When putting together my travel plans for South Africa I was unable to find any package that truly covered what I was looking for. They either catered for the passive traveller, or did the usual Cape Town / Kruger combination and nothing else. A bit of a waste, I felt, since there is much more to South Africa. So I ended up travelling solo through the country, doing all the things I really wanted to do, and pleasantly found it one of the safest and friendliest countries for a woman to travel alone through.

I did some homework and luckily also found great guides whilst travelling. I’ve put together a list of the travel services I used. Happy travelling :)

Port Elizabeth
Hotel: City Lodge, Summerstrand
(Typical city lodge hotel, but great location on the beachfront.)

City tours and airport transfers:
Sisa Manxiwa (e-mail: scmanxiwa@webmail.co.za, cell: +27 (0) 76 426 0145 / (0) 79 160 0563)
(A mine of information and a thorough gentleman, he came highly recommended by every hotel and tourism office in the city!)

Garden Route
Package tour (Garden Route Splendour - 4 days 3 nights): Thompsons Africa
(Thompsons are one of the biggest tour operators in South Africa - Absolute professionals. One can’t go wrong with them.)
Township tour in Knysna: Emzini Tours
(One of the most emotionally poignant and beautiful township experiences I had in the country.)

Cape Town and around
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, St. George’s Mall
(Swanking brand new hotel with slick minimalist décor in the heart of Cape Town. Ask for a room on the 15th floor for great views.)

City Tours:
Peninsula, Winelands, Walk to Freedom (Langa Township and Robben Island), City Day Tours - Thompsons Africa, contact Kuben Pillay (e-mail: kuben.pillay@thompsons.co.za, tel: +27 (0) 31 275 3699)
When exploring on my own I walked through the city (it’s very safe) and took the City sightseeing buses to get around. At R120 for a day pass, the buses are a treat.

Durban and KwaZulu-Natal
Battlefields and City Day Tours - Thompsons Africa
Kamberg, Shakaland, Sani Pass, Hluhluwe/St. Lucia/Emdoneni, Indian Cultural Experience, Airport transfers – 1st Zulu Safaris
(There really is no other way to explore KwaZulu-Natal - for real adventure, 1st Zulu Safaris win hands down. Ask for Sotiris or Zamani, cell: +27 (0) 82 776 6771)

A great way of travelling within Durban in complete safety, comfort and for a mere R4 per journey is with the People Mover which has three routes in the city.

Johannesburg and Pretoria
Hotel: Mercure Johannesburg, Randburg
(Awesome staff, the hotel is located right next to Brightwater Commons/Randburg Waterfront.)

City tours:
Pretoria, Soweto, Cradle of Humankind Day Tours – Ulysses Tours and Safaris
(Very knowledgeable guides and warm personalised service.)

Airport transfers: Please do NOT take a taxi from O.R. Tambo airport. They cost a fortune. Ask your hotel to do a pick up, or a company like Ulysses to do the transfers, or call a taxi (e-mail: alex.aldita@gmail.com, cell: +27 (0) 83 444 1323). There is also the gau train which gets you to Sandton in 12 minutes. The service includes an additional network of buses to various specific neighbourhoods.

Kruger National Park
Lodge: Umbhaba Lodge
(Stunningly beautiful place. My room had a balcony, sitting room, bedroom, two bathrooms and a gorgeous four-poster bed. Add to this wildebeest in the grounds and pretty awesome meals.)

Game Drives: Muzzi Tours (e-mail: muzzitours@vodamail.co.za, cell: +27 (0) 72 215 1642)
(Muzzi is a star - passionate and knowledgeable about his work, Kruger and wildlife. He brought Kruger alive for me.)

Post Kruger Accommodation: Outlook Lodge
(It’s near the airport and Francois, the manager at the Lodge, makes the yummiest omelettes.)

You could do the Kruger bookings directly or ask an agent. I used Desire (one of the most helpful agents I have ever come across) at www.uyaphi.com since I also wanted to do the Panorama route. She booked it for me through Spurwing Tourism Services.

Local flights
Open three windows in your browser with the following addresses to get the best deals:)
www.1time.co.za
www.kulula.com
www.mango.co.za

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