16 Days and Counting
 

Hi all,

Well the plans are coming together!
Johannasburg - 2 days
Kruger - 3 days
Cape Town -3.5 days
Nambia Safari - 12 days

I can't wait!

Question of the day. I pretty much just drink water - no pop or coffee, etc. Should I bring my own water filter with me? or is what's provided be sufficient? I'll be both at hotels and lodges, so I think conditions will vary.

I don't want to overpack - which I am doing already!:s-

Thanks!
Kim

You won't have any problems with the water supplied as there is always plenty of bottled available in the various lodges, camps and hotels. Most if not all of the camps etc. have filter systems however I chose to only consume the bottled water, just to be on the safe side.

When we were in Namibia we found all lodges took out bottled water onto their drives for you, and you can request them to do that for you before each drive.

Most also sell bottled water at reasonable prices (where it's not already included).

Thanks! One less thing to buy/borrow/pack! =D>

Happy weekend! and Happy Travels!
Kim

Be careful to drink only bottled water. That goes for your teeth as well. Take no chances. And take meds to stop the problem if you slip up and catch a temporary thing.

I don't know if LstFltOut is speaking from actual experience, or what.

I've drunk tap water in Johannesberg, Kruger, and Cape Town over the last 23 years, and been as healthy as a horse. I drank from the tap in Namibia last year too, and never suffered any ill effects. The millions of people who live there drink it straight from the tap too.

Farming methods in that part of the world do not put any bad bugs into the water, and the water treatment plants work just like those in the US and Europe.

Unless you are going to be drinking straight from rivers, you have nothing to worry about.

LstFltOut actually is on the money. Water supplies vary all over the world. Even among the safe ones, there are differences. For people with weaker constitutions, those differences can cause upset and problems for the first few days. After that (and for many years) it is fine.

It has nothing to do with the safety of the water, but rather on the local mix of all the stuff in there.

Mexico is a good example. People living there permanently have no problem with the water but it is difficult for visitors to adjust to initially.

For my two-cents - I agree and disagree. Personally, I would have no problem drinking water in So.Africa or Namibia. However, with that said, different people react differently to water other than what they are used to. Some people just have a more delicate/sensitive system than others.

I eat food and drink water in places most people wouldn't and have never had a problem. At the other extreme, I have a female travel buddy who need only look at the water and has to find the loo!

I laugh whenever in Europe (UK, France, Italy) and ask for water and the waiter automatically asks "with or without gas" and I respond "from the tap"

Kim - you have to do what you are most comfortable with, and if bottled water will allow you to enjoy your trip - go with bottled. It's available at all camps and lodges, though I'd feel perfectly fine drinking from a hotel faucet in JNB or CPT.

While on your Namibia portion of trip, and if you'll be doing some of this as a self drive, then pick up a case of water in Windhoek and you're set for the duration. If you're on a tour, just be sure that your driver has sufficient water for all participants.

You know your own internal workings and that should set your decision.

But be certain to have Imodium and Cipro in with your meds. The latter is specifically for a bacterial intestinal problem; while he the former if for the ordinary "grippers". Have a great vacation.

Sorry to have to point out that contrary to what has been said in some mails in this thread whoever claims that you should not drink water from a faucet in SA is totally off the money. One of SA's greatest assets is the fact that we are one of what is supposedly only three countries in the world where you can drink water from any faucet (tap) ANYWHERE in the country. I cannot speak for Namibia but in SA this is a very well known fact. One does not need to ever touch bottled water. As a matter of fact locals in SA know that bottled water is the biggest rip off in restaurants and most places where it is offered.

When my visitors travel with me I ONLY have them drink straight tap water and in over 500 tours I have not had one casualty because of doing this. Restaurants hate me when they ask if we want to order still or sparkling water and I answer by saying bring us a jug of tap water with ice and lemon. The only reason as to why they hate this is because they know that we are correct and that cant rip their foreign diners off when they have a local on board.

Put simply you can drink tap water anywhere in SA and I would strongly suggest that you steer clear of bottled water wherever possible. If one is on safari you could quite easily fill up a bottle from the tap and all shall be fine too.

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]
Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

I agree with Celia & Selwin regarding drinking water in Namibia and SA. Our guidebook said it was okay to drink from the tap and our travel agent in Windhoek told us the water was very good, so we drank it. My husband and I drank tap water at all the lodges and restaurants in Namibia & South Africa. Neither one of us experienced any health problems during our month long visit. We also ate salads, raw veggies and fruits without hesitation. Bottom line, the tap water is very good and safe to drink in both Namibia and South Africa.

Traveling the rest of the world is a very different story. We're always careful to use bottled water for everything from drinking to brushing our teeth.

Off busy packing! Thanks for the update! I'll bring my water bottle along for the flight and then fill it up as I go - that is what I tend to do at home as well!

I appreciate it!

Kim
8 days to go!!! I can't wait!!