Elaine22

Any suggestions for good tour companies that don't use large buses in and around Capetown and also Johannesburg when we have to stay over on the way to a safari? I can't afford privately guided tours, but it would be nice to take a tour in a van or small bus as a compromise.

CarlaM

We (7) of us rented a Mercedes Vito and drove ourselves around Cape Town with a good guide book.

Here are some other ideas that I have read about on Fodors:

http://www.wilrotours.co.za/

http://www.springbokatlas.co.za/day_tours.php

http://www.citysightseeing.co.za/ (this one is the hop on/off bus I saw but never used)

I am sure there are lots of other ideas that will come along.

Back2Sabi

A lot of people on this site rave about Selwyn Davidowitz. We were looking at booking a day trip with a guide and I got GREAT information from him re: different trips. Would have loved to book a trip with him, but as it turned out our time in Cape Town was very short, just four days, and we didn't have time to organize a guided tour with all the other things we wanted to do on our own. We had a very reliable and inexpensive Toyota and felt perfectly safe and enjoyed all areas of the cape on our own...

Selwyn's website is:
www.ilovecapetown.com


As for Jo'Burg... Face2Face tours... ask for Jimmy. He's awesome. He's one of the most interesting people I've ever met and has the biggest fish-tales you'll ever hear. He knows EVERYONE, it seems, in town. He'll take you on tours all around the city as well as day trips to sites around Jo'Burg. He gives you a real "insider's view" of town. He ferried us around in his VW Golf for two days and we had a blast. Driving 200 km out to see the Ndebele (sp!) region as well as taking a very up close and personal walking and driving tour of Soweto. With Face 2 Face tours you get to meet locals, talk with them, share experiences.

http://www.face2face.co.za

SA_Guide

Most of the Tour companies are fine. The only problems with using the big ones are that you can't be sure which guide you are going to get and they often use vehicles that i do not believe are suitable for touring. if i were you i would use a guide that has been personally recommended (like Selwyn on this forum).

Mark

africanj

I agree with using Jimmy. I just spoke with him a afew days ago at the apartheid museum in Johannesburg. He seems to be very busy so try to book as early as possible.

As for a Cape Town Guide i would use SA_Guide. He is well travelled and has a great family history in this country....ask him. He's brilliant