Travel: The main roads are well-maintained, straight and uncrowded, but here are hazards as the picture shows. This was on a major road in Swaziland, just before a bend and a river crossing, where a collision between a motorist and wildlife can be fatal for both parties. Our coach had a window shot out (probably by a catapault) whilst we were travelling at speed, which was alarming and inconvenient. Confusingly, traffic lights are known as 'robots'. There few trains compared to Europe, though the luxurious Blue Train provides a fast service linking Cape Town and Pretoria. Internal flights connect many of the major cities- for instance, we flew from Port Elizabeth to Durban.

Safety: Travellers are recommended "not to look too wealthy", which is something we do with ease! As with other countries, the cities are more dangerous than the country areas, and several hotels warned us against venturing out at night. We felt quite safe in the tourist centres of Cape Town and Pretoria, and in the towns on the Garden Route. Johnannesberg appeared to be a no-go area for the casual vistor. Many commercial and residential buildings have signs like the one shown here.

Money: The Rand is the main unit, divided into 100 cents. Value Added Tax is added to many purchases, and this can be claimed back before flying home (actually, we kept all of the receipts but in the end we concluded that it wasn't worth the hassle of making a claim at the airport). There are ATMs in the cities, whilst banks in smaller towns will cash travellers cheques. Credit/debit cards are usable in many retail outlets. Tipping is a way of life in South Africa so 10% should be added to payments in restaurants etc. [exchange rate calculator]

Languages: There are no less than eleven official languages, with Afrikaans and English being used everywhere. The main African language depends on what is mostly used in the province you are in. We found it a friendly thing to speak a little Xhosa (prounced like 'korsa') when in the Cape, and Zulu when in Kwazulu-natal and Mpumalanga. Waiters can easily be coaxed to teach you a few words in their language (don't forget to tip them for this extra service), and will be amused by your efforts! In order to avoid a gaffe when trying out new words, it is useful to ask what is the 'first language' of the person you are addressing.

Weather: South Africa's climate varies from Mediterranean in the Cape, through desert in the north-west, to sub-tropical in the north-east. Snow falls on the higher mountains in the winter. We went in October (Spring) and found the Cape and Garden Route very pleasant, Durban sticky, Lesotho cool and windy, Swaziland hot and Kruger very hot on one day followed by wet and cool the next!

Hotels in South Africa

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