better proposition. Back packing is easy from an accommodation point of view but transport can be a challenge. Hire cars are available in most towns but it would be advisable to pre-book in season. Contrary to travel agents advice South Africa is not overcrowded in December. On the contrary, up until the 15 Dec it is pretty quite and then moderately busy. Over Christmas and New Year it is absolutely necessary to pre book. After New Year it is again only moderately busy. Fuel costs about £3 per gallon and a very good 3 course meal for 2 with a pretty good bottle of wine would cost about £26.

Cape Town - Must do / see
Table Mountain cable car or walk ( you can catch cable car down) a couple of hours difficult walk  This mountain is the first glimpse of what for the early settlers was their new home. It dominates the skyline and the views from the top are incredible.
Robben Island - Mr. Nelson Mandela's involuntary home for many years. Only visit if you are interested in our history or Mr. Mandela, very thought provocative. From here you will see what we have achieved in a few short years.
Waterfront - Shopping center on the harbor. Well worth visiting just to take in the scenery, boat trips and aquarium. Full of shops and restaurants for all tastes. Take your credit card or better still leave it at your accommodation.
Cape Point- very scenic and dramatic, it is located in a nature reserve. Ocean on both sides.
Chapman's Peak Drive.  Just do it.

Cape Town - Recommended
Kirstenbosch botanical gardens- these magnificent gardens have views over Cape Town and are at the base of Table Mountain. These gardens will steal a day of your time and you still won't see it all. More like a farm with restaurants etc. For nature lovers you won't believe you are in the middle of a city.
The Castle- Still used by our defense force but hosts visitors and also has organized tours several times a day. Located in the middle of Cape Town but used to be on the waters edge. This is where the history of the settlers started. Recorded history.
Simonstown - our Naval home and a beautiful coastal drive through seaside villages to get there. Full of restaurants and small interesting shops on the waterfront.
Weather - summer average 24,3 degrees C   winter average 18,5 degrees C

Franschhoek
Cuisine capital of South Africa- full of expensive restaurants serving excellent food
Surrounded by mountains and wine estates with beautiful scenery.
An ideal romantic break from Cape Town with lovely accommodation. What a spot for a wedding.
Accommodation - most are great especially on the wine estates but in town you need to ask if there are views etc..
Lovely first stop en route to Hermanus or Garden route.  I would stay just out of town on a wine estate with a restaurant. Town is not busy but you go to Franschhoek for the wine, views and food.

Stellenbosch
This is an old historic town with a large university
Beautiful wine estates surround the town and offer meals and some accommodation - recommended that you stay out of town if possible.
There are some great wine museums and a toy museum that you should see.
Restaurants are good and there are a lot catering from students to wealthy.
Stellenbosch is very busy and has grown rapidly.
There are wine estate hotels in Stellenbosch that cater for weddings. This is growing in popularity as it is much cheaper than an overseas wedding and everybody has a holiday.

Hermanus
This is a must.
It is used by many as an overnight break on the way to the Garden Route. What a mistake. This town has it all, beaches, character, good food, boat trips, extreme sports, kayaking on the sea or lagoon, fishing, night life, whale watching, shark cage diving, hikes on the cliffs or beach or in the mountain, wine estates border the town in a valley called "heaven and earth" go and see why.
Day trippers come and go. Overnighters arrive late and leave early, people who stay 2 nights usually try and stay a third or wish they could. People who stay 3 nights walk around with property magazines trying to buy. 
Restaurants are good and there are over 50. Always ask your hosts for advise. Weddings are also popular in Hermanus.
Choose your accommodation carefully. There are only a few guest houses on the seafront and  a lot have sea views but are some distance from the sea.  Ask about the views from your room. The main road it is busy and even busier in season (noisy). The center of town can be noisy at night.
The cliff paths extend for about 10 km's along the seafront on both sides of the town and are incredibly scenic. From June to November they offer brilliant whale watching opportunities with whales basking as close as 5 meters to the rocks. We have as many as 170 whales in the bay over this period and you don't have to wait long to see one jumping. The crash of 50-65 tons hitting the water is clearly audible from a great distance and often can be heard at night even when you can't see them.
The main beach is white sand and stretches for about 20 km's. There are other swimming beaches all good. Surfing, body boarding etc all year with big waves in our winter.
Shark cage diving from nearby Gansbaai about 30 mins. drive. Shark cage diving is possible throughout the year but in our Winter the bigger females tend to be around while numbers can be higher in Summer. The water is cold so be warned. It is very safe but very exciting with sharks often biting the cages. This is normally enough to get the adrenalin going. You can view the sharks from the deck of the boat or get in the cage. Nobody  in the cage has been bitten by a shark  (yet).  No diving experience is necessary and you will be provided with a wetsuit for the cold. Normally a video will be taken of the entire experience. Crews are very professional and know what they are doing. They do not go out if the weather is bad and if no sharks are spotted they normally offer you another trip free.

