South Africa is affectionately known as the Rainbow Nation due to its diversity of people and cultures. With more than 11 official languages and dozens of ethnic groups, there’s something for everyone in South Africa.
South Africa is affectionately known as the Rainbow Nation due to its diversity of people and cultures.
With more than 11 official languages and dozens of ethnic groups, there’s something for everyone in South Africa. Experience lush green streets, scrumptious meals, and impressive wildlife. Immerse yourself into South African culture during our 10-day journey through Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Your life will certainly change after exploring the wonderful country of South Africa with a professional team of local guides. Enjoy top-level accommodations, walk through history-filled towns, marvel at African wildlife, and get to know welcoming locals. It’s time for a change of pace…the city of gold awaits!
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O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg is the air transport hub of southern Africa. Onward travel is mostly by car. Because of excellent roads and facilities in South Africa, some people choose the self-drive option. In most other cases, we’ll arrange pick-up from the airport and further transportation as part of your tour package.
Other international airports are located in Cape Town and Durban, but few flights from Europe or America fly directly to either destination
Make sure your passport is up to date and that it will have at least six months before the expiration date when you arrive in South Africa and a photocopy or scan on your phone. Visa-United States citizens do not require a visa, for a complete list of exempt countries check here .
If you want to visit South Africa, you must produce a valid visa before you can enter the country. A visa will be issued for a visit for tourism or business purposes and is valid for a period of 90 days. Visas are not issued at South African ports of entry, and airline officials must insist on visas before allowing passengers to board. If you arrive without a visa, immigration officials are obliged to put you on a flight back to your home country. You may use this link for e-visa application: https://evisa-southafrica.com/.
For domestic travel, passengers are required to check in at least one and a half hours before departure of flight. For international travel, Passengers are required to check in at least two and a half hours before departure of flight (irrespective of class of travel).
Of course NO! As per our Tour package Transfers to/from Airport to the Lodge’s are inclusive what you need to do is to share your full flight details with us so that we can arrange it accordingly.
Maximum Impact Travel will be providing hotel accommodation according to the itinerary program. The client’s whose will arrive earlier than the started safari dates or wish to extend their stay they will be required to pay for the extra cost.
Yellow Fever – You are required to have a yellow fever vaccination for South Africa if you’ve visited at-risk areas (mainly African and South American countries). The mosquito that can carry yellow fever is present in South Africa, so this is a preventative measure to keep the disease out. If you’re from any affected countries you need the yellow fever vaccine and proof of vaccination to be allowed onto your flight to South Africa.
South Africa considers a one-time dose of yellow fever vaccine (properly documented with an ICVP) to be good for the life of the traveler. Any traveler not meeting this requirement can be refused entry to South Africa or quarantined for up to 6 days.
COVID 19 - No need to bother, for now, you do not need a vaccine currently. These rules are changing every day so you must keep checking with iVisa .com for new updates about entry guidelines for visitors of South Africa.
No one wants to spend precious holiday time looking for a pharmacy, especially in the middle of nowhere on a safari. You can get things like bandages and ibuprofen anywhere in the world, but it’s always a relief to have it on hand when you need it.
All medication should be kept in original packaging regardless of whether they are prescribed or over-the-counter purchases, this helps keep medications easily identifiable for officials at ports of entry. If you have existing medical conditions ensure you have enough medication for the duration of your trip and additional supply in case your trip is unexpectedly extended. Consult the healthcare practitioner managing your existing medical condition before travel, they are usually best placed to advise about medication management. Carry copies of all prescriptions, including generic drug names; this may help you to replace medications in the event they are lost or stolen.
Travelers with physical disabilities and those who require frequent or on-going medical attention should advise Maximum Impact Travel of their health situation at the time of booking (or at the time such a situation occurs should this be after the reservation is made).
Going on a safari is a once in a lifetime experience, so you want to make sure you pack appropriately. It can sound stressful but honestly; it’s not as difficult as you think in to pack for a safari in South Africa.
Here is a brief summary of the essentials for any South Africa packing list:
When travelling in Southern Africa, the most useful currency to have with you is South African rand or US dollars. You do not need to carry a lot of cash with you – most places accept credit cards. You can exchange money easily at any bank or airport in South Africa.
Automated teller machines (ATMs) are found in most towns and operate on a 24 hour basis. Please do not accept assistance from anyone at an ATM for your safety.
They accept most credit and debit cards and will issue local currency with a standardized transaction fee per withdrawal.
Currency exchange rates are available at banks and published daily in the press.
