Going to Sth Africa - Advice appreciated!

Hi all... heading to Sth Africa for our honeymoon in January 09 thru early Feb.... Basically what's a good way to go? I'm thinking fly to JoBurg then Cape Town and then travel by car back to Kruger/Victoria Falls then back to JoBurg and then home... but so much in between!!! Any help is greatly appreciated.. we want to see lots of wild animals, drink blood (just joking), enjoy local and interesting foods/wine, dance, music, etc etc.... Any advice is appreciated... Cheers Paul

I am sure you are going to get lots of replies on this one!

Your route sounds great, driving from Cape Town along the Garden Route, Wild Coast etc. is pretty spectacular and it is interesting to see things change from being terribly European in Cape Town to having a much more 'African' feel as you move further east around Cintsa and Coffee Bay. I am presuming you intend to follow the coast up through St Lucia, are you planning Swaziland too? I can certainly recommend it. Plenty of wildlife can be spotted at various places on route... Addo, Hluhluwe, St Lucia, Kruger and Mlwane in Swaz to name but a few.

How do you intend getting to Vic Falls? Driving is a long old trek, worth it if you want to visit Motobo and/or Hwange on route. Otherwise probably better to fly. Petrol is not so easy to come by in Zim these days although a tank full may get you from J'burg to Vic Falls, you will have to fill up when you get there. Having said that, there is always the good old black market!

From Vic Falls, time permitting, you could also take in Zambia or Botswana????

Hi Paul

Sounds like a wonderful honeymoon. I'm sure you're fiance is going to be extemely happy

I'm not so sure that combining Kruger and Victoria Falls (by car) is going to be the best way to allocate your time.

One thing that you may consider is flying to Livingstone (on the Zambian side of Vic falls) either at the beginning or end of your trip. You can look at SAA and Kulula for flights between Joburg and Livingstone, and of course making these flights from SA and paying in Rands should save you a lot of money (you may want to click on the SAA site for the South African link)

Your other option is to drive to Vic falls and go to another game park besides Kruger National Park. There are options in both Namibia and Botswana and Botswana is probably a better option. This would also allow you to go to the Okavango. Just remember to hire a car/ 4x4 that is able to cover the roads nicely - a car may suffice or a 4x4 may be necessary. You will need to sort out car permits to cover the various borders

Some other suggestions to look into - drive the wine farms and garden route from Cape Town
Go to Mozambique
Go to Swaziland
Visit St. Lucia (in northern KZN)

At the moment, SA Tourism has been focusing on the domestic market. You may want to google "Sho't Left" to see if you can find holiday suggestions and good local specials that fit your desires and budget.

It all depends on what you want but don't try and pack too much in. You will have a nicer honeymoon relaxing, spending your time and focusing on the places that you enjoy most.

Hopefully you also find other good suggestions from this notice board. Please let me know if you have any other specific follow-up questions

Looks like you have a wonderful holiday to look forward to

Oh! We're heading to South Africa on our honeymoon in just over two weeks. Getting excited--and a little nervous! We've booked with GAP Adventures and touring from Pretoria to Kruger to Mozambique, Swaziland, and down to Durban--all in 15 days (plus a few extra days to sit back and enjoy). Take a look at their site for some info to help you plan. They really do cover a lot of ground.

Good luck and congrats!

I went to SA in January 06 - amazing place, and top choice for a honeymoon!

I would advise flying straight to cape town, and enjoy that amazing city as much as possible. The weather will be amazing that time of year. You can then drive the garden route, take in some great white cage diving, wine regions, and then head on around to durban.

I wouldnt advise too much time in jo'burg. We only went there to join a tour to kruger.

Driving up to livingstone and vic falls was a long drive - all the way through botswana. But definately worth doing. Visit the okavango delta too - lots of wildlife, and totally different to kruger.

Vic falls is awesome, and from livingstone you could fly back home, or explore a bit more of zambia - the people there are so friendly.

Have a great time