Knysna
This town is built around a lagoon and is extremely popular. The name, Knysna, originates from the language of the Khoi people, locals often say its "Nice Nee" (meaning isn't it nice!).  An excellent base to explore the Garden Route from. Easy day trips to Plettenberg Bay and Oudtshoorn. It has the best tourist information office and marketing in the country and is geared for tourism. There are a lot of guest houses, bed and breakfasts, etc . The choice would be to stay on the lagoon waters edge or stay on the higher ground with panoramic views of the lagoon. There is obviously other accommodation of high standard . The main road is very busy and noisy so avoid it. It runs through the center of Knysna.  For me the Featherbed nature reserve across the lagoon is a must do tour. I would also stay outside of town center. There are a lot of daytrips using Knysna as a base e.g. elephant rides ,  Storms river mouth, bungee jumping etc.
Restaurants are good and there are lots. Always ask your hosts they know.  There are some of the countries best golf courses, the beautiful Pezula golf course with stunning views at the Heads and over the lagoon. Knysna.
Restaurants - a lot of good restaurants , ask your hosts for advise.

George
It is the main business centre of the Southern Cape and has excellent road and air links to all major centers.
It is a convenient base from which to explore the charms and attractions of the garden route and Klein Karoo.
George boasts many of South Africa's top golf courses. For golfers this is a very good base. Fancourt golf estate is in George with 4 world class golf courses and is regarded as being in the top 5 golf estates in the world. The George municipal course is also highly recommended. The Outeniqua choo-Jjoe  runs between George and Knysna on one of the country's most scenic and historic lines.
Restaurants - good and a number to choose from. Ask your hosts.

Greyton
Today Greyton is a friendly, peaceful hamlet surrounded by farmlands of wheat, barley, oats and lucerne. Some ploughing is still done by oxen. It is home to a number of skilled artists and craftsmen. Most artists have an open-house policy, although it is best to make appointments through the tourism bureau.  
A craft market is held on the village square each Saturday morning. Stalls sell produce, crafts and refreshments. The Annual Rose Festival is held during October/November and is an experience not to be missed.

Montagu
This is a beautiful town on the R62 at the beginning of the Klein Karoo. It is surrounded by mountains and vineyards and has quite a few guest houses and bed and breakfasts. I love this town as it still reminds me of the old South Africa with older buildings and a quite relaxed lifestyle. This is more like life would have been like instead of cities and skyscrapers. It lies very close to Robertson but on the other side of the mountains.

Mossel Bay
A beautiful sea side town with golf courses, casino, harbor, beaches and lots to do. It is a very popular holiday spot with the locals as the beaches are stunning and safe. It is rich in South African history with different museums depicting some of the first settlers etc. It is a good base to travel to George and Oudtshoorn but a little far to Knysna. Definitely worth a stay.

