South Africa

[Ivy]

Crocus here is one question for your expertise:

If travelling to South Africa what area would you suggest as being the most beautiful, typical and safe in your country? German press has been full about riots and killings in South Africa during the last months but as your posts are always free from those things happening they can't be all over the country.

[sandybay]

Just to say Ivy, have never been to SA but my husband's father did.
He saw it when he was travelling back from the Far East having been a Japanese prisoner of war. He visited many countries, part of getting them well and fit and a bit fattened up before bring them home.

He said it was the most beautiful place he had ever seen.

[Crocus]

Hi Ivy, sorry, only noticed this today. Yes, the riots etc. doesn't happen all over, mainly in certain cities when it does happen.

We live in quite a safe area which is one of the reasons we moved here 8 years ago.
It's also a very beautiful area of our country (Western Cape, Garden Route) and many many tourists visit these parts because of the wine routes, stunning mountain ranges etc. and relatively low level of violence.

I would say stay to the well known tourists routes, and perhaps home in on the Western Cape and Garden Route areas. This is the most popular areas tourists visit each year.
A few weeks ago during our July school holidays, we met a couple and their daughter, also from Germany. I think they live an hour or so north of Hanover. They were planning quite an extensive tour through S.A., ending up north in Zambia I think they said.

Are you planning a visit to S.A. Ivy? If you are, and it's getting near to your planning, let me know and we can advise you more specifically. xx

[Ivy]

Thank you for the replies. Crocus we have been toying with the idea for years but something always came in between (new house, child in English boarding school, new office building.....) at the moment it looks quite good but not sure when and if it is going to happen . When would be the best time of year to enjoy the garden route without having too hot temperatures?

[Crocus]

I would say anyting between March to about May. That's our autumn, not being so very hot, and not yet cold as well. Quite a lot of tourists visit during December, but it's quite hot then, and the wind also blows quite a lot then. Enjoy your planning and yell if you need help eh? xx

[Crocus]

Hi Ivy, how's the planning going on visiting South Africa? x