Vonja

Has anyone rented a motorhome to tour around in, in So. Africa? We did this when we went to New Zealand and had a great time--but then, in NZ, there isn't such a high crime rate, nor creatures who would happily devour (or at least munch on), hapless tourists! Any advice on places to stay and things to do would be appreciated! My Dad's cousins (whom I've never met) live in Jo'burg and Durban; we want to see Kruger, then drive the 800-some miles to Cape Town. Any ideas?

Thanks!

cary999

No real help, but I have rented autos from Avis in SA and they are expensive - compared to USA. $50-100 per day for just average medium size car.

We drive to and around Kruger and you don't need a motorhome to do it. Kruger camp bungalows are nice and not expensive, $70 per night for two/three people. Probably cheaper than a motorhome!!

regards - tom

Celia

Driving in South Africa is a real pleasure if you're not intimidated by driving on the left. The roads are good, and petrol stations are not hard to find. We've never rented a motorhome, but they are widely available. Google "south africa car hire" for lots of companies. Tom says that Avis is expensive, and he's right. I think their prices are close to the top. But other companies have vehicles in all price ranges.

I think Tom is right that a motorhome rental would be more expensive than Kruger camp bungalows and inexpensive hotels and B&B's and self-catering apartments or cottages. But of course, it depends on what you want to do.

Celia

Gordon_R

If it was me, I wouldn't do this due to the security vulnerabilities. A motorhome is just SO easy to break into, and you're on your own with all your stuff in there at all times, so it stands out as a target for opportunist thieves. You can obviously minimise the risks by avoiding the cities and planning your stops carefully based on local advice, but I can't see how this could ever be as safe as staying in hotels/B&B's.

satpacker

Hi.

My sgreement with Gorson_R stops at the point where he says B&Bs (which are excellent in SA) are an option. I may be missing something, but I've been travelling SA in tents, motorhomes and hotels for 5 years and haven't had an incidence of crime (which mainly focuses on easy pickings in urban areas where a motor home typically doesn't stay). But guesthouse are so cheap and good (and rental of motorhomes so expensive) that you may end up doing what I've done (with a tent) and end up staying in the excellent guesthouses in the end.

My first impressions of your itinerary (without knowing how long you have) would be to go from Joburg via Kruger to Durban. Then consider flying to Cape Town or Port Elizabeth and driving Route 62 rather than the boring and over-developed N2 through to Cape Town. The distances in SA are huge, although the major highways are very good.

If you post more specifically what you want to see and do, I'm sure we'd all be happy to help.

Rob. Satpack Travel.

Gordon_R

Satpacker - I read your post several times, but don't really understand what point you are trying to make. If you've stayed in tents and motorhomes without incident, then that's good to hear, but it doesn't alter my point that such accommodation is inherently more vulnerable from a crime point of view than hotels/B&B's/lodges etc. In additiona to your experience, I know people who've spent the night in their motorhome, only to be woken in the middle of the night by intruders escaping with their valuables - a truly scary experience.

I would also agree that security is not the only factor, as renting a motorhome will generally be poorer value for money than B&Bs'