Oudtshoorn.
Oudtshoorn is the ostrich capital of the world. Every road into Oudtshoorn follows a dramatically picturesque pass. Ostrich show farms offer daily tours.
For 9 days in April every year 250 000 people stream into Oudtshoorn to enjoy a feast of South African cuisine, culture and music. The Klein Karoo National Arts Festival or KKNK  has craft markets and art galleries and the best local and some international acts in more than 50 venues.
The Cango Caves are the most popular attraction. It is one of the great natural wonders of the world. Three systems of spectacular limestone caverns have been discovered.  Cango 1 is about 760m long,  Cango 2 is about 260m and Cango 3 approx 1600m.
Oudtshoorn is centrally situated for visits to a number of wilderness areas, including the 121000ha Swartberg Nature Reserve and the adjoining 8000ha Gamkapoort Reserve. If you have never driven over the Swartberg pass then you have missed out. It will be the highlight of your stay in Oudtshoorn, be warned it takes a full day , is spectacular and should be done in good weather. It takes a day because you will stop all over for photo's or just marvel, take a picnic. The route we follow is over the Swartberg pass, pop in at Prince Albert for lunch, back via Meiringspoort pass. This pass is just as spectacular but is tar the whole way with lots of places to stop.
Restaurants - enough restaurants and obviously a specialty is fat free ostrich steaks. It is a relatively big town and we recommend you stay out of town on a farm or guest lodge. Town not that interesting but the area around is fascinating. Check out the meercats if your hosts can arrange a tour. Crocodile farms and cheetah petting on the way to the caves.

Garden route trip itinerary - A lovely trip from Cape Town to the Garden route would be starting in Cape Town.
Cape Town stay for 3 nights to visit Robben Island, Kirstenbosch gardens and Cape Point. The old Castle in Cape Town is full of South African history and very interesting place to visit. 
Your next overnight stop would be the very beautiful food and wine village of Franschhoek.  A one night stay would be enough to do the wine tasting at some excellent wine estates and sample the fantastic restaurants that this town is renowned for. The Franschhoek valley is stunningly beautiful with the dramatic mountains circling the village..
Hermanus is just over an hours trip from Franschhoek, over Franschhoek mountain pass. It is best to stay 2 or 3 nights in Hermanus. Hermanus offers miles of beautiful beaches, shark cage diving, whale watching, paragliding, kayaking, cliff path walks, nature walks in the Fernkloof Nature reserve and a healthy nightlife, sip cocktails with breathtaking views over the Old Harbor, and in the whale season you can sip your cocktails and watch the whales in the bay as the sun sets. On your way to your next  stop over, you can go to the most southern tip of Africa, cape L'Agulhas and then on to Swellendam. You will only need to stay  overnight, unless your host recommends something and arranges it. They do offer river rides on the Breede River and there is the Bontebok nature reserve. Swellendam is also about a 2 hour drive from Hermanus.
Oudtshoorn will the next destination,  the route 62 is a beautiful drive to Oudtshoorn. The scenery is so diverse and you drive through some stunning mountain passes and get to the beautiful red mountains. Oudtshoorn would also be a 1 night stop and the places to visit are an Ostrich farm, as Oudtshoorn was known as the Ostrich capital of the world and you can visit the imposing sandstone feather palaces. The Cango caves are a little way out of Oudtshoorn and well worth the visit. On the way to Cango caves, you can also pop in and visit the crocodile farm and the cheetah breeding farm. Going over the Outiniqua mountain range, through George and onto Knysna. If you enjoy your golf, you might want to stay in George for and night or 2 to play a little golf at Fancourt. Fancourt has 4 golf courses, the Outiniqua, Montague, Bramble Hill and The Links. George is only 55 kms from Oudtshoorn. You will need to stay about 3 nights in Knysna to explore all this place and the surrounding area has to offer. There is the Knysna  lagoon and you can take a ferry ride to the famous Knysna Heads and past the oyster farms. The town is full of art and crafts from very talented local people. Good base to explore the area from.
George has a commercial airport with flights linking to major centers in South Africa and is relatively easily accessible from Knysna, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn.

Route 62  - This extends from Montague to Oudtshoorn passing through Barrydale, Ladismith and Calitzdorp. This is the more scenic route and is accessible from several points on the N2 i.e. Riversdale, Swellendam. The route passes through the Little Karoo a semi desert arid region and has spectacular scenery most of the way. There are numerous mountain passes, all with their own unique history and tale. I would and do travel from Hermanus to Swellendam and there through to the R62 at Barrydale. From there travel up to Oudtshoorn. For the adventurous definitely go past the Cango caves, over the Swartberg pass to Prince Albert and back through the Meiringspoort pass and De Rust. You will not easily forget this trip. The road over the Swartberg pass is not tarred and it is the second highest pass in Southern Africa and is likened to the most spectacular pass in Tibet. It can easily be driven by a normal vehicle except after or during rain and snow. Meiringspoort Poort the road criss crosses the river over 20 times.