Lodges & Hotels will mostly offer a reasonably good WiFi connection, which will allow you to do most things online, barring heavy streaming. More basic camps should at least have EDGE, GPRS or 3G hotspots, which will let you do some basic stuff – emailing, checking online banking, etc. Basic bush camps will not have any WiFi or cell network coverage.
Electricity Voltage in South Africa is 220/230 volts AC at 50 cycles per second. Three pronged plugs are universal, so take an adapter. Most hotel rooms have 110 volt outlets for electric shavers and small appliances.
English is spoken everywhere you go. English is the language of the cities, of commerce and banking, of government and official documents. All our road signs and official forms are in English and at any hotel, B&B or guest house, the service staff will speak to you in English.
TIME ZONE: South African Standard Time is two hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +2), one hour in advance of central European winter time and seven hours in advance of United States Eastern Standard Time throughout the year. There are no time zone differences within the country.
South Africa’s daily culinary timetable follows the British model. Most B&Bs, hotels and guesthouses serve a breakfast of eggs with bacon and usually some kind of sausage. Muesli, fruit, yoghurt, croissants and pastries are also becoming increasingly popular. Lunch is eaten around 1pm and dinner in the evening around 7pm or 8pm; the two can be pretty much interchangeable as far as the menu goes, usually along the lines of meat, chicken or fish and veg: in fact, any of the dishes mentioned here.
Tap water is unsafe to drink, so rely on bottled during your stay and avoid ice.
The ‘Kruger & Around’ sections below relate to the parks and reserves in Greater Kruger and in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. These parks have a climate pattern similar to Kruger National Park. The winter months (May to September) receive little to no rainfall. Early mornings can be quite cold and the temperatures is pleasant in the afternoon. In summer (October to April) afternoon showers are common, humidity increases and it can get uncomfortably hot.
Town and surrounding areas receive the most precipitation in the winter (May to September). This is opposite to the rainfall pattern in most of the country, including Kruger. Summer (October to April) in Cape Town is warm and mostly dry. The Garden Route is an in-between area with moderate rainfall throughout the year. This coastal area, known for its scenic beauty and beaches, is best appreciated during the warm summer months (October to April). The nearby parks in the Eastern Cape are semi-arid and the humidity and rainfall stay low throughout the year.
MAY TO SEPTEMBER-WINTER
May, Kruger & Around: This month brings the end of summer. Rainfall dwindles down. Temperatures are pleasant; typically 12°C/54°F in the morning and 27°C/81°F in the afternoon. Cape Town & Around: Rainfall increases with the start of winter. It cools down to an average of 20°C/68°F in the afternoon.
June, July & August, Kruger & Around: Morning game drives in open vehicles will be cold, so it’s advisable to pack warm winter clothing. The average morning temperature is 10°C/50°F. Afternoons will be pleasant with temperatures around 26°C/79°F. Rain is extremely rare. Cape Town & Around: There is regular rainfall and cloudy skies are common. Mornings are usually around 8°C/46°F and afternoons around 18°C/64°F.
September, Kruger & Around: The heat gradually builds up to about 29°C/84°F in the afternoons, and the first rains bring relief from very dry conditions. Mornings are pleasant with temperatures of around 14°C/57°F.Cape Town & Around: Cloudy conditions are common, but daytime temperatures increase gradually at the end of winter. Afternoons reach temperatures of around 19°C/66°F.
OCTOBER TO APRIL-SUMMER
October & November, Kruger & Around: It gets warmer and it starts to rain more often, mostly in the afternoons. Temperatures are between 18°C/64°F in the morning and 31°C/88°F in the afternoon. Cape Town & Around: The average afternoon temperature in November is a pleasant 24°C/75°F. Most days are sunny and it only rains sporadically.
December, January & February, Kruger & Around: These are the wettest months, characterized by torrential downpours in the afternoon. The heat can be oppressive with average afternoon temperatures around 32°C/90°F with high humidity. Peak temperatures are much higher. Cape Town &; Around: The weather is lovely; afternoons are around 26°C/79°F and the skies are mostly blue. It still rains occasionally, but usually not for long.
March & April Kruger & Around: Rainfall decreases and it slowly gets cooler. This continues in April, which has lovely, clear weather. The nights get a bit colder but are still pleasant at about 18°C/64°F. Daytime temperatures are around 30°C/86°F and humidity drops in April. Cape Town & Around: It cools down at the end of summer. The average high in April is 23°C/73°F and it drops to about 12°C/54°F at night. Rainfall and cloudy conditions increase, but there are still many lovely days.
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