Hi,
this is the first time i'm writing on this forum,
I don't really know if one can ask specific questions,

I'm thinking of going to South Africa,
I have been doing a lot of searching on the net,

anyone living there or knows anything,
would be grateful for your help,

Sincerely,
Becky.

Ah, what makes you think you'd like to go to South Africa? I've heard that there is not much there to see or do! (I don't live there).

regards - tom

If you ask any specific questions, I'm sure people will be more than happy to help you.

Tom - please tell me you're being facetious!!

Becky - here are a few of my favourite places in SA:

Cape Town and surrounds (Table Mtn, the Cape Peninusla, the Winelands, Boulders Beach, Chapman's Peak Drive, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens...so much to see!)
The Drakensburg Mountains - fantastic scenery and hiking
Addo Elephant Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Park and St. Lucia
Karoo National Park
Kruger National Park
Madikwe
I could go on and on....

Just start putting together an itinerary, post it here and you will receive a mountain of input/suggestions! Robin

Tom is being a funny guy because most of his Africa travel has been to South Africa with great results. That's why he keeps going back. Maybe he thinks you are really somebody else.

I visited twice in the June-July time frame and once by accident due to a flight cancellation. Here's what I enjoyed, in no particular order

Sabi Sands Game Reserve next to Kruger. I stayed at Mala Mala, which is well known for excellent wildlife and Big 5 sightings. If you travel alone and book early, you can get the no single supplelment room. There are many places to stay in SSGR that cost more and less than Mala Mala and also have great wildlife.

Phinda, a cheetah reserve. You can do many different activities besides see animals in a vehicle. You can canoe (was lovely), visit the local village/homesteads (good cultural visit midday that does not interfere with game drives), track rhino on foot (I had 3 exciting outings), do an aerial land and water wildlife viewing safari, track collared leopards, ride horses, see turtles (around Feb I think), do walking and birdwatching excursions.

Soweto where Mandela lived near Johannesburg. This is a good half day trip pre or post flight.

Robben Island off of Cape Town. Mandela was held prisoner here. There are a couple of daily departures by ferry with tours by former prisoners. Very moving.

Kirstenbosch Gardens are world renowned and contain many species of fynbos (an entire kingdom of plant), unique to the Cape Town area.

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, a one-day trip from Cape Town, but you can easily spend more days in this breathtaking reserve on the ocean.

In Simonstown, about 20 minutes from Cape Town is
-Boulders Bay with African Penguins
-Baboon Matters where you walk amongst baboon troops
-African Shark Eco Charters for trips to see the Great White Sharks in False Bay where they breach out of the water as part of their seal hunting.

I would like to spend time in Hermanus where you can watch whales from land.

There was nothing I did not enjoy on my SA trips, but there's a whole lot more to do than what I did. Garden Route, vineyards, Addo Elephant Park, etc.

This is a good site to check out South Africa travel options.
http://www.go2africa.com/south-africa

Oh yeah, reading Canadian Robin's comment--for many visitors the must see is Table Mountain near Cape Town. You can take a cable car up. The other must is Chapman's Peak Drive.

I was unable to do either of those because of various problems and even though I missed these two landmarks, I still had a wonderful time. I believe Simonstown or Simons Town is my favorite city.

I am also new in this forum.

But I know South Africa a little bit.
We have been there for 3 times (2005, 2006 and 2008) and it is a beautiful country. So I was a little bit surprised about cary999's answer.....

Okay, it's a question of what you usually do in your vacation.

But in SA i.e. you have wonderful possibilities to watch the wildlife, of you like animals.
You have the big wellknown Krüber National Park. Here it's easy to spend some days without getting boring.
The Addo Elephant National Park is smaller but nevertheless it's very very nice (if you like elephants). Indeed you will also see other animals (antilopes, warthogs, zebras and with luck also lions).
In SA you also can go for a whale wachting tour if you will be there in the time June - November. Then you probably will watch them from the shore! They are often very close to the shore.
In SA there are also some very nice areas for hiking.
If you like fine dining: in SA you have a very high number of really excellent restaurant - for a normal price. If you like wine. In SA you have several areas with a lot of winery and vineyards.
And so on.

So, if you still have the plans to go to SA, do you have an idea when to go (which season/month? How long will you stay there? Do you like wildlife? Do you want see everything in one visit? Or do you have time enough for a hiking day?

I think it's easier to know a bit of you and your plans to give you some tips.
Regards,
mecky

Fly into Cape Town - hire a car - stay about 5 nights - head to Franschhoek for 2 nights - drive up to Hermanus for 2 nights- continue up to Knysna or Plettenberg Bay for for 3 or 4 nights for beach time and relaxing - carry on to the Eastern Cape and spend 3 or 4 nights on Safari. Fly out of Port Elizabeth.

There is accommodation to suit all pockets!

And fabulous food... Cape Town and Franschhoke have some great dining spots.

Cary 999 - thank you for having a sense of humour :0)

I thought that didn't exist on the Fodors forum

he he

Thanks MP, I've wondered the same But I know it does.

After reading PP's original posting I wondered if they didn't also have a sense of humour!!!

regards - tom