Kruger National Park - There are direct flights from Cape Town to the border of the Kruger Park landing at Nelspruit. Another flight via Johannesburg lands at Hoedspruit. The Kruger has accommodation at various camps and has restaurants, shops selling foodstuffs and curios etc, telephones, electricity etc. The standard of accommodation will not suit those requiring 5 star attention. It is however more than adequate and suits the bush. Food at the camps so far from towns and cities is very good and exceptionally generous. Again you won't find French cuisine just good food. The Kruger is designed for self drive and they also provide for night drives and walks in the bush with armed rangers. You can elect to go on organized tours with companies specializing in this. These are normally open sided vehicles. Others prefer to stay outside the park in more luxurious accommodation and do daytrips in either in their own vehicles or with organized tours.
Some photo's we took on our last trip Kruger pics this should give you an idea of what to expect.
Please note you should try and spend at least 3 nights in the park.  Don't say you weren't warned. If you are not a nature lover and prefer shopping malls then this is not for you. The Kruger is a nature lovers dream. The further North you go in the park the less numbers of animals and tourists. It is however our favorite area as you can sit for hours at a waterhole on your own.

Safety information
There is crime in South Africa and I am sure in most other countries.  If you apply common sense you will probably feel safer here than you would  at home. Do not venture into unlit areas, if you feel uneasy go back, if some people look suspect, treat them as a threat, etc, etc. In other words do what you would at home but bear in mind that you don't know good and bad areas . Bad areas are usually very easy to identify, just the same as anywhere. Listen to your hosts and don't be afraid to ask for help. Please remember that when we travel we feel exactly the same as you do. There are areas we would advise you to avoid and cities like Johannesburg have a bad reputation, but they are also not tourist areas. Don't believe most of the TV hype you hear, it sells news well. South Africa is a big country and absolutely magnificent, ask people who have been here. Tourist areas are usually well policed. Our own guests comments are they feel safer here than at home etc.
Advice - do not carry large sums of cash this can make you a target. We have ATM's (cash machines) everywhere if you need to draw cash. Pay the commission, whatever it is, and enjoy your holiday. Most restaurants, accommodation, toll roads, shops accept credit cards. This is displayed on the door and if in doubt ask. Please be aware that drawing large sums of cash is inadvisable from cash machines, banks, anywhere, unless directly deposited. You can be observed and followed.  Keep your credit cards separately so if it is stolen or mislaid the other will be available making life a lot easier. Keep photocopies of all valuable documents in a safe place.
In towns like Hermanus people walk at night to and from the restaurants depending on distance and it is very safe. In Cape Town distances prohibit this. I think also common sense should prevail and a woman on her own should not do this. I know of no unsafe town in the garden route where I would hesitate to walk at night around the center etc. Cape Town as with any city has its bad areas, don't go there, keep to the better areas. If you wish to explore a "township" please make sure it is with an organized tour and guide.  Do not do this on your own or at night. I would not explore your seedier areas at night etc.
The bottom line is just be sensible and you will have the best holiday of your life meeting friendly people who want to make you feel welcome.

Weather /Seasons
Our Summers are relatively hot and Winters mild compared to Europe.
Western Cape - Summer typically hot and clear. Winter mild and clear.(winter rainfall area). Spring alternates between warm days to mild, windy and wet in early spring i.e. August, September. Mild being 15 to 20 Celsius. Autumn the weather is beautiful with clear days and usually windless. May and June are usually stunning.
The rest of South Africa -  Summers are hot and Winters can be cold with frost at night but the temperature rises rapidly during the day , as high as 20 to 25.  Summer rainfall. Coast much less contrast than inland.  Snow is a bonus and most South Africans have never seen snow. The best time to view game is from May to September. The grass is shorter and the animals have to drink at water holes etc.           ( Current weather )

Hospitals/ Health  - Our private hospitals are fantastic and this is where most South Africans with medical aid are treated. Overseas travellers normally also use these facilities as they have travel insurance. The government hospitals in the cities can be very good but in some rural areas they are useless, so take travel insurance or make sure nothing happens to you in the middle of nowhere. Our guests who report back to us about our private hospitals cannot say enough about the quality of the care they received in all aspects.